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.   

Homer Happy Phils Bury Braves

GAME ONE – Felix Millan (3) sent the home fans home happy and allowed the Braves to walk off victorious 5-3 with a 2-run blast inside the LF foul pole in the B9 in the opener of a DH. Millan also had a 2-run double earlier for a 4 RBI game. The “Launching Pad” lived up to its name with Orlando Cepeda (17) also homering for Atlanta. Deron Johnson (12) and Larry Hisle (20) went back-to-back for the Phillies in the 2^nd. Tony Taylor (4) had an inside-the-parker in the 7^th.

GAME TWO – The Phillies and Jerry Johnson (5-6) wind up splitting the double dip with a 10-7 victory in the nightcap. After yielding Millan’s tater in the opener, Johnson started game two and hurled 6 2/3 innings, while his teammates built an 8-0 lead. Deron Johnson (3 hits, Don Money (3 hits) and Hisle (HR, 3 RBI) did the most damage. Hank Aaron (3 hits, 3 RBI, HR) led a late, gallant comeback attempt by the Braves.

GAME THREE – Woodie Fryman (15-4) continued his surprising year with a 5-0 whitewashing of the Braves. The Phils continued with the long ball with Hisle (21,22) adding two more and Johnson (13) and Dick Allen (22) going solo. 

Red Hot Sox Sweep Pale Hose

GAME ONE – Mike Nagy (8-7) went the distance as Boston crushed Chicago 11-2. It was the 10^th consecutive win for the Red Sox. Rico Petrocelli drove in 3 runs. One of George Scott’s (10) two hits stayed in the ballpark. Bill Melton’s 20^th dong of the year accounted for both White Sox runs.

GAME TWO – Carl Yastrzemski cracked his 40^th home run of the year and chipped in a single and double to help power the BoSox to their 11^th straight win, 8-4 over the ChiSox. Mike Andrews (8) added a 3-run clout to the Red Sox attack. Sonny Siebert (12-4) continued his fine season.

GAME THREE – The Red Sox remain Red Hot. Reggie Smith (18) swatted a 3-run blast and Ray Culp (10-14) tossed 9 strong innings to complete the sweep of the White Sox, 5-1. Tony Conigliaro went 3-for-4 and Russ Gibson (3) also went yard.

Angels win a road series in Detroit

Game 1:
Detroit 3  California 2
W: E Wilson (10-10)  L: May (5-5)  S: Hiller (2)

Jim Northrup smacked 2 home runs and drove in all 3 runs for the Tigers

Game 2:
California 3  Detroit 0
W: Messersmith (13-6)  L: Kilkenny (6-6)  S: Tatum (15)

Andy Messersmith shut down Detroit over 8 dominant innings.
Bubba Morton went deep for California

Game 3:
California 7  Detroit 4
W: Tatum (5-1)  L: McLain (17-9)

Rick Reichardt hit a pinch hit home run in the top of the ninth off reliever John Hiller, breaking a 4-4 deadlock and giving the Angels the win in both the game and the series. It was his 7th homer.
Hiller had just relieved Denny McLain, who was trying for his 18th win of the season.
Tom Tresh hit his 9th homer of the year for the Tigers.

Possible Playoff Parry

GAME ONE – Jerry Koosman (15-2) fired a complete-game, 2-hitter as the New York Mets won the opening contest of a double dipper, 5-1. Ken Boswell (4) and Ron Swoboda (6) each swatted 2-run home runs. Art Shamsky went 3 for 3.

GAME TWO – Hank Aaron’s (30) walk-off 2-run blast in the B9th overcame a 1-0 deficit and the Braves captured the nightcap 2-1. Ron Reed (11-8) was the winning pitcher and Gary Gentry (8-8) the loser as both tossed complete games. Shamsky’s 12^th knock of the year was the lone Mets run.

GAME THREE – Orlando Cepeda (15,16) smacked his second solo HR of the game in the B9 to lift Atlanta to a 4-3 win. Aaron (31) provided the other runs for the Braves with a 2-run blast in the 1^st. Ron Taylor (8-1) suffered his first loss of the year. Cecil Upshaw (6-6) carded the win in relief.

GAME FOUR – A classic case of leaving a pitcher in too long. Braves hurler Jim Britton (7-4) had a no-hitter through 5 and a 1 hitter into the 8^th. That’s when the Mets exploded for 6 and went on to win 7-2. Ed Charles had a 2-run double in the 8^th. Shamsky (13) hit a 2-run bomb.    

Motor City Kittys Soil Sox

GAME ONE – Joel Horlen (7-11) tossed 8 innings for a 3-2 White Sox win in the lid lifter of a double header against Detroit. Wilbur Wood (14) pitched a perfect 9^th. Tigers Tom Tresh (8) had the game’s only round tripper.

GAME TWO – Mike Kilkenny (6-5) went the full 9, whitewashing the Pale Hose, 4-0 in the nightcap. Willie Horton (13) drove in 3 runs with a 2-run HR and a double. Don Wert (7) also went yard for the Bengals.

GAME THREE – Denny McLain (17-8) was brilliant, twirling a 4-hit shutout over the White Sox. Jim Northrup’s 9^th inning RBI 2B plated the only run of the game as Detroit won 1-0.

GAME FOUR – Norm Cash (21) swatted a 2-run homer to tie the game in the 8^th. Bill Freehan (17) gave Detroit the lead with a 2-run blast in the 9^th. The Tigers win the series with a 5-2 victory. Mickey Lolich (14-5) hurled 8 strong innings to improve his season mark.