May 10, 1964

The Phillies were going for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon as 11,642 fans showed up at Connie Mack Stadium to watch the game. The date was May 10, 1964.

Chris Short (0-0) was making his first start of the season. He’d earned the promotion by throwing six scoreless outings out of the bullpen – recording one save and striking out nine batters in six innings.

The Reds countered with Joe Nuxhall (1-2) who was trying to even his record – and even his record against the Phillies as well.

Ten days earlier, he pitched well, but gave up four hits and two runs in seven innings to lose to Dennis Bennett by a score of 3-1.

Both pitchers threw three scoreless innings to start the game.

In the top of the fourth, Chris Short struck out the side – but Gus Triandos let a third strike get by him all the way to the backstop and Deron Johnson wound up on first with two outs.

Short walked Tommy Harper to put runners on first and second. Then Leo Cardenas singled to score Johnson and it was 1-0 Reds. Although unearned, it was the first run Chris Short allowed so far this season.

Nuxhall was on top of his game, giving up just three singles through the first five innings. And then he caught a break in the sixth.

With one out, Roy Sievers drilled a ball off the scoreboard in right-center. It was an easy double, but the ball took some crazy bounces. Sievers kept running around second – and then he kept running around third. But he came up just a little too slow-footed to complete the inside-the-park home run. He was thrown out at the plate Frank Robinson, to Deron Johnson, to Johnny Edwards.

The score remained 1-0 Reds after seven full innings.

In the top of the eighth, Short struck out the first two batters, then gave up a single to Deron Johnson. Frank Robinson followed with a double to make it 2-0 Reds.

And that’s the way the game ended.

After Roy Sievers tripled in the sixth, Joe Nuxhall silenced the last 13 batters he faced as he pitched a four-hit, complete-game shutout to even his record at 2-and-2.

Chris Short was impressive in defeat – giving up six hits and one earned run, and striking out 11. He took the loss, but he just might’ve earned a regular spot in the rotation.

A crowd of 42,776 showed up at Candlestick Park in San Francisco to watch Don Drysdale (4-1) dominate the Giants. He gave up four singles along with a pair of doubles to Willie Mays as the Dodgers won 9-1.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, losing to the Reds kept them one game behind the Giants in the battle for first place.