Cardinals Take Three Of Four From Cubs In Wild I-55 Series

The St. Louis Cardinals tallied 38 runs and 56 hits in a crazy four game series with their rival to the north the Chicago Cubs, in taking three of four in the series. The Cardinals won both games at home, then split in Wrigley.

 

Game one saw John Denny stifle the Cubs on three hits through 8 innings, while his mates put 8 runs on the board, 6 coming against Chicago starter Burt Hooton. The Redbirds added two more against Steve Stone while Rich Folkers pitched a scoreless ninth to bring home the 8-0 win. Ted Simmons broke out with a 4 for 4 game, while Joe Torre got the offense started with his third home run of the season in the first inning. The top three hitters in the Cardinal lineup, Lou Brock, Bake McBride, and Torre had 2 hits apiece, as did shortstop Garry Templeton.

 

Game two saw the Cardinals again tally 8 runs, and once again Simmons was the star connecting for his first home run of the season, a grand slam no less, and driving in 5. This one featured the clubs aces on the hill, Ferguson Jenkins and Bob Gibson, and looked to be all that was anticipated through six innings as the game was scoreless. But the Cubs broke through against Gibson in the 7^th, as Billy Williams lead off the inning with a double. An out later Rick Monday, a man the Cardinals could not solve all series, walked. Former Yankee enigma Joe Pepitone then flew out to the deepest part of the ball park in center field, sending Williams to third. Singles by Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley got the Cubs two and looked like it might be enough with Jenkins rolling.

 

However, the Cardinals struck back in the bottom half. Bake McBride duplicated Billy Williams’ start to the top of the inning with a lead off double. Joe Torre singled, Reggie Smith walked, and Keith Hernandez singled in McBride with Torre holding at third setting up Simmons’ big home run.

 

Gibson held the Cubs scoreless while hit teammates added two more in the eighth, tiring in the ninth and surrendering to Al Hrbosky who got the final out of the game.

 

The series switched to Wrigley with Rick Reuschel taking the mound versus Lynn McLothen. The home cooking served the Cubs well as they took the lead with a run in the second, and after the Cardinals jumped on Reuschel for four in the third, got the four back in the bottom half helped by two errors from thirdbaseman Torre.

 

The Cubs went on to build a 10-4 lead before holding on for an 11-8 victory. It was the third game in a row in which the Cardinals scored eight. Rick Monday went four for five and Billy Williams and Jim Hickman each drove in 3 runs for the Cubs. Hickman’s RBI were the result of a pinch hit three run homer in the fourth when he was summoned to hit for Bill Buckner against Cardinal lefty Folkers.

 

Game four saw the Cardinal offense explode for 20 hits, 9 walks, and 14 runs as Reggie Cleveland had an easy time of it in getting his second win without a loss. Lou Brock, Jerry Mumphrey, and Cleveland himself had 3 hits apiece, while Joe Torre drove in four. Rick Monday was again the big bat for Chicago, going 3 for 4 and driving in 2. Monday went 8 for 14 in the series.

--submitted by BikeMike--