Sox-OBirds Split

GAME ONE – Jim Palmer (8-3) and Dave Leonhard combined on a 4-hit, 6-0 shutout of the White Sox. Merv Rettenmund (2) had 3 RBI with one long hit. Frank Robinson banged out 3 hits.

GAME TWO – Bill Melton’s (23) 2-run 5^th inning homer turned out to be the game winner in a 6-3 Pale Hose victory. Gary Peters (10-10) evened his season mark with 8 strong innings. 

Bucs Ransack Atlanta

GAME ONE – Al Oliver (12,13) banged out two home runs including a grand slam in the T9 to lift Pittsburgh to a 8-5 win over Atlanta.

GAME TWO – After a rain out the day before, the Braves hosted the Pirates again on a drippy day and played like it. Dock Ellis (15-6) took a no-hitter into the 6^th and finished off a complete-game 9-1 win. Offensively, Ellis contributed 3 hits to a 19-hit Buc attack. Roberto Clemente collected 4 to raise his average to .384. Willie Stargell (18,19) mashed a pair of taters.

Pale Hose Corral Tribe

GAME ONE – Cleveland plates runners in the 8^th and 9^th to come from behind and nip the White Sox 4-3. Vern Fuller (4) and “Hawk” Harrelson (19) earlier “put it on the board” with solo homers for the Indians. Ed Herrman (5) went yard for the Pale Hose.  

GAME TWO – ChiSox even the series with a 4-2 victory. Bobby Knoop’s (8) 4^th inning 2-run bomb was the biggest blow. Wilber Wood tossed the 9^th for his 15^th save.

GAME THREE – Tommy John (7-15) fired a complete game shutout as Chicago won the finale of the series and of August, 5-0. Luis Aparicio and Ron Hanson banged out 3 hits each. John himself contributed 2 hits and an RBI

Cubs Swoon; Braves Pow-wow

GAME ONE – Rico Carty and Bob Didier smacked 3 hits apiece to lead Atlanta to a 6-2 win. Jim Hickman’s (16) 2-run HR plated both runs for the Cubs.

GAME TWO – Hank Aaron’s (33) 2-run HR powered the Braves to another 6-2 win – their 7^th straight. It also gave the “Hammer” hiss 100^th and 101^st RBI on the year.

GAME THREE – Cubs explode for 6 runs in the 9^th for a come-from-behind 7-4 win. They did it with 6 singles, a walk and an HBP. Randy Hundley drove in Billy Williams and Ernie Banks with his knock. Phil Niekro (18-9) had a no-hitter going until Ron Santo’s (15) solo tater with 2 outs in the 7^th. Aaron hit his 34^th and Carty (11) extended a hitting streak to 12 with 2 hits, including a round tripper.

Braves Clip Redbirds

GAME ONE – Bob Gibson (7-16) yielded 6 runs to Atlanta in the first two innings, then got nasty. He blanked the Braves for next 6 innings before tiring in the 9^th and giving way to Mudcat Grant (3). Meanwhile, the Cardinals bats went into high gear eventually leading to an 11-7 St. Louis win. Joe Torre drove in 5 with 3 2Bs. Lou Brock rang up 4 hits.

GAME TWO – Rico Carty’s (10) 3-run bomb in the T9 sealed the deal for another victory for Phil Niekro (17-8). The Braves had earlier come roaring back with 5 runs in the7th to overcome a 4-run deficit. Torre (17) had gone deep for the Redbirds.

GAME THREE – Hank Aaron and Clete Boyer each drove in a pair to make Pat Jarvis (10-8) a 4-2 winner in the rubber game of the series. Vada Pinson (13) clouted a 2-run HR for the St. Louis runs. 

Redbirds Sweep Away Wigwams

GAME ONE – Nelson Briles (12-10) out-dueled Ron Reed (11-9), 3-2 in a good solid baseball game in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer. Mike Shannon (13) hit a solo HR for the Cardinals in the 2^nd. Tony Gonzalez (6) hit a 2-run knock for the Braves only runs in the B3.

GAME TWO – Déjà vu with new characters Bob Gibson (6-16) [Are you kidding me?] and Jim Britton (7-5) repeating a 3-2 St. Louis victory. Joe Torre’s (16) 2-run, 1^st inning bomb was the big blow.

GAME THREE – Steve Carlton (10-4) twirled the 3^rd consecutive complete-game win for the Cardinals, beating the Braves 5-1. Shannon (14) went deep again among his 3 hits. Julian Javier also rang up 3 safeties. St. Louis gets the sweep.

Bombers-Pale Hose Split 4

GAME ONE – The Bronx Bombers did just that in an 18-5 thumping of the slumping White Sox. The Yankees did it without the long ball, but Gene Michael banged out five hits and Bobby Murcer had 4 RBI. Al Downing (4-5) went the distance to improve his record.

GAME TWO – Mike Kekich (1-10), on in relief of Fritz Peterson (oh, the jokes that could be inserted here!!), failed to contain the ChiSox as Gail Hopkins singled in Luis Aparicio with the winner in the 10^th. Aparicio had tripled to open the inning. He also homered among his 4 hits in a 3-2 Chicago win. Danny Murphy (1-0) notched his first major league W.

GAME THREE – The White Sox plated one run in the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th to comeback and beat the Yankees 3-2.

GAME FOUR – Joe Pepitone’s (30,31) two home runs and 4 RBI helped power New York to an 8-5 win and a split in the series. Michael also chipped in 3 hits and 3 RBI. Bill Melton (22) went deep in one of his 3 hits and drove in 3.