1987 National League Championship Series
1987 National League Championship Series
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1987 National League Championship Series

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1987 National League Championship Series

The 1987 National League Championship Series took place in Major League Baseball’s 1987 postseason between October 6 and 14 at Busch Memorial Stadium (Games 1, 2, 6, and 7) and Candlestick Park (Games 3, 4, and 5). It matched the East division champion St. Louis Cardinals (95–67) against the West division champion San Francisco Giants (90–72), with the Cardinals winning in seven games. The Cardinals would go on to lose the 1987 World Series to the Minnesota Twins, also in seven games.

San Francisco's Jeffrey Leonard was named the Series MVP despite the fact that his Giants lost the series. Oddly enough, this was the second consecutive year that the NLCS MVP came from the losing team, as Mike Scott had won the award with the Houston Astros the previous year. Leonard, Scott, and Fred Lynn (1982) are the only players to win an LCS MVP on a losing team; it hasn't happened since Leonard's win in 1987.

St. Louis won the series, 4–3.

Tuesday, October 6, 1987, at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

The Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single. Jeffrey Leonard gave the Giants a short-lived lead in the fourth on a homer, as the Cards quickly re-tied it when Ozzie Smith tripled and Willie McGee drove him home with a single.

The Cardinals took control of the game in the sixth by plating three runs off Giants starter Rick Reuschel. Terry Pendleton, Curt Ford, and pitcher Greg Mathews all had RBI singles in the rally. Ken Dayley pitched the ninth and got the save.

Wednesday, October 7, 1987, at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

The Giants pulled even in the series on the strength of a complete-game shutout by Dave Dravecky. Dravecky got all the runs he needed in the second on a Will Clark two-run homer. Jeffrey Leonard added a homer in the fourth, his second in two NLCS games. Two more runs came across in the eighth for the Giants on a rare Ozzie Smith throwing error.

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