July 18, 1964

After besting the Reds 5-4 at Crosley Field in the first game of the series on Friday, Gene Mauch was going with Ray Culp (7-6) in the second game of the series.

Freddy Hutchinson was countering with John Tsitouris (5-6).

John Tsitouris had already faced the Phillies twice and lost both times. In those two games, he gave up nine earned runs on 16 hits over 11 innings ─ a 7.36 ERA. So the Phillies were hoping to feast on Tsitouris once again.

Ray Culp was making his 14th start and he’d been on a hot streak lately. He won his last three starts and six of his last seven. In his one start against the Reds, he beat them 4-3 on July 9th.

In the top of the first, Tony Gonzalez doubled to left. One out later, Gonzalez scored when Johnny Callison doubled to put the Phillies on top 1-0.

One out later, Wes Covington took a fast ball in the ribs and had to be replaced by John Herrnstein. But that was it in the first for the Phils.

In the bottom of the first, Pete Rose walked and advanced to third one out later when Vada Pinson doubled.

With Frank Robinson batting, Ray Culp threw a wild pitch. Rose scored to tie the score 1-1 and Pinson moved up to third.

Robinson then singled and Pinson scored to give the Reds a 2-1 lead ─ the run was Robinson’s 49th RBI.

Deron Johnson followed with his 10th home run – a two-run shot that upped the Reds lead to 4-1.

Nothing for the Phillies in the top of the second.

In the bottom of the second, with one out, John Tsitouris hit a ground ball to third. Richie Allen fielded the grounder, but threw wildly to first and Tsitouris was able to take second on the overthrow.

Pete Rose followed with a double and Tsitouris scored to make it 5-1 Reds.

One out later, Vada Pinson beat out a dribbler in front of the plate and Rose advanced to third to put runners on first and third with two outs.

Frank Robinson singled and Pete Rose scored to make it 6-1 Reds – Robinson’s 50th RBI. Pinson stopped at second.

Even with two outs, Gene Mauch decided to replace Culp with Dallas Green (2-1).

Green got Deron Johnson to hit into a force at second to end the inning.

In the top of the third with one out, Costen Shockley hit his first home run in the majors to cut the Reds lead to 6-2.

One out later, Richie Allen singled to center ─ his 100th hit of the season.

The day before, the Reds called up catcher Don Pavletich from the minors. In 71 games with the San Diego Padres of the AAA Pacific Coast League, Pavletich hit .302 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Today, he was making his first start in the majors.

In the bottom of the third, Don Pavletich picked up his first hit with a double to right-center. When Leo Cardenas hit an infield single, Pavletich moved to third to put runners on first and third with nobody out.

One out later, John Tsitouris squeezed Pavletich home to make it 7-2 Reds. Cardenas moved to second.

With Cardenas on second and two outs, Pete Rose singled Cardenas across the plate to make it 8-2 Reds.

Tsitouris kept the Phillies off the scoreboard in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Leo Cardenas walked with one out. Steve Boros and John Tsitouris then hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.

Pete Rose cleared the bases with his third home run of the season – and his first career grand-slammer – to enlarge the Reds lead to 12-2.

In the top of the sixth, with two outs, Clay Dalrymple hit his fourth home run to make it 12-3 Reds.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Dallas Green hit Gordy Coleman. Don Pavletich followed with the first home run of his big-league career and first two RBIs to make it 14-3 Reds.

No change in scoring through the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, Bobby Wine doubled to right, moved to third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tony Gonzalez. That ended the scoring at 14-4.

It was the worst loss of the season for the Phillies – worse than their 13-4 loss to the Pirates on May 26th.

John Tsitouris (6-6) got the win and Ray Culp (7-7) took the loss.

Giants Lose Again

Ken Johnson (8-8) bested Billy O’Dell (3-2) in a 2-1 pitcher’s duel at Candlestick Park.

Johnson gave up six hits and O’Dell five.

Billy O’Dell was pitching a two-hit, 1-0 shutout entering the ninth inning, but gave up three doubles – to Bob Aspromonte, Eddie Kasko, and Jerry Grote – to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

By losing, the Giants missed an opportunity to gain ground on the Phillies and still trailed by one full game.

The win by the Reds moved them into third place just 3½ games behind the first-place Phillies.