1971 жылғы Бейсбол Әлем сериясы: Питтсбург Пайретс – Балтимор Ориолс

68th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series

The 1971 World Series was the championship round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1971 season and featured the first night game in its history. The 68th edition of the Fall Classic was a best of seven playoff between the defending World Series and American League (AL) champion Baltimore Orioles and the National League (NL) champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates won the World Series in seven games, in large part because of superstar right fielder Roberto Clemente, whose all around brilliance was on full display on a national stage. Game 4 in Pittsburgh was the first World Series game played at night. Many in the know expected the highly touted Orioles to repeat as world champions, but the upstart Pirates proved to be the better team after some early struggles. The home side prevailed in each of the first six contests. In Game 7 in Baltimore, Pirates ace Steve Blass pitched a four hit complete game in a 2–1 win over Mike Cuellar and
†: postponed from October 10 due to rain

The Pirates scored three in the second off of Dave McNally due to sloppy defense by the Orioles. Bob Robertson led off with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch by O's starter Dave McNally. Manny Sanguillén grounded to short, but Mark Belanger threw wildly to third in an attempt to retire Robertson. Robertson scored and Sanguillén pulled in at second. After advancing to third on a ground ball by José Pagán, Sanguillén scored on a suicide squeeze bunt laid down by Jackie Hernández, who went to second when catcher Elrod Hendricks threw wildly to first. Dave Cash singled home Hernandez with the only hit the Pirates got the whole inning among the three runs. The Orioles rallied behind the long ball. Frank Robinson hit a home run in the second and Merv Rettenmund blasted a three run home run in the third off Dock Ellis to give the Orioles the lead. Don Buford added a home run off of Bob Moose in the fifth as McNally settled down and allowed only two more hits and no runs the rest of the way.

Following a one day delay caused by the first World Series rainout in nine years, the Orioles took a 2–0 series lead on Monday afternoon. Baltimore pounded six Pirate pitchers for 14 hits (all singles) and 11 runs, led by three hits and four RBI by Brooks Robinson, who drove in the first Oriole run in the second. In the fourth, with the bases loaded by a single, hit by pitch and walk, Davey Johnson's two run single made it 3–0 Orioles and knocked starter Bob Johnson out of the game. Two walks by Bruce Kison forced in another run to make it 4–0 Orioles. In the fifth, after two singles, Elrod Hendricks's two run single, aided by an error and Robinson's single, made it 7–0 Orioles. After another single, Bob Veale relieved Moose and allowed two walks to load the bases and force in another run. Don Buford's groundout and Merv Rettenmund's RBI single made it 10–0 Orioles. Robinson's RBI single next inning off of Bob Miller capped the Orioles' scoring. Jim Palmer pitched seven shutout innings and helped himself the easy way by drawing two bases loaded walks for two RBIs the only time this has happened in a World Series game. The Pirates got their runs in the eighth when Richie Hebner hit a three run homer off Palmer. This was very nearly the first night game in World Series history. After rain postponed Game 2—originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon—Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suggested that the rescheduled game be played on Monday night. However, the Pirates objected as they wanted the honor of hosting the first World Series night game themselves at Three Rivers Stadium when Game Four was played. Thus Game Two was played on Monday afternoon in Baltimore.

With the Series shifting to Three Rivers Stadium and with Steve Blass available, the Pirates got back into it. Roberto Clemente's groundout with runners on second and third in the first put them up 1–0. Manny Sanguillén hit a leadoff double in the sixth and scored on Jose Pagan's single to make it 2–0 Pirates. Steve Blass pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and one run (on a Frank Robinson home run in the seventh) and striking out eight. The big blow on offense was struck by Bob Robertson, who slammed a three run home run in the seventh inning off starter Mike Cuellar after missing the bunt sign. Manager Danny Murtaugh issued the sign to Robertson, who had no sacrifice bunts the entire season. Television replays showed Roberto Clemente, who was on second base, appearing to call a timeout, but Cuellar was already in his windup at the time. Blass was sitting next to Murtaugh in the dugout at the time, and told the Pirate manager: "If you fine him (Robertson, for missing the bunt sign), I'll pay." Murtaugh didn't.