May 7, 1964

Art Mahaffey (1-1) versus Hank Fischer (3-0) in the second game of the short series at Connie Mack Stadium on May 7, 1964.

Fischer shut out Mahaffey and the Phillies in a classic 1-0 pitcher’s duel four days earlier in Milwaukee.

Mahaffey retired the Braves in the top of the first.

In the bottom of the first, Tony Taylor led off with a single; stole second; and advanced to third on a ground out. Johnny Callison singled Taylor across the plate to make it 1-0 Phillies.

Tony Gonzalez singled and Callison moved to third to put runners on first and third with nobody out. When Wes Covington grounded into a force at second, Callison scored to put the Phillies ahead 2-0.

The game moved to the fourth with no change.

Lee Maye led off the top of the fourth with a double. Two outs later, Joe Torre hit his fifth home run of the season to tie the score 2-2. The RBIs were his fifth and sixth of the series, and 16th and 17th of the season.

In the bottom of the fourth, John Herrnstein singled with one out. Clay Dalrymple followed with his first home run to put the Phils back on top 4-2.

Dalrymple was a left-hand-hitting catcher the Phillies acquired as a Rule 5 draft selection from the Milwaukee Braves in 1959. In his first three seasons with the Phillies, he hit .252 in 431 games with 30 home runs and 157 RBIs.

In the bottom of the fifth, Richie Allen singled with one out. One out later, Tony Gonzalez tripled and Allen scored to bump the Phillies lead to 5-2. It was the 12th RBI for Gonzalez, tying him for the club lead with Allen.

Braves manager Bobby Bragan lifted Fischer in favor of rookie knuckleballer Phil Niekro (0-0). It was Niekro’s sixth big-league outing. He would pitch just four more times in 1964 before being sent down to the Denver Bears of the AAA Pacific Coast League. He went 11-5 with the Bears with 13 complete games and one shutout in 21 starts.

Niekro would resurface in 1965 and win 318 games over the next 23 seasons.

Wes Covington greeted Niekro with a run-scoring single to make it 6-2 Phillies.

In the bottom of the seventh, Niekro walked Tony Gonzalez. Wes Covington singled and Gonzalez moved to third. Gene Mauch sent Ruben Amaro in to run for Covington.

John Herrnstein hit an infield single. Amaro moved to second, but Gonzalez held third. That loaded the bases with nobody out.

Clay Dalrymple hit a ground ball to first, but Gene Oliver booted it. Gonzalez and Amaro scored and it was 8-2. For Amaro, it was the first run he scored as a pinch-runner. Herrnstein made it to third, but Dalrymple was tossed out trying to advance to second.

Runner on third and one out.

Bobby Wine squeezed John Herrnstein home to make it 9-2.

Through the first seven innings, Art Mahaffey breezed along allowing just two runs and three hits. But he ran into trouble in the eighth.

Rico Carty doubled to start the inning. Two outs later, Roy MacMillan singled and Carty scored to make it 9-3. Lee Maye singled to put runners on first and second with two outs.

Eddie Mathews then hit a three-run homer, his third of the season, to cut the Phillies lead to 9-6 – and Gene Mauch made the call to the bullpen. Mahaffey was out and Jack Baldschun (1-0) was in.

Baldschun retired the four batters he faced to preserve the victory.

Art Mahaffey (2-1) picked up the win and Jack Baldschun earned his second save of the season.

Hank Fischer (3-1) took the loss.

The Giants topped the Cubs 7-6 in San Francisco to maintain a one-game lead over the Phillies. Gaylord Perry picked up the win in relief.