Baseballville

The Braves Big Three bashers have been traveling different paths this year for Milwaukee. Joe Adcock has gone on the disabled list with only five homeruns and a batting average under .240. Henry Aaron has seen his average in or around the .280 mark most of the season. His homerun production has been hot lately with five homeruns since June 23rd to give him 22 on the year, one behind leader Ernie Banks. None of his were bigger though then the one he hit tonight to drive in the winning runs in the Braves come from behind victory against the St.Louis Cardianls. The Cards took a 7-2 lead into the 8th inning with Murry Dickson on the mound. Dickson has had a bad year going into tonights game with a dismal 1 and five mark. Tonight however, the veteran right hander had good stuff, limiting the Braves to only two runs on six hits. One was Eddie Mathews 16th homerun of the year, a solo blast in the first inning. But Murry had trouble with the strikezone in the 8th, walking the first two men he faced, Billy Bruton and Henry Aaron. Fred Hutchinson came out and made a pitching change. Because the Redbird's staff is lacking in a lefthand pitcher, Hutchinson was forced to call on the only rested reliever he had and that was Herm Wehmeier. Wehmeier came on to face Eddie Mathews with nobody out and two baserunners on in a 7-2 ballgame. Mathews took the first pitch on the outside corner for strike one and then stepped out of the batter's box. Wehmeier came right back with another fast ball that Eddie fouled down the firstbase line for strike two. After Herm tried to get Mathews to chase a bad ball, the count evened at two balls and two strikes. The next pitch Mathews was ready for and he turned his hips and threw the barrel of the bat on a inside fastball just above the knees. Joe Cunningham, the Cardinal rightfielder took three steps back and just watched as Mathew's high drive cleared the right field pavilion for a three run homerun and a 7-5 score. Wehmeier managed to get out of the 8th without anymore damage but that set the stage for the 9th inning. Carl Sawatski took a Hoyt Wilhelm knuckleball and drove it just inside the bag at first for a lead off double. Bob Taylor was summond to pinch run for the heavy footed Sawatski before Andy Pakfo was called on to pinch hit. Pafko, first pitch swinging lined a run scoring single to right center and the score now was 7-6 Cards. After Bruton rolled out slowly to second, Aaron came on for his big moment. Wilhelm threw two of his best knuckleballs that Aaron layed off of for balls as they danced out of the strikezone. With the count in Aaron's favor, Henry guessed that Wihelm would probably like to get a strike in there. He guessed right and parked the semi fast ball into the left center field bleachers and gave the Braves the 8-7 lead and eventual win. The win kept the Braves on pace with the Phils who won their game over the Pirates 5-4. A good start to July boys!