IN THE NEWS: A first inning wild pitch that eludes backup catcher Johnny Edwards allows a run to break Bob Gibson's streak of 47 2/3 innings of scoreless pitching (in which he allows just 21 hits) The Cards beat the Don Drysdale and the Dodgers in Los Angeles 81. Gibson will pitch 23 innings before giving up another run.
IN THE NEWS: Luis Tiant registers 19 K's in 10 innings, as Cleveland beats Minnesota 10. Tiant sets two modern ML recordsmost strikeouts in a 10-inning game; 32 strikeouts in consecutive gamesand ties the modern major-league record of 41 strikeouts in three successive appearances. He will top the American League in ERA with 1.60.
IN THE NEWS: Against Detroit in the 5th inning, Baltimore's Paul Blair is on 3B with Frank Robinson at bat. Robby swings and his bat sails over the third baseman's head. The 3B coach jogs out to retrieve the bat, not having called timeout, as Blair slowly strolls back to the bag, Tiger C Bill Freehan, with ball in hand, starts walking up the line, then runs behind Blair and tags him out. Blair and Earl Weaver go wild.
IN THE NEWS: Denny McLain, the major leagues' winningest pitcher with 16, helps Detroit take a nine 1/2 game lead in the A.L. at the All-Star break, as the Tigers sweep the A's 54 and 76. McLain wins the opener when Willie Horton clubs a 3-run homer, and Al Kaline matches that in the nitecap.
Phil Regan picks up two wins in relief for the second time this season as the Cubs sweep the Pirates, 54 and 43, edging Bob Veale and Elroy Face. Regan won a pair on April 21st for the Dodgers, and no reliever has ever won a pair twice in a season. The Vulture will the top the National League with 12 relief wins and 25 saves.
Completing a 7-game West Coast winning streak, the Cardinals take a 10-game lead into the All-Star break.
IN THE NEWS: Hank Bauer is fired as manager of the Orioles.
The National League breaks down its two divisions for 1969 thus: Eastern: New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, St. Louis; Western: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Cincinnati, San Diego, Atlanta.
IN THE NEWS: Groundbreaking takes place for Kansas City's $43 million Jackson County Sports Complex.
Earl Weaver, who never played in the majors, replaces Hank Bauer as manager of the Orioles. The O's win will 11 of the first 15 games under Weaver.
Minnesota rookie Rick Renick is the 16th American League player to hit a home run in his first ML at bat. The Twins beat the Tigers 54.
Chicago Cubs P Bill Hands strikes out for the 14th straight at bat in the 20 Cubs win in the nightcap at New York. The 14 strikeouts in consecutive at bats (as opposed to plate appearances) are a ML record.
The Cardinals beat the Astros, 81, but Houston scores a run on Bob Gibson. Denis Menke's bloop double, fair by inches, drives home the lone run. Houston reliever Tom Dukes ties the major-league record with his 9th straight relief appearance for the Astros.
IN THE NEWS: Houston's Don Wilson fans 18 batters in a 6-1 win at Cincinnati, tying the major-league record set by Bob Feller. Wilson (6-11) fans Johnny Bench to end the game. He also ties the major-league record with eight strikeouts in a row, striking out the side in the first three innings. A one-out walk to Alex Johnson in the 1st is the only interruption. Wilson also fans the side in the 5th. The Astros win the opener, 54.
In front of 57,011 at bat day at Shea, the Phils take two to stretch their win streak to 6. Rick Wise wins, 53, and then Grant Jackson fans 13 to win, 92, in his first complete game ever. Richie Allen knocks in three runs in each game with a pair of homers. John Briggs belts a pair in the nitecap.
IN THE NEWS: Cleveland CF Jose Cardenal becomes the 4th OF in ML history with two unassisted DPs in one season as he helps the Tribe to a 21 win over the Angels. He also pulled one off on June 8th versus the Tigers.
IN THE NEWS: At San Francisco, aging speedster Willie Mays scores from 1B on a Jim Ray Hart single. It's the only tally as the Giants beat Houston, 10.
IN THE NEWS: Hoyt Wilhelm's 907th game breaks Cy Young's record for ML pitching appearances, but he loses a 21 decision to Oakland.
Don Drysdale walks two batters in the 5th, hits Brand with a pitch and then plunks opposing pitcher Don Wilson with an offspeed pitch to force in a run. Houston wins, 10.
IN THE NEWS: Reds pitchers George Culver and Clay Carroll allow 13 hits between them but still shut out the Pirates, 20. Culver allows eight hits in six innings and Carroll gives up five hits in three innings.
IN THE NEWS: Leaving with a strained knee after five innings of pitching Earl Wilson of the Tigers earns a 41 win in the opener of three games with the Orioles. Rookie Daryl Patterson provides spectacular relief coming in with the bases loaded in the 6th and striking out the side. Powell's homer in the 8th is the only tally for the O's. The win increases the Tigers lead over the O's to six 1/2 games.
IN THE NEWS: In Baltimore, Denny McLain (203) shuts out the Orioles 90 for his 20th win of the season for the first-place Tigers. McLain is only the 3rd pitcher in history to win his 20th this early: Rube Marquard on July 19, 1912 and Lefty Grove on July 25, 1931 were the others.
IN THE NEWS: Dave McNally outduels Mickey Lolich to give Baltimore a much-need win over the Tigers, 51.
Ken Holtzman and the Cubs beat the Dodgers Don Sutton, 10. It is Sutton's 2nd straight 10 loss to Chicago; he is now 0-10 against the Cubs, and Holtzman will top him the next three times they face each other.
At Shea Stadium, Reds pitchers Jim Maloney and Clay Carroll combine on a one hit, 53, victory. Maloney gives up a run scoring double to Cleon Jones in the first inning and then is lifted in the 6th after walking three batters. Carroll gives up two run-scoring grounders, but pitches four hitless frames.
IN THE NEWS: The Reds George Culver overcomes an upset stomach and an ingrown toenail to pitch a no-hitter against the Phillies, winning 61. A 2-base error, ground out and sac fly give the Phils a run in the 2nd.
IN THE NEWS: In the first inning, Washington SS Ron Hansen turns the 8th unassisted triple play in ML history and the first in 41 years. Cleveland's Joe Azcue hits a liner to Hansen, who steps on 2B to double Dave Nelson, and tags Russ Snyder sliding into 2B for the 3rd out. Hansen's effort is not enough, as Washington loses 101.