Aug. 15, 1964 - The Phillies are rapidly becoming famous for their first-inning fireworks. The National League leaders, who have scored in their first time at bat in seven of their last eight victories, exploded for six runs in the opening frame today and coasted to an 8-1 victory over the Mets before 31,324 at Shea Stadium.
The high-flying Phils, with 14 victories in their last 18 games, thus retained their four-game margin over the second-place Giants in what appears to be developing more and more into a two-team pennant race.
Four errors by the last-place Mets, two in the opening inning, and the Phils’ second triple play of the season helped Philadelphia beat the New Yorkers for the 15th time in 17 meetings this season. The loss was the 82nd of the season for the Mets and eliminated them from the National League race.
This has been John Boozer’s weekend. Last night, the Phillies’ tobacco-chewing right-hander didn’t have much to do in the bullpen at Shea. So, he caught a bird.
The fun-loving South Carolinian carried his prize catch into the Phillies’ clubhouse, where it wound up in manager Gene Mauch’s office.
“I don’t know what kind of bird it was,” Boozer said before trudging back to the bullpen today, “but I’ll bet it was a rare one.”
Before the end of the day, Boozer caught another rare object — a triple-play line drive off the bat of Mets leadoff man Bobby Klaus.
In the second inning, Phillies starter Ray Culp gave hits to Chris Cannizzaro and Roy McMillan before being replaced by Boozer. Jack Fisher, the Mets’ starter and loser, greeted Boozer with a smash to the box. When Boozer was unable to field the ball, Cannizzaro scored New York’s only run.
“It hit me right there,” said Boozer afterward, pointing to a red mark above his right wrist. “If I’d thrown home, we’d have had Cannizzaro easy,” Boozer said, “but when I went to grab the ball, I knocked it between my legs. I just couldn’t grab it.”
As a result, the Mets had a run home with Roy McMillan on second base, Fisher on first, and nobody out. The stage was set.
Klaus hit the ball firmly. Boozer plucked it with his gloved hand, turned to see how far Fisher had strayed off first, then whirled and fired to shortstop Ruben Amaro to easily double McMillan off second. Amaro’s relay to first baseman Frank Thomas nipped Fisher, who didn’t bother to slide.
“Boozer had it in his mind he’d go to second on a ground ball,” explained Thomas afterward. “It happened to be a line drive instead.”
“You don’t often see two triple plays in one year,” remarked manager Mauch. The Phillies’ first, at Houston on May 17, pulled Chris Short out of a jam.
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