Blog Archive

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Redbirds Stall Big Red Machine

July 14, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Joe Morgan (3) was probably the most important gear in the Big Red Machine. He was one of the newest in 1972 and certainly made the machine run better. His inside-the-park home run off Rick Wise (9-4) got hings going in the T4. St. Louis answered with a Ted Simmons sac fly in the bottom of the frame. It would be all for the Redbirds as Ross Grimsley (5-6), Tom Hall and Pedro Borbon (6) shut them down. Meanwhile, Tony Perez and Cesar Geronimo (another new Red from Houston) added 6th inning RBI for a 3-1 Cincy winner.

July 15, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Matty Alou went 4-4 to lead the Cardinals to a 4-3 win to even the series. Al Santorini (4-3) and Rich Folkers (1) limited the Red Machine. My future bride celebrated her 9th birthday with a cast on her broken arm, and totally unaware of baseball.

July 16, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Don Durham (1-0) was given the task by manager Red Schoedienst to contain the Big Red Machine on this steamy summer day. The kid from Kentucky was marvelous with 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run and 8 strikeouts. The Redbird hitters got to veteran Jack Billingham (5-6) for a 5-1 win.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Redbirds Fly By Tomahawks in 2 of 3

July 11, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Lou Brock had 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI to lead the Cardinals to an 8-4 win. Al Santorini (3-3) struggled through 6 innings, but got the win. Tony Cloninger (2) muscled up for the 3-inning save. Dusty Baker led all batters with 3 hits. Phil Niekro (9-8) got the CG loss.

July 12, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Bob Gibson (12-5) fanned 10 in 8 innings and St. Louis won 5-3. Moe Drabowsky (7) earned the save. 2B Ed Crosby singled in 2 runs in the 5th. SS Dal Maxvill also knocked in 2 runs. Darrell Evans singled in 2 in a 3-run Atlanta 7th. Ron Schueler (4-5) started and lost for the Bravos. 

July 13, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Hank Aaron (27) clobbered a 2-run homer in the T3 to give Atlanta a 4-0 lead. they hung on for a 4-3 victory. Ron Reed (7-7) got the win with Mike McQueen (3) finishing for the save. Brock and Joe Torre had 3 hits apiece for the Redbirds as they outhit Atlanta 12-8. Reggie Cleveland (9-9) started and lost.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Redbirds Tip Stros on Steamy St. Looie Weedend

July 7, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals sent 12 men t the plate in the 1st inning, scoring 8 runs then cruised to an 8-4 victory. Lou Brock singled and doubled, scored 2 runs, stole a base and knocked in 2 in the 1st inning alone. Dal Maxvill and Ted Simmons paced the Redbirds with 3 hits each. Bob Gibson (11-5) tossed 7 innings for the win. Dave Roberts (5-8) was in the showers before the 1st inning nightmare was over.

July 8, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Jerry Reuss (4-4) fired a 3-hit shutout, fanning 14 and walking none, going the distance as Houston evened the series with a 5-0 whitewashing. The Astros had only 6 hits themselves, but drew 10 bases on balls from Cards pitchers. The "Toy Cannon"Jimmy Wynn drew 4 walks. Reggie Cleveland (9-8) took the loss. Btw, in real life, 9-year old Bruce Thomas was attending his first MLB outside of Chicago. Thanks, dad.

July 9, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- A wild one in near 100 degree heat. Houston took a 7-1 lead by the halfway point with Lee May (13), Bob Watson (7) and Wynn (16) all swatting homers off Rick Wise. The Redbirds drew back within 1 with a 5-run 5th highlighted by a 2-run single by Brock. The Stros added 2 more in the 6th and St. Louis countered with 1 in the B6 to make it 9-7. Diego Segui (3-0) held the visitors scoreless in the T7th and the home-towners responded with 4 in the B7 to take a lead that would win it. Maxvill (1) hit a solo HR and Joe Torre knocked in a pair with a double. Bottom line, St. louis holds out for an 11-10 win with Moe Drabowsky (6) getting the save. Cesar Cedeno had 4 hits and 4 runs scored to pace Houston. Torre, Simmons and Matty Alou had 3 hits apiece for the Redbirds.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

O say can you see, two wins for Baltimore

July 4, 1972
CHICAGO -- Pat Dobson (10-5) singled in a pair of runs in a 5-run 6th inning for Baltimore as the O's blew open the game on their way to a 7-3. O, btw, Dobson fired a complete-game on the hill to celebrate Independence Day.

July 5, 1972
CHICAGO -- Boog Powell (11), Andy Etchebarren (2) and Don Baylor (8) muscled up on Sox pitching to blast to a 6-2 win. Powell's 3-run bomb in the 7th overcame Dick Allen's (16) 2-run dong in the 1st, which had been the only runs of the ballgame to that point. Etchebarren went back-to-back with Powell. Baylor added his 2-run shot in the 8th. Dave McNally (7-6) took it the full 9 for the O's. Wilbur Wood (10-12) was strong until the knuckler flattened in the 7th.

July 6, 1972
CHICAGO -- Tom Bradley (8-10) may have pitched the game of his career. He struck out 14 and walked zero, giving up just 6 hits in a 2-0 White Sox winner. Carlos May led the offense with 3 hits and an RBI.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Cards Sweep Cubs, Draw to Within 1 1/2 Games

June 28, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Dal Maxvill's RBI single in the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and St. Louis went on to defeat their rivals 3-2 in the first of a 2-game series. Reggie Cleveland (9-6) led the cardinals with 2 hits and tossed 8 innings on the hill for the win. Moe Drabowsky (5) pitched the 9th for the save. All Redbird hitters had at least 1 hit off Bill Hands (5-3) save lead-off man Lou Brock.

June 29, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Rick Monday, Glenn Beckert and Ron Santo banged out 3 hits apiece for the Cubs as they out-hit their neighbors from Missouri. However, the scoreboard told a different tale with St. Louis our-scoring Chicago, 6-4. Rick Wise (8-3) got the win with Diego Segui (3) garnering the save. The Redbirds put a 4 on the board in 4th and held on for the sweep. Burt Hooton (8-6) started and lost for the small bears.

St. Louis now trails Chicago by just 1 1/2 games.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Redbirds Split DH and Win Prequel vs Montreal

June 26, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Joe Torre (7) banged out 3 hits, including a 2-run home run, which highlighted a 5-run 3rd inning for the Cardinals. St. Louis hung on for a 6-4 win. Bob Gibson (9-5) pitched 7 for the win with Moe Drabowsky (4) getting the save. Bailor Moore (0-1) made his first start of the year for Montreal. He yielded 11 hits in 7 IP.

June 27, 1972  (Game #1)
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis used a 6-run 2nd inning to take a 7-1 early lead, only to see the Expos claw back to make it 7-7 in the T8. Ed Crosby's 3-run triple highlighted the 2nd for the Redbirds. Ron Hunt and former Cardinal Tim McCarver collected 3 hits each for the Spos. Ken Reitz delivered a game-winning PH, RBI single in the B8 to lift St. Louis to an 8-7 win. Tom Walker (1-3) was the loser for Montreal. Lowell Palmer (1-0) got the win in relief for St. Loo with Diego Segui (2) notching the save.

June 27, 1972 (Game #2)
ST. LOUIS -- Mike Torrez (5-4) led the Montreal to a 10-1 laugher in the the nightcap with both his bat and his arm. Torrez banged out 3 hits and completed the game, yielding just 4 hits. Battery mate Terry Humphrey also chipped in 3 hits. Mike Jorgensen (7) hit a 2-run blast in the 3rd off John Cumberland (0-1).

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Friars Share 2-Game Series with Redbirds

June 20, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- The Padres utilized 24 players in 14 innings to defeat the Cardinals 4-1. Fred Norman (9 IP, 4H, 0ER) should have won the game in 9, but 2 Padres miscues led to the Cardinals tying it at 1-1 in the B9. The Friars plated 3 runs in the 14th with 4 singles, a WP, and an error. Al Severinsen (3-0) was the eventual winner with Gary Ross (9) getting the save. 

June 21, 1972
ST. LOUIS --Matty Alou's 2-run, walk-off single in the b9 lifted St. Louis to a 3-2 win and split in the series. Dave Robert's (2) line-drive, solo home run off Bob Gibson (8-5) in the T9 had temporarily given SD hope. Bernie Carbo led off the Redbirds 9th with a single off Ed Acosta (1-4). PR Luis Melendez was nailed trying to steal, but Dal Maxvill walked. Bill Stein banged a PH single. Lou Brock hit into a FC force at 2B for the second out. He promptly stole second. PH Ken Reitz was given a free pass, which brought up Alou.