Sept. 29, 1964 - It’s all tied up.
The Cincinnati Reds were knocked back into a first-place tie tonight with the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League pennant race by the Pittsburgh Pirates, as 34-year-old Bob Friend edged 20-year-old Billy McCool, 2-0, in a brilliant mound duel at Crosley Field.
The spirited battle came to decision only after two men had been retired in the ninth inning, when Bill Mazeroski (pictured) slashed a two-run, bases-loaded single just out of reach of shortstop Chico Cardenas, while a stunned crowd of 10,858 looked on. The Reds left 11 men on base.
The Reds had won nine in a row and 13 out of their last 14 decisions starting Sept. 16 at Chicago. The one loss during this span also was suffered by McCool when he was a shutout victim, 2-0, by Ray Sadecki and the Cardinals.
The 4-2 victory tonight by St. Louis over the fading Phillies, who are now running third in the three-club race, brought about a 91-67 tie by the two pacesetters and the added threat of another playoff.
The two leaders have four games left to play. Philadelphia, 1½ games back, plays two of them this weekend at Crosley Field. Cincinnati, beaten 9 times in 16 games with the Pirates, have two left with Danny Murtaugh’s lads.
The Bucs cracked the scoreless tie with two runs in the ninth as they chased McCool.
Bob Bailey opened with a single. Bill Virdon, after failing on two attempts to sacrifice, became McCool’s fifth strikeout victim. But Roberto Clemente followed with a double off the centerfield fence, with Bailey stopping at third.
For a second, it seemed Vada Pinson would catch the ball. But it took off, striking the wall several feet above the centerfielder’s head and rebounding 30 feet. Gene Freese was intentionally walked. McCool got Donn Clendenon to foul out to catcher Johnny Edwards, but Mazeroski, first-ball hitting, drilled a single just out of the reach of Cardenas, scoring Bailey and Clemente.
McCool, lifted for John Tsitouris at this point, was given a standing ovation by the crowd.
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