May 29, 1964 | BARRY BOWE

Robinson Crusoe on Mars was released.

This sci-fi movie was a retelling of Daniel Defoe’s classic novel Robinson Crusoe – but it was set with Astronauts in outer-space. One of the stars was Adam West who was best-known in his role as Batman.

It was an independent film directed by Byron Haskin – who directed the 1953 classic War of the Worlds – and distributed by Paramount Pictures,

The movie was shot on location at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California.

Although the movie gained critical acclaim, it suffered at the box office.

After a successful 7-and-6 road trip, the Phillies were returning home to begin a 16-game home stand. First up were the Houston Colt 45s for three games over the weekend.

The Colts were riding high after winning five of their last six games. However, they still found themselves two games under .500 at 21-and-23 and 5½ games out of first place.

A crowd of 13,067 welcomed the Phillies home as Jim Bunning (5-2) took the mound versus Bob Bruce (6-1).

Bruce was an early-season bright spot for the Colts. He’d already won six games while compiling an impressive 1.65 ERA.

Bunning pitched six strong innings against the Dodgers in his last start, but wound up on the short end of a 3-0 shutout.

Jim Bunning set the Colts down in order in the first.

In the bottom of the first, Cookie Rojas led off with a single. Richie Allen dropped a bunt down the third-base line and beat it out for a hit. Rojas moved to second.

Johnny Callison then hit a tapper back to the mound. Bob Bruce fielded the ball and threw to third to force Rojas. Allen moved to second and Callison was safe at first.

Wes Covington then hit into a force at second and Allen moved to third to put runners on first and third with two outs.

Tony Gonzalez connected for his second triple of the season to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead ─ and upping his RBI total to 22.

Jim Bunning held the Colts hitless through five innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Cookie Rojas reached first on an error by Eddie Kasko. Richie Allen and Johnny Callison followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases.

Wes Covington chipped in with the third straight single of the inning. Rojas and Allen scored to make it 4-0 Phillies ─ giving Covington 21 RBIs ─ and Callison advanced to third. That left runners on first and second with one out.

Colts manager Harry Craft replaced Bob Bruce with Don Larsen (0-1). Larsen, now 34, was eight years removed from pitching the perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

After five years with the Yankees, he bounced around from New York, to the Kansas City A’s, to the Chicago White Sox, to the San Francisco Giants. Just nine days earlier, Houston purchased his contract from the Giants. This was his first outing for the Colts.

Larsen got a strikeout and ground out to end the inning with the Phillies on top 4-0.

Bunning added a hitless sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Clay Dalrymple led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Cookie Rojas singled and Dalrymple scored to up the lead to 5-0.

Jim Bunning was still working on a no-hitter two outs deep into the top of the seventh, but Mike White broke it up with a double to left.

Walt Bond then broke up Bunning’s shutout when he singled and White scored to cut the lead to 5-1 Phillies.

Nothing for the Phillies in the bottom of the seventh.

In the top of the eighth, Rusty Staub walked. Dave Roberts followed with a single to put runners on first and second with nobody out ─ and then all hell started to break loose against Bunning.

John Bateman hit a routine fly ball to right, but Johnny Callison dropped it. Staub scored to cut the lead to 5-2 Phillies. Roberts advanced to third and Bateman to second – and still nobody out.

Eddie Kasko singled to score both runners and cut the Phillies lead to 5-4.

With a runner on first and still nobody out, Harry Craft sent Jim Wynn up to pinch-hit for Larsen.

Bunning got Wynn on a fly ball – and then he got Al Spangler on another fly ball for the second out –and it looked like Bunning was going to pitch his way out of trouble.

But Nellie Fox tripled to tie the score 5-5.

Mike White doubled and Fox scored to put the Colts in front 6-5.

Mauch then replaced Bunning with Dennis Bennett (5-3). Bennett had started the day before but didn’t make it through the third inning. So Mauch was bringing him back.

Bennett walked Walt Bond, but then got Bob Aspromonte to ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Harry Craft sent Hal Woodeshick (1-2) in to replace Don Larsen.

Danny Cater pinch-hit for John Herrnstein and singled ─ Cater’s third pinch-hit in four at-bats so far this season.

Tony Taylor pinch-hit for Clay Dalrymple. One run down, Gene Mauch had Taylor bunting. The strategy succeeded and Cater moved into scoring position with one out.

Cater held second while Ruben Amaro grounded out for the second out.

Gus Triandos pinch-hit for Dennis Bennett and doubled to tie the game 6-6. It was Triandos’ first successful pinch-hit in three tries.

Cookie Rojas hit a line drive over Rusty Staub’s head in centerfield and wound up on third with a triple and Triandos scored to put the Phillies on top 7-6. The triple gave Rojas 11 hits in 16 trips since Mauch inserted him into the starting lineup three days earlier. His hits included two doubles, a triple, and one home run. The triple upped Rojas’ batting average to .565.

For the top of the ninth, Mauch made a triple-switch:

Ed Roebuck (1-0) came in to pitch, batting seventh.
Gus Triandos stayed in to catch, batting ninth.
Danny Cater stayed in to play leftfield, batting sixth.

Roebuck closed the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning ─ he’d yet to give up a run in 12 innings over 11 games.

Dennis Bennett (6-3) picked up the win in relief ─ the six wins led the staff ─ and Ed Roebuck earned his fifth save. Hal Woodeshick (1-3) absorbed the loss.

At Shea Stadium in New York, the Mets Tracy Stallard (3-6) bested Jack Sanford (4-5) and the San Francisco Giants 4-2. That loss enabled the Phillies to creep into a virtual tie with the Giants for first place.