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Thursday, September 4, 1969

Both the Cubs and Mets had off today as they return home from their recent road trips.

NL EAST STANDINGS

Team Name                        W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Chicago Cubs                    84   53    1  .613     -   640  487
New York Mets                   77   56    0  .579   5.0   526  480
Pittsburgh Pirates              71   61    0  .538  10.5   590  552
St. Louis Cardinals             72   63    0  .533  11.0   498  464
Philadelphia Phillies           54   79    0  .406  28.0   548  607
Montreal Expos                  41   95    0  .301  42.5   495  688

Wednesday, September 3, 1969

Jim Maloney two-hit the Chicago Cubs at Crosley Field today. Oscar Gamble was the only Cubs player to reach second base when he walked later advanced on  Don Kessinger’s single. Bill Hands pitched well but took the loss by giving up a two-run homer to Alex Johnson in the fourth inning.

Reds 2, Cubs 0.  W: Maloney (8-4)  L: Hands (16-12)

Trailing 4-0, the Mets rallied to tie the game on a pair of two-run homers from Tommie Agee and Don Clendenon off Claude Osteen in the eighth. But Jack DiLauro surrendered a double to Willie Davis that scored Maury Wills with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Dodgers 5, Mets 4.  W: Mikkelsen (7-3)  L: DiLauro (1-4)

***

NL EAST STANDINGS

                                               W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    84   53    1  .613     -  
New York Mets                  77   56    0  .579   5.0  

Tuesday, September 2, 1969

The Chicago Cubs completed one win and then won a complete game.

The June 15 game at Crosley Field between the Reds and Cubs had been suspended after 7 innings with the Cubs leading 5-4.  The game was resumed today in Cincinnati, and Ken Johnson kept things status quo by pitching two shutout innings. Paul Popvich’s home run and three RBI back in June proved to be the difference.

For the day’s originally scheduled game, Fergie Jenkins gave up two runs and struck out seven in nine full innings. Don Kessinger doubled and homered, and both Glenn Beckert and rookie Oscar Gamble had two hits and three RBI. Pete Rose was 3 for 4 for Cincinnati. The two official wins on the day increased Chicago’s division lead to five full games.

Cubs 6, Reds 5 (1).  W: Nye (3-5) L: Arrigo (2-6) SV: Johnson (2)

Cubs 8, Reds 2 (2).  W: Jenkins (19-11)  L: Cloninger (9-15)

The Mets built a lead against the host Dodgers thanks to two home runs by slugger Don Clendenon and three hits from Ken Boswell.  New York starter Gary Gentry lasted into the ninth, when Los Angeles mounted a comeback that fell one run short when Tug McGraw came on to strike out Willie Davis with men on first and third.

Mets 5, Dodgers 4.  W: Gentry (10-11)  L: Sutton (15-13)  SV: McGraw (10)

***

NL EAST STANDINGS

                                              W    L    T   PCT    GB  
Chicago Cubs                    84   52    1  .618     - 
New York Mets                  77   55    0  .583   5.0 

Sunday, August 31, 1969

The Cubs completed a series sweep of the Braves as both teams combined for 22 hits on Sunday. Glenn Beckert went 4 for 5, Billy Williams had a 3-run homer, and winning pitcher Ken Holtzman rapped a 2-run homer and an RBI single to lead Chicago’s charge.

Cubs 8, Braves 4.  W: Holtzman (16-8)  L: Niekro (18-12)

The Mets split a doubleheader at Candlestick. Tom Seaver cruised in game one, shutting out the Giants. Ron Swoboda and Jerry Grote each drove in two runs in a five-run 4th. Bud Harrelson and Rod Gaspar both had two hits, and Al Weis drove in a pair.

In game two, the Mets tied it with two runs in the 7th but then lost when Ron Taylor walked Dave Marshall with the bases loaded in the 11th. Jim McAndrew started and gave up just two runs in nine innings pitched.

Mets 8, Giants 0 (1). W: Seaver (19-7)  L: McCormick (9-8)

Giants 3, Mets 2 (2, 11 inn.). W: Linzy (13-6)  L: McGraw (7-3)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB  
Chicago Cubs                   82   52    1  .612     -  
New York Mets                  76   54    0  .585   4.0

Saturday, August 30, 1969

The Cubs held on to take a second game of a weekend series in Atlanta. Handed a 3-0 lead, Chicago starter Dick Selma got just two outs and gave up two runs before Leo Durocher pulled him in favor of Ken Johnson. The veteran Johnson earned his first win of the season by going 5 1/3 before handing things over to Phil Regan. Don Kessinger and Billy Williams had two hits, one run, and one RBI apiece, and Ernie Banks struck a two-run homer, his 21st of the season.

Cubs 5, Braves 4.  W: Johnson (1-2)  L: Reed (13-9)  SV: Regan (15)

Don Clendenon hit a 10th-inning home run off Gaylord Perry and Tug McGraw finished off the game with two scoreless frames to put the Mets over the Giants.  Ken Boswell had three hits and scored twice for New York, who got 7 1/3 strong innings from starter Don Cardwell.

Mets 3, Giants 2.  W: McGraw (7-2)  L: Perry (16-11)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    81   52    1  .609     -  
New York Mets                   75   53    0  .586   3.5

Friday, August 29, 1969

Bill Hands outdueled Pat Jarvis in Atlanta to give the Cubs their second consecutive win. Don Kessinger went 3 for 4 and scored once, Ron Santo went 2 for 4, and Jim Hickman hit his 17th home run of the year.

Cubs 2, Braves 1.  W: Hands (16-11) L: Jarvis (10-9)

Gary Gentry got off to a rough start in San Francisco and gave up four runs in the first inning, including three on a home run by Bobby Bonds. His counterpart, Juan Marichal, dominated the Mets in yielding just four hits while striking out seven. Bobby Pfeil was 2 for 4 for New York.

Giants 5, Mets 0.  W: Marichal (16-9)  L: Gentry (9-11)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Chicago Cubs                    80   52    1  .606     -   614  471
New York Mets                   74   53    0  .583   3.5   498  456

Thursday, August 28, 1969

Billy Williams went 2 for 3 with a home run and both Glenn Beckert and Ron Santo had two hits as the Cubs snapped their losing streak by beating the Reds.  Fergie Jenkins was dominant, striking out eight while allowing just five baserunners, all on singles.

Cubs 3, Reds 1.  W: Jenkins (18-11)  L: Arrigo (2-6)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    79   52    1  .603     -  
New York Mets                   74   52    0  .587   2.5  

Wednesday, August 26, 1969

Jerry Koosman dominated the punchless San Diego lineup, limiting the Padres to just two hits, one on Ollie Brown’s solo shot, across nine innings as the Mets won for the sixth time in a row and twelfth in thirteen games.  Koosman also singled and scored on Cleon Jones two-run double in the third inning.

With the Cubs losing, the Mets moved to within just two games of Chicago and are now tied in the loss column.

Mets 4, Padres 1.  W: Koosman (12-8)  L: Kirby (3-18)

***

Alex Johnson and Lee May each had two hits and a home run, combining for five RBI, as the Reds beat up on Ken Holtzman and the Cubs. Ron Santo hit his 27th home run of the season. Chicago has now lost four straight.

Reds 6, Cubs 3.  W: Cloninger (9-14)  L: Holtzman (15-8)  SV: Carroll (7) 

NL EAST                               W    L    T   PCT    GB 
Chicago Cubs                    78   52    1  .600     -  
New York Mets                  74   52    0  .587   2.0

Tuesday, August 26, 1969

The surging New York Mets swept a doubleheader from the San Diego Padres to move within just three games of the first place Cubs and just one behind Chicago in the loss column.

In the first game, Don Clendenon struck a two-run homer and Ron Swoboda added his own roundtripper. Tommie Agee and Bobby Pfeil both had two hits and Cleon Jones drove in two. Tom Seaver went the distance to record his 18th win of the season.

Jim McAndrew kept the San Diego bats silent in the second game with a complete-game shutout, giving up just five hits and no walks while striking out six. Agee went 3 for 4, giving him five hits on the day, while Art Shamsky, Ken Boswell, and Swoboda each collected two hits.

Mets 8, Padres 4 (1).  W: Seaver (18-7)  L: Sisk (0-9)

Mets 3, Padres 0 (2). W: McAndrew (6-5)  L: Niekro (7-12)

For the second straight day, a Cubs comeback fell just short against the Reds.  Ernie Banks, Don Young, and Glenn Beckert (his first of the season) each hit home runs for Chicago, but it all came down to Ron Santo, who grounded out to third with the tying run on third and two outs in the ninth. Starter Dick Selma had a rough outing, lasting just one inning and giving up five earned runs.

Reds 8, Cubs 7.  W: Merritt (15-5)  L: Selma (12-6)  SV: Granger (17)

                                               W    L    T   PCT    GB  
Chicago Cubs                    78   51    1  .605     -  
New York Mets                  73   52    0  .584   3.0

Monday, August 25, 1969

Tony Perez hit two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds over the Cubs at Wrigley. The normally dependable Bill Hands gave up 11 hits and 6 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. Chicago rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th but fell one run short when Paul Popvich lined out with the bases loaded.

Ron Santo had 3 RBI and Jim Hickman knocked in 2 for the Cubs.

Reds 9, Cubs 8.  W: Nolan (4-5)  L: Hands (15-11)  SV: Ramos (1)

NL EAST STANDINGS

Team                                    W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    78   50    1  .609     -  
New York Mets                  71   52    0  .577   4.5