StL 2, Pit 1 (10)

Tuesday, May 19- Gino Cimoli's base hit to center field scored Alex Grammas from second base with two outs in the tenth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, at Sportsman's Park.

In a game filled with late inning maneuvering and pitching changes, the Cardinals (19-15) prevailed behind the pitching of Larry Jackson, Marshall Bridges and Bob Gibson (W, 2-2). St. Louis stayed in second place and moved within two games of the San Francisco Giants, who lost to Milwaukee.

The Pirates (16-18) have lost three in a row.

In the tenth, Grammas singled with one out. Pinch-hitter Wally Shannon flied out, but Don Blasingame kept the inning alive with a hard single to right that moved Grammas to second base. Cimoli then delivered a bounding ball up the middle.

Bob Porterfield (2-1) took the loss for Pittsburgh, whose only run was unearned in the sixth, courtesy of two Cardinals errors in the inning.

Mil 3, SF 1

Tuesday, May 19- Joey Jay fired a complete game four-hitter, and the Milwaukee Braves slowed down the surging, first place San Francisco Giants, 3-1 at Seals Stadium.

The only run Jay (2-1) allowed was unearned and came in the seventh inning. He also helped his own cause with his bat by drilling an RBI double in the second inning for a 2-0 Braves lead.

Del Crandall hit his sixth home run of 1959 in the fourth inning to extend the Braves' lead to 3-0.

The Braves (16-15) moved back to within 3.5 games of the Giants (21-13).

Jack Sanford (3-4) of the Giants also pitched a complete game in a losing effort.

Cin 10, LA 4

Tuesday, May 19- Frank Robinson belted two home runs and drove in six runs as the Cincinnati Reds overpowered the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-4 at the Coliseum.

The Reds used the Dodgers method of winning---power. Los Angeles leads the league in home runs, but the Reds (13-20) clubbed four homers in winning just their sixth game in their past twenty matches.

Robinson hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a three-run blast in the fifth. He added an RBI single in the ninth.

Jim Pendleton and Frank Thomas also homered for the Reds.

The game started inauspiciously for Reds starter Jim Brosnan, who was making his first 1959 start. Leadoff hitter Wally Moon reached on an error, then Charlie Neal slugged his eighth home run for a quick 2-0 Dodgers lead. But Brosnan (1-2) settled down and pitched 8.1 innings.

The Reds roughed up Dodgers starter Johnny Podres (3-4) for six runs in five innings of work.

The Dodgers (19-17) have lost six of eight.

Chi 4, Phi 2

Tuesday, May 19- George Altman's pinch-hit, two-run double in the sixth inning snapped a 2-2 tie and the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2 at Wrigley Field.

It was the Cubs' (17-19) third straight win, and broke a tie for sixth place with the Phillies (14-18).

Altman's drive to right center came off Phillies starter Gene Conley (2-2) and knocked Conley out of the game. Cubs starter Darrell Hillman (5-0) stayed unbeaten, with three innings of relief help from Taylor Phillips and Don Elston, who picked up his fourth save.

Sparky Anderson had three singles and scored a run for the Phillies, and Alvin Dark had a double and two singles for the Cubs.

SF 3, Mil 2

Monday, May 18- Willie Mays abandoned his sluggish start at the best possible time, slugging a three-run homer in the seventh inning, wiping out a 1-0 deficit, and the first place San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Braves, 3-2 at Seals Stadium.

It was just Mays' fourth home run of the season, lifting his average to a pedestrian .250.

The Giants (21-12) looked like they might suffer a rare (lately) loss, but Mays rescued them, plating Ed Bressoud and Andre Rodgers ahead of him after his towering drive to left center off Braves starter Warren Spahn (3-6).

The Braves (15-15) lost for just the third time in the past 10 games.

Eddie Mathews drilled his 8th home run in the ninth inning off reliever Gordon Jones, who despite the blast earned his third save in relief of Sam Jones (6-2).

The Giants opened up a three-game lead over idle St. Louis and Los Angeles, who beat Cincinnati.

LA 5, Cin 3

Monday, May 18- The Los Angeles Dodgers figured out a way to break their three-game losing streak: by playing the sinking Cincinnati Reds.

The Dodgers jumped to a 4-0 lead and held on to beat the Reds, 5-3 at the Coliseum, which was Cincinnati's 10th loss in their past 13 games.

The Reds (12-20) only managed three hits off three Dodgers pitchers, one of which was Frank Robinson's three-run homer (6) in the sixth inning, which made the score 4-3.

Stan Williams (2-3) went 5.2 innings before tiring in the sixth, but still earned the victory. Struggling Clem Labine pitched two mostly uneventful innings to pick up his first save.

Dodgers second baseman Charlie Neal had four hits, including his seventh home run of the season.

The Reds used Willard Schmidt (0-1) as a spot starter, and it didn't go well. Schmidt went just 3.1 innings, yielding four runs and nine hits, including two homers. Wally Moon led off the bottom of the first with a home run (8).

Maury Wills had three hits and scored a run in a spot start at shortstop for the Dodgers (19-16).

SF 5, Cin 1

Sunday, May 17- Stu Miller pitched a complete game in his first start of the season, helping to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Seals Stadium.

Orlando Cepeda delivered the big hit, a three-run homer (3) in the third inning..

The Giants (20-12) moved 2.5 games in front of the idle, second place St. Louis Cardinals.

Miller (1-0) scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out four.

The Reds (12-19) fell to two games out of seventh place. They have lost 13 of their past 18 games.

Gus Bell had three hits for the Reds, raising his average to .306.

Willie Kirkland had two singles and scored twice for the Giants, who welcome the Milwaukee Braves Monday.

Mil 5, LA 2

Sunday, May 17- Lew Burdette twirled a complete game, four-hitter and Billy Bruton had three hits as the Milwaukee Braves beat the suddenly stumbling Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-2 at the Coliseum.

Burdette (4-3) allowed both Dodgers runs in the first inning on a two-run homer by Duke Snider, then surrendered just two hits the rest of the way.

The Braves (15-14) have won seven of their past 10 games, while the Dodgers (18-16) have lost three in a row and four of five since briefly taking over first place last Tuesday.

The Braves scored twice in the first inning and added single runs in the second, third and fourth frames. Bruton led off the game with a triple, setting the tone for Milwaukee.

NL wins and innings leader Don Drysdale (7-3) took the loss.



Billy Bruton

Chi 7, Pit 0; Chi 8, Pit 5

Sunday, May 17- Dale Long hit two home runs and had five RBI as the Chicago Cubs swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-0 and 8-5 at Wrigley Field.

Long smacked a three-run homer in the first inning of the first game, and added a two-run shot in the second inning of the nightcap.

Bob Anderson (3-4) threw a complete game, four-hit shutout in game one. Glen Hobbie (4-4) went 6.2 up and down innings to earn the victory in game two.

In the second game, the Pirates (16-17) jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the second inning, but Long's four-bagger tied the game. After Pittsburgh went ahead 3-2 in the fourth, the Cubs scored twice in their half of the frame and then added four runs in the sixth to pull away, 8-3.

In game two, Pittsburgh starter Bennie Daniels (2-3) had two hits and two RBI in a losing cause.

The Cubs (16-19) have won four of five after a six-game losing streak.

Phi 7, StL 5

Saturday, May 16- Backup catcher Carl Sawatski smacked a three-run homer and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly as the Philadelphia Phillies came away with their second straight win over the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-5, at Sportsman's Park.

Sawatski's second home run of the year came in the fourth inning and turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 Phillies lead. The Phillies (14-17) added two more runs in the sixth and held on from there.

The loss was the second straight for the Cardinals (18-15) after a seven-game winning streak.

Phillies starter Jim Owens (4-1) went seven innings to earn the victory. Gary Blaylock (3-3) took the loss for St. Louis, surviving just 5.2 innings.

Another little-used player, shortstop Joe Koppe, came up big, with a triple and a single and two runs scored, plus an RBI.

Cin 8, SF 2

Saturday, May 16- Two Cincinnati Reds busted out of slumps as they handled the San Francisco Giants, 8-2, at Seals Stadium.

Frank Thomas, batting .171, went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and six RBI to raise his average to .200. Starting pitcher Brooks Lawrence, with a 6.88 ERA entering the game, pitched a complete game, five-hitter.

The Reds (12-18) snapped a five-game losing streak. The first-place Giants (19-12) fell victim to the Reds' outburst in the sixth and seventh innings, when a 1-1 tie turned into a 7-1 Reds lead.

All four of Thomas's hits produced runs. He had a run-scoring single, a two-run homer, a two-run double, and a double that drove in another run.

Giants pitcher John Antonelli hit a home run in the third inning to tie the game, 1-1.

Mil 5, LA 4

Saturday, May 16- Mickey Vernon slugged a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning, lifting the Milwaukee Braves to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum.

The Dodgers had battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game with two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth inning, on Don Demeter's solo home run.

Vernon's shot made a loser of the Dodgers (18-15) and reliever Art Fowler (2-2). The Braves (14-14) have won seven of their past 10 games.

Bob Trowbridge (1-0) got the win, and Don McMahon pitched the ninth for his third save of the season.

Hank Aaron (.385) hit his fourth homer among his three hits as the Braves outhit the Dodgers, 10-5.


Mickey Vernon

Pit 7, Chi 4

Saturday, May 16- Bill Mazeroski hit a three-run homer and had four RBI, and Harvey Haddix came one out away from a complete game as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-4, at Wrigley Field today.

Bob Skinner added a two-run homer for Pittsburgh (16-15). Haddix (2-1) also had a single to help his cause.

The Cubs (14-19) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third but the Pirates answered with two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. The Cubs didn't score again until tacking on two runs in the ninth, but the game was out of hand by then.

Cubs starter Moe Drabowsky (1-3) was roughed up: five runs, seven hits and four walks in 4.1 innings.

Phi 3, StL 2

Friday, May 15- Richie Ashburn went 5-for-5 and the Philadelphia Phillies banged out 13 hits the day after being no-hit, in defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2 at Sportsman's Park. The Cardinals' seven-game winning streak was snapped.

Ashburn had four singles and a double and scored a run. Catcher Jim Hegan had three hits and scored the other two Phillies runs.

Robin Roberts pitched a complete-game, three-hitter for the Phillies (13-17). Despite the imbalance of hits, the Cardinals (18-14) almost tied the game in the ninth, but George Crowe's bid for a second home run was caught on the warning track by Wally Post.

The Cardinals fell into a second place tie with the idle Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams are two games behind the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Cincinnati Reds on the Bay.

SF 2, Cin 1

Friday, May 15- The Cincinnati Reds shoddy defense allowed two unearned runs in the seventh inning, and that was the difference as the San Francisco Giants won, 2-1, at Seals Stadium tonight.

It was the Reds' 12th loss in their past 16 games. They fell 7-1/2 games behind the first-place Giants (19-11).

Leading 1-0 (another unearned run), the Reds' Don Newcombe retired the first two batters in the seventh. Then disaster struck. Normally sure-handed center fielder Vada Pinson dropped a line drive, putting Jim Davenport at second base. Hobie Landrith walked. Pinch-hitter Orlando Cepeda delivered a run-scoring single to tie the game. Andre Rodgers then hit a ground ball to third base, and it was bobbled by Frank Thomas, allowing Landrith to score with the go-ahead run.

Reliever Gordon Jones got out of an eighth inning jam then pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Newcombe (3-2) took the hard luck loss for Cincinnati (11-18).

Jack Sanford (3-3) got the win for the first-place Giants.

Stl 7, Mil 6

Thursday, May 14- George Crowe hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth, and the St. Louis Cardinals won their seventh straight game, 7-6 over the Milwaukee Braves at Sportsman's Park Thursday night.

Crowe was the second Cardinal to hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer. Gene Oliver did it in the seventh inning.

The Braves (13-14) led 3-0 and 6-3 but couldn't hold off the surging Cards.

Ken Boyer hit his fourth homer, also a two-run blast, in the sixth inning for St. Louis (18-13).

Crowe's game-winning homer came off loser Don McMahon (2-2), who had earlier in the inning walked pinch-hitter Joe Cunningham.

Dick Ricketts (1-0) got the win after pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

SF 3, Phi 0

Thursday, May 14- Mike McCormick threw the first no-hitter of the season and the San Francisco Giants opened a 1.5-game lead in the league race with a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies today at Seals Stadium.

The left-handed McCormick (1-3) came into the game with an ERA of 7.21 and winless before twirling his gem. He walked two and struck out seven.

There weren't any real challenging plays for his defense as McCormick kept the Phillies hitters off balance all afternoon. In the ninth, pinch-hitter Dave Philley grounded out to shortstop, Richie Ashburn grounded out to second base, and Chico Fernandez lofted a lazy fly ball to center field to complete the no-hitter. McCormick then jumped into the arms of catcher Hobie Landrith as his Giants teammates soon swarmed him.

Andre Rodgers (5) and Willie Kirkland (3) hit solo homers for the Giants (18-11), who gained a game on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ray Semproch (0-2) took the loss for the Phillies (12-17).

Pit 4, LA 2

Thursday, May 14- Hank Foiles' two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning broke a 2-2 tie and the Pittsburgh Pirates stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2, tonight at the Coliseum.

The Pirates trailed, 2-1, going into the ninth inning. But Dick Stuart led off with a single. Bill Virdon pinch-ran and went to third on Bob Skinner's single. That knocked starter Johnny Podres out of the game. Reliever Clem Labine then faced Bill Mazeroski, who laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to tie the game. Two batters later, Foiles connected for his third homer this season, in just 36 at-bats.

Roy Face got through the bottom of the ninth with just a walk as the Pirates (15-15) and Dodgers (18-14) split the two-game series.

Bob Porterfield (2-0) pitched two perfect relief innings to get the victory. Face picked up his third save.

Podres (3-3) took the tough loss.

Chi 5, Cin 1

Thursday, May 14- Ernie Banks hit his 10th home run of the season, Lee Walls added his fourth, and the Chicago Cubs beat the reeling Cincinnati Reds, 5-1, at Wrigley Field today, behind the solid pitching of Darrell Hillman.

The Reds (11-17) have dropped 11 of their past 15 games. After a six-game losing streak, the Cubs (14-18) swept the Reds in this mini two-game series.

Hillman (4-0) went eight innings, scattering seven hits while walking none. Joe Nuxhall (2-3) took the loss for  the Reds. He lasted 5.2 innings.

Banks drove his homer over the left field wall through a high wind in the sixth inning to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Chicago added two more runs in the frame---on a two-run double by Dale Long off reliever Willard Schmidt.

Roy McMillan (.371) had two more hits and scored a run, keeping up his hot hitting.