Sept. 24, 1964 - What was regarded as almost a runaway for the Phillies just a week ago suddenly has turned into a four-team National League pennant race.
The Cardinals took the boldest step among the contenders with a doubleheader victory over the Pirates at Forbes Field today, 4-2 and 4-0. Now, they are just 3½ games from the lead and breathing hard on the necks of the second-place Reds, who trail the Phils by three. Even the fourth-place Giants have a stake in this battle to the wire. They are 4½ games back.
In Philadelphia tonight, the Phillies absorbed their fourth straight loss as Joe Torre of the Braves hit a pair of triples for three runs in a 5-3 victory.
“I said in the spring this race wouldn’t be decided until the final week, and that’s what is going to happen,” manager Johnny Keane said in a somewhat subdued but happy Cardinal clubhouse.
“Of the teams chasing the Phils, the Giants have the best of the schedule. They have nine games left, all with the Colts and Cubs,” Keane added. Left unsaid was the fact that the Redbirds and Reds still have shots to take at the Phillies.
The Cards take on the Phils in St. Louis Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and if the Cards are close then, that could be the big series.
“We would have felt better if we had won the final game against the Mets Wednesday,” Dick Groat pointed out. “Then we’d be just 2½ games out and in second place right now. But we’re happy the way things broke for us here.”
The Pirates were overmatched in the pitching department. Bob Gibson gained his 17th victory in the opener and fanned 11 Pirates. Then Ray Sadecki, who stood 0-3 against the Bucs, ripped them with a five-hit shutout in the nightcap and mowed down 10 on strikes. Sadecki completely handcuffed Willie Stargell, getting him four straight times swinging.
Curt Flood and Lou Brock (pictured) always appeared to be on base in the opener. They had six hits between them. Brock is batting an even .500 against the Pirates, Flood .370.
Donn Clendenon ruined Gibson’s shutout bid with a two-run homer into the right-field seats in the seventh inning and gave the slim turnout of 2,846 fans a chance to cheer. Nevertheless, Gibson became the National League strikeout leader with 232, passing Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax and bettering the Cardinal single-season record of 225, set by Sam Jones in 1958.
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