Posts Tagged ‘Nate Oliver’
CUBS RALLY PAST PODRES, PADRES; METS WIN GAME OF CRAZY 8′S
Wednesday, May 14, 1969
The Cubs scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory to sweep a series with the San Diego Padres.
With 1955 World Series hero Johnny Podres, now of the Padres, looking to save a 2-1 San Diego lead, Ernie Banks tied the game with a leadoff home run in the last of the 9th. With the Wrigley Field crowd still buzzing two batters later, Nate Oliver doubled, and after an intentional walk to Adolfo Phillips, Frank Reberger came on to face pinch-hitter Willie Smith. Smith singled into left field and Oliver came around to score the winning run.
Both starting pitchers threw well. San Diego’s Tommie Sisk gave up just one run in 6 innings, while Bill Hands gave up 2 in 6 1/3. Ron Santo also homered for the Cubs, and Don Nottebart got the win in relief.
With the Pirates’ loss on Wednesday, Chicago’s win moved their division lead to 5 games.
Cubs 3, Padres 2 W: Nottebart (1-0) L: Podres (3-3)
***
A Cleon Jones grand slam highlighting an 8-run rally in the 8th inning as the Mets busted out against the Atlanta Braves.
New York ace Tom Seaver was human today, giving up 10 hits and seeing his team trail 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th. But then things fell apart for Atlanta. Braves starter Phil Niekro struck out the Mets’s Amos Otis to begin the inning, but catcher Bob Didier’s passed ball allowed Otis to reach base. Harrelson followed with a single, and then pinch-hitter Art Shamsky reached on an error by shortstop Sonny Jackson to load the bases. Tommie Agee, New York’s hottest hitter, launched a 2-run double into centerfield to tie the game. George Stone replaced Niekro and intentionally walked Ed Charles to set up a force play at home, but then Stone hit Ken Boswell with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Next up stepped Jones, who broke the game wide open with a blast over the outfield fence, giving him 5 RBI on the day. Two batters later, J.C. Martin tripled and then scored on a Stone wild pitch.
Seaver recorded his fifth win of the season while Niekro suffered just his second loss in eight decisions this year. Felipe Alou homered for Atlanta. Ron Taylor pitched the 9th to earn his first save.
Mets 9, Braves 3 W: Seaver (5-2) L: Niekro (6-2) SV: Taylor (1)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L PCT GB Chicago Cubs 23 11 .667 - Pittsburgh Pirates 17 15 .531 5.0 New York Mets 15 17 .469 7.0 St. Louis Cardinals 14 18 .438 8.0 Philadelphia Phillies 12 17 .414 8.5 Montreal Expos 11 19 .367 10.0
“RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON” is a look back at the storied division race between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 1969. Keep checking back throughout the 2009 season to get the game stories from 40 years ago to the day. This on-going feature is brought to you by the book 1969: The Year Everything Changed, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.
CUBS MAUL PADRES, BRAVES EDGE METS
Tuesday, May 13, 1969
The San Diego Padres sure looked like an expansion team at Wrigley on Tuesday.
The Chicago Cubs pounded out 19 runs against a beleagured Padres pitching staff. The winds were blowing out as the North Siders belted 4 home runs, including 2 from first baseman Ernie Banks, who finished the game with 7 RBI. Nate Oliver, playing for Glenn Beckert (who left Monday’s game after being hit on the jaw by a pitch) went 3 for 5 with a home run and 4 RBI of his own, and Don Young hit a 3-run homer, as well.
San Diego starter Dick Kelley couldn’t get out of the 2nd inning, giving up 7 runs (6 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks. To add insult to injury, ex-Padre Dick Selma pitched a complete-game shutout for the Cubs and struck out 10.
Chicago has now won 22 of its first 33 games of the season.
Cubs 19, Padres 0 W: Selma (3-3) L: Kelley (2-3)
***
Three home runs led the Braves past Gary Gentry and the Mets on Tuesday night at Shea.
Hank Aaron’s solo shot in the 1st inning to give the Braves an early lead. Orlando Cepeda led off the 4th with a home run, and three batters later Bob Tillman’s 2-run homer pushed the score to 4-0.
The Mets made a game of it, though. Tommie Agee’s home run, his 4th in the team’s last three games, plated 2 in the 6th inning. In the 9th, Art Shamsky’s single scored Ken Boswell and put the tying and winning runs on first and third. But reliever Cecil Upshaw got Bud Harrelson to ground out to end the game.
Braves 4, Mets 3 W: Reed (4-1) L: Gentry (2-3) SV: Upshaw (8)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L PCT GB Chicago Cubs 22 11 .667 - Pittsburgh Pirates 17 14 .548 4.0 New York Mets 14 17 .452 7.0 Philadelphia Phillies 12 16 .429 7.5 St. Louis Cardinals 13 18 .419 8.0 Montreal Expos 11 18 .379 9.0
“RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON” is a look back at the storied division race between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 1969. Keep checking back throughout the 2009 season to get the game stories from 40 years ago to the day. This on-going feature is brought to you by the book 1969: The Year Everything Changed, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.
JENKINS STRIKES OUT 10 IN SHUTOUT
Monday, May 12, 1969
Fergie Jenkins gave his team the lead and made it hold up against the expansion San Diego Padres team at Wrigley.
After singles by Randy Hundley and Al Spangler and a base on balls to Adolfo Phillips loaded the bases with one out in the home 2nd, the Cubs ace hit into a fielder’s choice but stayed out of the double play as Hundley scored the game’s first run. Billy Williams added an RBI single after Nate Oliver’s double in the 5th.
Jenkins was en route to a sparkling performance on the mound in which he yielded just 5 hits and no runs while striking out 10 Padres. San Diego staged only two serious scoring threats in the game. They loaded the bases with one out in the 3rd, but Jenkins induced no. 3 hitter Tony Gonzalez to hit into an inning-ended double play. Then in the 6th, the Padres placed runners on first and second with 2 outs, but Jenkins struck out Al Ferrera.
The most damage done by any Padres player was when starting pitcher Gary Ross hit Glenn Beckert in the jaw with a pitch in the first inning. Beckert left the game and was replaced by Oliver, who was promptly thrown out attempting to steal second.
The game returned two former Cubs to Wrigley in Ross and Joe Niekro, who pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief. Both men were traded to San Diego along with shortstop Frankie Libran back on April 25 for current Cubs pitcher Dick Selma.
Cubs 2, Padres 0 W: Fingers (5-2) L: Ross (1-2)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L PCT GB Chicago Cubs 21 11 .656 - Pittsburgh Pirates 17 13 .567 3.0 New York Mets 14 16 .467 6.0 Philadelphia Phillies 12 15 .444 6.5 St. Louis Cardinals 13 18 .419 7.5 Montreal Expos 11 17 .393 8.0
“RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON” is a look back at the storied division race between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 1969. Keep checking back throughout the 2009 season to get the game stories from 40 years ago to the day. This on-going feature is brought to you by the book 1969: The Year Everything Changed, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.
DODGERS PICK OFF CUBS IN 12, REDS SHUTOUT METS
Wednesday, May 7, 1969
Fergie Jenkins gave everything he had on Wednesday at Wrigley. Maybe too much.
Manager Leo Durocher left the Cubs ace in for a full 12 innings yesterday as Chicago and Los Angeles took a 1-1 tie into overtime. Dodgers lefty Claude Osteen left after 9 innings in favor of reliever Jim Brewer, who sent the Cubs down in the 10th and 11th. In the top of the 12th, a tiring Jenkins yielded a leadoff single to Ted Sizemore, one of his 3 in the game. After Paul Popvich’s sacrifice, Willie Crawford singled Sizemore home. Willie Davis then followed with a two-run shot, his second home run of the game, to break things open.
The Cubs attempted a comeback in the bottom of the 12th. Willie Smith singled in Randy Hundley to make the score 4-2. But with Adolfo Phillips on third and pinch-runner Nate Oliver on first representing the tying runs, former Sporting News “Fireman of the Year” Al McBean wheeled and picked off Oliver for the final out of the game.
Dodgers 4, Cubs 2 (12 inn.) W: Brewer (1-1) L: Jenkins (4-2) SV: McBean (2)
***
The Cincinnati Reds scored as many runs as the Mets had hits on Wednesday night Shea.
Reds starter Jim Merritt and reliever Clay Carroll surrendered just 3 hits to New York. Gary Gentry pitched well, allowing only 6 baserunners total and 1 run through 8 innings. Tony Perez’s 4th-inning home run was all Cincinnati would need, but they added two more (one unearned) off Cal Koonce in the 9th.
Reds 3, Mets 0 W: Merritt (2-2) L: Gentry (2-2) SV: Carroll (3)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L PCT GB Chicago Cubs 19 10 .655 - Pittsburgh Pirates 16 11 .593 2.0 Philadelphia Phillies 12 12 .500 4.5 New York Mets 12 15 .444 6.0 St. Louis Cardinals 11 16 .407 7.0 Montreal Expos 10 16 .385 7.5
“RECREATING THE MIRACLE SEASON” is a look back at the storied division race between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 1969. Keep checking back throughout the 2009 season to get the game stories from 40 years ago to the day. This on-going feature is brought to you by the book 1969: The Year Everything Changed, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.