The play Mike Cuellar wished he had to do over

[WillyM]

The Orioles began their final series in the Coliseum in Oakland last night.  Though last night's game turned out well for them, I couldn’t help thinking about Game 3 in the 1973 ALCS, played in that same stadium.

The O’s and A’s had split the first two games of the best-of-five in Baltimore.  Mike Cuellar was the Orioles starter, while Ken Holtzman took the mound for Oakland.  The crowd of 34,367 wasn’t as large as might have been expected for an ALCS game featuring the home team as defending world champions, but they were enthusiastic and they were loud.

Through the first 7 ½ innings, Holtzman had held the Orioles to one run on two hits, Earl Williams’ second-inning homer providing the run.  Cuellar had been even better, keeping the A’s scoreless and allowing only one hit.

In the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Jesus Alou led off with a single.  Allen Lewis, used exclusively as a pinch-runner that year, was inserted to run for Alou.  The next batter, Mike Andrews, was given the bunt sign.

As Cuellar delivered the pitch, Lewis, who apparently thought Mike was going to throw to first, broke back to the bag.  Andrews squared and bunted the ball back to Cuellar.  Andy Etchebarren, seeing that Lewis had no jump at all and would be an easy out, yelled at Cuellar to throw to second.

But the crowd was yelling so loud, Cuellar never heard him.  As soon as Andrews got the bunt down, Mike. knowing that Lewis had blinding speed, decided to take the sure out at first, rather than risk going after Lewis.  Andrews was out, but Lewis was safe at second.

Cuellar struck out Bert Campaneris for the second out, but Joe Rudi then singled to bring Lewis home with the tying run.  Cuellar got Sal Bando for the third out, then retired the A’s in order in the ninth and tenth, before Campaneris led off the 11^th with a game-winning home run.

The Orioles won the next day.  If Cuellar had thrown Lewis out at second base, it’s likely that the Orioles would have won the series, three games to one, which would have put them into a World Series rematch against the Mets, with a chance to redeem themselves for the unfortunate events of 1969.