1967 – The Twins crunch the Yankees, 9 – 2, as Dean Chance scatters nine hits for his 20th victory. The White Sox hold off the Indians, 5 – 1, while Boston racks up 18 hits in an 11 – 7 win over the Orioles. The Tigers lose a tough one. Going into the bottom of the 9th in Washington, Detroit nurses a 4 – 2 lead, only to lose it, 5 – 4. The loss drops Detroit to 4th, 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota, Chicago a game back, and Boston a half game.
1966 – Roberto Clemente’s two-run, tie-breaking, tape measure home run caps a five-run 7th inning that hands the second-place Bucs an 8 – 6 decision over Atlanta and pulls them to within 2 games of Los Angeles. The Associated Press reports: “Clemente hammered his game-winning home run off reliever Jay Ritchie, a tremendous 440-foot drive over the right-center field fence.”
1965 – At Candlestick Park, Tony Cloninger throws a four-hitter to give the Braves an 8 – 2 win over the Giants. In Southern California, the Dodgers win, 4 – 3, over the Cards to reduce the Giants’ lead to one game.
9/24/1964 – The Cubs official lineup showed Ernie Banks playing first base and batting fifth. John Boccabella started the game in his place and grounded out in the second and fourth innings. However, in the sixth Ron Santo tripled and so did Boccabella, scoring Santo. The Dodgers manager Walter Alston then protested the batting order. Boccabella’s triple was nullified and Santo placed back at third. Ernie Banks was deemed to be the proper batter and was called out and given a time at bat. However, this was an incorrect ruling by crew chief Frank Secory. According to rule 3.08(a)(3), Boccabella became the first baseman and the proper fifth place batter when he took the field in the top of the first inning as an unannounced substitute. Therefore, it was incorrect to remove Boccabella’s triple and to charge Banks with a time at bat. Boccabella finished the game at first base, collecting a single in the eighth inning. The Cubs won with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to three walks, an error and Santo’s sacrifice fly. The final score was 4-3.
At Milwaukee, Jim Maloney strikes out 14 in winning his 23rd game of the year. The Reds beat the Braves, 4 – 2.
The idle Dodgers clinch their second Los Angeles pennant when Chicago’s Lindy McDaniel beats Bob Gibson and the Cards, 6 – 3.
The White Sox make it easy for pitcher Ray Herbert, bashing the Orioles, 15 – 0.
At Cincinnati, the Giants stage a 9-run 4th to rip the Reds, 12 – 5. Orlando Cepeda hits his 45th homer of the year, a grand slam, to climax the frame. Cepeda will hit one more home run this year and finish with 39 walks, the first National League player with more than 40 homers and fewer than 40 walks. Hal Trosky has done it in the American League.
A dropped fly ball by Ken Hunt in the 10th gives the Tigers two runs and a 7 – 5 win over the Angels. Hunt had tied the game in the 8th with a home run. Rookie Howie Koplitz wins his first major league game, after going 23-3 with a no-hitter for Birmingham (Southern Association). Koplitz will win his first seven decisions in the Bigs over four years but an arm injury will limit him to a 9-7 record.
Minnesota’s Joe Altobelli hits a one-out 7th inning homer, the only hit off Washington’s Dick Donovan, who wins, 4 – 1. Jim Kaat loses his 16th.
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