July 25, 1964 - Their biggest inning of the season left the Phillies with only some sighs about what have been today at Connie Mack Stadium. The National League leaders scored seven runs in the ninth inning but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-9, before a screaming crowd of 23,434.
The Phillies, who held a 2-0 lead after four innings, fell eight runs behind as Ken Boyer knocked in five runs for the Cards with a pair of homers, including a grand slam off loser Dennis Bennett (pictured) in the fifth.
Ed Roebuck gave up Boyer’s second homer in the seven, and Dallas Green yielded two runs in both the eighth and ninth frames. At the time, those last four runs looked like window-dressing, but they proved mighty important when the Phils mounted their big rally. Green’s ineffectiveness resulted in his being optioned to the Phillies’ Little Rock farm club after the game.
The uprising by the home club in the final inning was due more to the wildness of Cardinal pitchers than to the hitting by the Phillies, who had four singles in the rally.
Curt Simmons, the veteran southpaw who has made life miserable for the Phillies ever since they released him in May 1960, was rolling along toward an easy victory when he ran out of gas, giving up a single, two walks, and two more singles at the start of the home ninth.
Two relief pitchers failed to stem the tide before southpaw Mike Cuellar finally retired the Phils on a double play and an infield pop.
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