‘67 Cards take 3 of 4 from ‘69 Amazin’s

Game 1 at New York; St. Louis 9, New York 1

With threatening skies, the ’67 Cardinals and ’69 Mets tangled in game one of a four game set, and first of two in the Big Apple. Cardinal killer Tom Seaver, who as a ’75 Met dominated the 1956 Cardinals in KOD9, was matched against former Met Al Jackson in the series opener.

Despite the presence of the great Seaver, the Cardinals were not in awe as Lou Brock promptly put the gray clad visitors in front with a home run to left center leading off the game. The Redbirds added another run in the third on three consecutive singles, and a sac fly by Curt Flood.

The Mets cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Jackson walked Al Weis leading off the inning, Seaver sacrificed him to second, and after a Tommie Agee ground out, Buddy Harrelson singled him home.

The Cardinals added 3 in the fifth when with two men on, Orlando Cepeda crushed his first home run of the year. Jackson continued to pitch brilliantly as the Cardinals tacked on another run in seventh, then touched reliever Jack DiLauro for three more in the eighth.

Another former Met, Jack Lamabe came on in the 8^th for St. Louis, and finished up.

Game 2 at New York; St Louis 5, New York 2

Again skies threatened rain as the two clubs squared off for game two of the series. This was an all lefty affair on the mound, as Steve Carlton made his second start of the year for St. Louis, matching up with Jerry Koosman of the Mets. Carlton’s first start was aborted when an injury forced him from the hill in the third inning of his first start against the ’71 Pirates.

The Cardinals again started fast, plating 3 runs in the top of the first, but this time it took two batters before they homered. After Brock flew out to Agee in center to start the game, Curt Flood put a Koosman change up into the bleachers in left. New York fans gave Roger Maris, who did not play in the first game, a nice round of applause as he stepped up to the plate after the Flood homer. Roger then showed he still has something left by doubling to the alley in right center. Orlando Cepeda then made it two homers in two days, hitting one out to make it 3-0 Cards.

The two lefthanders then settled in and allowed no further scoring for the next five innings, although Carlton in particular seemed to be affected by a 33 minute rain delay in the 5^th and was lifted after 6 innings of two hit pitching.

Another lefty, Joe Hoerner, kept it going for the Cardinals pitching a scoreless seventh, while Koosman again blanked the Cards in the bottom half.

After yet another lefty, Jack DiLauro pitched a scoreless eighth, the Mets finally saw a righthander and immediately went to work. Nelson Briles, who struggled in the opening series against Pittsburgh, had his troubles again as he gave up three hits and two runs, including a run scoring double by Cleon Jones, then a single by Donn Clendenon that plated Jones.

With the score now 3-2 in the ninth, the Cards added two big insurance runs as Julian Javier greeted new Met hurler Cal Koonce with a home run to start the inning, and Curt Flood hit a two-out run scoring single to score Dave Ricketts, who had singled and was bunted over to second.

Ron Willis came on to notch the save with a scoreless ninth.

Game 3 in St. Louis; New York 2, St. Louis 6

As the two clubs ventured west just past the newly constructed Gateway Arch, they saw sunny skies and warm weather for the first time in the series. The Mets sent righthander Gary Gentry to the mound while the Cardinals countered with a righty of their own, Dick Hughes. Hughes, a 29 year old rookie, was making his first start after an impressive relief effort in which he earned a win in his first outing, picking up in the game where Steve Carlton was injured at Pittsburgh.

The Mets threatened in the first on a two-out double by Cleon Jones, and after a wild pitch sent him to third, Hughes walked Art Shamsky. But Ed Kranepool just got under a pitch to fly out to Maris in deep right, ending the inning.

For the third straight game a Cardinal outfielder homered in the first. This time it was Bobby Tolan’s turn, as he hammered a one out solo shot over the right field wall to put the Cards on top 1-0.

Tolan then stepped up in the third inning and did the same thing, providing all of the scoring to that point as it was 2-0 Cardinals. After Hughes blanked the Mets in the fourth, the Cardinals added three more on three hits and a walk, a Lou Brock two-run single being the big blow.

Hughes was touched for single runs in the fifth and sixth, both innings started by home runs, the fifth by catcher JC Martin and the sixth by Jones. Orlando Cepeda also homered for the Cardinals, his third in three games. Thus the game featured five circuit shots, all of them of the solo variety.

Hughes went the distance for the win, scattering 7 hits and striking out 6.

Game Four in St. Louis; New York 6, St, Louis 4

The Mets, facing a sweep, send veteran Don Cardwell to the hill in game four, the Cardinals countering with Ray Washburn. Cardwell had once thrown a no-hitter at the Redbirds as a member of the Chicago Cubs in 1960.

In what might be some sort of record, the Cardinals had an outfielder hit a solo home run in the first inning for the fourth straight game. This time it was by the man who used to specialize in the long ball, Roger Maris, who did the trick.

Maris’ homer was the only scoring until the fourth when each club put three runs on the board. The Mets took the lead off of Washburn in their half, scoring three as Ken Boswell started the inning with a double, and a single by Cleon Jones moved Boswell to third. It looked like Washburn might get out of the inning unscathed though, as he got Art Shamsky to pop up and Ed Kranepool to line out to Javier at second. But Jerry Grote hit a big two out double scoring both Boswell and Jones, and then shortstop Bud Harrelson singled home Grote.

The Cardinals three runs also scored with two outs, and in similar fashion as Julian Javier doubled home two, and shortstop Dal Maxvill singled in Javier.

The game remained tied entering the ninth. Ron Willis was on the hill for the Cardinals, as Tommie Agee lead off with a single. Ken Boswell popped up, but Cleon Jones worked Willis for a walk. Art Shamksy then singled, but Agee had to hold up at third, loading the bases. It looked like Willis might get out of the mess unharmed as he bore down and struck out Donn Clendenon. But that man Grote again came through with two outs, singling home Agee and Jones.

The Cardinals had a shot in the last of the ninth off of Tug  McGraw, as Lou Brock singled, stole second, and went to third on Curt Flood’s single. With the tying runs on and no outs, McGraw got pinch-hitter Ed Spiezio to pop up, struck out Cepeda on a nasty screw ball, then got McCarver to line out back to the box to end it.

--submitted by Mike “Bike Mike” Roberts--