Happy Birthday

The date was July 11, 1964.

“I Get Around” by the Beach Boys topped the Billboard charts.

It was also my 21st birthday and I celebrated by going to the Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium.

Jim Bunning (9-2) was pitching the rubber game of the series and the Reds were trotting out veteran left-hander Joe Nuxhall (6-4).

Nuxhall already faced the Phillies twice:

• Losing 3-1 in Cincinnati on April 30th.
• Pitching a 2-0 shutout in Philadelphia on May 10th.

Bunning had not pitched well against the Reds. Back on May 9th, he had his worst start of the year, allowing four runs on seven hits in just five innings of work.

Jim Bunning and Joe Nuxhall both pitched shutout ball through the first five innings.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson hit back-to-back singles to put runners first and second. One out later, Johnny Edwards singled and Pinson scored to make it 1-0 Reds. Robinson stopped at second to make it first and second with two outs.

Then Leo Cardenas banged a ball off the scoreboard. Robinson and Edwards scored to up the lead to 3-0 ─ but Johnny Callison gunned down Cardenas trying to stretch the double into a triple to end the rally.

In the sixth and seventh innings, Nuxhall retired the Phillies in order, but he ran out of gas in the process.

In the bottom of the eighth, Reds manager Fred Hutchinson summoned Sammy Ellis (4-2) from the bullpen. This was the 26th outing of the season for Ellis, but just his first appearance against the Phillies.

Ellis gave up a one-out double to Tony Gonzalez – pinch-hitting for Ruben Amaro – but he got Wes Covington – pinch-hitting for Bunning – on a pop to second, and he ended the threat by getting Tony Taylor to ground out to second.

So the score remained 3-0 Reds after eight innings.

Jack Baldschun came in to pitch and had a shaky top of the ninth, but he too got out of trouble unscathed.

Going for a two-inning save, Ellis worked the bottom of the ninth.

After Johnny Callison popped to second, Cookie Rojas walked. Richie Allen followed with a triple and the Phillies were on the scoreboard 3-1. It was Allen’s fifth triple and his 49th RBI.

But Ellis put out the fire by striking out pinch-hitter John Herrnstein and Roy Sievers to pick up his second save of the season.

Joe Nuxhall (7-4) got the win – #121 of his career – and Jim Bunning took (9-3) the loss.

No Wind at Wrigley

The Giants put together 10 hits – none of them home runs – in beating the Cubs 7-0 as Bobby Bolin (3-3) scattered seven hits while striking out 12 and keeping the Cubs off the scoreboard.

That win coupled with the Phillies loss flip-flopped the standings and put the Giants ½ game ahead of the Phils.

(Excerpted from 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant by Barry Bowe.)