IN THE NEWS: The return of Denny McLain following his suspension is witnessed by a gathering of 53,863 fans and 71 writers. He is knocked out of the box in the 6th inning, but the Tigers rally to beat the Yankees in the 11th, 65.
The Cards trade Ted Abernathy, acquired May 29, to the Royals for P Chris Zachary. Abernathy will go 93 the rest of the year for KC.
The Reds top the Braves, 92, as Tommy Helms becomes the first Red player to go deep at Riverfront Stadium. Helms' homer, which hits the LF pole just above the wall, is his only homer of the year.
IN THE NEWS: Detroit's Joe Niekro no-hits the Yankees until Horace Clarke singles in the 9th inning. The Tigers win 50. This is the 3rd time in the month that Clarke has broken up a no-hitter, having spoiled bids by KC's Jim Rooker (June 4th) and Boston's Sonny Siebert (June 19th).
The Reds hand the Braves their 9th loss in 10 games, as Cincy wins, 21. Jim Merritt becomes the National League's 1st 13-game winner and his batterymate Johnny Bench drives in both runs.
Montreal's John Bateman drives in a team-record seven runs to pace the Expos to a 1310 win over the Cards. Bateman's first hit is a grand slam in the Expos' six-run 1st inning.
At Connie Mack Stadium, the Phils break their scoreless streak of 53 innings and sweep two from the Mets, 61 and 32. With successive pinch hits by Tony Taylor, Ron Stone, and Byron Browne, the Phils score six in the 8th inning to win the opener for Jim Bunning, then again come from behind to win the nitecap for Chris Short. The opener is the 6,000th game played at the ancient stadium.
Cleveland edges the Orioles, 109, helped by Tony Horton, who hits for the cycle. Dennis Higgins is the winning pitcher.
IN THE NEWS: In pregame ceremonies, California's Clyde Wright is inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame for his pitching while at Carson-Newman College. He then hurls a no-hitter against Oakland, winning 40. Reggie Jackson's 400-foot shot to dead center in the 7th is caught.
Mike Lum hits three homers as the Braves beat the Padres, 81, in the first game of a doubleheader. The Braves continue hitting in game two to win, 94.
In Boston, a Yaz homer in Game One and an unearned run in the nitecap provide the Red Sox with 21 and 54 wins over Cleveland. In game 2, Indians reliever Dean Chance is told to remove a tiny flag pin on his cap by umpire Ed Runge in compliance with a rule prohibiting glass buttons and metal objects on uniforms because of their glare.
IN THE NEWS: The Cards send three pinch hitters to the plate in the 8th inning and all three strike out. Steve Renko of the Expos fans 10 in the game, including Jim Beauchamp, Vic Davalillo, and Leron Lee in the 8th, to give Montreal an 80 win.
IN THE NEWS: At Fenway Park, Boston's John Kennedy makes his first ML at bat a memorable one when he pinch hits an inside-the-park homer. Kennedy bats for P Mike Nagy in the 5th inning of the 84 Boston win over the Indians.
Reds rookie Wayne Simpson (131) win his 10th straight, beating the visiting Astros, 31.
IN THE NEWS: Felix Millan goes 6-for-6 with four RBI to help the Braves top the Giants 124.
At Wrigley Field, it's all Ron Santo today. Ron's 2-run homer in the opener gives the Cubs a 32 win over the Expos. In the nitecap, Santo drives in another eight runs on two homers and a bases-loaded walk as the Cubs win, 142.
Tommie Agee hits for the cycle to pace the Mets to a 103 win over the Cardinals. Jim McAndrew is the WP.
IN THE NEWS: Jim Ray Hart ties a modern major-league record with six RBIs in one inning (5th) with a 3-run homer and 3-run triple. The Giants score 11 in the frame. Hart also hits for the cycle as the Giants rout the Braves 130. Gaylord Perry is the easy winner, posting SF's first shutout of the year. Perry will throw four more to lead the National League.
The Orioles again wait until the late innings to beat New York, this time striking in the 9th inning on a Frank Robinson home run and a two-out single by Don Buford. The O's overcome an 86 deficit to win, 98.
IN THE NEWS: Dalton Jones of the Tigers loses a grand slam against the Red Sox when he passes teammate Don Wert on the base paths. Jones pinch hits for Jim Price and belts a 2-2 pitch from Vincente Romo into the RF upper deck for a grand slam. However, he passes Wert between first and second and is called out, ending up with a 3-RBI single.
In Atlanta, Chief-No-ka-homa is joined by his cousin Chief Round-the-Horn, but the duo fails to inspire the Braves, 76 losers to the Giants. Bernie Carbo's 8th inning home run breaks a 6-6 tie.
IN THE NEWS: The Padres launch four home runs in the 9th inning against LA but the power display comes too late and the Dodgers win, 97. Wes Parker has two doubles and a triple for LA. For the Padres, Ivan Murrell, Ed Spiezio and Dave Campbell hit solo homers off Bill Singer, and Cito Gaston connects for a 2-run homer off Jose Pena. The barrage is one short of the record.
Reds SS Woody Woodward goes deep for his first and only ML homer, off Ron Reed in Atlanta. It comes in his 684 ML game. It is too little as the Braves top the Reds, 119. The Reds take the nitecap, 31, scoring two runs when Pat Corrales hits a long drive that glances off the glove of Hank Aaron and over the fence for a home run. Pete Rose is 5-for-5, all singles.
IN THE NEWS: At Riverfront Stadium, the National League wins its 8th straight All-Star Game, a thrilling 12-inning 54 victory in Cincinnati. Pete Rose crashes into Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse to score the controversial winning run on Jim Hickman's single. Fosse, who never had the ball, hurts his right shoulder and is taken to the hospital. The game is scoreless until the 6th, with the NL limited to three hits in the first eight innings. In the 9th, the NL tees off on Catfish Hunter, driving in three runs to tie. Dick Dietz hits a leadoff home run in the inning. Claude Osteen pitches the 10th for the win.
IN THE NEWS: The Reds spoil the Pirates debut in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium 32. Cincinnati's Tony Perez hits the park's first homer, offsetting a later one by hometown Willie Stargell. The Pirates parade their new uniforms of stretchable cotton and nylon.
Chicago's Ken Holtzman gives up two hits and two Astro runsboth unearnedand drops a 21 decision at Houston. Billy Williams makes a bid for a game-tying homer in the 9th but his long fly hits an Astrodome speaker and drops foul.
IN THE NEWS: With the score tied at 55 and bases loaded in the 10th inning, and no outs, Brewers manager Dave Bristol inaugurates the "Bristol Shift," bringing OF Tommy Harper in between SS and 3B. Unperturbed, George Scott hits a sac fly to win the game.
IN THE NEWS: San Francisco's Willie Mays, at the age of 39, strokes a single off Montreal's Mike Wegener for his 3,000th hit. Mays' safety comes in his 2,639th game and he joins Hank Aaron, who stroked his 3,000th a month earlier. Aaron's was hit in his 2,460th game. The Giants coast to a 101 victory.
Milwaukee's Ted Kubiak has seven RBIson a single, double and grand slamto lead the Brewers to a 105 win over the Red Sox at Fenway. The Red Sox blow a 51 lead, reached when Yaz hits a 3-run homer and Reggie Smith solos. Sparky Lyle (0-4) is the loser allowing one run.
IN THE NEWS: The Dodgers Bill Singer, who a month earlier lost a no-hitter to Atlanta with two outs in the 9th, no-hits the Phillies 50, giving up no walks. He strikes out 10 and makes two miscues, one a controversial throwing error that pulls 1B Wes Parker off the base. The Phillies' players argue, contending the soft chopper by Don Money should be a hit. Singer had spent three weeks in the hospital in June for hepatitis.
In St. Louis, the Reds Lee May breaks a scoreless tie with a 10th inning grand slam to account for all the scoring as the Reds win, 40 in game 2. The Reds take the opener, 43.
IN THE NEWS: Clay Kirby has a no-hitter going for eight innings, but with two outs in the 8th and trailing 10, Padres manager Preston Gomez lifts him for a pinch hitter Cito Gaston. Gaston fails to get a hit off Mets' starter Jim McAndrew, and reliever Jack Baldschun gives up two runs in the 9th. The Padres lose 30. Gomez will repeat the mistake on September 4, 1974.
IN THE NEWS: At Wrigley, Milt Pappas shuts out the Reds in a Cubs, 10 win. It is the only shutout of the year against the Reds, tying the National League record. Jim McGlothin takes the loss.
IN THE NEWS: Chicago's Bill Melton ties the major-league record by striking out seven times in a doubleheader split with Detroit. Melton will strike out his first three times up in his next game, in Baltimore on the 28th, before flying out in the 9th. The Sox win the opener today, 52 with six straight singles and five runs in the 9th. The Tigers win the nitecap, 54, in the 9th when Don Wert draws a walk from Wilbur Wood with the sacks full.
The Cubs pound the Braves for 16 hits and 11 runs and Ken Holtzman allows six hits as the Cubs roll, 111. Williams and Santo drive in four runs apiece and Beckert scores four times.
In a surprise move, the Mets Tommie Agee steals home with the bases loaded in the 10th to give the Mets a 21 win over the visiting Dodgers. Agee bunted and reached base on an error, stole 2B with two outs and went to 3B on the throw. After two walks he took home to pin the loss on Jim Brewer.
At Pittsburgh, Clemente celebrates Roberto Clemente night with a pair of hits but leaves after suffering a cut left knee making a sliding catch on the gravel warning track. Dock Ellis goes all the way allowing four hits as the Pirates trounce the Astros, 110.
25th For the 4th time in his career, Billy Williams has the only hit for the Cubs, as he connects safely twice against the Braves Phil Niekro. Each time previously, Williams also had multiple hit games to spoil no-hitters. Niekro coasts to a 90 victory over Fergie Jenkins.
Hall beats Hall as the Orioles reliever Dick Hall tops the Twins Tom Hall, 65. Dick singles in the 8th for his first hit of the year and Don Buford follows with a game-winning home run.
IN THE NEWS: Johnny Bench of the Reds and Orlando Cepeda of the Braves each collect three consecutive homers and seven RBIs during respective games with the Cardinals and Cubs. Bench hits all three off Steve Carlton and adds a single in the Reds 125 win over the Cards. Bench now has 33 homers and 95 RBIs to lead the majors. Cepeda collects his seven RBIs in the Braves 83 win over the Cubs in game 1. His first two are solo shots, and the 3rd follows an intentional walk to Aaron to load the bases. His last RBI comes on a single in the 9th. In the nitecap of the twinbill, Cepeda has three hits but the Cubs win, 76. Glenn Beckert, 2-for-3 in the opener, raps five straight hits in game two to lead Chicago.
Boog Powell drives in six runs to lead the Orioles to an 111 win over the Twins. Boog hits a single and homer, both with the sacks full, and takes over the American League lead in ribbies with 86. Dave McNally loses his shut out on a homer by P Jim Perry.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees 52 beat California, 52, behind Mel Stottlemyre, who is helped by Gene Michael in the 9th. With the score tied, Michael pulls the hidden ball trick on Angel pinch runner Jarvis Tatum. The Yanks score three in 10th to win.
IN THE NEWS: A bad day for Angels C Tom Egan: he is charged with five passed balls, all with different pitchers, and he drops a throw for an error to permit what proves to be the winning run in a 65 loss to the Yankees. Egan does get his name in the American League record book with the five passed balls.
Donn Clendenon sets a club record by driving in seven runs as the Mets beat the Giants, 122. A sac fly and a pair of 3-run homers does it. Jim McAndrew is the winner.
IN THE NEWS: The Cubs purchase 1B/OF Joe Pepitone from the Astros. Pepitone will drive in 31 runs in his first 31 games for his new team.
Hank Aaron cracks two home runs and drives in five runs to lead the Braves to an 97 come-from-behind win over the visiting Cards. Hal King also homers to match three round trippers by St. Louis.
IN THE NEWS: At California, Boston's Sonny Siebert beats the Angels, 20, on one hit, a 3rd inning single by Jay Johnstone.
The Reds lose a doubleheader to the visiting Cubs, 71 and 117, and lose rookie star Wayne Simpson, who tears the rotary cuff in his pitching arm. Simpson will come back, but will never be the same, going 2228 in the rest of his career.