May 17, 1964

After splitting the first two games of the series, Gene Mauch was sending Chris Short (0-1) to the mound to face former Phillie Jim Owens (1-2) in Sunday’s matchup.

The date was May 17, 1964.

Jim Owens was coming off a 9-0 shellacking at the hands of the Cubs ─ he hadn’t make it through the fourth inning that day, giving up four runs on six hits.

Chris Short, on the other, had earned a promotion to the starting rotation by pitching his way out of the bullpen. In eight relief outings and one start, he picked up one save and compiled a miniscule 0.63 ERA. In his lone start a week earlier, he gave up one earned run in a 2-0 loss to the Reds. Since his last start, he came out of the bullpen twice without allowing a run.

The first two innings were scoreless.

Johnny Callison and Wes Covington started the top of the third with back-to-back doubles to put the Phillies on top 1-0.

There was no change in the score until the sixth.

Tony Gonzalez led off with a walk. When Gus Triandos laid down a bunt, Jim Owens charged the ball but he kicked it for an error. Gonzalez moved to second and Triandos was safe at first.

Bobby Wine struck out for the first out.

Gene Mauch called for a one-out sacrifice, and Chris Short bunted the runners to second and third.

Tony Taylor singled and Gonzalez scored to make it 2-0 – and then ended the game’s scoring.

Chris Short (1-1) struck out nine and walked no one in pitching a five-hit, complete-game shutout. Jim Owens (1-3) absorbed the loss.

In San Francisco, the Giants swept a doubleheader from the last-place Mets.

Bob Hendley (3-3) tossed a three-hitter to shutout the Mets 6-0 in the first game. Orlando Cepeda (2), Jim Ray Hart (3), and Willie McCovey (7) homered for the Giants.

Ron Herbel (1-0) bested Jack Fisher (1-2) 1-0 in an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel in the second game.

The game’s only run scored in the bottom of the second when Orlando Cepeda led off with a single, stole second, tagged and moved to third on a fly to deep right, and scored on a wild pitch.

The twin wins pushed the Giants one full game ahead of the Phillies for first place.