Pirates now lead 3-1 and look to win the World Series at home. They start verteran lefty Jim Rooker (4-7 4.60 Grade 2Z), while the Orioles start Mike Flanagan (23-9 3.08 Grade 15YZ).
The Orioles with their backs against the walls come out swinging. The score a run in the 2nd as Doug DeCinces drives in Gary Roenicke. In the 3rd they would add 2 more runs as Benny Ayala slugs a 2 run homer off Rooker. In the 5th the Orioles would bring out the homer bats. Ayala, Ken Singleton, and Gary Roenicke all hit solo homers to give the Orioles a commanding 5-0 lead.
In the 7th Ayala would come up again with a runner on, and again he would deposit a Grant Jackson pitch over the wall in left. Ayala had 6 homers in the regular season and has 3 in Game 5 of the World Series….baseball. The Pirates would scratch across a run in the 7th but that would be all they would get against Flanagan as the Cy Young winner gets the win to keep the Orioles in the series.
Final Score: Orioles 8, Pirates 1
WP: Mike Flangan (1-1)
LP: Jim Rooker (0-1)
HR’s: Orioles – Benny Ayala 3 (3), Ken Singleton (1), Gary Roenicke (2)