The Cincinnati Reds came to Connie Mack Stadium for a three-game series beginning on May 8, 1964. The 10-and-11 Reds were in fifth place and coming off a two-game split with the Mets.

The second-place Phillies (12-6) swept two games from the Reds on the recent road trip to Cincinnati.

Dennis Bennett (2-2) versus John Tsitouris (1-1) in the series opener.

Tsitouris was coming off a 12-8 season in 1963 and won his last outing five days earlier.

Bennett’s last victory was eight days earlier against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Bennett retired the Reds one-two-three in the top of the first.

Tony Taylor led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Taylor moved to second when Richie Allen was awarded first on catcher’s interference. Johnny Callison doubled. Taylor scored to make it 1-0 Phillies with Allen stopping at third.

Second and third and nobody out.

Tsitouris walked Tony Gonzalez intentionally to load the bases.

Wes Covington singled and the runners moved up a base. Allen scored to make it 2-0 Phillies.

But Tsitouris bore down and retired the Phils with no further damage.

In the Reds second, Deron Johnson led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Frank Robinson doubled Johnson home to cut the Phils lead to 2-1.

Playing small ball, Robinson moved to third on Tommy Harper’s bunt sacrifice and scored on a sacrifice fly by Leo Cardenas to tie the score 2-2.

In the bottom of the second, Tony Taylor singled with one out and then stole second. After Richie Allen struck out for the second out, Johnny Callison walked to put runners on first and second.

Tony Gonzalez singled and Taylor scored to put the Phillies back in front 3-2.

Bennett shut the Reds down in the fourth.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Richie Allen and Johnny Callison hit back-to-back singles. One out later, Wes Covington hit a three-run homer to extend the lead to 6-2. It was Covington’s third home run of the year and gave him 11 RBIs on the season.

The Phillies acquired Wes Covington in a mid-season trade with the Kansas City Athletics in 1961 in exchange for outfielder Bobby Del Greco. Earlier in his career, he spent five seasons with the Braves.

He was a left-handed power hitter, usually used as a platoon player, whose best season was when he hit 24 home runs in 90 games with the Braves in 1958.

Bennett retired the Reds 1-2-3 in the fifth and six.

Johnny Callison led off the bottom of the sixth with his first triple of the season. One out later, Wes Covington picked up his 11th RBI when he singled Callison home to make it 7-2 Phils. It was Covington’s fifth RBI of the game and 12th of the season. He was tied with Richie Allen ─ but both of them trailed team leader Tony Gonzalez’s 13 RBIs.

In the Reds seventh, Dennis Bennett hit Vada Pinson. Deron Johnson followed with a double to send Pinson home and trim the Phillies lead to 7-3.

Al Worthington (1-0) relieved in the eighth for the Reds.

Johnny Callison greeted Worthington with his second triple of the game. Tony Gonzalez singled and Callison scored to make it 8-3. That bumped Gonzalez’ team-leading RBI total to 14.

With Gonzalez on first and still nobody out, Worthington hit Ruben Amaro.

John Herrnstein struck out for the first out.

Clay Dalrymple singled to score Gonzalez and make it 9-3. Amaro advanced to third. Still one out.

Bobby Wine singled and Ruben Amaro scored to make it 10-3. One out later, Tony Taylor singled and Dalrymple scored to complete the scoring at 11-3.

Bennett (3-2) completed the game with a one-two-three ninth to earn the victory. John Tsitouris (1-2) took the loss.

In a late game in San Francisco, Juan Marichal shut out the Dodgers 3-0 on five hits to pick up his fifth win of the season without a loss. The win maintained the Giants first-place lead over the Phillies at one game.

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