S-O-M 1961

A Severe Case of the "Willies"   - Mel Queen's pitching line: 7-2/3 IP, 6 ER 8 H 8 K 2 BB -Queen gave up home runs to: Willie Mays, 2-run and Willie McCovey, 3 solo shots.  -Queen is being held overnight in San Fran for further tests.

            NYM 0-2-3 CHC 14-20-0 -Cubs scored their runs in the 1st 5 innings (3-1-2-5-3) -5 Cubs had 3 hits each (Beckert, Williams, Santo, Cla. Jones, Hundley) -19 of the 20 hits were singles  -Fergie Jenkins had the game's only XBH (Double) -Jenkins pitching line, 9 IP 10 K's 2 hits 2  walks  -Pitching line for Jack Fisher (NYM) 3+ IP, 8 runs 5 earned 1 K 1 HBP -Cubs had hits in the 1st 7 innings, were retired 1-2-3 only in the 8th -Mets were retired 1-2-3 in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th

American League Chicago 5, New York 3 WP-Gary Peters National League St. Louis 7, Houston 3 WP-Steve Carlton Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 2 WP-Don Drysdale Cincinnati 3, San Francisco 2 Tommy Helms go-ahead single in 9th Home Runs: Tommie Agee (CWS) Joe Pepitone (NYY) Ron Fairly (LAD)  

New York 2, Chicago 0 Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 3 St. Louis 9, Houston 0 Atlanta 5, Los Angeles 0 San Francisco 3, Cincinnati 1  

Chicago 5, New York 4  Detroit 3, Kansas City 2 California 9, Baltimore 6 (10) Cleveland 6, Minnesota 3 Washington 4, Boston 1   

Astros take 3 out of 4 from Reds Dodger-Killer Jaster strikes again as Cards blank LA In a limited night of National League action, the Houston Astros ran their way to a 3 of 4 series win over the Cincinnati Reds, 3-1. After a scoreless top of the 1st, Sonny Jackson drew a lead-off walk from Sammy Ellis and promptly stole 2nd. Jackson scored on Joe Morgan's double to center, then Morgan took off himself, stealing 3rd and scoring on Jimmy Wynn's RBI single. Wynn stole 2nd but Ellis settled down, limiting the speedy 'stros to those 2 runs. The Reds scored their run in the 6th on a 1-out triple by Pete Rose who scored on a bounce-out to 3rd by Tony Perez after Deron Johnson walked.   With 1 out in the 7th, Norm Miller doubled, then scored one out later on Sonny Jackson's RBI single. Astro starter Dave Giusti then sweated out the top of the 9th, which started with a strikeout of Tony Perez, then back-to-back singles by Tommy Helms and Leo Cardenas put Reds at 1st and 2nd. C...

BIG FRANK wasn't that big Turns out, Hank Allen and Cap Peterson were even bigger as Sens slam Bosox  Washington, APR 24-Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were making big music on CBS tonight. Turns out, the Senators were making an even bigger sound on this night, and it wasn't music to the Red Sox ears, as the Senators opened a series against the boys from Beantown with a 9-6 win.   Yaz comes out swinging Boston's premier belter of popular tunes started the hit parade with a 1-out, 2-run homer off Camilio Pascual with Dalton Jones at 1st after a lead-off single. But the Sens came out beltin' against (Dennis) Bennett, getting a 2-out single from Hank Allen, then a double from Frank Howard. Peterson put a "Cap" on it when he slugged a 3-run blast to left giving the Senators a lead they would not relinquish. Turns out, Bennett would be "relinquished" in the 2nd as the Sens despite a bunt turned double play would blow it open on a 3-run homer from Allen...

Vroom! Vroom! Ron Santo hits for cycle as Cubs beat Pirates, 6-3 Chicago, Apr 23-Red-hot Cub 3rd baseman Ron Santo hit for the cycle as the Cubs made the Pirates walk the plank by a 6-3 final at Wrigley Field .  Santo's cycle began with a lead-off double in the 2nd, followed by an RBI triple in the 4th, then a single in the 6th.  With 2 outs in the 8th, Santo turned a Juan Pizarro fastball into a mammoth home run into the right field bleachers, giving the Cubs their 3rd cycle in less than a year after teammates Billy Williams and Randy Hundley hit cycles within a month of each other. Fergie Jenkins went the distance for the Cubs, Pizarro took the loss for the Pirates. CHC 6-11-0 PIT 3-12-1 HR-Santo, Clemente.

Bill Dene-who? Met Righty takes no-hitter into 9th inning of game 2, Dick Allen stars for Phils in game 1 Flushing, NY, Apr 23-Mets right-hander Bill Denehy took a no-hitter into the 9th inning of the 2nd game of a double-header against the Phillies, losing the no-hit bid on a leadoff infield single by Johnny Briggs, who beat Bud Harrelson's throw from shortstop. Denehy was aided by a couple of double plays, including a brilliant around-the-horn DP by Ken Boyer in the 8th to save the no-hit bid. Denehy would give up 2 more hits before giving way to reliever Ron Taylor, who saved Denehy's gem and a double-header split as the Mets downed the Phils, 4-3.   The Phils took game 1 behind Dick Allen's 2 homers and 3 RBI, 6-4 Bill Denehy: 8+ IP, 3 earned runs, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks, hit batter. G1: PHI 6-10-2 NYM 4-7-0 WP-Short LP-Cardwell SV-Hall HR-Allen (2), Callison, Dalrymple. G2: NYM 4-8-1 PHI 3-4-2 WP-Denehy LP-Ellsworth SV-Taylor Jerry Buchek 4-4 with 2 doubles.

Not quite A'lone in 1st A's take game 1 behind gem from Nash, get back down to earth in nightcap Baltimore, Apr 23-The Orioles finally solved the mystery of the Kansas City A's in game 2 of their DH at Memorial Stadium, but not before Jim Nash fired a 12-strikeout, 4-hit gem in game 1. A 2-run first was enough for the A's, getting their runs on back-to-back singles by Rick Monday and Mike Hershberger before Danny Cater scored Monday on a line-drive single past "Hoover" Robinson. Ed Charles scored Hershberger on an RBI double, the first of 2 2-baggers for the surprising 3rd sacker. The A's got an insurance run in the 6th, then it was Nash the rest of the way with his brilliant 4-hitter. KCA 3-12-0 BAL 0-4-0 WP-Nash LP-Barber Game 2: O's snap A's streak After 2 scoreless innings, both teams see-sawed back and forth starting with Dick Green's lead-off homer off Dave McNally's left arm. Then the Orioles took flight on Luis Aparicio's one-ou...

Mick still mighty at the bat Yankees use longball to down Bosox, 3-1 Boston, Apr 23-Mickey Mantle may have worn down in recent years because of injury, but he still manages to inflict the occasional hurt as he slugged 1 of 2 solo home runs in a decisive 6th inning as the Yanks downed the Red Sox, 3-1 in a series-clinching win at Fenway Park. Mantle's blow came with one out in the 6th inning off Bucky Brandon, breaking a 1-1 tie. After Joe Pepitone grounded to 1st for out #2, Steve Whitaker crushed his own solo homer, giving the Bronx Bombers more than enough to back up the 7-hit pitching of Joe Verbanic.  The lone Red Sox run scored in the bottom of the 3rd when Dalton Jones reached on a 2-base error by left fielder Tom Tresh; Jones scored on Carl Yastrzemski's RBI single. The Yankees tied it in the top of the 5th on Jake Gibbs' one-out single and subsequent steal of 2nd. John Kennedy tied it with an RBI single, setting up the Yankees longball explosion in the 6th. RECORDS:...

CWS 1-6-1 WSH 0-4-0 WP-Howard LP-Moore  Sox run scored   in 6th on single by Tommie Agee, who then stole second and scored on Pete Ward's RBI double.  ODD FACT: The Sox fouled out 3 times to Sens 3B Ken McMullen. (Duane Josephson, Don Buford, Ron Hansen)

Game 1  CAL 4-10-3 CLE 3-12-0 WP-Clark LP-Tiant SV-Rojas HR-Fregosi, Azcue Rick Reichardt 2-run triple in 7th, Don Mincher RBI single scores Reichardt with go-ahead run. Game 2 CLE 5-5-0 CAL 1-8-2 WP-Siebert LP-Coates HR-Fregosi, Hinton, Fuller.  RECORDS: CAL 4-8 CLE 3-7  

Despite Wobbly Wilson, Tigers hang on to sweep Twins Detroit, Apr 23-Earl Wilson's wobbly right arm could not deter the Tigers from a sweep of the Twins, hanging on despite 6 walks to nip the Minnesotans and secure a series sweep, 2-1. The Tigers got the runs they needed in their half of the 2nd on back-to-back lead-off singles   by Al Kaline and Jim Northrup, the runs scoring on a single by Bill Freehan and a sac fly to right by Norm Cash. Turning point was the 7th After Harmon Killebrew's lead-off homer in the 6th cut the Twin deficit to 2-1, the Twins made their move in the 7th. After starter Dean Chance took a called 3rd strike from Wilson and Cesar Tovar bounced to 3rd, catcher Russ Nixon drew his 2nd walk from Wilson and moved to 2nd on a single by Tony Oliva. Killebrew walked to load the bases, but Wilson's wobbly right arm was able to coax a fly ball from Bob Allison's bat into the glove of Jim Northrup in left field, ending the threat and effectively the ball g...

Editor's Note: I've been doing my 1967 sums on a game-by-game basis as of late, but I got lazy over the 4th weekend and got back to full day recaps. 4/23 AL sums will be posted starting tomorrow, I promise. PHI 11-15-0 NYM 3-11-1 WP-Jackson LP-B. Shaw HR-Briggs, Rojas, Francona, Kranepool. ATL 4-10-1 SFG 2-5-4 WP-Lemaster LP-Perry SV-Raymond HR-Aaron (2), J. Alou, Dietz. HOU 9-12-4 CIN 7-11-0 WP-Schneider LP-Nottebart Astros rally for 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th, 3 on a game-winning triple by Bob Aspromonte. LAD 5-11-1 STL 2-8-0 WP-Drysdale LP-Gibson HR-Johnson. Johnny Roseboro 4-4, all singles.  

Phils embarrass Mets, 11-3 Flushing NY, Apr 22-The Phillies jumped on Mets starter Bob Shaw early and often in an 11-3 pummeling in front of some unhappy Met fans who would have rather watched the Maple Leafs-Canadiens Stanley Cup Final game 2. The Phils had a 9-0 lead through 3/1-2 innings before the Mets finally cracked the scoreboard. Bats booming in 3rd, 4th After jumping out to a 2-0 lead after 2, the Phils bats boomed bigtime. After John Briggs walked with one out, Tito Francona and Dick Allen banged out back-to-back singles loading the bases. Johnny Callison grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Briggs and forcing out Dick Allen with Francona going to 3rd. Tony Gonzalez singled home Francona, then Cookie Rojas slugged a 3-run homer extending the lead to 7-0. After getting the first 2 outs in the 4th, Bob Shaw gave up back-to-back solo homers by Briggs and Francona ending his afternoon after 3/2-3 innings. Ed Kranepool put the Mets on the board with a solo homer in the bo...

  CLE 8-14-0 CAL 6-11-2 WP-Allen LP-Cimino HR-Wagner (2), Whitfield (1) Whitfield walk-off homer with Hinton on base, nobody out. CLE 2-6 CAL 3-7

  KCA 12-17-1 BAL 7-11-3 A's take over 1st in American League. WP-Odom LP-Brabender SV-Segui The A's scored 2 in 2nd, 3 in 3rd, 1 in 4th, 3 in 5th, 1 in 6th and 2 in 8th. Orioles scored 3 in 7th, 3 in 8th, 1 in 9th. For the A's, Rick Monday had 4 hits, Danny Cater and Dick Green 3 hits each, Mike Hershberger and Ed Charles 2 hits each. Curt Blefary and Davey Johnson had 2 hits each for the Orioles. Number of times ball was hit to Brooks Robinson: ZERO. Number of home runs hit: ZERO. Number of times Phil Roof was HBP: 2. Did I mention the A's are leading the American League? (7-2)