Game 7 – Angels 4, Indians 2

GAME 7 - Dodger Stadium
Sam McDowell vs Fred Newman
21 year old "Sudden" Sam McDowell had a breakout season going 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA.  22 year old Fred Newman's 13-10, 2.75 season was nothing to sneeze about.  McDowell's ability to average a little more than a strikeout per inning dazzled fans, but his ability to walk just as many loomed as a possibility to hurt his chances at victory.  McDowell would walk Piersall and Rodgers with 1 out in the bottom of the 2nd then uncork a wild pitch + give up key hits to Bobby Knoop and Vic Power to put his team in a 3-0 hole.  Newman, on the other hand cruised below the radar screen until Vic Davalillo doubled and Tito Francona almost scored to make it 3-1.  A great throw from Lou Clinton in right nailed the runner and preserved the shutout for the time being.  A ground out by Dick Howser brought Davalillo in to score.  An error by Adcock allowed Frank Chance to reach first safely.  A single by Azcue put  Chance in scoring position and a single by Max Alvis made it 3-2, but it could have easily have been tied at 3-3.  A sac fly by Knoop in the bottom of the inning made it a 2 run game once again.  Leon Wagner led off the 7th with a single, then stole second and tried to score on Woodie Held's pinch hit single.  Once again Lou Clinton's arm made the difference as Wagner was nailed at the plate.  Not only did the Tribe lose a chance at making it a 1 run ball game once again, but they also lost the chance of having a big inning.  Bob Lee would toss the final 2 1/3 innings in relief to close out the Tribe and complete a miraculous comeback by the Halos, who just punched their ticket for a date with destiny vs the Cardinals in the 1964 World Series.
Angels win series 4-3

Game 6 - Angels 5, Indians 3

GAME 6 - Dodger Stadium
Jack Kralick vs Dean Chance
Until Leon Wagner's 3 run shot in the 8th with 1 out Dean Chance was shutting out the Tribe.  That one mighty swing of the bat made it a 2 run game as opposed to the 5-0 laugher that it had been up to this point.  The three headed bullpen monster of Don Lee, George Brunet and Bob Lee combined to get the final 5 outs of the game and force a decisive game 7.  The Angels came to play today and jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  An RBI triple by Jim Fregosi was followed up by a run scoring ground out by Joe Adcock.  Vic Power's solo shot in the 3rd made it 3-0.  Back to back singles by Power and Fregosi in the 7th gave the Halos a 5-0 lead, but after Wagner's blast in the 8th those 2 runs took on an importance that nobody could quite see when they were originally posted.
Series tied 3-3

GAME 5 - Angels 8, Indians 6 (10 innings)

GAME 5 - Municipal Stadium
Dan Osinski vs Dick Donovan
For the third consecutive day these two evenly matched teams were forced to to extras.  The Halos, with their backs up against the wall, took a 5-4 lead on a ground out in the 7th.  Cleveland answered right back by taking a 1 run lead thanks to a 2 run double by Fred Whitfield in the bottom of the inning.  Most teams would have been crushed by Cleveland’s response, but not the tough as nails Halos.  Willie Smith's 1 out homer in the 8th tied the game up once again in this tooth and nail struggle.  Extra innings would once again be part of the mix, but this time the game would turn immediately in the top of the 10th.  With 1 out the Halos got to reliever Ted Abernathy.  Bobby Knoop worked out a walk and Willie Smith singled.  Pinch hitter Albie Pearson singled as well, but could bring home the go ahead run as Bobby Knoop was cut down at the plate by a bullet throw from Al Smith.  Jim Fregosi would walk and pinch hitter Jack Hiatt would deliver the knock out punch in the form of a two out clutch single.  Duliba would toss a perfect half inning vs the Indians to secure the win for the Angels and ensure that the series returned to California.
Indians lead series 3-2

GAME 4 - Indians 8, Angels 7 (13 inn)

GAME 4 - Municipal Stadium
Bo Belinsky vs Luis Tiant
After going 11 innings the day before, why not go 13 innings today ?  Starters (Bo Belinsky / Luis Tiant) were purely pedestrian, and both were gone by the end of the 6th.  With only half of the game played by this point the Halos were destined to send out 7 relievers, while the Tribe used 3.  Sonny Sieberts meldown in the 8th and 9th innings allowed 3 runs to score, which helped the Halos erase a 3 run deficit.  Jim Piersall, Buck Rodgers and Lou Clinton all had RBI singles, which forced extra innings.  Fast forward to the home half of the 13th where Fred Whitfield singled off of Don Lee to lead off the inning.  A walk to Vic Davilillo moved Whitfield to scoring position.  After Dick Howser popped out to short Frank Chance walked to load the bases and Tito Francona singled home the winning run off of the Angels 8th pitcher of the day, Bob Duliba.
Indians lead series 3-1

Game 3 - Indians 6, Angels 5 (11 inn)

GAME 3 - Municipal Stadium
Fred Newman vs Mudcat Grant
After two one sided affair the fans were treated to an extra inning classic in game 3.  In the top of the 7th Lou Clinton and Lee Thomas had RBI singles off of Gary "Ding Dong" Bell to give the Halos short lived 4-3 lead.  George Brunet served up a lead off homer to Frank Chance to lead off the 7th to tie the score at 4-4.  A stalemate ensued until the top of the 11th when pinch hitter Jim Piersall singled home Charlie Dees, who lead the inning of by taking one for the team.  LA looked to have this one in the bag, but the Tribe was not ready to call it quits just yet.  It looked bleak for the home team when they quickly posted two out after Frank Chance led off the bottom of the 11th with a single.  Woodie Held was given an intentional pass for Don Osinski to face Leon Wagner who singled to right to tie the game.  Don Lee was called on to face light hitting Larry Brown who flared one to right to score Held and give the Tribe a walk off win.  Ted Abernathy would notch the win, but could have easily been the loser if his offense didn't bail him out.
Indians lead series 2-1

Game 2 - Angels 6, Indians 1

GAME 2 - Dodger Stadium
Jack Kralick vs Dean Chance
In 1964 all you needed to do was give Dean Chance 1 run and more often than not  he'd bring home a victory.  Today the Halos gave him 6 runs, while the Tribe could barely muster any offense.  With the score 1-0 after 1 inning the Halos loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 2nd.  Chance, a notoriously poor batsman, executed a perfect squeeze play to make it 2-0.  Jim Piersall's ground out to short scored the second run to make it 3-0.  The Angels would score 3 more in the 5th via Joe Adcock's two bagger and an error by Max Alvis.  Don Lee would pitch an uneventful 9th to close the door and even the series.
Series tied 1-1

1964 ALCS – Game 1 – Indians 5, Angels 0

GAME 1 - Dodger Stadium
Sonny Siebert vs Aubrey Gatewood
Sonny Siebert (6 IP) and Ted Abernathy (3 IP) combined for the save/win as the Tribe scored 5 runs late to walk away with the series opener.  For 6 full innings the only run on the scoreboard came courtesy of a Woodie Held RBI double that scored Chico Salmon in the 5th.  The top of the 7th saw the Indians knock Gatewood out of the box.  Fred Whitfield's 2 out 2 run pinch hit triple made it 3-0.  Joe Adcock's fielding error at first allowed 2 more runs to score as the Tribe cruised home to victory.
Indians lead series 1-0

1964 LCS Round: #1 overall seeded Redbird punch their ticket to the finals with 5 game win over Bucs

Game one The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals continued to play about as well as a team can in overwhelming the Pittsburgh Pirates in five games. Bob Gibson won two of the games, and was magnificent on the hill. Bob Veale was almost as good for the Buccos, but his teammates could not score runs for him as he lost games by 2-1 and 1-0 scores.

The Redbirds took game with a run in the bottom of the ninth to win a 3-2 nail biter. Pinchitter Johnny Lewis opened the frame by working pitcher Tom Butters for a base on balls. Flamboyant Al McBean took over for Butters, facing the potent top of the Cardinal order, speedsters Curt Flood and Lou Brock. And the speed kings prevailed with Flood sigling Lewis to third, and Brock singling home the winning run.

Gibson went the distance, striking out 10 and not issuing a single walk in the contest, scattering seven hits. Willie Stargell touched him for a home run in the fourth. Brock homered earlier in the game for St. Louis.

Game two was another nip and tuck contest, as Curt Simmons and the aforementioned Veale both were dominant. Roberto Clemente hit one over the wall in the fourth to put the Pirates on top. Veale was dominant until the sixth, when Brock singled, Bill White walked, and Kenny Boyer singled to load the bases. Dick Groat, who has been a clutch hitter in the entire tourney so far, then doubled down the left field line to plate Brock and White. Veale then reached back and struck out Tim McCarver and after another walk, got Julian Javier on an infield ground out.

Simmons continued his off speed mastery of the Pirates, when Bill Mazeroski lead off the ninth with a double. Knuckleballer Barney Schultz was summoned from the bullpen to face the heart of the Bucs order. He induced ground outs from Clemente and Stargell, and struck out Bob Bailey with the tying run at third to end the contest.

Game Three As the series shifted to Forbes Field, it looked like the Cardinals may be unbeatable as they jumped all over Vern Law with 2 runs in each of the first two innings to stake starter Roger Craig to a 4-0 lead. But the Bucs climbed off the deck with 3 in the second on a walk to Jim Pagliaroni and a Bailey home run. Then Bill Virdon singled with one out, advanced to second when Law was hit by an errant Craig curve ball, and scored on a single by Mazeroski.

The Pirates tied it in the fifth on a lead off home run by Donn Clendenon, as Law had settled down and blanked the Cardinals since the second. They then took the lead on a Mazeroski single and  Stargell double. An out later Bailey singled Stargell home to make it 6-4. Craig finished the inning, and exited for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.

The Pirates added a run in the eighth to make it 7-4, but the Cardinals started the ninth with a bunt single by Javier off of Law, who was replaced by Butters. Butters then surrendered a pinch hit double by former Pirate Bob Skinner, and a Curt Flood single to make the score 7-5, with the tying runs at second and third and no outs. He then got Lou Brock on an infield pop up, and McBean came on to get White and Boyer to preserve the victory.

Game four saw the Cardinals pound out 18 hits and score twelve times, to offset a shaky start by Ray Sadecki and get a 12-5 win. The Cardinal bullpen put up five innings of scoreless ball. Bill White and Ken Boyer each drove in four runs, and Lou Brock had four hits to improve his tournament average in an incredible .556. Donn Clendenon had four hits for the Pirates, and Roberto Clemente three as the offenses were in charge in this one.

Game five For the potential clincher, the Cards sent ace Gibson to the mound to face Bob Veale, who had struck out 12 Redbirds in game two. This looked to be a classic pitcher's duel, and turned out to be that and then some. Neither team sniffed anything close to a rally through five innings, as the Cardinals and managed only two singles off of Veale, and Gibson had given up nothing to the Buccos.

The Cardinals clawed their way to a run in the sixth as Flood and Brock singled to start the frame, then Bill White grounded out forcing Brock, with Flood moving to third. Ken Boyer then squared one up and almost hit it out, but Stargell caught the ball in the warning track in left, while Flood was able to practically walk home.

On they battled through the ninth, with Gibson taking a no-hitter into the final frame. He started the ninth by striking out Bill Mazeroski. The always tough Roberto Clemente hit a sharp one-hopper to Boyer at third, who threw him out. The one batter standing between Gibson and the no-hitter was Willie Stargell, who foiled the bid and put the Pirates in position to at least tie and maybe win the game with a rocket shot into the gap in right center than rolled to the wall. The young Buc slugger wound up at third with a triple!

Suddenly the tying run was at third, but Gibson would not be denied this game and got Jim Pagliaroni on a fly out to shallow left field to finish with a one-hit shutout. He struck out 11 Pirate batters, giving him 21 Ks in his two starts. Veale matched Gibson, striking out 21 Cardinals in his two starts.

--submitted by Bike Mike Roberts--

1964 Round 2 – Bucs upset Phightins’ in 4

GAME 1 - Connie Mack Stadium
Pirates 2, Phillies 1
Bob Friend vs Jim Bunning
The game remained scoreless until the top of the 4th when the Bucs scored solo runs in successive innings to take a 2-0 lead.  After Stargell's 1 out triple in the 4th, backup catcher Jim Pagliaroni singled to make it 1-0.  Roberto Clemente's 2 out RBI single in the 5th would make it 2-0 and eventually would count as the game winner.  Back to back doubles by Richie Allen and Wes Covington in the bottom of the 6th made it a tight 1 run game again, but Friend would make all the pitches he would need until walking Covington with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.  Al McBean would enter from the pen and get Callison to fly out to left for out number 2.  Clay Dalrymple's 2 out single put runners on the corners as the tension level mounted.  Vic Power, who entered the game in the 7th for defense made his first plate appearance of the game and grounded weakly to short to end it.
Pirates lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - Connie Mack Stadium
Phillies 5, Pirates 3
Gibbon vs Bennett
Gibbon could not protect the 3 run opening salvo his team staked him to.  An error by his  shortstop, Dick Schofield in the bottom of the first allowed it to become a 3-1 game.  Richie Allen's RBI triple in the second made it 3-2 and another Schofield error off of another Tony Gonzalez' slicing grounder tied it a 3-3.  Three consecutive singles, a hit batsman and an error by Gibbon on Bobby Wine's knubber in front of home gave Philly 2 more runs and the lead which they would never relinquish.  All 3 runs given up by Philly starter Dennis Bennett were unearned, but he still managed to go 8 and get the victory.  Cookie Rojas, Richie Allen and Johnny Callison would combine for 6 of Philly's 10 hits.  Bob Bailey would post 3 hits for the team on the short side of the ledger.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - Forbes Field
Pirates 3, Philles 2
Chris Short vs Vern Law
The grizzly old veteran Vern Law outlasted young guy Chris Short on a day where control would be king.  Both teams combined for 14 strikeouts and now bases on balls, which surely is a tournament record for accuracy.  Richie Allen's RBI single in the 6th gave his squad a 2-0 lead.  After Clemente's 1 out triple Willie Stargell lifted a sac fly to center to get Pittsburgh on the board and leave them down by just 1.  Short and reliever Johnny Klippstein could hold down the Bucs, who scored solo runs in each of the next two innings to take a 3-2 lead.  Willie Stargell's solo shot in the 8th would turn out to be the game winner.  McBean would pitch a perfect 9th in relief of "the Deacon".
Pirates lead series 2-1

GAME 3 - Forbes Field
Pirates 5, Philles 3
Art Mahaffey vs Bob Veale
Mahaffey was less than stellar, but his team's offense rallied to try to keep the franchise in the tournament.  With Pittsburgh up 4-1 thanks to a Mazeroski 2 run blast and RBI tallies by Schofield and Veale the Phightins rallied.  Johnny Callison's near miss grand slam in the 6th could have put the Phightins up 5-4.  Instead it counted as a sac fly and made the score 4-2.  Butters, who had to replace the fading Veale got the outs needed to limit the damage to 1.  This would loom large as Ruben Amaro would pinch hit in the 9th and knock in Herrnstein to make it 4-3.  With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out Al McBean would get the call once again and not disappoint.  A weak grounder by Tony Taylor was followed by a series ending line out by Covington.  McBean would notch his 4th save of the tournament.
Pirates win series 3-1

1964 Round 2 - #1 Seed Redbirds sweep Jints

The St. Louis Cardinals took three straight games from the San Francisco Giants in their semi-final 1964 NL tournament series, in what manager Bike Mike called "probably the most complete effort, offensively and defensively, I've ever seen one of my teams have in any KOD or tournament series".

Busch Stadium was the scene for game one. The Cardinals bang out 12 hits, and Ken Boyer drive in four runs, as Bob Gibson went the distance in a 9-1 victory. The Cardinals started the scoring quickly in this one, with Lou Brock drawing a one out walk, followed by a Bill White single, a Boyer double to score Brock, and White scoring on a Tim McCarver ground out.

The Cards added one in the second and three more in fifth with Brock and Boyer homers sandwiched around a White single, to stake Gibson to a 6-0 lead. Gibson pitched into and out of trouble most of the game, but settled in and finished what he started while striking out 10 as the Cardinals coasted to a 9-1 victory.

Jim Duffalo and lefthander Curt Simmons squared off in game two. Both pitchers threw shutout ball through the first three innings. The Redbirds took advantage of Hal Lanier's error on Boyer's grounder leading off the fourth, and two outs later veteran Bob Skinner singled him home for a 1-0 lead.

The Giants countered in the fifth on a lead off single by Jim Davenport, followed by a successful sacrifice bunt by Jay Alou. Jose Pagan pinch hit for Duffalo and single home Davenport.

Billy Pierce threw three shutout innings, and Simmons kept the Giants at "bay", as the score remained tied at 1 entering the bottom of the eight. Bobby Bolin took over the mound chores for San Francisco, facing the Redbirds 3-4-5 men. Bill White worked the count against Bolin and walked, but Bolin got Boyer on strikes. Young Tim McCarver came up, and drove a Bolin fastball deep to right for a clutch two run homer.

Staked to a 2 run lead, Simmons went back out to pitch the ninth, but Jim Ray Hart greeted him with a long home run to left to start the inning, cutting the lead to 1 run. Knuckleballer Barney Schultz was summoned from the Cardinal bullpen, and retired the next three Giants to save it and give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game Three shifted to Candlestick Park, with Giant ace Juan Marichal on the hill against lefty Ray Sadecki. After the Cardinals scored an unearned run in the third, the Giants came back to tie it in the bottom half on a home run by Hal Lanier. 

After a scoreless top of the fourth, Orlando Cepeda greeted Sadecki with a lead off single in the Giant half, and came all the way around to score on a double from veteran catcher Del Crandall. Jay Alou then worked his bat magic for another sacrifice bunt, advancing Crandall to third. Jose Pagan was intentionally passed, but Juan Marichal executed a perfect suicide squeeze, catching the Cardinals off guard, as Crandall charged down the baseline to score, with Pagan taking second. Harvey Kuenn then singled in Pagan to give the Giants a 4-1 lead.

Marichal blanked the Cardinals through the sixth, and it looked like San Francisco would get back into the series with a 4-1 lead, Marichal pitching, and nine outs to get. But the seventh proved unlucky for the home club, as the first four Cardinals reached base with Boyer, McCarver, and Dick Groat all singling, Groat driving in Boyer, and Mike Shannon doubling home McCarver and Groat. Julian Javier then sacrificed Shannon to third. Juan Marichal was then lifted for Japanese lefty Masonori Murakami. Charley James was summoned to pinch hit for Cardinal pitcher Glen Hobbie, who had taken over for Sadecki in the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings of middle relief.

James grounded to second, but Hal Lanier rushed his throw and pulled Cepeda off the bag, allowing Shannon to score the lead run. The inning ended abruptly though as Curt Flood hit into a double play.

Ron Taylor was called on to pitch for the Cardinals, and after striking out Hart to start the inning, hit Cepeda with a pitch, with Crandall then singling. But as they'd done all series, the Cardinals escaped the jam as Taylor induced Jay Alou to hit a sharp grounder to third which Boyer snared and started a 5-4-3 double play.

The Cardinals put three insurance runs on the board in the eighth as Lou Brock singled, then stole second an out later, and scored on Boyer's single. McCarver followed with a single, and Dick Groat doubled home Boyer, and Mike Shannon's sac fly plated McCarver.

That finished the scoring as Taylor finished up with 3 scoreless innings, giving the Cardinal bullpen five scoreless frames in the game, and finished the Giants 8-4.

--submitted by BikeMike Roberts--

1964 Round 1 – Bombers struggle to get past Bosox in 4

GAME 1 - 8/1 - Yankee Stadium
Red Sox 4, Yankees 2
Bob Heffner (7-9, 4.09 vs Whitey Ford (17-6, 2.13)
A colossal mismatch on paper yet the relatively unheard of Bob Haffner one upp-ed the winningest pitcher in World Series history.  Felix Mantilla' two run dinger in the first off of Whitey Ford gave the Sahx a quick 2-0 lead.  Heffner gave up a lead off triple to slow footed Elston Howard to lead off the bottom of the 2nd.  Roger Maris line shot to right would easily score Howard to make it 2-1.  New York could not capitalize any further even though Joe Pepitone would single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.  Lee Thomas a .115 hitter vs lefties would single home Mantilla to make it 3-1 in the 5th.  Dr. Strangeglove, Dick Stuart's RBI poke would make it 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th.  Arnold Early, who came on with 1 out in the 8th was able to get the first 2 batters out easily.  Clete Boyer refused to become the final out of the contest and got on board with an excuse me single to right.  Pinch hitter Hector Lopez would single home Boyer to make it 4-2, so Dick Radatz was called upon to bring the heat.  Johnny "Doc" Blanchard's pinch hit stint would end in a weak fly to left to end the game.
Red Sox lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - 8/2
Yankees 5, Red Sox 3
Bill Monbouquette (13-14, 4.04) vs Jim Bouton (18-13, 3.02)
If you lose your home opener in a 5 game set, game #2 automatically becomes a "must"  game.  New York went to their 25 year old phenom, the Bulldog, Jim Bouton.  The man who loses his hat after every pitch won 23 games last year and 18 this season to kind of supplant Ford as the go to guy.  New York would give Bouton 3 quick runs in the bottom of the first.  Tommy Tresh would walk with the bases loaded and Brooklyn's own Joe Pepitone would single Mantle and Maris (both walked) home to make it 3-0.  Back to back doubles by Tony C and Dr. Strangeglove made it a 3-1 ball game after 2.  Both teams would exchange solo tallies in the 4th to make it 4-2 New York.  Mantilla would hit a sac fly to score Yaz in the 5th to again make it a 1 run ball game, but New York would answer right back with Richardson doing the same to score Pepi.  Bouton would pitch into the 8th, but leave after getting Bob Tillman to pop out for the second out of the inning.  Bob Meyer would be brought in for the lefty/lefty matchup vs Lee Thomas, but Boston would go to their bench and bring in righty Lou Clinton, who would single.  With runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 outs Hal Reniff was brought in to get Frank Malzone, who popped out to Mantle in center.  Reniff would give up a lead off double to Russ Nixon to start the 9th and once again put the pressure on the Yankees to hold off Boston.  Bressoud fanned on 3 pitches and Bud Daley came in to face Yaz.  New York's lefty reliever got the best of Boston's young lefty slugger.  Pete Ramos struck out Mantilla swinging to end this nail biter.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - 8/4 - Fenway Park
Yankees 3, Red Sox 2
Mel Stottlemyre (9-3, 2.06) vs Earl Wilson (11-12, 4.49)
Once again New York would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first.  Earl Wilson was wild.  Phil Linz and Mickey Mantle walked with one out.  When Ellie Howard grounded out to short for out number 2 it looked like Wilson would escape his malapropos.  The "true" single season home run record holder Roger Maris had something to say about that. Raj creamed a 2-1 pitch that sliced into the left center bleachers to make it 3-0.  New York's 22 year old whiz kid, Mel Stottlemyre, who singlehandedly saved NY's season, felt some early game jitters.  Mel put a 3-1 pitch over the heart of the plate and Boston's backstop Bob Tillman crushed it over the Green Monstah to make it a 3-2 game after 2 innings of play.  Most fans braced themselves for a wild high scoring event.  Misters Stottlemyre and Wilson would have nothing of it and both proceeded to post goose eggs on the scoreboard the rest of the way.  Wilson would go 7 innings and not allow a run after he gave up 3 in the first.  Stotts would leave the game with runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 out in the 8th.  Hal Reniff would make one pitch, which Tony C turned on and hit a missile to Boyer at third.  Mere mortals don't make that play, but Boyer makes the hot corner look like a walk in the park.  Boyer scooped up the ball and threw a pea over to Pepi at first to end Boston's rally, but not their day.  The Bosox were not about to go down without a fight.  Stuart led off the bottom of the 9th with a double off the Monstah off of Pete Ramos, who was poised to close it out.  New York's late season acquisition got his affairs in order quickly and fanned Tillman and got Thomas and Malzone to ground out weakly.
Yankees lead series 2-0

GAME 4 - 8/5
Yankees 4, Red Sox 3
Rollie Sheldon (5-2, 3.61) vs Dave Morehead (8-15, 4.97)
After The Mick and Roger Maris hit homers in the 4th the Bombers were up 4-0 and looked to put this game away.  Boston rallied for two in the bottom of the 4th when Dick Stuart took Rollie Sheldon deep.  Sheldon would give up an RBI single to Stuart in the 5th to make it a 1 run ball game, but the Bosox could never push across the tying run to stay alive in the series.  Sheldon was done after 7 innings and a chance to win the game.  Pete Mikkelsen, Bud Daley and Hal Renif combined to shutout the Bosox over the final 3 innings with Renif notching the save.  Maris was swinging the bat like it was 1961 all over again in this series by posting 3 homers, including 2 today.
Yankees win series 3-1

1964 Round 1: Twins rally back to upset Chisox in 5

Harmon Killebrew	Zolio Versalles	Joe Horlen	Ron Hansen	Al Worthington

In Game 1, Twin's LF Harmon Killebrew set the stage for what would be an exciting match up between the 1964 Twins and Chicago White Sox. Harmon crushed an improbably 2-out 9th inning HR in game 1 off CWS closer Hoyt Wilhelm to send the game into extra innings where the Twins would win 10-8 on a big 10th inning hit by Bob Allison.

Game 2 went into the 12th inning tied at 3. After 11 innings of excellent pitching the White Sox finally cracked to allow 5 runs in the 12th to send Minnesota home happy 8-3. Twins Zolio Versalles had the big hit in the extra frame, he looks to be a contender for the AL MVP in 1965, we will have to keep an eye on that.

Down 2 games to 0, the Chicago White Sox battled back on the backs of starting Pitchers Joe Horlen and John Buzhardt to tie the series at 2 games a piece. With the Sox winning game 3, 5 to 1, key was a Minnie Minoso clutch Home Run. The Southsider's Buzhardt got 4 hits, and Ron Hansen nearly hit for the cycle while driving home 5 runs in the CWS 10-4 win.

Game 5 saw Camilo Pascual take the hill and turn in a solid outing while Chicago ace Gary Peters was a bit rough with his control, as he was in game 1. The AL Powerhouses battled to a 4-4 tie through six innings. Peters gave up two of those runs on a passed ball and wild pitch. He led the AL in wild pitches in 1964, and this was a tough game to show off that distinction. Peters had walked 6 though 6 innings and Al Lopez had seen enough, he brought on Fred Kreutzer, the lefty who walks only 4.3 per nine, but alas, here in the deciding game of the playoffs, he'd walk the bases loaded without getting a out. Luckily CWS relievers Don Mossi and Hoyt Wilhelm came on to save face and only allow the Twins 2 runs in that fateful inning. Minnesota moved on to the 8th inning on the road with only 6-4 lead. The White Sox failed to get much going against Minnesota relievers Johnny Klippenstein and Al Worthington, the later of which saved the game for his second save of the 5-game series. Minnesota wins the game 6-4 and the series 3 games to 2.
--submitted by Mike Johnson--

1964 Round 1 – Bucs upset Reds in 5

Frank Robinson	Bob Bailey	Willie Stargell	Joey Jay	Gene Alley

Game 1 - Pittsburgh 2 Cincinnati 3 (Veale vs. Maloney)
Four Pirate errors were the key stat in this game.  Pittsburgh lead 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Bob Bailey booted a Boros grounder and he ended up on 2nd base.  Pinch hitter Marty Keough singled Boros home, then first basemen Donn Clendenon misplayed a Harper bunt putting runners at 1st and 2nd.  Pete Rose singled to load the bases and Frank Robinson hit a sac fly for the game winner.

Game 2 - Pittsburgh 6 Cincinnati 3 (Friend vs. O'Toole)
The Reds lefty did not have it today as the Pirates touched him up for 5 runs on 7 hits in 6-1/3 innings.  Bob Bailey was 3 for 4 with a homerun, a double and 2 RBI's and Roberto Clemente was 2 for 5 with a triple and 2 RBI's.  Bob Friend game up 1 run and 7 hits in his 6 innings of work, before giving way to Al McBean who finished the game off.

Game 3 - Cincinnati 2 Pittsburgh 3 (Purkey vs. Gibbon)
Cincinnati jumped on Joe Gibbon for 2 runs in the top of the 1st thanks to Johnny Edwards 2 run double.  Bob Purkey made those 2 runs stand giving up no runs and only 3 hits through 7 innings.  In the bottom of the 8th, Bill Virdon reached on a Deron Johnson error.  Gibbon bunted him to 2nd and Clendenon popped to third for the 2nd out.  Clemente then singed home Virdon and 'Pop' Stargell followed that with a 2 run shot that gave Pittsburgh a come from behind win.

Game 4 - Cincinnati 5 Pittsburgh 1 (Jay vs. Law)
Joey Jay took the hill as the Reds faced elimination and he responded with a big game.  Jay scattered 5 hits and gave up only 1 run on a 2nd inning homer by Bill Mazeroski. to notch the win.  Cincinnati supported Jay with 2 runs in the 2nd on a 2 run single by Steve Boros, and 3 runs in the 6th keyed by a 2 RBI double from Johnny Edwards.

Game 5 - Pittsburgh 5 Cincinnati 4 (Veale vs. Maloney)
A rematch of game one saw Pittsburgh score in the top of the 1st on an RBI single by Jim Pagliaroni.  In the bottom of the 3rd, the Reds struck back with 3 runs on hits by Frank Robinson (1 RBI) and Vada Pinson (2 RBIs).  The Pirates pulled to within 1 run when Willie Stargell launched his 2nd homerun of the series.  Cincinnati got that run back in the bottom of the 7th on Pete Rose's RBI single to take a 4-2 lead into the 8th.  Just as in game 3, the wheels came off for the Reds in the 8th.  After Clendenon singled, moved to 2nd on a wild pitch, and Clemente singled him to third, Bill Henry came on to face Stargell.  Stargell hit a sac fly to right to score Clendenon and Bailey grounded into what looked like a routine double play, but he beat Rose's throw to first.  With two outs, Pagliaroni, Mazeroski, and Gene Alley all singled bringing in 2 more runs and giving the Pirates a 5-4 lead.  Al McBean breezed through the final 2 innings to send Pittsburgh on to face Philadelphia.  A particular note in the series was the fact that the Reds who hit more homeruns during the regular season than Pittsburgh, had none in the series while the Pirates had 5.

--submitted by Brandon Hayes (CIN)--