Yankee Stadium, like so many times before, was prepared to host the pivotal game 5 of the series. With the series knotted at 2 games apiece the winner of game 5 would have a decided advantage since they would only need to win 1 more game in 2 tries to take it all. The fifth installment of the series featured the same two starters that the first installment had. Big Don Newcombe would be taking the hill for Brooklyn and El Duque, Orlando Hernandez would be on the hill for the Bombers. With two fantastic aces on the mound the crowd expected a pitcher's duel. What they got was an epic duel. Both aces started out very shaky. El Duque yielded a lead off double to Jackie Robinson to start the game, but the Dodgers were not able to score as Jackie was left standing on 3rd as the inning ended. New York tried to take advantage of Newbombe's early wildness, but could not. Like most classic power pitchers Newk needed an inning to settle into a grove. He almost didn't have that luxury as he walked the bases loaded and was staring down the barrel of 6'7" Darryl Strawberry's bat. At that point Newk "found it" and fanned Staw on 4 pitches. That would be the first of 11 strikeouts that he would have on the day has he began blowing away each and every hitter wearing pinstripes. Meanwhile Newk's opposing number, El Duque was doing whatever it took to get the job done. Not having his best
stuff, Duque pulled out all the stops as he flirted with danger in just about every inning. Brooklyn just couldn't get the key 2 out hit to push a run across and as we approached the 7th inning everyone seemed to focus more on Brooklyn's miscues than the fact that their ace was tossing a no-hitter. Up stepped Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams, who fought off a 2-2 Newcombe fastball and dropped a parachute into left field just in front of Cal Abrams. There went the no hitter, but Newcombe remained unphased as he proceeded to strike out Tino and with runners on 1st and 3rd after Raines singled he fanned Brosius to end the inning. As you can imagine the tension truly began to mount up in the Bronx as 7 innings were complete and neither team could post a run on the scoreboard. To lead off the 8th the Dodgers had their MVP backstop Roy Campanella ready to dig in. El Duque made what looked like a good pitch on the outside part of the plate, but it caught a bit too much of the plate and Campy flicked it just inside the foul poll in right for a 311 foot homer. The visitors dugout began to explode. Brooklyn finally got the break they were looking for. Duque retired the next 3 hitters and Ramiro Mendoza pitched a scoreless ninth to setup the drama in the bottom of the 9th. Newcombe came out to start the inning looking to nail down a 2 hit shutout. In stepped Paul O'Neill, one of the most clutch Yankee performers of all
time. If Tommy Heinrich was known as "Ole Reliable" to his generation, Paul O'Neill could be called the same for his. With the count 2-1, Newcombe grooved a fastball and O'Neill got all of it. As the ball sailed toward the right centerfield bleachers all 56,000 attendees left their seats trying to will it over the blue padded wall, then out of nowhere #6 in a gray jersey jumped and reached back and came down with the ball in his glove. Carl Furillo, known mostly for his rifle right arm saved the day (for the moment) for his team. A collective sigh could be heard in the borough of churches at that one moment. Having seen enough, the Dodgers manager went right to mound and summoned relief specialist Clem Labine from the pen to finish it out. Newk was great for 8 innings, but his history in the 9th inning has not always been good in games on the grand stage. Two batters later Labine got Tino to weakly line to Reese at short and the Boys of Summer were now 1 game away from winning it all.
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