Orioles sweep Braves for 1960 World Championship

8/26-8/27 - Memorial Stadium
GAME 1 - Orioles 5, Braves 4 (15 inn)
Fans in Baltimore were treated to a marathon 15 inning affair for the series opener.  Warren Spahn was brilliant allowing 2 runs over 9 innings of work, which on most days would be part of the winning formula.  Today, where runs were at a premium, Spahn left the game knotted at 2.  His opponent, Steve Barber, hit the showers 3 innings earlier having allowed 2 runs as well.  The O's scored first with solo runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings.  Gene Woodling singled home Brooks Robinson in the 2nd and knocked Robinson in again with an RBI double in the 3rd.  Milwaukee answered back with 2 runs in the top of the 4th when Mel Roach scored on a sac fly by Joe Adcock and Ed Mathews walked home on a long single by Del Crandall.  For the next 7 innings goose eggs were registering on the scoreboard for both teams.  The top of the 12 saw Wes Covington pinch hitting for Roach in an obvious RBI spot with Johnny Logan on 3rd.  Covington sliced one deep enough to left to score Logan and put his team up 3-2.  Ron Piche was now tasked with getting 3 outs for the Braves and notching the win, but that was not be.  Gus Triandos walked with 2 outs and Albie Pearson came on to pinch run.  Pearson began to distract Piche and eventually he stole second.  That distraction gave a distinct advantage to the batter Gene Woodling, who lined a single to right to score Pearson and tie the game up once more.  Both teams scored in the 12th, but neither team could hold an advantage.  If baseball were football the Braves would have been declared the "sudden death" winner.  Fortunately for the O's,  baseball is not football and each team has a shot to win it.  We fast forward to the top of the 15th where Del Crandall singled home Ed Mathews to put the Braves back on top by 1.  This time the burden would fall on the shoulders of veteran reliever Don McMahon, who would easily get Joe Ginsberg to fly out to center for the first out.  Marv Breeding would bounce one to short where Logan's replacement Felix Mantilla charged hard, but threw errant.  Mantilla's error would put a  runner on first with 1 out.  Gil Brandt would follow this with an infield single to put Breeding in scoring position.  O's manager Justin Ryan was not about to rely on his lumber to score Breeding from second, so he chose to steal 3rd to put him 90 feet away.  Breeding barely beat Crandall's throw to third, which facilitated McMahon intentionally walking Jim Gentile.  Del Rice would come to the plate with the bases loaded.  Rice had come on in the 13th inning after Gus Triandos was pinch ran for.  With the infield in Rice layed down the perfect squeeze bunt to score Breeding and win game 1 of the 1960 series.

GAME 2 - Orioles 6, Braves 3
Down 3-2 and heading into the top of the 8th the Braves got a clutch solo shot by Johnny Logan to tie it off of Chuck Estrada to tie up the game.  Joey Jay, who replaced Bob Buhl, started the 9th by getting Marv Breeding to ground out weakly to third.  Jim Gentile singled and for some strange reason Brooks Robinson was given an intentional pass.  Gene Woodling stepped up to the plate and launched Jay's first pitch over the fence in right center for a 3 run walk off homer.  Howt Wilhem, who pitched a scoreless top of the 9th for the O's was declared the winner.

8/29-8/30 - County Stadium
GAME 3 - Orioles 13, Braves 1
The series moved to the Midwest and young Hal Brown would face 1957 World Series MVP Lou Burdette.  The matchup clearly faced the the more seasoned Burdette, but someone forgot to inform Brown who won for the 5th time in this tournament without an losses.  Brown allowed only 1 run, a solo shot to Wes Covington, as the O's completely undressed Burdette and his replacements (Nottebart and Giggie).  Covington's 9th inning homer came after the O's exploded for 6 runs in the top of the inning.  Ron Hansen had 4 of Baltimore's 19 hits.  Marv Breeding had 3 RBI's to go along with his 3 hits as the O's took a commanding 3 games to none lead in the series.

GAME 4 - Orioles 4, Braves 1
A match of game 1 starters pinned the Braves post season life on the back of ageless wonder Warren Spahn.  Young Steve Barber would return for action and simply was splendid allowing only 1 run in his near 7 innings worth of work.  Jim Gentile put the pressure on the Braves real early with a 2 run homer in the top of the first.  Spahn would settle down and not allow a run until the 8th inning when he allowed two.  Brooks Robinson singled home Breeding and Ron Hansen scored on a Gene Woodling sac fly to make it 4-1 O's.  Hoyt Wilhem, who relieved Barber for the final out in the 7th went the rest of the way to earn the save and clinch the 1960 World Championship for Baltimore.