Cubbies Take Phils in Three Slugfests

The Cubs take two of three from the resurgent Phillies, as the longball comes out. In game two, the Cubs launch seven homers, two each from Billy Williams and Ernie Banks.

Game One: Phi 6, Cubs 5

W: Short (1-0)
L: Holtzman (1-1)
S: Lersch (1)

A scoreless game is broken up by the Phils in the fifth, as the Cheesesteakers score five off Ken Holtzman, scorching four doubles in the inning. The Cubbies rally against Chris Short and Barry Lersch, scoring two in the ninth. But the rally falls short. Johnny Briggs goes four for four with a home run (1) and two RBIs.

Game Two: Cubs 13, Phils 6
W: Hands (2-0)
L: Wise (0-1)

The Phillies hit Bill Hands for four runs in the top of the first, featuring a key triple from Tim McCarver to plate two. But then the Cubbies get the lumber out, as they hit seven homers off Phils' pitchers, two each from Billy Williams (3,4) and Ernie Banks (2,3). Johnny Briggs hits his fourth for Philly, a ball traveling 446 feet to center.

Game Three: Cubs 7, Phil 3
W: Decker (1-0)
L: Fryman (0-1)

23-year old Joe Decker pitches well enough in his debut start, going six inning and allowing three runs. He's backed by strong run support from the power hitting Cubs, including a two run shot in the first from Jim Hickman (2), as Phils starter Woodie Fryman gets battered for 10 hits in six innings, including six doubles.

"Go Wes, Young Man" ! LA Sweeps 3 from Friars

Alan Foster goes 8 and gives up 2 as Wes Parker knocks in 2 to lead LA to a 5-2 win.  Most shockingly was the light drizzle that started in the 5th inning.

Claude Osteen (7IP / 4ER) was not at his best, but once again Wes Parker (3-4, 3RBI) was.  Bottom of the lineup guys like Sudakis and Garvey went 2-4.  Kosco and Mota (2-2, 2BB) each had 2 hits.

Bill Singer mirrors Alan Foster's line from game 1.  Dobson was almost as stingy for the Friars.  Wes Parker (2-4, 1RBI) with another big day at the dish.  Willie Davis also chips in for 2 hits.  Jim Brewer notches his 2nd save in as many days as LA sweeps their poor cousins to the south.

Pale Hose and Brew Crew Split DH and Series

April 10, 1970 at Chicago – Little Louie Aparicio went 4-4 and Wilbur Wood (1-0) pitched 3 2/3 innings of 1-hit shutout relief as the Pale Hose took the opener 4-3.

April 11, 1970 at Chicago – If this game would have been held in County Stadium, “Bucky Brewer” would have drowned by the end of the 3^rd inning. The Brew Crew plated 3 in the 2^nd, 9 in the 3^rd and 5 in the 6^th for a 17-2 sousing of the Pale Hose. Tommy Harper carried the biggest beer barrel bat with a double and 3-run home run for 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. Steve Hovley, Greg Goossen and Russ Snyder also banged out 3 hits each in a 20-hit Brewer attack. Bobby Bolin (1-0) went the 5 inning minimum and got the win. Billy Wynne (0-1) started with a sore arm for Chicago and didn’t get past the 2nd. One interesting stat was that the White Sox had 16 LOB, compared to just 6 for the Suds.

April 12, 1970 (Gm #1) at Chicago – Tommy Harper (4) was once again the winner of the MVP keg for the Brewers in the lid-lifter of today’s DH (that’s double header, not designated hitter for you youngsters out there. Two games for the price of one, what a concept!). Harper doubled, homered and hit a sac fly to drive in 4 of Milwaukee’s runs in a 5-4 victory. The visitor’s led 3-1 heading into the B8 with Lew Krausse (2-0) cruising on the hill. ChiSox Duane Josephson (1) tied it with a 2-run shot. Harper calmly swatted a 2-run double in T9 to make it 5-3. Bob Locker (2) struggled a bit in the B9^th, but got Carlos May to ground out to SS, leaving the tying run on 3B.

April 12, 1970 (Gm #2) at Chicago – Beltin Bill Melton doubled in two runs with 2 outs in the B9th as the White split the twin bill and the series with a 5-4 victory. Milwaukee had led 4-0 heading into the B7 with George Lazerique pitching strong, but he gave up along solo shot to Ken Berry (1). In the B8, Aparicio (3 hits) reached on an error and May walked. Locker (0-1) relieved Lazerique, but both Chicago runners scored closing the gap to 4-3. Melton then ended it in the 9^th, allowing Wood (2-0) to get the W.

Sens Down Sox (Red Variety)

Washington is off to a nice 4-2 start, taking another series at RFK.

Game One: Was 4, Boston 2

W: Coleman (1-0)
L: Lonborg (0-1)
S: Pina (2)

Boston's Jim Lonborg, trying to come back to his 1967 form after a series of injuries, allows three Washington runs in the bottom of the second, including a two run double from 37-year-old former Dodger John Roseboro.

Game Two: Boston 5, WAS 5 (19 innings)
W: Phillips (1-0)
L: Grzenda (0-1)
S: Lonborg (1)

Sparky Lyle blows a 5-3 Boston lead in the bottom of the ninth, as Tim Cullen drives in two with a single, wiping out Boston's early lead on Reggie Smith's second homer. No one can score for quite a while after that, until Tony Conigliario hits his first of the year in the top of the 19th off Joe Grzenda, Washington's last pitcher off the bench, for the win. Lonborg, who pitched yesterday, comes in and gets the save.

Game Three: WAS 3, BOS 0
W: Cox (2-0)
L: Peters (0-2)

New starter Casey Cox again is outstanding for Washington, pitching a seven hit complete game shutout. Eddie Brinkman's two run single in the seventh, after Washington had moved men to second and third, was key to the win.

Mets take two on Road from Cards

April 10, 1970 at St. Louis – The Mets scored all their runs in the 1^st inning and the Cardinals tallied all theirs in the 5^th. Unfortunately for the visitors they scored 1 fewer as St. Louis won 4-3. Tommie Agee led off with a single, stole second and was bunted to third by Bud Harrelson. Joe Foy, Cleon Jones and Art Shamsky then doubled successively. In the Cardinals 5^th Lou Brock tripled in a pair. Jose Cardenal singled him in, and Joe Torre singled Cardenal in with the GWRBI. George Culver (1-0) started and won for the Redbirds. Jerry Johnson (1) pitched 2 2/3 for the save. Jim McAndrew (0-1) started and lost for the Metropolitans.   

April 11, 1970 at St. Louis – New York reversed the score in this one with Jerry Grote’s (1) 3-run bomb in the 2^nd being the highlight. Gary Gentry (1-0) nabs the win with Ron Taylor (1) the save. Nelson Briles (0-1) took the L for the birds.

April 12, 1970 at St. Louis – Future Hall of Famers Tom Seaver (2-0) and Steve Carlton (0-1) matched up in this dandy with Seaver prevailing 4-2. Carlton blinked first allowing two runs in the 1^st with Foy doubling in Harrelson and Donn Clendenon doubling in Foy. Tom “Terrific” didn’t allow a hit until Julian Javier’s base knock in the 5^th. In the St. Louis 6^th Carlton doubled and Dick Allen (1) smashed a 2-run HR to tie it. Agee’s sac fly in the 7^th scoring Al Weis proved to be the game winner. Ron Swoboda tripled in the 9^th and Grote singled him home.

Orioles Take Series Over Detroit In Home Opener

GAME 1: Baltimore 2  Detroit 1
Memorial Stadium welcomed home their AL Conference Champions for the first time this season as the Orioles battled league rivals, Detroit, in a fierce pitching battle.  Baltimore's Jim Palmer kept the Tigers caged all day allowing only 5 hits and striking out 6.  Orioles put up 2 runs in the second inning and it would be all Palmer would need to get his first victory of the season.


GAME 2: Detroit 5 Baltimore 0
 A complete game 2 hit, 5 strikeout gem was what the Tigers got out of starting pitcher Earl Wilson.  Wilson baffled Baltimore batters all day, throwing only 106 pitches in the Detroit win.  The Tigers put up 3 runs in the 1st inning, of off a slow starting Dave McNally (0-2), highlighted by a 319 foot homer by Mickey Stanley.  

GAME 3: Baltimore 4  Detroit 2
Mike "Crazy Horse" Cuellar has settled back into his 1969 groove as he picks up his 2nd win of the young season.  Cuellar pitched a complete game striking out 6 in the win.  Willie Horton (2)  homered in the 8th inning for the Tigers to try and rally Detroit but Cuellar closed things out before further damage could be done.  The win improves Baltimore to 4-2 on the season while Detroit drops to 2-4

Sens Shut Down Tigers to Take Series

Washington, hoping to avoid the cellar under tough talking manager Ted Williams, takes two of three from the Tigers to win the first series of 1970 vs. the aging tabbies at RFK Stadium.

The series didn't start out well for the Senators. Tiger great Mickey Lolich pitched a four hit, complete game. The Senators didn't get their first hit of the season -- or off Lolich -- until the sixth inning, as Williams found their bats totally useless against lefty starters. The Tigers' Jim Northrup had a day, going four to four with two homers off Washington starter Dick Bosman. Freehan and Horton also homered in the 9-2 Tigers win.

But Washington didn't go quietly in the series. In Game Two, it was the Tigers' Earl Wilson who was hammered for five runs in six innings. Del Unser stroked a two run shot for the Sens, and singing star Lee Maye (who also led a double life as doo wop singer with Arther Lee Maye and the Crowns) stroked three singles and knocked in two. Newly anointed starter Casey Cox, a former reliever, showed worthy of the task with seven innings of three hit ball in the 6-2 Senators win.

Game Three was closer but still favored the Senators. Detroit's Joe Niekro seemed to be cruising, ahead 3-0 in the top of the seventh, as the Tigers had knocked out Washington starter George Brunet after six.  But Niekro proceeded to give up back to back homers to big Frank Howard and Mike Epstein and departed for the showers. Tigers reliever Tom Timmermann was ineffective in the eighth, as the Sens battled for two more, the main blows a clutch RBI
single from future Tiger Eddie Brinkman. Mexico's finest, Horacio Pina, picked up the save in the ninth for the 4-3 Sens win.