TRIBE USES 6-RUN 9TH TO STEAL OPENER FROM TWINS
Ramos' Strong Game 2 Start Produces Sweep
CLEVELAND, June 17 (AP) - The Cleveland Indians overcame a four-run ninth inning
deficit with six runs in their final at bat, capped by Tito Francona's second
home run of the game, and defeated the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a
doubleheader, 7-5. In the nightcap, Cleveland won in more conventional
fashion, receiving eight strong innings from starter Pedro Ramos and Leon
Wagner's 14th home run of the season en route to a 4-2 victory and a sweep of
the twinbill.
In the opener, the Twins ran out to a seemingly safe 5-0 lead. The first
tally came in the fourth when Minnesota starter Camilo Pascual helped his own
cause with a sacrifice fly, scoring Bob Allison. Two more runs scored in
the fifth, when Allison doubled home Rich Rollins and Earl Battey's sacrifice
fly plated Harmon Killebrew. Rollins' two-run bases loaded single in the
top of the sixth capped the Twins' scoring.
Cleveland got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Francona, pinch hitting
for starter Sam McDowell, homered to right. But Pascual took a 5-1 lead
and a three-hitter into the bottom of the ninth.
The frame started ominously for Minnesota when Vic Davalillo reached on
shortstop Zoilo Versalles' error. Wagner followed by squirting a ground
ball through the left side, leaving runners at first and second. Bob
Chance followed with a ground ball through the box for a single, filling the
bases with no one out. Suddenly the tying run was at the plate, which
spurred Twins manager Sam Mele to get the bullpen going. But it would be
too late. Woodie Held pinch hit for reliever Gary Bell and drove a 2-2
offering down the left field line, into the lower grandstand for a grand slam
home run, tying the contest at five. Pascual struck out Johnny Romano for
the first out but walked Max Alvis and was replaced on the hill by Bill Whitby,
who was making his season's debut. Whitby got ahead of Larry Brown with a
strike and then uncorked a wild pitch, moving Alvis to second. Brown
eventually grounded to third for the second out of the inning, bringing Francona--who
had stayed in the game as part of a double switch--to the plate. The lefty
swinger belted Whitby's 2-2 offering over the right field fence for his second
home run of the game and seventh of the year, capping the improbable comeback.
6/17/1964, Min64-Cle64, game 1, Cleveland Municipal Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1964 Twins 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 5 9 1 10 0 1964 Indians 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 7 8 2 3 2 Twins AB R H BI AVG Indians AB R H BI AVG Versalles ss 4 1 0 0 .219 Howser ss 4 0 0 0 .222 Oliva rf 5 0 0 0 .324 Davalillo cf 4 1 0 0 .248 Rollins 3b 5 1 4 2 .260 Wagner lf 4 1 1 0 .224 Killebrew lf 4 1 0 0 .246 Chance,B rf 4 1 1 0 .327 Allison 1b 5 1 3 1 .322 Whitfield 1b 2 0 0 0 .284 Hall,J cf 3 0 2 0 .268 Stange p 0 0 0 0 .103 Battey c 2 0 0 1 .236 Moran,B ph 1 0 1 0 .244 Kindall 2b 4 0 0 0 .286 Bell,Ga p 0 0 0 0 .250 Pascual p 2 1 0 1 .086 Held ph 1 1 1 4 .250 Whitby p 0 0 0 0 .000 Romano c 4 0 0 0 .258 34 5 9 5 Alvis 3b 3 1 0 0 .308 Brown,L 2b 4 0 0 0 .196 McDowell p 1 0 1 0 .333 Francona 1b 3 2 3 3 .241 35 7 8 7 Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Pascual L 4-6 8.1 7 6 4 1 5 128 85 3.67 Whitby 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 9 5 27.00 8.2 8 7 5 1 5 137 90 Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA McDowell 5.1 7 5 5 6 3 107 56 3.90 Stange 1.2 2 0 0 0 0 23 13 3.84 Bell,Ga W 3-2 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 30 19 2.88 9.0 9 5 5 6 5 160 88 Cle: Francona inserted at 1b in the 6th Moran,B batted for Stange in the 7th Held batted for Bell,Ga in the 9th E-Versalles, Howser, Whitfield. 2B-Allison(11). 3B-Francona(3). HR-Francona 2(7), Held(7). RBI-Rollins 2(11), Allison(31), Battey(23), Pascual(3), Francona 3(15), Held 4(17). K-Versalles, Killebrew, Allison, Kindall, Pascual, Howser, Davalillo, Chance,B 2, Romano. BB-Versalles, Killebrew, Hall,J 2, Battey, Pascual, Alvis. SF-Battey, Pascual. WP-Whitby. GWRBI: Francona Temperature: 70, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: right to left at 9 MPH. Attendance: N/A Game Time: 2:44 6/17/1964, Min64-Cle64, game 2, Cleveland Municipal Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1964 Twins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 3 6 0 1964 Indians 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 x 4 10 1 11 1 Twins AB R H BI AVG Indians AB R H BI AVG Versalles ss 4 0 0 0 .216 Howser ss 4 0 2 0 .227 Rollins 3b 4 1 0 0 .255 Davalillo cf 4 0 0 1 .243 Oliva rf 4 0 1 0 .323 Wagner lf 5 1 2 1 .227 Mincher 1b 4 1 1 2 .222 McMahon p 0 0 0 0 .000 Allison lf 4 0 2 0 .325 Romano c 3 0 0 0 .252 Hall,J cf 3 0 0 0 .264 Alvis 3b 4 0 0 0 .302 Goryl 2b 2 0 0 0 .197 Chance,B 1b 4 1 1 1 .324 Kostro ph 1 0 0 0 .429 Smith,A lf 0 0 0 0 .176 Zimmerman c 2 0 0 0 .146 Brown,L 2b 4 1 3 0 .211 Battey ph 1 0 0 0 .235 Held rf 3 1 1 0 .252 Roland p 3 0 1 0 .269 Ramos p 3 0 0 0 .231 Shifflett p 0 0 0 0 .000 Francona ph 1 0 1 1 .248 32 2 5 2 35 4 10 4 Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Roland L 4-4 7.0 8 3 3 1 9 114 73 3.20 Shifflett 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 22 12 4.09 8.0 10 4 4 1 9 136 85 Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Ramos W 5-4 8.0 4 2 1 2 3 95 63 2.58 McMahon S 9 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 19 13 1.31 9.0 5 2 1 2 4 114 76 Min: Kostro batted for Goryl in the 9th Battey batted for Zimmerman in the 9th Cle: Francona batted for Ramos in the 8th Smith,A inserted at lf in the 9th Francona moved to 1b in the 9th E-Versalles 2, Goryl, Wagner. 2B-Allison(12). HR-Mincher(7), Wagner(14), Chance,B(3). RBI-Mincher 2(19), Davalillo(8), Wagner(41), Chance,B(8), Francona(16). K-Versalles, Mincher, Roland 2, Wagner, Romano, Chance,B 2, Brown,L, Held 2, Ramos 2. BB-Goryl, Zimmerman, Held. SH-Howser. SF-Davalillo. HBP-Hall,J, Romano. HB-Roland, McMahon. WP-Shifflett. GWRBI: Francona Temperature: 70, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: right to left at 9 MPH, Rain Delays: 11 minutes. Attendance: 4,998 Game Time: 2:17