July 14, 1964

Road Trip

The Phillies embarked on an 11-game road trip that would take them to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee.

The date was July 14, 1964.

The first stop was at Forbes Field for three games against the Pirates. The Phillies were holding a 4-3 edge in the season series. But the Phillies arrived on a downslide, having lost four of their last five games.

The Pirates were in fourth place, eight games out of first place, and three games over .500. The Pirates had lost three straight.

Gene Mauch was going with 38-year-old Cal McLish (0-0) who made only one appearance thus far this season, pitching five innings of four-hit relief against the Colts on June 29th. This was his first start.

Danny Murtaugh chose Bob Veale (8-6). Veale started a 6-4 win over the Phillies on May 28th, but wasn’t involved in the decision. Against the rest of the league, he logged three complete games and one shutout.

Veale retired the Phillies without a problem in top of the first.

In the bottom of the first, Many Mota singled with one out. Roberto Clemente followed with a double that scored Mota to put the Pirates on top 1-0.

At that point, Cal McLish abruptly summoned Gene Mauch to the mound.

After a short conference, Mauch made a pitching change. Since it was so early in the game, Mauch went with Dennis Bennett (9-6) because Bennett had gone just three innings in his last start. Bennett went along with Mauch’s decision because he said his arm felt better and he wanted to test it out.

But as it turned out for McLish, his arm was shot and this was the end of his 15-year career.

Jerry Lynch singled off Bennett and Clemente scored to make it 2-0 Pirates ─ but Lynch was thrown out trying to go to second on the throw to the plate.

No more scoring through the second, third, fourth and top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Jim Pagliaroni singled to right, but he was forced at second when Gene Alley hit a ground ball to short.

Bob Veale laid down a bunt that Richie Allen fumbled, and he was safe at first, putting runners on first and second with still just one out.

After Bob Bailey worked a walk to load the bases, Many Mota singled to move everyone up a base. Alley scored to make it 3-0 Pirates and the bases remained loaded with still just the one out.

Roberto Clemente hit into a force at second that scored Veale to up the Pirates lead to 4-0.

In the top of the sixth, Richie Allen walked with one out, moved to second on a ground out, and scored when Ruben Amaro doubled to put the Phillies on the scoreboard at 4-1. It was Amaro’s first double of the season.

Amaro was starting at first base because Mauch choose to use him rather than the slumping Roy Sievers ─ whose average had dipped to .185.

Bobby Wine singled and Amaro scored to trim the lead to 4-2 Pirates.

The score remained 4-2 thru the bottom of the seventh.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, Danny Cater singled to center and moved to second on a wild pitch. Ruben Amaro singled to send Cater across the plate to cut the lead to 4-3 Pirates. It was Amaro’s second RBI of the game.

Nothing for the Pirates in the bottom of the eighth.

Al McBean (3-0) came in to pitch the top of the ninth for the Pirates – making his 28th appearance.

With one out, John Herrnstein and Wes Covington both hit back-to-back pinch-singles to put runners on first and second. It was Herrnstein’s fourth pinch-hit in eight at-bats and Covington’s second in 16 tries.

With the tying and winning runs on base, McBean struck out Johnny Callison and Richie Allen to end the game and pick up his 12th save.

Bob Veale (9-6) got the win and Cal McLish (0-1) took the loss to end his career with a record at an even 92-and-92.

Although not involved in the decision, Dennis Bennett threw five innings and said his arm felt fine afterward.

Roy Sievers struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning to lower his average to .183 – and that would prove to be Siever’s last at-bat as a Phillie. General manager John Quinn sold him to the Washington Senators the next day.

Braves Get to Marichal

The Braves rallied for five runs off of Giants ace Juan Marichal (12-5) in the bottom of the sixth in Milwaukee enroute to an 8-7 win. The three key blows were:

Lead-off home run by Rico Carty (#9)
Two-run shot by Eddie Mathews (#12)
Two-run single by Joe Torre

Bob Sadowski (4-6) picked up the win and rookie Chi-Chi Olivo earned his third save since being called up from the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs three weeks earlier.

As a result of the Giants loss, the Phillies lost no ground and remained in second place one game behind.