1965 Round 1: Bucs hold off Phightin’s in 5

GAME 1 - Forbes Field
Jim Bunning vs Bob Veale
Pirates 6, Phillies 1
A 12 hit, 6 run attack chased Jim Bunning from the hill by the end of the 5th inning.  Bob Veale was strong in striking out 10 in 7 1/3 innings of work.  Al McBean finished off the final 5 outs with a perfect line.  The great Roberto Clemente was the story of the day going 2 for 4 with 4 RBI and a run scored.  Clemente had a double and a homer to pace he Buc offense.
Pirates lead series 1-0

 

GAME 2 - Forbes Field
Ray Culp vs Vern Law
Philles 7, Pirates 5
Ray Culp had the Pirates offense firmly under control until they solved his mystery in the 8th with 3 runs.  The Bucs would add 2 more runs in the 9th, but come up short thanks to the Phightin's 7 run output vs an ineffective Law (6 IP / 6 ER).  Clemente again paced the Bucs with a 5 for 5 day, but even his greatness could not dig the Bucs out of the hole Law burried them in.  Every Philly starter except catcher Clay Dalrymple had a hit.  Centerfielder Tony Gonzalez homered and Tony Taylor had a double and a triple + 3 RBI's from the lead off spot.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - Shibe Park
Don Cardwell vs Chris Short
Phillies 4, Pirates 1
Lefty Chris Short was masterful scattering 7 hits and allowing just 1 unearned run in a rock solid complete game effort.  Short fanned 13 Pirate batters, which included everyone in the lineup except veteran shortstop Andre Rodgers.  The Phightin's jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st and never looked back.  Tony Taylor led off the game with a homer and Wes Covington and Tony Gonzalez added RBI single.  Bobby Wine's squeeze bunt in the 8th scored Gonzalez for the 4th run.
Phillies lead series 2-1

GAME 4 - Shibe Park
Bob Veale vs Jim Bunning
Pirates 9, Phillies 2 

In a rematch of Game 1 starters fans were treated to almost the same exact result.  Bob Veale again pitched well (CG / 3H /2R / 7k) and Jim Bunning once again did not (5 runs in 6 innings).  The Bucs attacked Bunning with 3 big runs in the top of the first.  Catcher Jim Pagliaroni singled home Donn Clendenon with 1 out and Bob Bailey singled home Clemente and Pags with 2 out to post the 3-spot.  Philly scratched out 2 runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 1 run game, but the Bucs got 2 in the 5th, 1 in the 7th and 3 in the 9th to blow the game wide open.  Donn Clendenon, batting leadoff and playing 1st, had a 3 for 4 day and scored 2 runs.  Young Willie Stargell went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI's and his first homer of the tourny.
Series tied 2-2

GAME 5 - Forbes Field
Ray Culp vs Vern Law
Pirates 7, Phillies 6
The hometown fans were not disappointed by the results of this decisive game 5.  Sure they were scared out of their wits as the Bucs were forced to hang on for dear life after all but blowing a 7-2 lead by allowing 4 unearned runs in the 7th.  Thankfully the Bucs had relief specialist Roy Face in their pen.  Arguably the best reliever of his era, “The Barron”  came out of the pen and shut the door on the Phils comeback.  Face tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just 1 baserunner over that span.  Gene Alley and Willie Stargell both had 3 hit days, with Stargell hitting his second home in as many days.  Tony Gonzalez had 2 roundtrippers for the Phils, who rallied to fight their way back from certain defeat only to come up a tad short.
Pirates win series 3-2