A heavy-duty right-hander who had pitched 226 innings including 30 starts in 1972, Bob Moose was summoned to the mound while Reds' manager Sparky Anderson sent George Foster in to run for Perez at second base with the potential winning run.

Moose got the next batter, Geronimo, on a fly to Clemente in deep right field, allowing Foster to advance to third on the play. Chaney then popped up to Gene Alley at short for the second out. Now Anderson sent Hal McRae up to pinch-it for Cincinnati reliever Clay Carroll.

What happened next remains one of those oddities that make baseball such an unpredictable game.

With a one-ball, one-strike count on McRae, Moose threw a wide slider. It bounced away from catcher Manny Sanguillen who tried to backhand the ball but couldn't block it. Foster scored jubilantly from third base, giving the Reds a 4-3 victory and the National League pennant.

Steve Blass was in the Pirates' clubhouse after finishing his pitching. He was still in uniform and was watching the game on the TV monitor. "When I saw that ball bounce away from Sanguillen, I said, 'No, this can't be happening. We're supposed to be going to the World Series,' " Blass recalled.

"It was a shock, and I got that sick, empty feeling we might never get back to the Series. Moose's pitch took a funny bounce, wide of the plate. It was so quick, so unusual. Clemente was great afterward. He told us to keep our head up, that we had nothing to be ashamed of and that we had a great season. Little did we know that was his last game."

"I was in the dugout when Moose threw the wild pitch," said Giusti, "I saw the whole thing. It was not a good time for me. After the game, Roberto was one of the first to come over and pat me on the back. He said, 'It's just one game. You've got a long career ahead of you. If you and your family are doing well, that's the most important thing in life.'

"Most everybody came by and gave me a pat on the shoulder, but when you're down, a lot of things go in one ear and out the other. I do remember though what Clemente said.

"Strange, I still dream about that game once in a while. And I think about Moose. He did a helluva job for us that season except for that one pitch."

"I was getting ready in the bullpen in case I was needed," said Nellie Briles. "When Moose threw the wild pitch, and when it bounced over Sanguillen's shoulder, my heart sank to my feet. I just saw our World Series hope bounce away."

The Reds swarmed over Foster as he crossed the plate with the winning run. The Pirates began leaving the field, but before they did Sanguillen retrieved the ball thrown by Moose and flung it to center field in a final gesture of frustration that gripped the defeated champions.

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