Friday, July 17

The Phillies moved from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati to begin a rare five-game series.

The Phillies already won 5-of-8 from the Reds, but the Reds were riding a four-game winning streak. The hot-streak allowed them to move into third place – just 3½ games behind the Phillies and Giants.

Chris Short (7-5) versus Joey Jay (4-6) in the series opener.

Play Ball:

The Phillies stated the game with two runs in the first:

• Tony Taylor walked and Johnny Callison homered (#14).

The Reds tied it up in the bottom of the second:

• Deron Johnson singled.
• One out later, Steve Boros homered (#2).

The Phillies took a 4-2 lead in the seventh:

• Rookie first-baseman Costen Shockley – 0-for-2 thus far in his first big-league career – singled.
• One out later, Bobby Wine singled.
• Chris Short reached first on an error to load the bases.
• Tony Taylor singled to move the runners up a base – Shockley scoring his first run in the big leagues.

Fred Hutchinson replaced Joey Jay with Billy McCool (2-0).

• Johnny Callison hit a twisting foul ball down the left-field line. Leo Cardenas made a sliding catch in foul territory for an out – but Bobby Wine was able to tag at third and score.

The Reds got a run back in the bottom half:

• With one out, Steve Boros singled.

Gene Mauch replaced Chris Short with Ed Roebuck (2-2).

• Ed Roebuck wild-pitched Boros to second – and then walked Don Pavletich.
• Hutchinson sent lefty Gordy Coleman up to pinch-hit for Billy McCool and Coleman bounced into a force at second – putting runners on first and third.
• Pete Rose singled to score Boros and trim the Phillies lead to 4-3.

Gene Mauch replaced Ed Roebuck with Jack Baldschun (3-3) – and Baldschun retired Marty Keough on a routine fly to end the inning.

Lefty Bill Henry (2-1) came in to pitch the eighth – and the Phillies got to him for a run they needed:

• Danny Cater singled.
• With Costen Shockley at the plate, catcher Hal Smith tried to pick Cater off first – but his throw bounced in the dirt and allowed Cater to take second.
• Cater moved to third when Shockley grounded out.
• Clay Dalrymple squeezed Cater home to make it 5-3.

The Reds scored in the bottom of the eighth:

• Vada Pinson homered (#13) to cut the gap to 5-4.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Pete Rose reached first on an error by rookie Costen Shockley.

With lefty Marty Keough stepping to the plate, Gene Mauch summoned lefty Dennis Bennett (9-6) from the bullpen – and Bennett retired Keough on a pop to earn a one-out save (#1).

Chris Short (8-5) got the win and Joey Jay (4-7) took the loss.

After the Game: Dennis Bennett said his arm felt fine.

Around the League:

The Giants dropped their fourth consecutive loss – this one to the Colt 45s – and the Phillies took over first place by one game.

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com – Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow
• Work-in-Progress A Fuckin All-American