And the race goes down to the final two series.

[jimbowie]

The Houston Starlings were eliminated by St. Louis after the Rawlins swept them in St Louis to drop the Starlings four games behind the leaders with three games left on the schedule.

St. Louis took game one 6-4 by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth off Houston closer Ernie Hernandez. Roger Sweetland was the winning pitcher. and Hernandez took the loss 1-4. Sweetland may have set a record by winning three straight games in relief for St. Louis.

Sweetland won the final game of the Pitsburgh series and games one and two of this series. St. Louis scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in game two when catcher Whitey Livingston tripled scoring Jhon Torres who drawn a one out walk.

Livingston also got the game winning hit in game three. This time he hit his first homerun of the season for his second walk off hit in a row.

The St. Louis bullpen got the win in game tree as well. Matt Liberatore was the winner (2-0).

Lefty Brown (5-6) took the loss.

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Milwaukee 5 Philadelphia 3

The Milwaukee Brewers won their fourth straight game and swept the Philadelphia Luzinski's in the process by edging them 5-3 in game three of the series.

Brewers starter Jerry McClure went 6.2 innings allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out six and walked five. The five walks kept him in trouble most of his time in the game.

Philadelphia starter right hander John Patterson labored for five sand a third innings giving up five runs (all earned) walked one and fanned five.

The Brewers got in the scoring column in the second inning. Billy Mizeur, the Brewers hitting star of the gamehit his ninth homerun of the season to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.

The Brewers added a run to their lead in the fourth inning. Bill McGuire singled with two outs and scored on a double by Mizeur to up the lead to 2-0.

The Brewers had a big inning in the sixth inning driving Patterson from the game. Billy Eubanks doubled to left field. Patterson walked Tom Richards and gave up a single to Guy Flynn that scored Eubanks with run number three.

McGuire's ground out scored Richards to make the score 4-0.

Cole Porter came into the game and restored order for Philadelphia.

The late innings belonged to Philadelphia. Moonlight Stack hit his fifth homerun of the season to cut the lead to 5-1.

Hal Thompson's single and Mike Macleod's double past Tom Richards made it 5-2.

Rookie Donnie Durham replaced McClure and got the final out of the inning.

In the ninth Lance Fiore singled, Macleod walked and Oscar Mareno singled in Philadelphia third run.

That would be all they would get off Dan Bellardi. Bellardi garnered his 21st save.

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Montreal 9 New York 4

Johnny Cougar (6-4) got the win going 6.2 innings giving up six hits two runs (earned) three walks and seven strikeouts.

Red Button hit three homeruns and drove in six runs giving him 13 homeruns for the season.

Tom Lawrence hit his 12th for New York.

The bottom line from all this is Milwaukee will play Montreal in a winner take all series for the pennant.

''It seems fitting that it should end this way. We have battled each other all season and now we can see the end of it in sight.'' said Brewers manager Duff McAuliffe.