1970 Great Eight League

Through Game #37.

Game Results:

Cincinnati 5 Los Angeles 4

WP- Tony Cloninger (1-0) LP- Ray Lamb (2-2) SV- Wayne Granger (3)

HR- Pete Rose (2); Willie Davis (3), B. Grabarkawitz (1)

Tony Perez hit a rbi double in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting Cincinnati ahead to stay, as they nipped Los Angeles, 5 to 4.

Minnesota 2 Boston 1

WP- Jim Perry (4-2) LP- Ray Culp (4-1) SV- Ron Perranowski (3)

Minnesota’s Jim Perry outdueled Boston’s Ray Culp, as the Twins handed Culp his first defeat, by a score of 2 to 1. Perry went eight innings; Culp pitched seven, with both allowing six hits.

New York 4 Pittsburgh 0

WP- Fritz Peterson (2-3) LP- Dock Ellis (2-4)

The Yankees’ Fritz Peterson tossed a five-hit shutout, stopping, fast fading Pittsburgh, 4-0. The Pirates’ “Big Three”, Clemente, Stargell and Sanguillen, were a combined 0 for 12.

Oakland 6 Baltimore 2

WP- Catfish Hunter (4-3) LP- Jim Palmer (5-3)

HR- Don Mincher (11); Elrod Hendricks (2)

Catfish Hunter took a no-hitter into the seventh, but a walk and an Elrod Hendricks home run ended that possibility, along with any chance of a shutout. Still, the A’s won easily, 6 to 2, with Don Mincher’s, three-run blast, the big blow on offense for Oakland.

Game #37 Recap:

The League’s top two teams, Boston and Baltimore both lost, so the Orioles remain two back. Minnesota has won three straight and is now in third place alone. Cincinnati and New York are tied for fourth, while Los Angeles and Oakland are tied for fifth. Pittsburgh is a distant sixth. All visiting teams were winners today.

Individually, Reggie Smith is fading in the batting crown race. He has dropped to fourth place, with a .336 average. Cincinnati’s Bobby Tolan leads with a .344 mark. Don Mincher has regained the home run lead at 11. Boston’s Ray Culp suffered his first loss against four wins, but has increased his strikeout lead by 10, 68 to 58, over teammate Gary Peters. Against Baltimore, Catfish Hunter took a no-hitter into the seventh, the closest anyone has come to pitching one since Pittsburgh’s Bob Veale, in Game #4. Veale allowed an unearned run in that game but was credited with a no-hit game.

Game #38 Schedule and Probable Pitchers:

Baltimore (McNally 4-1, 3.30) at Los Angeles (Osteen 1-3, 3.41)

Boston (Peters 7-1, 2.00) at New York (Stottlemyer 2-4, 4.02)

Cincinnati (Merritt 1-5, 4.35) at Minnesota (Katt 2-2, 6.34)

Pittsburgh (Blass 1-5, 4.15) at Oakland (Dobson 2-1, 5.36)