On This Date in Sports October 23, 1993: Touch Em All Joe
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays becomes just the second player to end the World Series with a walk-off home run, as he belts a three-run shot off Mitch Williams of the Philadelphia Phillies. The home run gives the Blue Jays and 8-5 in Game 6 at the SkyDome, allowing the Blue Jays to become the first team to win back-to-back World Series since 1978.
After becoming the first Canadian team to win the World Series in 1992, the Toronto Blue Jays managed by Cito Gaston won their third straight division title with a record of 95-67 to beat the New York Yankees by seven games. The Blue Jays reached the World Series by taking out the Chicago White Sox in six games thanks to Dave Stewart who was named ALCS MVP by winning two games.
The Philadelphia Phillies were baseball’s biggest surprise as the team full of grit and dirt went from last to first under manager Jim Fregosi with a record of 97-65, holding off a late charge by the Montreal Expos by three games. In the NLCS, the Phillies stunned the 104-win Atlanta Braves in six games, as Curt Schilling was named MVP.
In the World Series Game 1 at SkyDome, the Phillies had their ace Curt Schilling on the mound, while Juan Guzman made the start for Toronto. The Phillies got off to a fast start as John Kruk and Darren Daulton had RBI singles in the first. Toronto answered with two runs in the second, as Paul Molitor and Tony Fernandez each drove in a run. In the third Kruk drove in a run for the Phillies, while Joe Carter knocked in a run for the Blue Jays. The Phillies again took the lead in the fifth when Mariano Duncan scored on a Wild Pitch, only to see the Jays counterpunch again with a home run by Devon White. In the sixth, they would take the lead for the first time on a home run by John Olerud. In the seventh, Toronto added three runs, on back-to-back doubles by White and Roberto Alomar. The Phillies got a lone run in the ninth, on an RBI by Jim Eisenreich, but Duane Ward allowed not more as the Blue Jays in the opener.
Dave Stewart got the start for Toronto in Game 2, while Terry Mulholland got the call for the Phillies. After two scoreless innings, the Phillies bats put up a five-spot in the third inning, with RBI singles from Kruk and Dave Hollins, proceeding a three-run bomb by Jim Eisenreich. In the fourth, the Jays answered with a two-run homer off the bat of Joe Carter. The Blue Jays drew closer on an RBI double by Tony Fernandez in the sixth inning. The Phillies though got a run back on a home run from Lenny Dykstra in the seventh. In the eighth, the Phillies brought in Mitch Williams for a five-out save, but he got in trouble, as he allowed an inherited run to score on a John Olerud sac-fly in the eight. Fortunately, Roberto Alomar ran Toronto out of the inning when he was thrown out trying to steal third. Williams again pitched into and out of trouble in the ninth as Pat Borders hit into a game-ending double play as the Phillies won 6-4.
As the series moved to Veterans’ Stadium, the Phillies had Danny Jackson on the mound, while the Blue Jays called upon Pat Hentgen. After a one-hour rain delay, Paul Molitor got things started quickly for Toronto knocking in two runs with a triple, later scoring on a sac-fly by Carter. Molitor added a home run in the third to make it 4-0 in favor of the Blue Jays. Tony Fernandez drove home a run in the sixth as Toronto continued to rain on Philadelphia’s parade. Eisenreich got the Phillies a run in the sixth, but the Jays assault continued with three runs in the seventh, sparked by a double by Rickey Henderson and a triple by Devon White to make it 8-1. Mariano Duncan drove home a run in the seventh, but Toronto continued to add as they scored two runs sparked by a Roberto Alomar triple in the ninth to reach ten runs. The Phillies got a home run by Milt Thompson in the ninth but walked off the field with a 10-3 defeat.
Game 4 would see the lumber hard at work for both teams Tommy Greene got the start for the Phillies while the Blue Jays looked to take a 3-1 series lead with Todd Stottlemyre on the mound. Greene got in trouble loading the bases and walking in the first run of the game. Tony Fernandez followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0. Stottlemyre also had trouble locating and walked in a run with the bases loaded, while Milt Thompson hit a triple to clear the bases and give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. In the second, the Phillies added to the lead on a two-run home run by Lenny Dykstra. The lead would vanish in the third, as Toronto put up a four-spot with Fernandez, Borders, and White all driving in runs. Duncan drove in a run with an RBI single off Al Leiter in fourth to tie the game 7-7. One inning later Philadelphia went back in front on a two-run homer by Darren Daulton, which triggered a five-run outburst, which was capped by Dykstra’s second home run of the game. Down 12-7, the Blue Jays answered with RBI singles off the bat Alomar and Fernandez in the sixth, as the game became the highest scoring game in World Series history, with Thompson answering with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, the Phillies reached 14 runs, when Daulton was hit by a Tony Castillo pitch, with the bases loaded. The Phillies appeared on the verge of tying the series as they held a 14-9 lead in the eighth. After Paul Molitor doubled in a run off Larry Andersen, the Phillies again called upon Mitch Williams for a five-out save. However, the Wild Thing did not make Philadelphia’s hearts sing as he came in an imploded, giving up an RBI single to Fernandez and walking Pat Borders to load the bases. After a strikeout of pinch-hitter Ed Sprague, Rickey Henderson plated two runs to cut the deficit to one run. One batter later Devon White tripled home two, to give the Blue Jays a 15-14 lead that turned the Vet into a morgue. Mike Timlin and Duane Ward meanwhile combined to retire the last six, as the Blue Jays won the game 15-14.
With their season on the brink, the Phillies had Curt Schilling on the mound in Game 5, while Juan Guzman looked to pitch Toronto to a second straight championship. The Phillies scratched out a run in the first as Lenny Dykstra created havoc after a leadoff walk, and scored on a grounder by John Kruk. The Phillies added a second run on an RBI double by Kevin Stocker in the second inning. Schilling was masterful, allowing just five hits and striking out six as the Phillies won 2-0.
Back at SkyDome for Game 6, Dave Stewart opposed Terry Mulholland again, with the Blue Jays trying again to close the series out. Paul Molitor got it started with an RBI triple, scoring on a sac-fly by Joe Carter. John Olerud followed with a double and scored to make it 3-0 on a single by Alomar. Eisenreich got Philadelphia on the board with an RBI in fourth, but Toronto answered with a sac-fly by Ed Sprague, while Molitor made it 5-1 with a home run in the fifth. In the seventh, the Phillies got back in the game on the back of a three-run homer by Lenny Dykstra. Mariano Duncan followed with a single and later scored the tying run on a single by Dave Hollins. Hollins would later score on a sac-fly by Pete Incaviglia to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead. The lead would stand up until the ninth when Mitch Williams came in to preserve the win to force a seventh game. However, Williams started on the wrong foot, walking Rickey Henderson. After Devon White flew out to center, Paul Molitor laced a single to set up the series-deciding moment. On a 2-2 count, Mitch Williams grooved a pitch that Joe Carter drove into the left-field stands to win the game 8-6 and end the World Series in dramatic fashion.
As Toronto celebrated its second straight World Championship, Paul Molitor was named World Series MVP with 12 hits in 24 at-bats, with two home runs, eight RBI and ten runs scored. Mitch Williams meanwhile would be the scapegoat and traded away in the off-season before ever wearing a Phillies uniform again.