Sunday, October 8, 1967 - World Series - Game 4 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Gibson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Boston Red Sox (Jose Santiago - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 54, 575
Bob Gibson - who allowed just one run in defeating the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Game One - trumped that effort in Game Four at Busch Stadium by blanking Boston, 6-0. It was his first career World Series shutout, and it gave St Louis a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
Gibson got all the runs he needed in the first-inning off Boston starter Jose Santiago. After Lou Brock and Curt Flood both singled to start the frame, Roger Maris scored 'em both with a double to left field.
After advancing to third on Orlando Cepeda's fly ball deep to right field, Maris scored on Tim McCarver's single to right field - to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. One out later, Julian Javier singled to left - bringing up the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill with runners on first and second.
After Maxvill's single to left field scored McCarver to make it a 4-0 lead - manager Dick Williams had seen enough - yanking his beleaguered starter after just two-thirds of an inning. Gary Bell - one of Jim Bouton's buddies frequently mentioned in his controversial and entertaining memoir, Ball Four - restored order for the next 1.1 innings.
Bell's replacement - Jerry Stephenson - didn't fare so well.
In the third inning, Orlando Cepeda greeted Stephenson with a lead-off double to left field. With McCarver batting, Stephenson uncorked a wild pitch - moving Cepeda to third. McCarver's sacrifice fly to center padded the lead to 5-0 - but the Cardinals weren't quite through.
Mike Shannon then coaxed a base on balls, then a red-hot Javier brought him in with a double to left field, scoring the sixth and final run of the game.
Stephenson regrouped to pitch a scoreless fourth-inning - then the next two Boston relievers - Dave Morehead and Ken Brett - pitched a combined four-inning no-hitter which nobody really noticed.
Bob Gibson was on center stage today - scattering five hits and one walk to keep the Red Sox from scoring all day long. He struck out a relatively modest total of six batters - but Boston never threatened to score until their last turn at bat.
Carl Yastrzemski - the AL Triple Crown winner - stayed hot all throughout the World Series. He led-off the ninth-inning with a double into the right-center field gap - becoming the first runner in scoring position Gibson had allowed in the entire game. He got as far as third base but that's where he remained, as Gibson closed the door on the threat to preserve the shutout.
The Red Sox were down, but far from out. They would go on to win the next two games to force a seventh and deciding game back home at Fenway Park. When asked by a Boston beat writer what he expected for the classic Lonborg vs Gibson Game Seven duel, Dick Williams uttered the words which would become the rallying cry for the soon-to-be World Champion Cardinals: "Lonborg and champagne."
Gibson of course, had other ideas.
Showing posts with label julian javier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label julian javier. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
July 6, 1967 - Thrilling Come-From-Behind Walk-Off Winner Over Reds
Thursday, July 6, 1967 - At Busch Stadium II (Dick Hughes - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Cincinnati Reds (Mel Queen - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 26,131
The Cardinals had to overcome a pair of fielding miscues along with some poor base running - to walk-off with a thrilling 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds - a game that was loaded with rarities.
Cincinnati struck first, in shocking fashion - with one out in the third-inning. Back-up catcher Jim Coker - playing in his ninth and final major league season - shocked everybody - including himself - with a triple - his first since 1960 - and the last one he'd ever hit.
With pitcher Mel Queen now batting, Reds manager Dave Bristol put the squeeze play on; however, Queen's bunt was so well-placed, by the time Tim McCarver retrieved it, not only had the runner from third scored, Queen was safe at first with a single.
Next, Bristol immediately put Queen in motion, stealing second - as a befuddled shortstop Dal Maxvill completely missed the throw from McCarver - allowing Queen to ramble all the way in to score the second run of the inning on the error. Queen would steal one more base in '67 - and that would be his grand total for eight major league seasons.
However, the Cardinals were a resilient bunch in 1967 - striking back with long-ball power in the fourth-inning. After Roger Maris drew a lead-off walk, Orlando Cepeda hit one deep to left to tie the game, 2-2. Tim McCarver followed with a home run of his own, giving the Cardinals a temporary 3-2 lead on the back-to-back long balls.
The Reds - also a resilient bunch - bounced back in the sixth-inning, after the first two batters were retired. Pete Rose tripled, then Tony Perez hit a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center to suddenly make it a 4-3 Cincinnati lead. After Maxvill committed his second error of the game, on a ground ball off the bat of Deron Johnson, he was given the rest of the night off. Luckily, that error didn't lead to further scoring.
Unfortunately, Maxvill's replacement had trouble fielding the position, as well.
After St Louis failed to score off Queen in the sixth and seventh, Cincinnai added another unearned run in the eighth-inning - off reliever Ron Willis. With one out, Rose singled, then took third as the defensive replacement at shortstop - Eddie Bressoud - booted a ground ball off the bat of Perez. Johnson then singled to center field, scoring Rose with another unearned run, as Perez held up at second.
With the Reds already up by two runs, Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst brought in lefty Joe Hoerner to restore order - and he did - getting Art Shamsky on a popup to short and Dick Simpson on a called strike three.
With the Cardinals now trailing, 5-3 - Cepeda led-off the eighth-inning with a single to left field - but was out at second - unwisely trying to stretch it into a double. When McCarver was retired on a lazy fly ball to center for the second out of the inning, some of the fans started heading for the exits.
But then a tiring Queen hit Mike Shannon with a pitch, bringing Julian Javier to the plate. Javier, who hit a career-high 14 home runs in 1967, hit one of them here to tie the game - and send the crowd into a state of delirium - as many of those vacated seats once again became occupied.
After Hoerner (4-2) set the Reds down in order in their half of the ninth-inning, the Redbirds finished them off in the bottom half, off reliever Bob Lee (1-2). With one out, lead-off hitter Bobby Tolan - playing in place of Lou Brock, who was given a rare night off - singled, then promptly stole second. With first base open, Curt Flood drew a base on balls. Maris tried to end it with a line drive to left, but Shamsky made a nice catch for the second out.
But then Cepeda - seeking redemption for unwisely testing the arm of left fielder Shamsky one inning earlier - delivered the game-winning single to center field - easily scoring the speedy Tolan from second base - as Cards' broadcaster Harry Caray spewed his patented "Cardinals win!" summation a half dozen times to a blissful Cardinal Nation listening over the air waves.
Tonight's win earned the first-place Cardinals a split of the four-game series with the Reds - sending them packing, still four games back. Meanwhile, the second-place Cubs also lost, moving them a game and a half off the pace. For the Cardinals, this was the biggest win of the year - but there would be many more "biggest win of the year" games to follow in the not-too-distant future.
The Cardinals had to overcome a pair of fielding miscues along with some poor base running - to walk-off with a thrilling 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds - a game that was loaded with rarities.
Cincinnati struck first, in shocking fashion - with one out in the third-inning. Back-up catcher Jim Coker - playing in his ninth and final major league season - shocked everybody - including himself - with a triple - his first since 1960 - and the last one he'd ever hit.
With pitcher Mel Queen now batting, Reds manager Dave Bristol put the squeeze play on; however, Queen's bunt was so well-placed, by the time Tim McCarver retrieved it, not only had the runner from third scored, Queen was safe at first with a single.
Next, Bristol immediately put Queen in motion, stealing second - as a befuddled shortstop Dal Maxvill completely missed the throw from McCarver - allowing Queen to ramble all the way in to score the second run of the inning on the error. Queen would steal one more base in '67 - and that would be his grand total for eight major league seasons.
However, the Cardinals were a resilient bunch in 1967 - striking back with long-ball power in the fourth-inning. After Roger Maris drew a lead-off walk, Orlando Cepeda hit one deep to left to tie the game, 2-2. Tim McCarver followed with a home run of his own, giving the Cardinals a temporary 3-2 lead on the back-to-back long balls.
The Reds - also a resilient bunch - bounced back in the sixth-inning, after the first two batters were retired. Pete Rose tripled, then Tony Perez hit a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center to suddenly make it a 4-3 Cincinnati lead. After Maxvill committed his second error of the game, on a ground ball off the bat of Deron Johnson, he was given the rest of the night off. Luckily, that error didn't lead to further scoring.
Unfortunately, Maxvill's replacement had trouble fielding the position, as well.
After St Louis failed to score off Queen in the sixth and seventh, Cincinnai added another unearned run in the eighth-inning - off reliever Ron Willis. With one out, Rose singled, then took third as the defensive replacement at shortstop - Eddie Bressoud - booted a ground ball off the bat of Perez. Johnson then singled to center field, scoring Rose with another unearned run, as Perez held up at second.
With the Reds already up by two runs, Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst brought in lefty Joe Hoerner to restore order - and he did - getting Art Shamsky on a popup to short and Dick Simpson on a called strike three.
With the Cardinals now trailing, 5-3 - Cepeda led-off the eighth-inning with a single to left field - but was out at second - unwisely trying to stretch it into a double. When McCarver was retired on a lazy fly ball to center for the second out of the inning, some of the fans started heading for the exits.
But then a tiring Queen hit Mike Shannon with a pitch, bringing Julian Javier to the plate. Javier, who hit a career-high 14 home runs in 1967, hit one of them here to tie the game - and send the crowd into a state of delirium - as many of those vacated seats once again became occupied.
After Hoerner (4-2) set the Reds down in order in their half of the ninth-inning, the Redbirds finished them off in the bottom half, off reliever Bob Lee (1-2). With one out, lead-off hitter Bobby Tolan - playing in place of Lou Brock, who was given a rare night off - singled, then promptly stole second. With first base open, Curt Flood drew a base on balls. Maris tried to end it with a line drive to left, but Shamsky made a nice catch for the second out.
But then Cepeda - seeking redemption for unwisely testing the arm of left fielder Shamsky one inning earlier - delivered the game-winning single to center field - easily scoring the speedy Tolan from second base - as Cards' broadcaster Harry Caray spewed his patented "Cardinals win!" summation a half dozen times to a blissful Cardinal Nation listening over the air waves.
Tonight's win earned the first-place Cardinals a split of the four-game series with the Reds - sending them packing, still four games back. Meanwhile, the second-place Cubs also lost, moving them a game and a half off the pace. For the Cardinals, this was the biggest win of the year - but there would be many more "biggest win of the year" games to follow in the not-too-distant future.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
July 2, 1964 - Cards Win - Return to .500 (Again)
Thursday, July 2, 1964 - At County Stadium (Ray Sadecki - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Milwaukee Braves (Warren Spahn - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 6,863
The rapid ascent in the standings for the '64 St Louis Cardinals would take place in a couple of months. In the meantime, the team hovered around .500 - sometimes under by a game or two - sometimes over by a game or two. This was a game the Cardinals needed to win just to get back to .500 (again).
The Cardinals fell behind early, tied it, fell behind again, then finally took the lead late in the game - and thanks to three nearly perfect innings of relief from Bob Humphreys - held on for a 4-3 win over the Braves.
Ray Sadecki worked the first six innings - allowing three runs on seven hits - and all three of those runs came via the home run ball - a two-run shot by Rico Carty in the second-inning, and a solo blast by Gene Oliver in the sixth. Sadecki walked four batters, but only one came around to score - Oliver, whose second-inning free pass preceded the Carty home run. Ray also struck out eight batters - an impressive total a half-century ago, when most batters did everything in their power just to make contact. Striking out was disgraceful - nowadays, it's no big deal.
After Milwaukee established its 2-0 lead after two innings, the Redbirds got one of those runs back in the third-inning - after Tim McCarver led-off with a double, Sadecki moved him over to third on a good sacrifice bunt - from where he easily scored when Curt Flood lined a single to center.
The Cardinals tied the game, 2-2 in the fourth-inning, when Julian Javier hit a two-out solo home run off Warren Spahn; however, the Braves untied it in the sixth when Oliver hit his solo home run.
Trailing 3-2 entering the seventh-inning, Javier led off with a single to right field. Next up, Phil Gagliano - hitting in a bit of bad luck - lined hard but right at third baseman Eddie Mathews for the first out.
But then Charlie James doubled down the left field line - scoring Javier to tie the game again. Pinch hitting for Sadecki, Carl Warwick came through with a single that moved James up to third.
With runners on the corners with just one out in the seventh-inning of a tie ballgame, manager Bobby Bragen replaced Spahn with Jack Fischer - who seemed to be fishing for the strike zone after walking Flood to load the bases. Lou Brock then hit a sacrifice fly to center field - and for the first time in the game - the Cardinals had a lead - but it was just a slim 4-3 advantage with nine more outs to go.
Securing those nine outs with relative ease was journeyman reliever Bob Humphreys - an unsung hero for the '64 Cardinals, who posted a 2.53 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen - winning two games and saving another two without a loss.
Today, Humphreys protected that one-run lead with three innings of no-hit pitching (he walked one), earning his first save of the season. Now that's a save.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (38-38) were still mired in fifth-place - 9.5 games behind the first-place Phillies.
If the situation seemed dismal just five games shy of the mid-season point, it must have seemed completely hopeless when the Cardinals were even further back on August 23 - 11 games out, with little more than a month to play.
But at least they were over .500 by then (65-58). And climbing.
The rapid ascent in the standings for the '64 St Louis Cardinals would take place in a couple of months. In the meantime, the team hovered around .500 - sometimes under by a game or two - sometimes over by a game or two. This was a game the Cardinals needed to win just to get back to .500 (again).
The Cardinals fell behind early, tied it, fell behind again, then finally took the lead late in the game - and thanks to three nearly perfect innings of relief from Bob Humphreys - held on for a 4-3 win over the Braves.
Ray Sadecki worked the first six innings - allowing three runs on seven hits - and all three of those runs came via the home run ball - a two-run shot by Rico Carty in the second-inning, and a solo blast by Gene Oliver in the sixth. Sadecki walked four batters, but only one came around to score - Oliver, whose second-inning free pass preceded the Carty home run. Ray also struck out eight batters - an impressive total a half-century ago, when most batters did everything in their power just to make contact. Striking out was disgraceful - nowadays, it's no big deal.
After Milwaukee established its 2-0 lead after two innings, the Redbirds got one of those runs back in the third-inning - after Tim McCarver led-off with a double, Sadecki moved him over to third on a good sacrifice bunt - from where he easily scored when Curt Flood lined a single to center.
The Cardinals tied the game, 2-2 in the fourth-inning, when Julian Javier hit a two-out solo home run off Warren Spahn; however, the Braves untied it in the sixth when Oliver hit his solo home run.
Trailing 3-2 entering the seventh-inning, Javier led off with a single to right field. Next up, Phil Gagliano - hitting in a bit of bad luck - lined hard but right at third baseman Eddie Mathews for the first out.
But then Charlie James doubled down the left field line - scoring Javier to tie the game again. Pinch hitting for Sadecki, Carl Warwick came through with a single that moved James up to third.
With runners on the corners with just one out in the seventh-inning of a tie ballgame, manager Bobby Bragen replaced Spahn with Jack Fischer - who seemed to be fishing for the strike zone after walking Flood to load the bases. Lou Brock then hit a sacrifice fly to center field - and for the first time in the game - the Cardinals had a lead - but it was just a slim 4-3 advantage with nine more outs to go.
Securing those nine outs with relative ease was journeyman reliever Bob Humphreys - an unsung hero for the '64 Cardinals, who posted a 2.53 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen - winning two games and saving another two without a loss.
Today, Humphreys protected that one-run lead with three innings of no-hit pitching (he walked one), earning his first save of the season. Now that's a save.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (38-38) were still mired in fifth-place - 9.5 games behind the first-place Phillies.
If the situation seemed dismal just five games shy of the mid-season point, it must have seemed completely hopeless when the Cardinals were even further back on August 23 - 11 games out, with little more than a month to play.
But at least they were over .500 by then (65-58). And climbing.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
May 9, 2006 - Waino's First MLB Win - May 10, 2002 - Renteria's Game Winning HR - May 11, 1964 - Javier's Game Winning HR
May 9, 2006 - On a cloudy 73 degree evening in St Louis, the Cardinals played host to the Colorado Rockies in their beautiful new ballpark- Busch Stadium III - with a nice crowd of 40,375 anticipating another Redbird victory. The pitching match-up seemed like a mismatch, as the Cards had their ace, Chris Carpenter on the mound facing Colorado's Josh Fogg, a 29-year old journeyman with a career ERA around 5. No problem?
The Cardinals struck early. After a lead-off single by David Eckstein was erased on a double play grounder by John Rodriguez, Albert Pujols laced a double down the left field line. Batting cleanup was Jim Edmonds, who promptly put St Louis up 1-0 with a line drive single to right. However, that single first-inning run would be all the scoring the Redbirds would muster off Fogg, who limited St Louis to just three hits over the next six innings of work.
To no one's surprise, Chris Carpenter also pitched well, although the Rockies managed to score an unearned run in the third-inning, thanks to an error by shortstop David Eckstein and another by second baseman Aaron Miles.
The game remained tied heading into the seventh-inning. With two out and nobody on base in the seventh, Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday, demonstrating his ability to hit in venues other than Coors Field - untied it with a home run to left field, giving Colorado its first lead of the game, 2-1. After Fogg held the Cardinals scoreless in their half of the seventh, his night was over. He would be in line for the win if the Colorado bullpen could protect the lead. No such luck.
Carpenter's night was also over after seven innings of work, on the hook for a possible loss with his team trailing by a run. Rookie Adam Wainwright, who would appear in 61 games for St Louis in '06, appeared in this one; setting Colorado down in order in the eighth-inning to keep it close.
Replacing Josh Fogg on the mound for the Rockies in the bottom of the eighth-inning was the venerable Jose Mesa, who was nearing the end of a nineteen year major league career. At one time, Mesa was an elite closer, logging 40 or more saves four times, including an American League-leading 46 saves in 1995 while pitching for the American League champion Cleveland Indians. But that was a long, long time ago. Mesa, who was now just thirteen days shy of his 40th birthday, was no longer a closer. And tonight, his role as setup man didn't go so well.
Leading off the inning was lead-off hitter David Eckstein, who did what good lead-off hitters do - get on base: Ground ball single to left field. The next scheduled hitter - John Rodriguez - was lifted for a pinch hitter - Juan Encarnacion - who reached on an infield hit on the right side of the diamond, moving Eckstein to second base. Neither batter got particularly good wood on the pitches, but they managed to elude the defenders, putting Mesa in a two-on-nobody-out predicament. The situation was exasperated by the fact that the best hitter on the planet - Albert Pujols - was now stepping into the batter's box. Ten seconds later, he'd be circling the bases after depositing a Mesa offering 457 feet out to left field. The three-run blast - already his 17th of the season - put the Cards up, 4-2, and suddenly put Adam Wainwright - who faced just three batters - in a position to pick up his first major league win. Sure enough, he got it, as closer Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth-inning, striking out the side.
Win Number One was officially in the books for Waino, and nobody was happier about it than his mentor and pal, Chris Carpenter, whose stellar seven innings of work in this game didn't go to waste.
May 10, 2002 - The Cardinals had gotten off to a slow start in 2002, falling four games under .500 (15-19) prior to this Friday night contest at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. Their opponents for this game - the Reds (20-13) - currently occupied the top spot in the NL Central; 5.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. That would be the largest deficit St Louis would experience for the season. The comeback to the top would begin tonight, with a crowd of 29,008 to witness the soon-to-be-surging Cardinals defeat the inevitably fading Reds, by a score of 4-2.
The Cardinals put a quick first-inning run on the board against Reds starter Jimmy Haynes, on an RBI single from Jim Edmonnds - scoring Fernando Vina. That would be the extent of the Cardinals' offense until a sixth-inning double by Albert Pujols preceded a Tino Martinez run-scoring single.
In the meantime, the Cardinals' starting pitcher - Jason Simontacchi - made it through five innings with just one run allowed, but ran into trouble of his own in the sixth-inning. After the first two batters reached base, the call was made to the bullpen; Mike Mathews took over on the mound, but not for long; he walked the only batter he faced, loading the bases with nobody out. Enter Gene Stechschulte, who got out of the jam with just one run scored. The game was now tied, 2-2.
Meanwhile, the third pitcher of the evening for Cincinnati - Gabe White - retired the side in order in the seventh before issuing an eighth-inning one-out walk to Tino Martinez. For some reason, Danny Graves was summoned from the bullpen to face Edgar Renteria. Instead of preserving a 2-2 tie ballgame, Danny served up a hanging slider which Edgar deposited in the left field stands for what turned out to be the game-winning two-run home run. Graves managed to get through the inning with no further damage, despite being roughed up for a couple more hits.
The beneficiary of the Renteria home run - Gene Stechschulte - improved his record to 3-1, with a little help from Dave Veres and Jason Isringhausen, who prevented any further scoring. Gabe White, whose only mistake of the night was that one lousy base on balls - was tagged with the loss - with a lot of help from Danny Graves, and of course, Edgar Renteria.
May 11, 1964 - The Cardinals traveled to Philadelphia for this important Monday night game with the first-place Phillies, who were already three games in front of St Louis, barely a month into the schedule. The outcome of this game would quickly be forgotten, but in hindsight, its significance can't be overstated; especially since the Cardinals clinched the pennant on the very last day of the season.
With a friendly crowd of 11,200 in attendance at historic Connie Mack Stadium, the Cardinals sent winless Ray Sadecki (0-3) to the mound; hoping to tame the potent Phillies' lineup, featuring the slugging rookie, Richie (Call me Dick) Allen. Ray Culp started this one for the Phillies, and pitched brilliantly until the seventh-inning, when he probably wishes he could have one pitch back. Unfortunately for Culp, there are no Mulligans in baseball (along with "no crying").
Sadecki had a shaky start to this one, as the aforementioned Allen drove in a first-inning run for Philadelphia with a two-base hit, but was later stranded at third. In the second-inning, the Phillies parlayed a single, a walk, a balk and a ground out into another run. They now led the Cardinals 2-0, and that's where the score remained until the Redbirds suddenly came alive in the seventh-inning.
After Ken Boyer struck out, and Tim McCarver grounded out - first baseman to the pitcher covering the bag for the out - Culp (perhaps a bit winded) ran into trouble. Johnny Lewis lined a two-out single to center field, then with Charlie James batting, moved to second on a passed ball. James then reached on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. Lewis wisely didn't try to advance on the play. This brought Julian Javier to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Two on, two out; Cards down by two runs late in the game.
Javier, who would hit all of 12 home runs in '64, picked a good time to hit one now. The three-run blast put the Cardinals in front of the shocked Phillies by a score of 3-2.
Sadecki escaped a bit of trouble in the bottom of the seventh, then cruised through the eighth and ninth, to bag his first win of the season. He'd go on to win twenty; and the Redbirds certainly needed every one of those twenty wins to punch their ticket to a (victorious) World Series showdown with the New York Yankees.
The Cardinals struck early. After a lead-off single by David Eckstein was erased on a double play grounder by John Rodriguez, Albert Pujols laced a double down the left field line. Batting cleanup was Jim Edmonds, who promptly put St Louis up 1-0 with a line drive single to right. However, that single first-inning run would be all the scoring the Redbirds would muster off Fogg, who limited St Louis to just three hits over the next six innings of work.
To no one's surprise, Chris Carpenter also pitched well, although the Rockies managed to score an unearned run in the third-inning, thanks to an error by shortstop David Eckstein and another by second baseman Aaron Miles.
The game remained tied heading into the seventh-inning. With two out and nobody on base in the seventh, Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday, demonstrating his ability to hit in venues other than Coors Field - untied it with a home run to left field, giving Colorado its first lead of the game, 2-1. After Fogg held the Cardinals scoreless in their half of the seventh, his night was over. He would be in line for the win if the Colorado bullpen could protect the lead. No such luck.
Carpenter's night was also over after seven innings of work, on the hook for a possible loss with his team trailing by a run. Rookie Adam Wainwright, who would appear in 61 games for St Louis in '06, appeared in this one; setting Colorado down in order in the eighth-inning to keep it close.
Replacing Josh Fogg on the mound for the Rockies in the bottom of the eighth-inning was the venerable Jose Mesa, who was nearing the end of a nineteen year major league career. At one time, Mesa was an elite closer, logging 40 or more saves four times, including an American League-leading 46 saves in 1995 while pitching for the American League champion Cleveland Indians. But that was a long, long time ago. Mesa, who was now just thirteen days shy of his 40th birthday, was no longer a closer. And tonight, his role as setup man didn't go so well.
Leading off the inning was lead-off hitter David Eckstein, who did what good lead-off hitters do - get on base: Ground ball single to left field. The next scheduled hitter - John Rodriguez - was lifted for a pinch hitter - Juan Encarnacion - who reached on an infield hit on the right side of the diamond, moving Eckstein to second base. Neither batter got particularly good wood on the pitches, but they managed to elude the defenders, putting Mesa in a two-on-nobody-out predicament. The situation was exasperated by the fact that the best hitter on the planet - Albert Pujols - was now stepping into the batter's box. Ten seconds later, he'd be circling the bases after depositing a Mesa offering 457 feet out to left field. The three-run blast - already his 17th of the season - put the Cards up, 4-2, and suddenly put Adam Wainwright - who faced just three batters - in a position to pick up his first major league win. Sure enough, he got it, as closer Jason Isringhausen pitched a perfect ninth-inning, striking out the side.
Win Number One was officially in the books for Waino, and nobody was happier about it than his mentor and pal, Chris Carpenter, whose stellar seven innings of work in this game didn't go to waste.
May 10, 2002 - The Cardinals had gotten off to a slow start in 2002, falling four games under .500 (15-19) prior to this Friday night contest at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. Their opponents for this game - the Reds (20-13) - currently occupied the top spot in the NL Central; 5.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. That would be the largest deficit St Louis would experience for the season. The comeback to the top would begin tonight, with a crowd of 29,008 to witness the soon-to-be-surging Cardinals defeat the inevitably fading Reds, by a score of 4-2.
The Cardinals put a quick first-inning run on the board against Reds starter Jimmy Haynes, on an RBI single from Jim Edmonnds - scoring Fernando Vina. That would be the extent of the Cardinals' offense until a sixth-inning double by Albert Pujols preceded a Tino Martinez run-scoring single.
In the meantime, the Cardinals' starting pitcher - Jason Simontacchi - made it through five innings with just one run allowed, but ran into trouble of his own in the sixth-inning. After the first two batters reached base, the call was made to the bullpen; Mike Mathews took over on the mound, but not for long; he walked the only batter he faced, loading the bases with nobody out. Enter Gene Stechschulte, who got out of the jam with just one run scored. The game was now tied, 2-2.
Meanwhile, the third pitcher of the evening for Cincinnati - Gabe White - retired the side in order in the seventh before issuing an eighth-inning one-out walk to Tino Martinez. For some reason, Danny Graves was summoned from the bullpen to face Edgar Renteria. Instead of preserving a 2-2 tie ballgame, Danny served up a hanging slider which Edgar deposited in the left field stands for what turned out to be the game-winning two-run home run. Graves managed to get through the inning with no further damage, despite being roughed up for a couple more hits.
The beneficiary of the Renteria home run - Gene Stechschulte - improved his record to 3-1, with a little help from Dave Veres and Jason Isringhausen, who prevented any further scoring. Gabe White, whose only mistake of the night was that one lousy base on balls - was tagged with the loss - with a lot of help from Danny Graves, and of course, Edgar Renteria.
May 11, 1964 - The Cardinals traveled to Philadelphia for this important Monday night game with the first-place Phillies, who were already three games in front of St Louis, barely a month into the schedule. The outcome of this game would quickly be forgotten, but in hindsight, its significance can't be overstated; especially since the Cardinals clinched the pennant on the very last day of the season.
With a friendly crowd of 11,200 in attendance at historic Connie Mack Stadium, the Cardinals sent winless Ray Sadecki (0-3) to the mound; hoping to tame the potent Phillies' lineup, featuring the slugging rookie, Richie (Call me Dick) Allen. Ray Culp started this one for the Phillies, and pitched brilliantly until the seventh-inning, when he probably wishes he could have one pitch back. Unfortunately for Culp, there are no Mulligans in baseball (along with "no crying").
Sadecki had a shaky start to this one, as the aforementioned Allen drove in a first-inning run for Philadelphia with a two-base hit, but was later stranded at third. In the second-inning, the Phillies parlayed a single, a walk, a balk and a ground out into another run. They now led the Cardinals 2-0, and that's where the score remained until the Redbirds suddenly came alive in the seventh-inning.
After Ken Boyer struck out, and Tim McCarver grounded out - first baseman to the pitcher covering the bag for the out - Culp (perhaps a bit winded) ran into trouble. Johnny Lewis lined a two-out single to center field, then with Charlie James batting, moved to second on a passed ball. James then reached on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. Lewis wisely didn't try to advance on the play. This brought Julian Javier to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Two on, two out; Cards down by two runs late in the game.
Javier, who would hit all of 12 home runs in '64, picked a good time to hit one now. The three-run blast put the Cardinals in front of the shocked Phillies by a score of 3-2.
Sadecki escaped a bit of trouble in the bottom of the seventh, then cruised through the eighth and ninth, to bag his first win of the season. He'd go on to win twenty; and the Redbirds certainly needed every one of those twenty wins to punch their ticket to a (victorious) World Series showdown with the New York Yankees.
Monday, April 29, 2013
April 29, 1964: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
April 29, 1964: When a team wins a pennant by just a single game - as the Cardinals did in 1964 - it's fascinating to check the box scores of some early-season, long-forgotten games that the Redbirds pulled out of the fire in remarkable fashion.
Such was the case in this late April contest with the New York Mets at Busch Stadium (formerly known as Sportsman's Park). The Mets were still quite amazin' in those days - the worst team in baseball, by far. Only 3,844 fans decided to attend this contest, even with Cards ace Bob Gibson on the mound.
Unfortunately for Gibby, he had difficulty finding the strike zone in the early going; walking the first two batters, then grooving one to Mets first baseman Tim Harkness, who promptly deposited the pitch onto the pavilion roof in right field for a three-run dinger. Harkness only appeared in 39 games for the Mets in '64, and only hit two home runs in 117 AB; but this was one of them. A seething Gibson settled down to retire the side, but the damage had been done.
The Redbirds responded in their half of the first-inning with a clutch two-out single by Ken Boyer which scored Dick Groat from second base. While Gibson continued holding the Mets in check, Bill White hammered a sixth-inning solo home run to cut the deficit to a single run.
The Cardinals tied the score in the seventh-inning, as Curt Flood's one-out single to left field scored Julian Javier from second base; with Flood taking second base on the throw to the plate. With Dick Groat batting, Flood tried to steal third base but was nailed. Naturally, Groat doubled down the left field line on the next pitch, but was stranded on second to end the threat. However, the score was now tied at three runs apiece.
Gibson, who had been nearly perfect (a couple of hits and a walk allowed) after yielding the three-run first-inning bomb to Harkness, walked the pesky Ron Hunt, leading off the eighth-inning for New York. Cards manager Johnny Keane brought young lefty Ray Sadecki in to relieve Gibson and quickly recorded two outs compliments of a well-turned double play. Veteran right-hander Ron Taylor was then brought in to get the last out of the inning, and returned to the mound to pitch an uneventful ninth-inning.
After the Redbirds failed to score in their half of the ninth-inning, Keane called on the ancient southpaw, Bobby Shantz to keep the Mets at bay for as long as he could. Twelve years earlier, Shantz led the American League with 24 wins as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics, but his career had been relegated to spot starts and long relief after that big season - when he not only won all those games, he completed 27 out of the 33 games he started. Shantz was approaching his 39th birthday and would later be dealt to the Chicago Cubs in the package that included Ernie Broglio-for Lou Brock, but on this late April day, he was able to hold the Mets hitless for two innings, waiting for the St Louis offense to finally restore order.
The eleventh-inning game winning rally began with Ken Boyer's lead-off single to left field. Tim McCarver then drew a base on balls, and Mike Shannon executed a successful sacrifice bunt, moving the runners up a base. After an intentional walk to Julian Javier loaded the bases, Keane then called on a rarely-used power-hitting 22-year old kid from Covington, Kentucky - Jeoff Long - to pinch hit. Mets reliever Larry Bearnarth was kind enough to miss the strike zone on four pitches which enabled Jeoff to tell his grandkids that he drove in the winning run in a game that ultimately helped his team win a World Championship.
Well, his former team, that is; after just twenty-eight games with the Cardinals, as a part-time first baseman, right fielder, and pinch hitter, Long's contract was sold to the Chicago White Sox in early July. He was going to get a shot at becoming a regular outfielder with the Sox but suffered a severe knee injury when he slipped on a wet field at Fenway Park just eight days after joining his new team. Limited to pinch hitting duty, Jeoff was only able to muster a .143 BA over the balance of the '64 season. Attempts to rehabiliate the knee were unsuccessful, and after 46 games in the minors in 1965, he was forced to retire before his career even had a chance to take off.
For Cardinals fans who never heard of Jeoff Long, he actually played a vital role in helping the Redbirds win a game few people will remember; but without that April win against the hapless Mets, chances are the Cardinals would've come up a little short in their quest for another pennant and World Championship.
Such was the case in this late April contest with the New York Mets at Busch Stadium (formerly known as Sportsman's Park). The Mets were still quite amazin' in those days - the worst team in baseball, by far. Only 3,844 fans decided to attend this contest, even with Cards ace Bob Gibson on the mound.
Unfortunately for Gibby, he had difficulty finding the strike zone in the early going; walking the first two batters, then grooving one to Mets first baseman Tim Harkness, who promptly deposited the pitch onto the pavilion roof in right field for a three-run dinger. Harkness only appeared in 39 games for the Mets in '64, and only hit two home runs in 117 AB; but this was one of them. A seething Gibson settled down to retire the side, but the damage had been done.
The Redbirds responded in their half of the first-inning with a clutch two-out single by Ken Boyer which scored Dick Groat from second base. While Gibson continued holding the Mets in check, Bill White hammered a sixth-inning solo home run to cut the deficit to a single run.
The Cardinals tied the score in the seventh-inning, as Curt Flood's one-out single to left field scored Julian Javier from second base; with Flood taking second base on the throw to the plate. With Dick Groat batting, Flood tried to steal third base but was nailed. Naturally, Groat doubled down the left field line on the next pitch, but was stranded on second to end the threat. However, the score was now tied at three runs apiece.
Gibson, who had been nearly perfect (a couple of hits and a walk allowed) after yielding the three-run first-inning bomb to Harkness, walked the pesky Ron Hunt, leading off the eighth-inning for New York. Cards manager Johnny Keane brought young lefty Ray Sadecki in to relieve Gibson and quickly recorded two outs compliments of a well-turned double play. Veteran right-hander Ron Taylor was then brought in to get the last out of the inning, and returned to the mound to pitch an uneventful ninth-inning.
After the Redbirds failed to score in their half of the ninth-inning, Keane called on the ancient southpaw, Bobby Shantz to keep the Mets at bay for as long as he could. Twelve years earlier, Shantz led the American League with 24 wins as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics, but his career had been relegated to spot starts and long relief after that big season - when he not only won all those games, he completed 27 out of the 33 games he started. Shantz was approaching his 39th birthday and would later be dealt to the Chicago Cubs in the package that included Ernie Broglio-for Lou Brock, but on this late April day, he was able to hold the Mets hitless for two innings, waiting for the St Louis offense to finally restore order.
The eleventh-inning game winning rally began with Ken Boyer's lead-off single to left field. Tim McCarver then drew a base on balls, and Mike Shannon executed a successful sacrifice bunt, moving the runners up a base. After an intentional walk to Julian Javier loaded the bases, Keane then called on a rarely-used power-hitting 22-year old kid from Covington, Kentucky - Jeoff Long - to pinch hit. Mets reliever Larry Bearnarth was kind enough to miss the strike zone on four pitches which enabled Jeoff to tell his grandkids that he drove in the winning run in a game that ultimately helped his team win a World Championship.
Well, his former team, that is; after just twenty-eight games with the Cardinals, as a part-time first baseman, right fielder, and pinch hitter, Long's contract was sold to the Chicago White Sox in early July. He was going to get a shot at becoming a regular outfielder with the Sox but suffered a severe knee injury when he slipped on a wet field at Fenway Park just eight days after joining his new team. Limited to pinch hitting duty, Jeoff was only able to muster a .143 BA over the balance of the '64 season. Attempts to rehabiliate the knee were unsuccessful, and after 46 games in the minors in 1965, he was forced to retire before his career even had a chance to take off.
For Cardinals fans who never heard of Jeoff Long, he actually played a vital role in helping the Redbirds win a game few people will remember; but without that April win against the hapless Mets, chances are the Cardinals would've come up a little short in their quest for another pennant and World Championship.
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