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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- The last living player from the 1945 World Series has been pulling for the Cubs.Ed Mierkowicz didnt play for Chicago. He was on the Detroit team that beat the Cubs in Game 7 at Wrigley Field 71 years ago. Now 92, the Michigan native remains a big baseball fan and was looking forward to this years World Series finale Wednesday night between the Cubs and Cleveland Indians.Id like to see the Cubs win, he said Wednesday. Not because I dont like Cleveland, but its been a long time for the Cubs.The Cubs were trying for their first title since 1908. Before this season, they hadnt even made it to the World Series since 1945 , when Mierkowicz was on the field for the final outs. His only appearance of that series came at the end of Game 7.Chicago had tied the series with a 12-inning victory in Game 6, but the Tigers scored five runs in the top of the first in Game 7 and never looked back. Mierkowicz admits he doesnt remember a lot of the details from games over seven decades ago, but the play-by-play at Baseball-Reference.com helps fill in the gaps.With the Tigers up 9-3, a nervous Mierkowicz entered to start the bottom of the ninth, replacing Detroit star Hank Greenberg in left field.If I took my pants off, my knees would be shaking, he said. I just went along with the flow.Mierkowicz was a 21-year-old rookie who had appeared in only 10 games during the regular season.It was exciting, he said. In fact, it was so exciting, I dont know what the hell was going on -- all the people going crazy.The first batter singled his way, but the final three outs came quickly after that, and the Tigers were champions. Mierkowicz said there was no wild, bubbly-filled celebration the way there would be these days.They couldnt afford it, he said. They probably had a little drink or something like that, but it wasnt like now.Mierkowicz recalls throngs of fans waiting when the team took the train back to the Detroit area. He said there was a party at a hotel -- and he won a car in a raffle.He also speaks highly of Greenberg.I was a rookie. The other guys sort of shunned the rookies, Mierkowicz said. He was good to me. I didnt know him that well, but he was a great guy, great ballplayer.Mierkowicz was born in Wyandotte, which is just south of Detroit. Hes friends with Bob Kuzava, the Wyandotte native whose big league pitching career spanned over a decade. Kuzava was the man on the mound when the New York Yankees closed out World Series championships in 1951 and 1952.Mierkowicz ended up playing only 35 major league games over four different seasons with the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. He said it was like a cup of coffee -- but no cream.Still, not many players can say they were in the game when their team won a World Series, and Mierkowicz enjoys talking about his career.At his home in a senior living community in suburban Detroit, he has a team picture of the 1945 Tigers.God gave me the ability to play ball, he said. Made a pretty good living. We didnt make a lot of money, but it was a lot of fun.The game has changed a lot since then, needless to say.Theyve got better equipment, and theyre staying healthy because theyre making big money. Equipment is so much different than we used to have, he said. We used to have to buy our glove and shoes. We have to buy it. Now, they give them 25 pairs of shoes. Its like everything else. It changes. 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PHILADELPHIA -- The key to Maikel Francos success is not trying to do too much.Franco hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Thursday night.I just go try to put the ball in play, put good contact on it, Franco said. When you try to do too much, youre not being someone you have to be.Ryan Howard also homered for Philadelphia, which avoided a three-game series sweep.After all the home runs they hit against us, we finally beat them with a home run, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. That was huge.Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal went deep for the Dodgers, who began play 1 1/2 games in front of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.Thats a game that leaves a sour taste, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Its a win we had late. We had a lead late.Michael Mariot (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Jerad Eickhoff to earn the victory.Freddy Galvis led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Franco followed with his 22nd homer, to deep center off Grant Dayton (0-1) to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.It was a fastball right down the middle and I put good contact on it -- nothing else, Franco said.Jeanmar Gomez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 32nd save in 35 opportunities.Eickhoff gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander snapped an eight-game streak in which Philadelphia starters pitched fewer than six innings -- one game short of matching the club record.Hes got a bulldog mentality, Mackanin said. He means business when he goes out there. Tonight it wasnt the greatest, and he got burned, but he threw an awful lot of good curveballs.The Dodgers jumped on Eickhoff quickly as the first three batters of the game scored to put Los Angeles ahead. Chase Utley and Corey Seager singled and Turner connected on his 23rd homer.Utleys throwing error in the second led to an unearned run as Aaron Altherrs RBI single brought Philadelphia to 3-1.Grandals one-out solo homer, his 20th, off the scoreboard in right in the fourth inning made it 4-1.Howard led off the bottom of the inning with his 19th homer of the season, a booming shot to center, to move into a tie with Carlton Fisk for 75th all-time with his 376th career home run.ddddddddddddHoward has 11 homers in his last 28 starts and is batting .357 since the All-Star break.Hes been swinging the bat as well as Ive seen him in a long time, Mackanin said.And Philadelphia closed to 4-3 on Featherstons double to left-center.Featherston started at second base in place of Cesar Hernandez, who was a late scratch due to a sore foot.Dodgers starter Ross Stripling gave up three runs -- two earned -- and six hits in five innings. Stripling, making his 11th start, struck out five and walked two.STREAKING GONZALEZDodgers Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a sixth-inning double. Gonzalez is batting .432 with six doubles, three homers and 11 RBI during the streak.HOMER HAPPYThe Dodgers finished with 16 homers in their six games against Philadelphia this season.Philadelphia has homered in 12 straight games for the first time since 2013.EMPTY SEATSThe Philies moved all fans with tickets in sections 104 and 105 in right field because of an issue with the scoreboard that overhangs those sections. There also were no fans in the first three rows in the sections directly above the scoreboard. In a statement, the Phillies said the scoreboard wasnt a threat to fall but fans were moved for precautionary measures. The problem with a bracket supporting protective netting in front of the scoreboard was to be corrected after the game, the team said.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: RHP Bud Norris, sidelined since Aug. 1 due to a back strain, will be activated from the DL and start the weekend series opener at Cincinnati.Phillies: Hernandez said he will be in the lineup on Friday.UP NEXTDodgers: Norris (6-9, 4.26) will make his first start since July 31 in the opener of the four-game series, facing Reds RHP Tim Adleman (1-1, 3.73).Phillies: LHP Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.62) starts on Friday night when the Phillies host the Cardinals for the first of three games. RHP Adam Wainwright (9-7, 4.72) starts for St. Louis. ' ' '