The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in the Unites States on June 2, 1964 – exactly 51 years ago today.

Since they were still relatively unknown in this country, their first gig was at a high school in Lynn, Massachusetts.

That same day, they appeared on the experimental Les Crane Show that was only televised in New York. But they didn’t perform on the show.

In time they would not only become my favorite rock ‘n’ roll band, but they would also come to be known as “The World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band.”

Below is a video of them performing “Little Red Rooster” that night in Lynn, Mass.

The defending World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers were coming to town to begin a three-game series with the Phillies. The Dodgers (21-23) were struggling in seventh place, six games off the pace. But they’d showed signs of resurgence while sweeping three games from the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Dennis Bennett (6-3) was squaring off against Phil Ortega (3-2) in the series opener in front of 22,317 fans.

Ortega battled Bennett in a 14-inning affair when the teams met back on May 23rd in Los Angeles. Ortega pitched well, but lost the game 4-2 to Bennett.

Bennett pitched well ─ giving up 11 hits but only two runs, striking out eight and walking two, over 13 innings.

Maury Wills doubled with one out in the top of the first. Tommy Davis followed with a single, Wills scored, and it was 1-0 Dodgers.

Cookie Rojas led off the bottom of the first with a double, stole third, and tied the game 1-1 on Richie Allen’s sacrifice fly to left.

Bennett retired the Dodgers in the top of the second.

John Herrnstein led off the bottom of the second with a single. One out later, Phil Ortega issued back-to-back walks to Ruben Amaro and Dennis Bennett to load the bases.

Cookie Rojas laid down a squeeze bunt and the runners moved up a base. Herrnstein scored from third to put the Phillies ahead 2-1, Amaro moved to second, and Bennett moved to third. Two outs.

Ortega then uncorked a wild pitch. Amaro scored and Bennett moved to third.

Ortega walked Richie Allen to put runners on first and third. It was Ortega’s third walk of the inning and enough to make Walter Alston replace him with Jim Brewer (0-0). This was Brewer’s eighth relief appearance of the season. His ERA was 3.60 over 15 innings.

Brewer ended the inning by getting Johnny Callison to line out to right.

With Brewer and Bennett pitching well, the scored remained 3-1 entering the seventh inning.

Frank Howard led off the top of the seventh with a single. Ken McMullen followed with his first home run of the year and the game was tied 3-3.

Cookie Rojas led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. When Richie Allen followed with a single, Rojas rounded second and headed for third. Willie Davis threw to third in an attempt to get Rojas, but Rojas was safe and Allen moved to second on the throw – putting runners on second and third with nobody out.

Walter Alston replaced Brewer with Ron Perranoski (2-1). Perranoski already faced the Phillies twice, giving up two runs on five hits over four innings of work. He took the loss in the 14-inning affair on May 23rd.

Perranoski walked Johnny Callison intentionally to load the bases – and still nobody out.

Perranoski walked Wes Covington to force in a run and give the lead back to the Phillies at 4-3 – and the bases remained loaded with nobody out.

Gus Triandos pinch-hit for Clay Dalrymple and lined out to center to end the inning.

In the eighth, Bennett got the Dodgers in order, but Gene Mauch sensed that Bennett was tiring and lifted him for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth.

Ed Roebuck (1-0) came in to pitch the ninth. Roebuck had yet to give up a run on the season, and he’d picked up three saves over the last five days.

Roebuck retired the Dodgers in order in the ninth to preserve the victory and maintain his pristine 0.00 ERA.

Bennett (7-3) picked up the win and Roebuck recorded his seventh save. Jim Brewer (0-1) took the loss.

The win made it four straight for the Phillies.

At Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the Giants lost to the Pirates 3-1 to drop 1½ games behind the Phillies. Bob Veale (5-3) pitched a five-hit, complete-game victory over Bob Hendley (4-4) – who gave up only four hits.

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