Sept. 26, 1964 - The rampaging Reds today ripped off the seventh straight victory before 14,265 fans at Shea Stadium in their mad last-minute pursuit of the folding Phillies to move to within a half-length of the top of the National League. They achieved it via their 6-1 romp over the obliging Mets, who went down under the 14-hit Cincy attack and the stifling relief of Bill McCool, 20-year-old phenom who picked up for John Tsitouris (pictured). Between them, 14 Mets fanned.
Met starter Dennis Ribant was nicked for a rough run in the second. A single by Deron Johnson plus a force had Johnny Edwards on first with one down when Marty Keough drove to left-center. New York leftfielder George Altman undershot the ball, and it flew over his leap for a run-scoring double.
Two frames later, Altman missed one outright to start the Reds on their way to three more runs. Frank Robinson’s liner to left slapped into George’s glove and out for a two-base boo-boo. There followed four straight hits off Ribant. One, a double off the right-center wall by Edwards, knocked in a run, then Keough’s sliced single to left drove in two more, and it was 4-0.
The Mets were making mild threats at Tsitouris during the early going, but his strikeout pitch was keeping them from scoring. They finally cracked through for a run in the fifth when, after two outs, Bobby Klaus walked and buzzed home on Ed Kranepool’s double down the left field line.
Cincinnati restored the margin to four runs in the seventh as Pete Rose led with a hit to right, moved up on Ruiz’s bunt, and came in on Vada Pinson’s scorcher to right.
The Reds picked up an insurance run in the ninth on a single, a two-base passed ball, and a wild pitch.
In Philadelphia, meanwhile, the Phillies blew a one-run lead in the ninth in dropping a 6-4 decision to the Braves for their sixth straight loss in as many days. This dropped them back into a dead tie with the Reds in the all-important loss column. Each club has lost 66 games.
Cardinals beat the Pirates at Forbes Field, 6-3, and now sit 1½ games out of first place.
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