It took three attempts at Cape Canveral before NASA successfully launched the sixth flight of a Saturn rocket. It was an unmanned flight to test the boilerplate of the Apollo spacecraft.

The Saturn II booster made four orbits of the Earth in around six hours.

The upper stage of the rocket completed 54 orbits before crashing into the Pacific Ocean three days later on June 1.

One of the eight first-stage engines shut down prematurely, but the craft’s guidance system compensated for the shut down by burning the remaining seven engines for a longer period of time.

In the political world, Nelson Rockefeller was on the cover of Time magazine as he launched his campaign to become the Republican candidate for President of the United States. His primary rival Barry Goldwater had thrown his hat into the ring back on January 3.

Both candidates hoped to unseat the incumbent Lyndon Johnson.

It was Dennis Bennett (5-3) versus Bob Veale (4-3) in the rubber game of the series. Veale won his last three starts ─ over the Dodgers, Colts, and Giants, respectively. Bennett pitched 13 innings in his last start ─ a 4-2 victory in 14 innings over the Dodgers – and lowered his ERA to 2.52.

The game moved to the bottom of the second without a score.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Donn Clendenon doubled. Bennett walked Bill Mazeroski intentionally to put runners on first and second.

Jim Pagliaroni singled to drive Clendenon home and put the Pirates on top 1-0. A .254 hitter with one home run and four RBIs when the series started,  Pagliaroni picked up his fourth hit and sixth RBI in two games against the Phillies.

With two outs in the top of the third, Cookie Rojas singled and moved to third when Johnny Callison followed with a single.

Richie Allen walked to load the bases.

Danny Cater delivered a two-run double to put the Phillies ahead 2-1 and leave runners on second and third, with two outs.

Gus Triandos hit a two-run single to make it 4-2.

In the bottom of the third, Manny Mota singled, but he took a wide turn as first and Cookie Rojas, playing centerfield today, threw behind Mota and caught him scrambling back to first for the first out.

Roberto Clement singled.

After Gene Freese flew out, Bob Bailey doubled to put runners on second and third with two outs.

Since all three hits were hard hits, Gene Mauch decided that Bennett didn’t have his “stuff.” Out went Bennett and in came Ed Roebuck (1-0).

Roebuck struck out Bob Veale to end the inning.

Then Gene Mauch employed some curious strategy.

After Veale struck out Ruben Amaro and Bobby Wine, Mauch let Roebuck bat. In 11 games combined between the Washington Senators and Phillies, Roebuck had not yet stepped into the batters box. He was a career .200 hitter. With two outs and nobody on base, it would not have been a startling move if Mauch planned to keep Roebuck on the mound – but he didn’t.

After Roebuck struck out to end the inning, Mauch replaced Roebuck with rookie Rick Wise (0-0). Letting Roebuck bat and then immediately replacing him made no sense.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bill Mazeroski and Jim Pagliaroni greeted Wise with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Willie Stargell pinch-hit for Bob Veale and struck out, but the ball trickled away from Gus Triandos. While Triandos was throwing Stargell out at first, Mazeroski moved up to third, But Pagliaroni didn’t advance – which put runners on first and third with one out.

Wise then hit Dick Schofield to load the bases.

Manny Mota singled to score Mazeroski and Pagliaroni to cut the Phillies lead to 4-3. Schofield advanced to third to put runners on first and third with one out.

Gene Mauch replaced Wise with Dallas Green (1-0).

Roberto Clemente hit into a force-out at second, but Dick Schofield scored to tie the game 4-4.

In the top of the fifth, Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh brought rookie Bob Priddy (0-0) in to pitch.

Priddy pitched scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.

Murtaugh brought Roy Face (2-1) came in to pitch and Face pitched a scoreless inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jack Baldschun (2-0) replaced Dallas Green – who threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

So the game was still tied 4-4 going into the eighth.

In the top of the eighth, Wes Covington led off with a single. One out later, Tony Taylor singled to put runners on first and second. Ruben Amaro then hit a ground ball to first that Donn Clendenon couldn’t handle. Amaro was safe at first on the error and the other runners moved up to load the bases. Still one out.

With left-hand hitting Tony Gonzalez coming up, Danny Murtaugh replaced Roy Face with lefty Fred Green (0-0). This was Green’s third relief appearance of the season and he’d yet to give up no runs in three innings.

Gene Mauch countered by sending Roy Sievers up to bat for Gonzalez.

Sievers hit a sacrifice fly to put the Phillies ahead 5-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, Willie Stargell led off with a home run to tie the game 5-5 ─ his seventh round-tripper of the year.

Murtaugh sent Smoky Burgess up to pinch-hit for Fred Green, but Baldschun retired Burgess on a fly to center.

In the top of the ninth, Murtaugh called on Alvin O’Neal McBean (1-0).

McBean kept the Phillies off the scoreboard.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Jim Pagliaroni walked. Willie Stargell then singled and Pagliaroni moved to third.

Dick Schofield hit a walk-off single to end the game with a 6-5 Pirates victory.

Al McBean (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Jack Baldschun (2-1) took the loss.

The loss ended the Phillies first West Coast with a 7-6 record.

Bob Hendley (4-3) out-dueled Curt Simmons (6-3) as the Giants beat the Cardinals 2-1 to move one full game ahead on the Phillies. The Pirates took sole possession of third place one game behind the Phillies.

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