their ten-game losing streak, arrived at Crosley Field, August 25. Sandy Koufax promptly braked the nosedive with a five-hitter, 7 to 2. Los Angeles won again the next day, 10 to 6. With a sweep of the Sunday bill, August 27, the Dodgers could retake the lead. They raced off to a 5 to 1 lead in the opener of the Sabbath double-header, but Cincinnati fought back to win, 6 to 5. When the Reds also won the nightcap, 8 to 3, behind Ken Johnson, they again were three and one-half games in front.
Following the Cincinnati series, the Dodgers won seven of their next nine engagements, capped by a four-game sweep over the Giants. The spurt reduced the Reds' advantage to a mere one game, September 6. But Alston's crew then went to San Francisco for the second half of a home-and-home series and faltered again, losing three in a row.
The Reds, meanwhile, opened their final home stand, September 8, by launching a six-game victory streak. They eventually clinched the flag on Tuesday, September 26. Sparked by Frank Robinson's two-run homer in the seventh inning and Jerry Lynch's two-run blast in the eighth, the Reds came from behind at Chicago to win, 6 to 3, and be assured of at least a pennant tie. Some six hours later, the race was over when Pirate Lefty Joe Gibbon blanked the Dodgers on one hit, 8 to 0, to snuff out their last hope.
Two player deals negotiated by Bill DeWitt the previous winter loomed large in Cincinnati's flag success. Less than six weeks after being appointed G. M., DeWitt completed a three-way swap in which the Reds obtained Pitcher Joey Jay from Milwaukee and Third Baseman Gene Freese from the Chicago White Sox. In the exchange, the Rhinelanders gave up Shortstop Roy McMillan, Pitcher Cal McLish and a minor leaguer.
Jay had never won more than nine games in his seven seasons with the Braves, but under Hutchinson's guidance the 26-year-old righthander blossomed into a star. Racking up a 21-10 record, Jay became the Reds' first 20-game winner since Ewell Blackwell in 1947. At the same time, Freese proved an early spark at bat and finished with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs while batting .277.
Frank Robinson was Cincinnati's big siege gun. Enjoying the finest year of his career, he batted .323, walloped 37 homers and drove in 124 runs to win league MVP honors. His outfield sidekick, Vada Pinson, also had a banner season, finishing second in the league batting race with .343 and producing 87 RBIs. Gordy Coleman also drove in 87 runs while socking 26 homers.
Next to Jay, Cincinnati's leading winner was Jim O'Toole. The lefthander posted a 19-9 ledger and the league's second lowest ERA, 3.09. Bob Purkey, the other member of the club's Big Three, won 16 games while losing 12. Rookie Ken Hunt furnished an early lift by gaining nine victories through July 7 before fading. Ken Johnson, purchased from Toronto on July 21, took up the late slack with a 6-2 record. Jim Brosnan proved a tower of strength in the bull pen with a 10-4 ledger.
Inability to win big at home and collapse of what was tabbed the best pitching staff in baseball cost Los Angeles the flag. Lacking a righty power hitter to take advantage of the Coliseum's short left field fence, the Dodgers were only 45-32 in their own park. A deal which brought Infielder Daryl Spencer from the Cardinals, May 30, was designed to alleviate the right-handed power deficiency, but just when he began finding the range, he fractured a small bone in the knee, July 4, and was shelved nearly three weeks. The club experienced several other costly casualties. These included veteran Duke Snider, who got away to a great start only to suffer a broken right elbow, April 17, and Relief Ace Larry Sherry, who was idled several times by injury and an ailing flipper.
Southpaws Johnny Podres and Sandy Koufax paced the Los Angeles staff with 18 victories each. Podres lost just five decisions while Koufax dropped 13, but Sandy set a modern N. L. record by striking out 269 in 256 innings. Stan Williams and Don Drysdale proved disappointments with 15-12 and 13-10 marks, respectively. Wally Moon was the club's leading hitter at .328, while Ron Fairly batted .322.
Despite boasting the league's heaviest scoring team and allowing the opposition only two more runs than the champion Reds, the Giants had to settle for third place, eight games back of Cincinnati. Still, with 85 victories, the club enjoyed its best record in four seasons in San Francisco and helped Al Dark make a successful managerial debut.
Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays led the potent Giant attack. Cepeda, alternating between first base and the outfield, paced the loop in home runs.
