May 3 Highlights

Steve Blass threw a complete game shutout and Bob Robertson supplied all the offense Blass would need with a Grand Slam as the Pirates took the rubber game of their three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds 6-0.

Tom Griffin of the Houston Astros spun a three-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in Game 1 of their double-header. All the Cards could manage were three singles by Leron Lee, Joe Torre and Dick Allen. It was Griffin’s first complete game and first shutout in six starts.

Light hitting shortstop Del Maxvill hit his first homerun of the season, a Grand Slam, as the Cards took the second game of the twin-bill 10-3.

Harmon Killebrew drove in six runs with a pair of home-runs and Brant Alyea added a Grand Slam as the Minnesota Twins crushed the Baltimore Orioles in Memorial Stadium by a score of 13-1. The Twins rout capped a three game sweep in a battle between the early season division leaders.

Shortstop Bert Campaneris had three hits including two home-runs and added a stolen base to lead the Oakland A’s past the home town Washington Senators by a score of 4-2 in the second game of their doubleheader. Washington had won the first three games of their series and had gotten to within a game of the Baltimore Orioles for the lead in the A.L. east.

Royals centerfielder Amos Otis made a fantastic diving catch of a deep drive off the bat of Indians pinch-hitter Duke Sims to preserve a 3-1 victory for Kansas City over visiting Cleveland. Royals starter Jim Rooker had pitched a masterful game until giving up a pair of singles with two out in the ninth and giving way to Moe Drabowsky. Sims drive would certainly have tied the game if it had gotten b Otis, but Famous Amos made the catch to preserve Rooker’s win, Drabowsky’s save and the first series win for the Royals this season.

May 1 Highlights

Tom Seaver of the Mets raised his season record to four wins without a loss by spinning a one-hit shutout of the San Diego Padres. “Tom Terrific” was simply that, only allowing a bloop single off the bat of Nate Colbert in the home half of the second inning, while striking out thirteen without giving up a walk. Seavernow leads the league with 53 strikeouts in only 46 innings of work.

Willie Smith‘s 3-run home run and Billy Williams‘ four hits in his 1000th consecutive game played, lead Chicago to a 5-4 Win over the Braves at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium. Tony Gonzalez, Henry Aaron and Rico Carty accounted for ten of the Braves 16-hit attack in a losing effort.

Dock Ellis of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati’s Wayne Simpson both pitched masterfully but didn’t factor in the decision as the Reds took a 1-0 win in twelve innings. Reliever Dave Giutsi‘s wild pitch allowed Bernie Carbo to score the winning run for the Reds.

Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Jim Davenport and Hal Lanier all clobbered homeruns for the Giants in an 8-0 rout over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. San Francisco Rich Robertson raised his record to 4-1 by scattered nine hits and striking out eight for his first complete game shutout this season.

Danny Cater singled in the winning run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to cap a Yankees rally against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers had snapped a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth, scoring twice to take the lead into the home half of the inning.

Rich Reese hit a two-run home run and Leo Cradenas added a solo shot as the visiting Twins took the first game of a series of early season division leaders 3-1 over the Baltimore Orioles.

Casey Cox of the Washington Senators only needed 95 pitches to spin a three-hit shutout of the visiting Oakland A’s. Mike Epstein added four hits, including a double and home run, to pace Washington’s attack in the 5-0 win.

April 23 Highlights

Washington’s firstbaseman Mike Epstein went 4-for-6 with a double and a pair of home runs, knocking in five in the Senators 14-7 win over the Yankees. The Senators took the last three of their four game series with the visiting New Yorkers.

April 22 Highlights

Game of the Day: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Montreal Expos

Aided by shoddy Dodgers pitching, the Expos rallied from a 9-3 deficit against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the seventh and then held on for a 10-9 win. Bobby Wine started off the inning by drawing a walk off the Dodgers starting pitcher, Don Sutton. Gary Sutherland pinch-hit for John Strohmayer, who had come in relief of the Expos starter Bill Stoneman, who had pitched the first four inning giving up five runs, only one of which was earned.  Sutton walked Sutherland and Mack Jones to load the bases. Marv Staehle singled back through the box to score Wine and knock Sutton out of the game. Fred Norman was brought in from the Dodgers bullpen to face Rusty Staub, and promptly hit Staub with a pitch to force in Sutherland from third. Ron Fairley then walked on a full count to force in another Expo run. Norman managed to get Coco Laboy to ground out back to the mound to force the runner at the plate for the first out of the inning. Jim Fairey  flew out to the Dodger centerfielder Willie Davis to score Staub from third. Norman then walked Jack Hiatt to load up the bases once again with two out. Norman then committed a balk to force in the run, cutting the Dodger lead to one. Wine, coming up for the second time in the inning, singled back through the middle, scoring the tying and eventual winning run for Montreal.  Claude Raymond shut down the Dodgers in the final two innings to earn his first save of the season. Strohmayer earned the win, his first of the year, and Norman ended up taking the loss. An outstanding hitting effort by the Dodgers’ Billy Grabarkewitz was wasted; he had the first three-home run day in the majors this season, driving in six of the Dodgers runs for the day.

Willie McCovey, San Francisco, hit a Grand Slam home run to even the score in the eighth inning of the Giants game against Phillies At Connie Mack Stadium. The Giants went on to win 6-4 in ten innings.

Ken Boswell, New York Mets, had two home runs and five runs-batted-in in the Mets 13-1 rout of the San Diego Padres.

Baltimore’s Frank Robinson had three hits and scored three runs, and Brooks Robinson drove in a pair along with four hits in the Orioles come-from-behind win over the Boston Red Sox.

Al Downing, Oakland A’s, pitched a three-hit complete game shutout of the Kansas City Royals.

Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota, scored three and drove in three with a  home run in the Twins 12-5 win over the visiting Chicago White Sox.

Hank Allen, Washington, drove in seven runs, going four-for-six with two doubles and a homer in the Senators 17-7 rout off the New York Yankees. Curt Blefary had two home runs for New York.  Del Unser and Ken McCullen each added four hits apiece for the Senators.

TRANSACTIONS:

Chicago (N): Placed catcher Randy Hundley on disabled list. Promoted pitcher Larry Gura from AAA.

Milwaukee: Activated Mike Hershberger, OF, from disabled list. Optioned outfielder Sandy Valdespino to AAA.

Montreal: Claimed OF Jim Qualls off waivers. Released pitcherKen Johnson.

April 21 Highlights

Game of the Day: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

The Cubs rallied from two runs down in the ninth to beat the visiting Cardinals by a score of 6-5 in ten innings. The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Lou Brock tripled to lead off the inning and scored on Jose Cardenal‘s ground out to the Cubs shortstop Don Kessinger. Leron Lee lead off the Cardinals half of the third with a base-hit and took third when Cubs rightfielder Johnny Callison misplayed a flyball off the bat of Julian Javier to put runners on second and third. Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson scored Lee on a ground out to first. The Cubs got one back in the bottom of the inning when Ernie Banks bounced a base-hit between third and short with the bases loaded and two outs to score Billy Williams. Banks then put the Cubs ahead in the seventh when he homered with a runner on first to put the Cubs up 3-2. Carl Taylor put the Cards back on top in the eighth with a two-run home run, his first of the season. The Cards then added an insurance run for Gibson with three straight singles, the last off the bat of Joe Torre, driving in Cardenal. Even though Gibson had pitched eight strong innings, allowing the three runs on eight hits and striking out seven Cubs batter, manager Red Schoendienst brought in a fresh arm out of the bullpen to close out the game. Chuck Taylor got Banks to ground-out back to the mound to start the inning, then got Jim Hickman to fly out to Cardenal in center to get two quick outs in the ninth. But then Cards thirdbaseman Dick Allen booted the possible game ending out off the bat of pinch-hitter J.C. Martin. Pinch-hitter Willie Smith then singled to put runners on first and third, and Kessinger walked to load the bases. Rightfielder Lee then dropped what could have been the game ending play that allowed two Cubs to score and even up the score. The Cardinals threatened in the tenth with runners on second and third with two outs but couldn’t get the runners home, and venerable Ernie Banks singled hgome Callison with the game winning run in the bottom of the inning. Ted Abernathy pitched the tenth inning and got the win to bring his season record to 2-0; Tom Hilgendorf (0-1) took the loss in relief.

Cito Gaston, San Diego Padres, went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and five RBI in the Padres 12-3 win over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

Cleveland’s Graig Nettles went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in the Indians 9-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Bill Melton, thirdbaseman for the White Sox, drove in three with a home run in Chicago’s 7-5 win over the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium.

Washington’s catcher Johnny Roseboro was 5-for-5 with four doubles and two runs scored in the Senators’ 8-7 extra inning win over the Yankees. Mike Epstein hit two homeruns and Frank Howard added another, his fifth of the season.

TRANSACTIONS:

Pittsburgh Pirates sign pitcher Al McBean off waivers. Optioned reliever Lou Marone to AAA Indianapolis.

 

April 20 Highlights

The Pirates pounded out 21 hits in their 12-4 win over the visiting Houston Astros today at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente went 4-for-6 with a double, and Gene Alley also collected four hits. Matty Alou and Willie Stargell each added three hits apiece, and even Pirate starter and eventual winning pitcher Dock Ellis added two hits, both doubles (one with the bases loaded). It was just one of those days for the Astros as they helped out the Pirates by contributing three errors, two hit batters, a wild pitch and a balk.

Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles had two homeruns, one that cleared the Green Monster, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs score in the Orioles 9-4 win today over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Sal Bando hit a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth to bring the Oakland A’s even with the visiting Kansas City Royals. Bob Johnson won the game with a two-run homer to win the game for Oakland in the tenth inning, sending the Royals to their fifth straight loss and lowering their record to 2-9, last in the A.L. West division.

Gene Brabender pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout against the California Angels in the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 win. He allowed only one walk and struck out two.

Frank Howard had two home runs, his third and fourth of the season, but the Senators lost to the visiting New York Yankees by an 8-6 score.

April 8 Highlights

Dodgers right-hander Bill Singer pitched a complete game, striking out ten and surrendering only four hits as Los Angeles handed Cincinnati their first loss of the season by a score of 2-1. Singer also singled in what would be the winning run in the second inning.

The Cardinals seemed to be well on their way to a win in Montreal, sitting on an 8-1 lead with ace Bob Gibson on the mound going into the bottom of the fifth. Gibby got the first two outs before Ron Brand singled. Marv Staehle then clubbed one deep to left, the Cards Lou Brock raced back to make the catch, but then he crashed into the wall and the ball popped loose and Staehle ended up on second as Brand crossed the plate. Rusty Staub beat out an infield single to score Staehle, and Ron Fairly followed with a home run to cut the Cards lead to three and knock Gibson out of the game. The Expos bullpen shut down the Cards the rest of the way, and the Expos tied the game in the seventh, Staehle led off with a double for Monreal, Staub follwed with his second double of the game. Bob Bailey tripled in Staub and Laboy drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. The scoreremained even until the bottom of the eleventh, when Staub took a full count pitch over the wall in right for a game-winning home run. Le Grande Orange went 5-for-6 with 2 doubles, the home run, four runs scored and three RBIs.

Kansas City’s Lou Pinella, who came in as a pinch hitter in the eighth ande drove in the tying run, won the game in the twelfth with a two-out Grand Slam home run to beat Oakland 7-3.

Milwaukee failed for the second straight game to win their first game as the Brewers, as the Angels scored five runs in the top of the ninth for a come-from-behind 7-4 victory.

Opening Day!

A see-saw battle between the Montreal Expos and the Cincinnati Reds made for an exciting first game of the 1970 season, in the final opening day in the history of Crosley Field. The Reds struck first when Bobbt Tolan led off the home half of the first with a home run, and Peter Rose came in to score on a wild pitch to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. The Expos tied it up in the fourth with Boccabella tripled in a run, then came in on Bobby Wine’s sacrifice fly. Tommy Helms hit a two-run homer in the Red’s fourth to again put the Reds up by two. The Expos answered with a two-run homer off the bat of Bob Bailey in the top of the fifth. Tolan doubled in a run in the bottom of the sixth, and Rose singled him home to put the Reds up by a score of 6-4. The Expos loaded the bases in the eighth with no outs, and pushed three runs across with a ground-out, a single and a sacrifice fly to put them on top 7-6. Cincy’s Tony Perez’ three-run blast in the bottom of the inning was the spark for a four run rally that gave the Reds their final lead.

In the American League opener Dick Bosman scattered seven hits to give the Senators a 2-0 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers. Mickey Lolich only gave up five hits, but three costly errors proved to be the Tiger’s undoing.