The 1979 National League Championship Series was played between the National League West champion Cincinnati Reds and the National League East champion Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the 11th NLCS in all. It was the fourth time in the 1970s that the Pirates and Reds had faced off for the pennant; Cincinnati had won all three previous meetings in 1970, 1972 and 1975. The Pirates won the series in a three-game sweep in what would be the last postseason appearance for both franchises until 1990. As of 2022, this is the last time that the Pirates played in the World Series. Summary Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds Game summaries Game 1 Both sides threw their aces in Game 1 as 14-game winner John Candelaria started for the Pirates, and Tom Seaver started for the Reds. After Omar Moreno grounded out to start the game, a 45-minute rain delay stalled the contest. When play resumed, Seaver retired Tim Foli and Dave Parker for an unusually long 1-2-3 inning. Pittsburgh struck first in the third inning when second baseman Phil Garner led off with an opposite-field home run. After Candelaria struck out, Omar Moreno hit a sinking liner to right that Dave Collins attempted a sliding shoestring catch on. The ball skidded off the wet Riverfront Stadium turf in front of Collins and rolled to the wall. The speedy Moreno ended up with a triple, but it could have easily been an inside-the-park homer if not for the hustle of Héctor Cruz in center. Foli then drove in Moreno with a sacrifice fly to give the Pirates a 2–0 lead. Seaver then walked Dave Parker and Willie Stargell, but John Milner popped out to end the inning. The Reds tied it in the bottom of the fourth when George Foster hit a two-run homer into left center with Dave Concepción aboard. Despite a sore shoulder, Candelaria gutted out seven painful innings before giving way to Enrique Romo. The score stayed at 2–2 until the top of the 11th inning. Tim Foli and Parker singled off Reds reliever Tom Hume. Willie Stargell drilled a three-run homer to almost dead center to make it 5–2, Pirates. The Reds didn't go away silently, though. After Grant Jackson retired the first two batters in the bottom of the 11th, Dave Concepción singled and George Foster walked. Don Robinson came on to replace Jackson and walked Johnny Bench