Today, I'm going to share APBA recap of my three-game series between the 1962 Milwaukee Braves and the 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates. In this particular series I played the Master Game of APBA baseball.
Game 1 took place at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. It was a matchup between #4 starters for each team with Bob Hendley taking the mound for the visiting Braves and Harvey Haddix hurling for the home Pirates. This game was not a pitcher's duel.
In the top of the first the Braves scored 4 runs but the Pirates came back with 2 of their own in the bottom of the frame. In the top of the fifth with the score Milwaukee 4 Pittsburgh 3 the Braves scored 3 more to take a 7 to 3 lead. In the bottom of the 6th with Hendley still on the mound the Pirates broke out the bats and scored 4 off of Hendley and 3 off of reliever Claude Raymond to take a 10 to 7 lead heading into the 7th. In the 8th inning with both starters out of the game a costly error by Dick Groat allows the Braves to score 4 runs to take an 11 - 10 lead. With Nottebart pitching for the Braves in the bottom of the 8th the Pirates looked to pitch hit for pitcher Olivo. They call on Jim Marshall who only had 2 homers in 116 plate appearances, with a man on Marshall hits a two run shot to put the Hometown Pirates in the lead 12 - 11. The Pirates call on Roy Face to close it out in the top of the 9th, and he shuts down the Braves' bats for the save.
For the Braves Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock and Eddie Mathews all homered. For the hometown Pirates both Virdon and Marshall homered and Clemente was 3 for 5 and drove in 4 runs.
Game 2 switches to County Stadium in Milwaukee with each team having their aces take the mound. For the visiting Pirates Bob Friend takes the mound and for the home team Braves Warren Spahn toes the rubber.
No scoring in this until the bottom of the third when Frank Bolling hits a two run homer. In the top of the fifth the Pirates score three unearned runs thanks to an error by leftfielder Gus Bell. In the bottom of the 7th Bell redeems himself by driving in Del Crandall with a triple. The score remained 3 to 3 until the top of the 11th when the Pirates score three runs off of reliever Nottebart. The Pirates called on Roy Face to close out the bottom of the 11th and earn his 2nd consecutive save.
For the Pirates Clemente was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and a triple, and Skinner was 2 for 6 with two RBIs and 2 doubles. For the Braves besides Bolling's homer and Bell's triple Hank Aaron was 2 for 5 with 2 singles. This game was more about the pitching than the hitting with friend striking out 8 in 8 innings and Spahn not giving up an earned run in 9 innings of work.
Game 3 stays in Milwaukee for the final match-up between these two teams. The Pirates are going for a sweep and the Braves hope to salvage one win in the series. This match-up saw each team throw their number-two starters: Earl Francis for the Pirates and Bob Shaw for the Braves.
This was a true pitcher's duel. Only 10 hits between the two teams and only two were extra base hits (doubles). In the top of the 5th the pirates broke a zero zero deadlock when Mazeroski doubled, after Schofield walked Francis advanced Mazeroski to third with one out Skinner hits a sacrifice fly for the only run of the game. The pitching trio of Francis 6 innings no runs 2 hits, Olivo 2 innings 1 hit and for his third consecutive save Face 1 inning no hits the shutout the likes of Aaron, Adcock and Mathews and the rest of the Braves who only mustered 3 singles. For the Braves Shaw pitched a complete game, only gave up the 1 run on 7 hits. This game was quite the contrast to game one which saw 23 runs total.
When I finish my next match-up the 1962 Washington Senators versus the 1962 Cleveland Indians I'll post another recap. In the meantime go and roll some games of your own.
