Bob Gibson is taking the hill for St. Louis against Pittsburgh’s Satchel Paige.
Here are the lineups. The weather is good for this day game at Forbes Field. Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jack because this one is about to get underway.
Wilson smacks a double to lead off the first for St. Louis. He moves to third on a single by Cool Papa Bell. The first two batters are aboard here in the top of the first.
Paige eliminates the threat striking out Hornsby and then inducing Musial to hit into a 4-6-3 double play. No score after half an inning.
Gibson sets Pittsburgh down in order ending the inning by striking out the Pittsburgh catcher Josh Gibson.
St. Louis is threatening again with runners on first and third and one out in the top of the second. Chick Hafey is stepping into face Paige who will be looking for another double play ball.
Hafey walks and the bases are loaded for the number nine hitter Ozzie Smith.
Smith goes down swinging!
Paige escapes a jam for the second straight inning as Jud Wilson smashes a grounder to Wagner at short to end the threat. Two hits, a walk, and three runners stranded.
Clemente singles and Pittsburgh has runners on the corners.
Buck Leonard clubs the ball into the gap in right. Stargell scores. Clemente rounds third. Hafey up with the ball and his throw is cut as Clemente crosses the plate and Leonard cruises into second with a two-run double.
Wagner drew a lead off walk to start the bottom of the third but no damage is done. Gibson Ks two including Josh Gibson for the second time. Pittsburgh leads 2-0 after 3.
A lead off single for Slaughter but St. Louis still goes down in order.
Willie Stargell’s lead off single is stranded at first. After 4 the score remains 2-0 for Pittsburgh.
Hafey and Smith hit back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the fifth. Wilson hits a hot shot right at Mazeroski who tries to double Hafey off second but he manages to get back in time. One away and up comes Cool Papa Bell.
Oh no. It looks like Paige and Josh Gibson got crossed up there as the pitch caroms off Gibson’s glove and rolls to the back stop. The runners move up on the passed ball.
Bell draws a walk. Here comes Rogers Hornsby with the bases loaded and one out.
Paige again escapes a one-out, bases-loaded jam as Hornsby grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Gibson retires Pittsburgh in order. After 5, the score remains 2-0.
With two outs in the fifth, it looks like the St. Louis manager won’t burn one of the speedier players so back up catcher Rick Ferrell will pinch run for Mackey. This is his first appearance this season.
Joe Medwick slaps the ball down the line into the right field corner. It’s rattling around down there and Clemente is struggling to pick it up. Ferrell is huffing round third. The throw is cut. Ferrell scores and Medwick slides into third with an RBI triple!
Hafey grounds to short to end the inning but not before St. Louis gets on the board. After five-and-half, the visitors trail 2-1.
Josh Gibson steps to the plate to lead off the sixth for Pittsburgh and he goes down swinging. That’s three times he’s struck out today against Bob Gibson.
Another 1-2-3 inning for Gibson. He’s retired 11 of the last 12 batters he’s faced. Heading to the seventh, Pittsburgh leads 2-1.
St. Louis goes in order in the top of the seventh.
Gibson Ks two in a 1-2-3 seventh. He’s got 8 strike outs on the day. He’s hoping Hornsby, Musial, and Slaughter can do some damage in the top of the eighth.
Hornsby is aboard with a lead off single.
That pick off hurts. Musial doubles and instead of being the go ahead run he represents the tying run and St. Louis will have to work a little harder here.
Once again St. Louis can’t make anything happen with runners in scoring position and one out. They leave one and still trail 2-1.
Pie Traynor with a lead off triple for Pittsburgh here in the eighth!
St. Louis has the infield in here to try and prevent Traynor scoring.
Wagner is frozen and goes down looking on Gibson’s ninth strikeout of the afternoon.
Wilson double clutches. The throw. The tag. Traynor is out at home! The defence comes up big for the second out. Carey is safe at first on the fielder’s choice.
Here comes Josh Gibson. He’s 0-3 with 3 strikeouts.
The pitch is in the dirt. It gets away from Ferrell. Carey moves up to second on the wild pitch.
Gibson (Josh) goes down on strikes for the fourth time today as Gibson (Bob) escapes unscathed after giving up a lead off triple.
We head to the ninth. The visitors trail by one. It’ll be the bottom of the order up for St. Louis. Satch is coming back out looking for the complete game victory.
Medwick leads off with a single. He’s going to be pulled for pinch runner Lou Brock.
Tragedy for St. Louis! Brock broke for second. Hafey squared to bunt and popped it up to Paige. No chance for Brock to get back and he’s doubled off first! St. Louis is down to their last out. Their hopes ride on Ozzie Smith.
Smith walks.
Jud Wilson singles. St. Louis has the tieing run just 90 feet away now. Cool Papa Bell comes to the plate. He’s 1-3 with a single, a walk, and two strike outs.
Pittsburgh improves to 3-2 while St. Louis falls to 0-5.
In the final tally it’s 2 runs for Pittsburgh on five hits and 4 left on base. St. Louis scores 1 run on 12 hits. They strand 11. Paige Ks 5 and gives up 3 walks and a hit batter. Gibson Ks 10 with one walk.
