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BASEBALL'S WEEK

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Baltimore and the Orioles waited 70 years for a pennant, and when it came they were ready. Fittingly, it was the bat of Frank Robinson, who had three hits and drove in two runs in the Orioles' 6-1 pennant-clinching win over the A's, that brought a major league championship to BALTIMORE (5-2) for the first time since 1896. Earlier in the week his homer and five RBIs defeated the Angels 11-9, and he hit two home runs and drove in four runs in a 10-8 come-from-behind victory against the Athletics. Robinson batted .454 for the week, hit four homers (he had 49 for the season, an Or ole club record), drove in 13 runs and took over the league lead in batting (.316) as well as in five other hitting categories. Rookie Tom Phoebus (who is ineligible for the World Series) won his second straight shutout, a five-hitter against the A's, and Jim Palmer's 15th win was the pennant clincher. Tony Oliva's ninth-inning homer off Earl Wilson gave MINNESOTA (2-3) two of three from second-place DETROIT (3-3), including the team's first win ever against Denny McLain, and moved the Twins to within a game of second. The Twins' Jim Kaat won his 25th game. Marcelino Lopez of CALIFORNIA (2-4) struck out 12 in his 2-0 win over the Orioles, as the Angels struggled to get back into the first division. A CLEVELAND (4-1) newspaper wondered ROCK ON BLOCK? as Indian Manager George Strickland continued to keep slugger Rocky Colavito (30 homers) on the bench. Luis Tiant made his first start since July 3 and beat the Twins 4-1. The NEW YORK (2-2) Yankees continued to have more problems than victories: the team fell into last place; Dan Topping sold his 10% of the team to the Columbia Broadcasting System; Mel Stottlemyre lost his 19th game; the team lost its 37th one-run game; and only 413 people, the smallest major league crowd of the season, watched the Yanks lose to CHICAGO (2-3). White Sox Manager Eddie Stanky started Juan Pizarro for the first time since July 18, and, with relief help, he defeated WASHINGTON (3-1). The Senators made a record seven errors against Chicago, but Hank Allen, an older brother of the Phillies' Richie Allen, hit his first major league home run. Said Hank: "I'm no Mays or Aaron. I'm just trying to do the best with whatever talent I have." KANSAS CITY (1-4) used 17 pitchers in three straight losses to the Orioles but then came back to lengthen its string of shutout innings against the Indians to 42. Lee Stange's two-hitter beat New York for BOSTON (1-2) but then the Sox lost twice and fell to ninth.

Standings: Balt 96-60, Det 86-70, Minn 85-71, Chi 81-76, Clev 79-78, Cal 77-79, KC 71-86, Wash 70-87, Bos 70-88, NY 68-88

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Three virtually unknown pitchers knocked off LOS ANGELES (4-3). Rick Wise, 21, of PHILADELPHIA (4-2) beat them 3-2 on Wednesday, and then on Saturday and Sunday came successive defeats at the hands of rookies Ferguson Arthur Jenkins, 22, and Ken Holtzman, 20, of CHICAGO (4-3). Jenkins, on the verge of being removed from the game in the fourth inning because of a balky stomach, took a pill that revitalized him and went on to a 4-0 shutout. Next day Holtzman, a left-hander who has already been likened to Sandy Koufax, outpitched Koufax, holding the Dodgers hitless until the ninth inning and hanging on for a 2-1 victory. Earlier in the week Koufax beat the Phillies to become the first National League pitcher since Dizzy Dean to win 25 or more games in consecutive years. Don Drysdale, pitching better than he has all season, did not allow an extra-base hit, as he won twice. PITTSBURGH (4-3), still trying to catch the Dodgers, blew a chance to sweep four straight from the Giants, losing 6-5 after leading 5-3 going into the ninth, and then the next day was crushed 14-1 by the Braves. The Pirates rallied then to beat the Braves on successive days, first on a 3-0 shutout by Bob Veale and then 8-6 on a five-run rally in the seventh inning after trailing 6-3. The Pirates' spectacular second-base combination of Shortstop Gene Alley and Second Baseman Bill Mazeroski helped the club set a new league record for double plays in one season. SAN FRANCISCO (2-3) kept its slim pennant hopes flickering when Tom Haller and Juan Marichal hit ninth-inning homers to beat the Pirates 6-5, but they dimmed again when they split two games with the Astros. NEW YORK (3-2) got two straight four-hit shutouts from Bob Shaw and Jack Fisher against HOUSTON (1-3). CINCINNATI (3-3), with a shutout by Jim Maloney and clutch doubles by Leo Cardenas and Tommy Harper, picked up three wins. ST. LOUIS (0-5) hit a measly .215 for the week, and even when the Cardinals did muster three doubles, three triples and four stolen bases in one game they lost it on an error. Lou Brock stole his 72nd base. Manager Billy Hitchcock of ATLANTA (4-2) had a talk with Shortstop Denis Menke, and Menke went out and hit two homers and drove in all the runs, as Dick Kelley beat the Cards 4-0. What advice had Hitchcock given Menke? "I told him to quit trying to pull the ball so much," the honest Hitchcock said, "and what did he do? He pulled two balls and hit them for homers."

Standings: LA 91-64, Pitt 90-66, SF 87-68, Phil 84-72, Atl 83-73, StL 79-76, Cin 74-80, Hou 68-88, NY 64-92, Chi 58-99

PHOTO

BRAVES' PAT JARVIS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

What makes a major league pitcher? Well, Pat Jarvis started the season by falling off a car during a parade welcoming ballplayers to Richmond, Va. before opening day. He injured his neck, not seriously, but badly enough so that he had to sit out the first three weeks of the year. Then he had a 6-5 record for Richmond, with an uninspiring 3.88 earned run average and a disturbing tendency to be wild. Now this same Jarvis has won six straight starts for the Atlanta Braves, including four the past three weeks, as the resurgent Braves took 19 of 21 games and climbed into the first division. A 25-year-old right-hander, Jarvis suddenly found control and has walked only eight batters in 57‚Öî innings while posting a 1.86 earned run average. Whitlow Wyatt, the Braves' pitching coach, went to Richmond one night in late July on a scouting mission, and that particular night Jarvis pitched his best game. "The Braves then asked me if I could pitch relief, and I just told them that I'd do anything to get to the majors," says Jarvis. The Braves called him to Atlanta as a reliefer, but when Denny Lemaster developed arm trouble and Wade Blasingame still could not win, Jarvis became a starter. "Paul Richards and Whitlow Wyatt changed me from a three-quarters delivery to completely overhand, and I can control my pitches much better. That's the difference now," says Jarvis. Still, after every inning he pitches for the Braves, Jarvis exclaims: "I don't believe I'm here."