The Giants’ Juan Marichal fires his first shutout of the year, stopping the Pirates, 2 – 0, on five hits. Manager Alvin Dark says before the game that “Marichal will go all the way” and keeps his relief pitchers in the dugout to emphasis the point. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Later, Dark explained to questioning reporters: ‘I’m sick and tired of watching pitchers bow their necks for four-five innings and then look around for Stu Miller to bail them out.’ As far as press box historians could guess, last night was the first time in modern baseball history that a major league bullpen was left unattended.” Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays trade circus catches in the game. As reported by Stevens: “Only twice did Dark, enforcing an almost sadistic philosophy, go to the mound – when Marichal scraped an arm falling hard to the ground fielding a Smoky Burgess bounder in the 5th, and in the 7th when Don Hoak singled immediately behind a miraculous catch by Willie Mays of a deep, soaring, twisting drive by Burgess. Mays reached high in the sky after a 25-yard race to haul down Burgess’ boomer… The first break-through [against the Pirates’ Vinegar Bend Mizell] came in the 5th immediately after Roberto Clemente had crashed against the right-field wall to pocket a roaring shot by Orlando Cepeda.”

This Day In Baseball

On July 27, 1961 — The Giants’ Juan Marichal fires his first shutout of the year, stopping the Pirates, 2 – 0, on five hits. Manager Alvin Dark says before the game that “Marichal will go all the way” and keeps his relief pitchers in the dugout to emphasis the point. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Later, Dark explained to questioning reporters: ‘I’m sick and tired of watching pitchers bow their necks for four-five innings and then look around for Stu Miller to bail them out.’ As far as press box historians could guess, last night was the first time in modern baseball history that a major league bullpen was left unattended.” Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays trade circus catches in the game. As reported by Stevens: “Only twice did Dark, enforcing an almost sadistic philosophy, go to the mound – when Marichal scraped an arm falling hard to the ground fielding a Smoky Burgess bounder in the 5th, and in the 7th when Don Hoak singled immediately behind a miraculous catch by Willie Mays of a deep, soaring, twisting drive by Burgess. Mays reached high in the sky after a 25-yard race to haul down Burgess’ boomer… The first break-through [against the Pirates’ Vinegar Bend Mizell] came in the 5th immediately after Roberto Clemente had crashed against the right-field wall to pocket a roaring shot by Orlando Cepeda.”

 

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Sources:
Baseball Reference July 27
National Pastime July 27
Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
Replay The Game