Pilots Cruise by Chicago

GAME ONE – Billy Wynne (1-0) tossed 8 1/3 innings of shutout ball in his first start of the 1969 season to lift Chicago to a 1-0 win over the Seattle Pilots. Wilbur Wood (7) retired the final two hitters for the save. The Navs managed just 3 hits total. Wynne also scored the only run of the contest when he trotted home on a Carlos May infield out in the 3^rd. Mike Marshall (2-10) was the hard-luck loser.

GAME TWO – Mike Hegan singled in Jerry McNertney (4 hits) in the 12^th to hand Seattle a 5-4 win in the led-lifter of a DH on the South Side of Chicago. Bob Locker (1-0) was the winner in relief. The two teams combined for 25 total hits, but just 1 extra-base hit; Bill Melton’s double in the 8^th which tied the game at 4-4.

GAME THREE – Don Mincher’s (16) 2-run blast in the 5^th was the difference maker in a 6-4 Pilots win for a DH sweep. Mincher got a cookie from tiring former teammate Gary “Ding Dong” Bell and crushed it to RF. Diego Segui got the W in relief with Jim Bouton (2) going the final two frames for the save.

GAME FOUR – Marty Pattin (6-4) scattered 4 hits over 9 innings cruising to an easy 11-0 win as Seattle took 3 of 4 from the ChiSox. Pattin fanned 7 and walked no one. John Donaldson went 3-5 with 3 RBI to pace the offense. Chicago’s defense helped out with 4 errors.