May 4, 1964 | BARRY BOWE

After dropping two-of-three to the Braves in Milwaukee, the Phillies traveled to St. Louis to begin a two-game series with the Cardinals on May 4, 1964.

The Cardinals played in old Busch Stadium. Originally called Sportsman’s Park, it was the home of the American League St. Louis Browns from 1920 until 1953. When the Browns relocated in 1954 to become the Baltimore Orioles, the ballpark came to be called Busch Stadium after Gussie Busch, owner of the Anheuser-Busch breweries and the Cardinals baseball team.

The stadium also served as home to the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals football team from 1960 until 1965.

The Cards 1964 edition featured big-hitters Bill White at first base and Kenny Boyer at third base, along with veteran Curt Flood in centerfield. But gone from the ballclub was the legendary Stan Musial, who retired at the end on the 1963 season.

Johnny Keane was in his third full year as the Cards skipper ─ having taken over 74 games into the 1961 season. His record was 224-170 so far and he led the Cards to a 93-69 second-place finish in 1963.

Dennis Bennett (2-1) versus Bob Gibson (2-0).

Gibson – coming off an 18-9 season in 1963 – won his first two starts of the season and got no-decisions in his last two starts.

Dennis Bennett – coming off a 3-1 victory over the Reds four days earlier – was making his fifth start of the year.

Bob Gibson gave up a one-out single to Richie Allen in the top of the first, but kept the Phillies off the scoreboard.

The Cards took the lead in the bottom of the first when – with two outs – Bill White doubled to right. Ken Boyer followed with a single, White scored, and the Cards led 1-0.

Curt Flood led off the bottom of the second with his third home run to make it 2-0 Cards.

The Phillies dented the scoreboard in the top of the third. Dennis Bennett walked. Tony Taylor singled to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Richie Allen lined out to deep right, deep enough for Bennett to tag and advance to third.

With runners on first and third and one out, Bennett scored when Johnny Callison grounded out to second to cut the Cards lead to 2-1.

But the Cards answered in the bottom of the third. With one out, Dick Groat doubled. After Bennett walked Bill White, Ken Boyer cleared the bases with a triple to center – 4-1 Cards.

Boyer’s triple ended the night for Dennis Bennett. Jack Baldschun (1-0) replaced him with Boyer on third and one out. Baldschun struck out Chris James for the second out. But Curt Flood singled to score Boyer and it was 5-1 Cards.

One inning later, Baldschun hit Bob Gibson on his throwing arm ─ and Gibson had to be replaced by a pinch-runner. Carl Warwick followed with his second home run of the season to make it 7-1 Cards.

In the top of the fifth, Roger Craig (1-0) replaced the injured Bob Gibson. Craig was coming off back-to-back 20-loss seasons with the Mets ─ 10-24 in 1962 and 5-22 in 1963. But he was coming off a complete-game win over the Pirates just three days earlier.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gene Mauch lifted Baldschun for a pinch-hitter, and Dallas Green came on to pitch the bottom of the fifth. Green pitched two scoreless innings to extend his scoreless streak to seven innings.

The Phillies picked up a run in the seventh. With two outs, Bobby Wine singled. Roy Sievers pinch-hit for Dallas Green and doubled and Wine scored to trim the lead to 7-2.

John Boozer (0-0) replaced Green on the mound for the Phillies. After a one-two-three seventh, Boozer got touched up in the eighth. Tim McCarver led off with his second home run of the season to make it 8-2 Cards ─ this one an inside-the-parker.

Two outs later, Dick Groat singled. Bill White walked to put runners on first and second. Still nobody out. Ken Boyer singled and Groat scored to make it 9-2 Cards. The run gave Boyer four RBIs on the day and 18 on the young season.

Roger Craig (2-0) picked up the win in relief, giving up just one run on five hits over five innings. Dennis Bennett (2-2) took the loss.

That gave the Phillies three straight losses ─ two of them lopsided.

After the game, reliever Johnny Klippstein came off the Disabled List. To make room for Klippstein, the Phillies optioned John Boozer to the AAA Arkansas Travelers.

Boozer had allowed two runs in two innings to elevate his ERA to 13.51. The consensus was that he needed more seasoning.

In San Francisco, with one out in the bottom of the 12th, Chuck Hiller doubled Jesus Alou across the plate to eke out a 3-2 for the Giants over the Houston Colts. That win dropped the Phillies dropped into second place ─ one game behind the Giants.