BASEBALL'S WEEK
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Second Baseman Pete Rose helped prevent a CINCINNATI (4-4) collapse with his aggressive play. The Reds, who pulled to within one game of Los Angeles, had lost three straight before Pete took charge. He saved a 5-4 win over San Francisco with a unique interference call that sent the apparent tying run back to third base with two out in the ninth inning. Moving to Houston, Rose tripled, doubled and singled, driving home three runs in a 9-1 win, tripled in the seventh inning to spoil Don Nottebart's bid for a no-hit game and tripled in both runs in the eighth inning of a third game to give Joe Nuxhall a one-hit victory. A switch hitter with a .312 average, Rose attributes his success to complete self-confidence. Hearing a teammate's suggestion that it would be a shame for someone to ruin Warren Spahn's debut with the Giants, Pete shouted: "Here's one young punk that would." He promptly hit a first-inning home run off Spahn. Said Rose, "When guys are on base, I just can't wait to get up there." A Cincinnati native, Rose tried to pattern himself after ex-Red-leg Johnny Temple and, as Temple says, "Pete plays tough and runs tough. And when he knocks someone over he really gets his kicks." The Reds also received a second straight strong performance from Joey Jay, who had been out for three weeks with a bad elbow. But Pitcher Jim O'Toole, with a 1-8 record, claimed that "the management has lost confidence in me." SAN FRANCISCO (5-2) rolled along behind Bob Shaw's two victories and Willie McCovey's three home runs, halting the Braves' 10-game winning streak in the process. Shaw two-hit Chicago but was ejected in his next start after making only two pitches. He argued that a pitch had not hit Felipe Alou's hand. Undaunted, Shaw came back the next day and beat the Braves anyway. Only one thing marred the Giants' week: Manager Herman Franks suspended Jim Hart for breaking training regulations. MILWAUKEE (4-3) moved ahead on power. Hank Aaron homered in four straight games, and the Braves hit at least one home run in 21 of 22 games. Bob Friend of PITTSBURGH (5-2) pitched a one-hitter and also made his first hit in 75 at bats. Vern Law won three games, one in relief. Ed Bailey drove in eight runs in one game with a grand-slam homer, a three-run homer and a single, but CHICAGO (4-4) pitching allowed 52 hits and eight home runs in a four-game stretch. HOUSTON (3-5), thanks to the Dome, was more than 900,000 ahead of its 1964 attendance. Jim Wynn stole two bases, giving him 23 in 25 attempts, and 18-year-old Larry Dierker pitched and won his first complete game. Johnny Callison, Tony Taylor and Johnny Briggs were knocked senseless in a violent outfield collision during another PHILADELPHIA (3-5) loss. The Phillies, who have fielded horribly (and painfully), had lost eight of 12. ST. LOUIS (3-4) won a game on a misjudged pop fly for the fourth time this year. Manager Casey Stengel of NEW YORK (3-4) was hospitalized with a fractured hip and was scheduled for surgery. Al Jackson two-hit the Pirates, and John Stephenson beat the Phillies with a pinch-hit single, LOS ANGELES (3-4) had lost four straight, including two in extra innings, before Claude Osteen beat the Cardinals.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
"I think we can handle Minnesota," said BALTIMORE (5-3) Manager Hank Bauer, discussing the pennant race before the Orioles-Twins series in Baltimore. Sure enough, in the first game Steve Barber needed only 79 pitches for a 3-2 victory. Boog Powell's homer won the second game 3-1 and spoiled MINNESOTA (5-3) Manager Sam Mele's return from his five-day suspension and $500 fine. That left the Orioles only 2½ games out. Baltimore was coasting with a 5-1 lead in the next game when the Twins erupted for seven runs in the last two innings and won 8-5. Minnesota had scored only 22 runs in seven games before visiting Boston earlier last week. But Tony Oliva had five hits one night, Bob Allison beat Dick Radatz with a two-run triple and the Twins scored 30 runs and had 39 hits in winning all three games and their 11th in 12 games against the Sox. Dave Wickersham's first win in 14 weeks, Denny McLain's eighth straight victory and home runs by Norm Cash and Don Wert spurred DETROIT (6-2). CLEVELAND (4-4) batterymates Luis Tiant and Catcher Duke Sims homered to beat New York, and Sam McDowell managed to win his 10th game after six attempts. Vic Davalillo's batting average dropped 60 points in a month, but new Center Fielder Chuck Hinton homered in four successive games. "Regular Utility Man" Ken Hamlin and Pitcher Phil Ortega each won two games for WASHINGTON (5-3). Filling in at second base and shortstop, Hamlin hit two home runs to beat Detroit and a two-run double to beat Kansas City. Ortega allowed only nine hits and two earned runs in his complete-game victories. Senator pitchers gave up just 18 runs in 8 games and lost twice by 2-0 scores. CHICAGO (1-6) finally found some power, scoring 10 runs and hitting three homers to end a six-game losing streak during which 41 of its 53 hits were singles. Smoky Burgess, that old pro, set a record with his 108th pinch hit. Pitcher Mel Stottlemyre of NEW YORK (4-4) hit an inside-the-park grand-slam home run to beat Boston, followed with a four-hit win over Cleveland. But Jim Bouton lost twice and was 4-11 for the year. KANSAS CITY'S (3-5) John O'Donoghue lost his third 1-0 game. Bert Campaneris, who leads his cousin; Jose Cardenal of LOS ANGELES (3-4) in the base-stealing race, finally learned to speak a complete sentence in English: "How many bases did Cardenal steal today?" For the season, Campaneris had 33 and Cardenal 31. Tony Conigliaro was fined a reported $1,000 for a series of incidents which peeved BOSTON (3-5) Manager Billy Herman. Carl Yastrzemski, playing despite a pulled leg muscle, led teammate Felix Mantilla by 30 points in the batting race.
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PHOTO
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: PETE ROSE
