Connie Mack League Baseball

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The Philadelphia Athletics began an important three game series, for them, on a cool brisk night at Mays Field, in San Francisco, with the Giants. The game was scoreless after the first two innings with both starting pitchers settling in well on the cool night. Philadelphia starter Jeff Piche had given up a single in the opening innings, was tapped for a run in the third on a walk to catcher Dwight Blank.

Blank surprised Piche and his battery mate Joe Martel by stealing second. Frank Imlay, the Giants pitcher, bunted successfully advancing Blank to third base with one out. The Athletics star shortstop, Tony Tompkins, robbed Sandy Havens of a potential hit with an outstanding play in the shortstop ole but Blanks was able to score on the play. San Francisco took a 1-0 lead.

After Imlay got a quick shutdown inning in the fourth, San Francisco went back to work and added on a second run. Dave Menefee doubled to start the inning and Alex Heredia came through with a two out RBI single to drive in the run.

Philadelphia got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning when Angel Bryden doubled off Imlay with no outs and Bill Kilgus followed with a run scoring single to cut the lead in half. A passed ball on catcher Dwight Blanks moved Kilgus to second in scoring position and rookie Ryan Barber doubled hoim in with two outs to tie the game 2-2. Barber was caught stealing to end that inning.

The home team took the lead back in the bottom of the 6th on Menefee's solo homerun (6th) off Piche (5th allowed in 52.1 IP). The Athletics' slick fielding third base man Dave Ponder, snapped out of a one for nineteen skid with a solo homerun (4th), off Imlay (8th allowed in 39.2 IP) to tie the game 4-4.

Ponder was not finished. In the 9th inning Lew Davis took over the pitching duties for San Francisco. Davis struck out the first two batters, Barber and Lucas, before Ponder just missed his second homerun of the game that hit off the op off the left field wall. The baseball caromed high over left fielder David Jordan's allowing Ponder to pick up his first tripel of the season.

Wally Bullinger came off the bench to pinch hit for catcher Joe Martel andsingled in the winning run.

Mickey Fuller, who pitched the 8th inning recording two strikeouts, was the winning pitcher, 2-0.

Tim Bullett continued to get the job done as the closer (4th save) with a scoreless 9th inning.

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Milwaukee 5 San Diego 3

Lew Burdette remained perfect on the season (7-0 2.42 ERA). Burdett went seven innings gave up seven hits and three runs walked one and struck out four. The Braves bullpen contributed two scoreless innings. Greg ates kept the socre as it was with asocreless 8th inning and Mark Chalmers, the new closer for Milwaukee recently acquired from Philadelphia picked up his first save as a Brave with a scoreless ninth inning.

Offensive contributors were Orlando Cepeda drove in two runs with a third inning double. Rogers Hornsby hit a solo homerun in the third inning, his 5th, hit his 3rd in the ninth inning to snap a four game losing streak for the first place Braves.

The four losses have allowed the Pittsburgh Pirates to move into a first place tie.

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Pittsburgh 6 LA Dodgers 3

Catcher Dave Moeller had three of the Pirates n hits and drove in two of the Battlin' Buccos runs with his 3rd homerun and two singles. Don Eckhardt picked up the win. he is now 5-1 on the season. Eckhardt went eight innings gave up six hits and three runs struck out ten and walked one.

Milt Travis worked the ninth inning for his first save of the season.


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Montreal edged Florida 2-1.

Ray Dandridge it a first inning homerun off losing pitcher Joe Murphy in the first inning and Henry Goldsmith drove in the go ahead run in the 5th with a single.

Whit Moses got the in (3-1) going eight inningsgiving one run onfive hits and Billy Pallaro garnered his 8th save.