Redbirds Sweep Phils Off Busch Carpet

May 11, 1970 at St. Louis – Jose Cardenal (3) went 4-for-4 with a 2B, HR, 4 RBi and 2 runs scored to power St. Louis to a 7-4 victory. Steve Carlton (3-3) was the starting and winning pitcher. Jim Bunning (2-1) started and lost for Philly. Jerry Johnson (4) notched his 4^th save.

May 12, 1970 at St. Louis – The Cardinals come from behind with 2 runs in the B9 to sweep the series with a 5-4 win. Vic Davilillo led off the B9 with a PH triple. Dal Maxvill, also PH, squeezed him safely home. Cardenal followed with a double, and then Carl Taylor singled him home for the GWRBI. For the game Taylor went 3-3 with 3 RBI. 

Yankees Sink Crew In 2 Game Tilt

Game 1 New York 9  Milwaukee 1
Eight of New Yorks fourteen hits went for extra bases (including home run number 4 on the season for Jake Gibbs) as the Yankees dominated the Brewers.  Fritz Peterson (5-3, 1.92 ERA) struck out 7 and went the distance to dominate Brewer bats.  Lew Krause (3-4, 4.34 ERA) was knocked out in the 6th and should have been yanked earlier, but skipper Dave Bristol left his veteran righty in to take his lumps.

Game 2 New York 3  Milwaukee 2
A pitching battle between Yankees John Cumberland (3-0, 1.30 ERA) and Brewers John Morris (1-1, 3.10 ERA) broke out in game number 2 of the 2 game series.  Cumberland struck out 4 in 6.2 innings before handing the reigns over to Lindy McDaniel (3.12 ERA) to finish things off and earn his 6th save of the season.  Phil Roof was the main feature in constructing the Milwaukee runs hitting his 3rd homer of the season (a 2 run shot) in the bottom of the second inning.  

Milwaukee's losses dropped them to 15-17 on the season, while the Yankees wins bumped them to 17-16.

Cubs Bats Bite Braves, Mets

The Cubs score 17 runs in a two game sweep of the Braves at Wrigley, and then win a 9-8 offensive blowout against the Mets.

Game One: Atlanta jumps out to a 2-0 lead in the third as Felix Millan singles home a pair. The Cubs pound Phil Niekro (1-6) for seven runs in the fourth, as Billy Williams cracks a two run homer (12) and pitcher Joe Decker hits a three run shot. Rookie pitcher Decker moves to 4-1. Cubs 9, Braves 5.

Game Two: Chicago scores five times in the first three innings, including a three run first courtesy of a Ron Santo triple that plates three. Santo follows with another triple and his fifth homer of the year, knocking in five runs and leading to an early exit for Atlanta starter Pat Jarvis (4-2). The Cubs Kenny Holtzman goes nine to move his record above .500 to 4-3. Cubs 8, Braves 3.

Game Three: A showdown between teams near the top of the NL East. Chicago takes an early 2-1 lead as Santo strikes with sixth homer. But the Mets come back with three in the fifth as Tommie Agee hits his fifth homer and Cubs pitcher Bill Hands gets wild, walking two to lead to another run. In this seesaw battle, the Cubs get three of their own in the bottom of the sixth, two on Jim Hickman's fifth double that chases Mets starter Gary Gentry. The Mets get four more in the top of the ninth to take an 8-5 lead, as pinch hitter Ron Swoboda drives in two and Donn Clendenon delivers a pinch double to bring home two more. The Cubs come back to tie it at eight in the bottom of the eighth on Glenn Beckert's triple that drives home two.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth and score tied, ageless Mets reliever Don Cardwell allows a triple to Johnny Callison and eventually walks home the game winner to help the Cubs keep pace with the Mets in the division. Cubs 9, Mets 8.

The Reds Club the Cubs

Cincinnati came into Wrigley with both teams near the top of their respective divisions. The Reds look to be the much better team, mauling the Cubs to win three of four.

Game One: Cincinnati jumps out to a 9-1 lead, hitting Cubs starter Joe Decker (3-1) hard for his first loss. Bernie Carbo's three run homer (6) and solo blasts from Lee May and Johnny Bench help Jim McGlothlin move to a 5-1 record. The Cubs try to come back late, scoring six runs in the last two innings, but can't catch up.  Reds 11, Cubs 7.

Game Two:  A 3-2 Cubs lead is lost in the eighth as the Reds' Bobby Tolan hits a triple to score Tommy Helms. Lee May also hits two more homers for the rest of the Reds' scoring. But with Clay Carroll trying to keep it tied in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs get going with a single, a key error from Tony Perez and a walkoff single from good hitting pitcher Jin Dunegan to win it. Cubs 4, Reds 3.

Game Three: Cincinnati bounces back in a big fashion, scoring 11 runs to break open a tie game in the ninth, as Cubs relievers Larry Gura and Jim Colborn are tagged for eight runs in the top of the ninth. Tolan's grand salami (6) and a blast from Perez (12) lead the scoring. Reds 11, Cubs 3.

Game Four: Young starter Wayne Simpson moves to 5-0 with an easy, three hit complete game. He gets plenty of scoring help, as Reds hitters continue to maul the Cubs. Chicago ace Fergie Jenkins (4-3) leaves after 5.1 innings and seven runs. May hits his eighth (and fourth against the Cubs), while Carbo also gets in the act again with his eighth homer of the year. Reds 8, Cubs 1.

Pirates pitchers shut down Braves bats

Game 1 - (5/4/70)
Pirates: 3  Braves: 0
WP - Walker (2-1)  LP - Nash (2-2)
HR - Pittsburgh: Stargell (4), Atlanta: none

Lefty Luke Walker shut out the Braves on 5 hits. as the Pirates won the first game of the series, 3-0.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning on a Bill Mazeroski single.
The game stayed that way until Willie Stargell parked a 2 run homer off Bob Priddy in the ninth, which gave Walker and the Pirates some breathing room.


Game 2 - (5/5/70)
Braves: 4  Pirates: 2  (11 innings)
WP - Priddy (1-1)  LP - Hartenstein (1-2)
HR - Pittsburgh: none, Atlanta: Boyer (4)

Clete Boyer's walk-off two run blast off Chuck Hartenstein ended this one in the bottom of the 11th, evening things up for the Braves in the series.  Matty Alou's 9th inning single had tied things up off Hoyt Wilhelm, who blew his first save of the year.  Wilhelm though was able to get himself out of a 1st and third, one out jam in the same inning, keeping the game knotted up and allowing for Boyer's extra inning heroics  Bob Priddy got the win in relief, his first of the year.

Game 3 - (5/6/70)
Pirates: 1  Braves: 0
WP - Ellis (2-2)  LP - P Niekro (1-5)
HR - Pittsburgh: Robertson (2), 
Atlanta: none     

Dock Ellis pitched like a man
possessed on this gloomy, rainy
night in Atlanta.
Ellis's shutout was the Pirates'
second in three games vs. the
Braves.  The game was a complete
pitching duel between the Dock
and knuckle-baller Phil Niekro.
A scoreless duel was finally broken
up by Bob Robertson in the top
of the seventh, when he drove a
solo shot into the left field seats.
That was all the support Ellis
needed in his masterful, complete
game 3-hitter.

The Senators Make Athletic Strides Against Oakland

An impressively powerful Oakland club comes into RFK Stadium but can only manage a four game split against the undermanned Washington squad, which remains at .500.

Game One: OAK 12, WAS 6

W: Hunter (1-4)
L: Cox (3-2

Oakland gets a good start to the series, roughing up the previously impressive Casey Cox to give Catfish Hunter his first win. Joe Rudi, Sal Bando, Don Mincher and the Catfish himself each scorch Washington for two RBIs, as Mincher smacks his fifth homer and Reggie Jackson his sixth.

Game Two: OAK 4, WAS 0
W: Downing (2-1)
L: Coleman (1-4)

Veteran ex-Dodger Al Downing continues to shine for Oakland, going eight innings of six hit, shutout ball with seven Ks. Jose Tartabull knocks in two with a ninth inning double to break open a game that sees Oakland lead 1-0 through eight.

Game Three: WAS 3, OAK 2
W: Shellenback (2-2)
L: Dobson (2-3)
S: Hannan (1)

Despite only allowing four hits in eight innings, Chuck Dobson gives up a two run homer to Washington's Bernie Allen that gives Washington a lead it won't relinquish. Jim Shellenback only allows two runs in seven innings, while newly acquired Jim Hannan shuts down Oakland on one hit in the latter two frames.

Game Four: WAS 2, OAK 1
W: Bosman (3-1)
L: Odom (2-2)
S: Pina (3)

Dick Bosman pitches 8.1 innings of one run ball and gets relief help from Horacio Pina to win his third game. A Frank Howard RBI single and a subsequent triple by Mike Epstein lead to Washington's only two runs of the game in the fifth, but Bosman does the rest.

Redbirds take 3 from Astros down Memory Lane

May 1, 1970 at St. Louis – A dandy May Day matchup between Larry Dierker (1-2) and Steve Carlton (2-2) was just that until the 7^th inning when the Cardinals exploded a tight 2-1 Astros lead, scored 6 runs and went on to win 7-3. Dick Allen singled to score two runs in the St. Louis 7^th. Leron Lee brought home 3 with a bases-clearing double. Carlton added the complete game.

May 2, 1970 at St. Louis – Bob Gibson (2-2) scattered 8 hits for a complete-game 3-0 shutout.  Simply, Gibby at his magical best.

May 3, 1970 (Game #1) at St. Louis – Another strong pitching performance by a Cardinals hurler as Nelson Briles (1-1) goes 8 innings, yielding just 1 run on 6 hits in a 4-1 victory. Sal Campisi (1) nailed down the save. Lee had two more knocks to drive in a pair of runs.

May 3, 1970 (Game #2) at St. Louis – Jimmy Wynn (4) homered and drove in 2 runs to salvage a 4-2 win for the reeling Astros. Denny Lemaster (3-3) went 7 ½ IP for the win. Fred Gladding (4) finished it up.  

I must say, this series brought back magical memories for me. The first game I ever saw away from Chicago was a July, 1972 matchup between the Redbirds and Stros. My memories include an old-timers pre-game between the ’64 Cardinals and Yankees. Mantle blasted one out over the wall at Busch. Honestly, can’t remember who won the game, but vividly remember Mantle and my first time seeing astro turf. Still have my 110 camera memories.