Series 11: Obamas take two of three from Kennedys

Obamas 15-12, Kennedys 13-13

Pitcher use: Johnson, Marichal and Niekro need one game; Ryan and Seaver need two; Nichols and Carlton need three.

Game One: Obamas 6, Kennedys 5

WP: Johnson (4-2)

LP: Marichal (1-4)

Save: Walsh (4)

HR: Foxx (8), F. Robinson (10), McCovey (4)

Game Two: Kennedys 6, Obamas 2

WP: Seaver (3-2)

LP: Ryan (2-2)

Save: Fingers (5)

HR: Schmidt (6), Aaron (7), McCovey (5)

Game Three: Obamas 4, Kennedys 0

WP: Nichols (4-1)

LP: Carlton (2-3)

HR: Mantle (9), Schmidt (7)

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Game One was essentially decided with a five-run third inning by the Obamas, highlighted by a three-run homer from Jimmie Foxx. One of the runs was unearned.

Other than that inning, Juan Marichal pitched quite well — just three hits in the other five innings. Frank Robinson's eighth-inning homer off Phil Niekro gave the Obamas enough margin to withstand three Kennedy scores in the seventh and eighth innings.

Game Two was dominated by Tom Seaver, who allowed just four hits through eight innings and fanned 11. He weakened in the ninth and needed help from Rollie Fingers, who entered with the bases loaded and one out and escaped with just a run scored. Willie McCovey's two-run homer in the first highlighted a three-run rally.

As good as Seaver was in Game Two, Kid Nichols was in Game Three — a four-hit shutout. Steve Carlton was a hard-luck loser; Mickey Mantle's two-run homer in the first came after Johnny Bench dropped his pop foul, which would have been the third out of the inning. Mike Schmidt hit a two-run homer in the sixth to close the scoring.

Series 11: Teddys sweep Ikes

Ikes 9-18, Teddys 16-11

Pitcher use: Roberts and Waddell need three games, Wynn and Mathewson need two games, Spahn and Alexander need one game. Lemon pitched one inning in finale.

Game One: Teddys 5, Ikes 3
WP: Rixey (2-0)
LP: Lemon (0-2)
HR: Jackson (1), Banks (10)

Game Two: Teddys 6, Ikes 4
WP: Mathewson (2-3)
LP: Wynn (1-5)
Save: Bender (4)
HR: Williams (5), Speaker (2)

Game Three: Teddys 7, Ikes 4
WP: Waddell (2-2)
LP: Roberts (0-3)

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The fast-sinking Ikes have now lost five in a row, while the Teddys are pushing toward the top of Division A.

The Ikes jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first game against Pete Alexander, as Ernie Bakes drilled his 10th homer of the season in the second inning. Warren Spahn held that lead into the seventh, when Shoeless Joe Jackson tied it with a pinch-hit three-run homer.

Eppa Rixey faced just nine men in his three innings of relief, and the Teddys scored twice in the top of the ninth against Bob Lemon, with Honus Wagner contributing a two-run single.

The Teddys never trailed in Game Two, plating two runs in the first inning and three more (one unearned) in the third. Tris Speaker had four RBIs, and Eddie Collins was never retired (3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored.)

Christy Mathewson hit a rough patch in the fourth, when Ted Williams' homer highlighted a three-run rally, but Big Six steadied until the ninth, when the Ikes loaded the bases with no outs. Chief Bender entered and induced a double play grounder from Duke Snider to blunt the rally and then popped up Williams to end it.

Game Three was an affair of crooked numbers and zeros. Robin Roberts was tagged for four runs in the first and three more in the seventh, while Rube Waddell allowed three runs in the first himself (two unearned). Three of the four runs the Ikes scored came in on errors.

For the series, Ty Cobb was 8-for-15 with two doubles and two runs scored. Speaker had six RBIs. Collins was 6-for-11 with three runs.

Series 11: Crawfords take two of three from Homestead

Homestead 16-10, Crawfords 16-11

Pitcher use: Rogan and D. Brown need three games, Paige and Trent need two games, Manning, Matlock and B. Foster need one. Salmon pitched 1.1 innings combined in the last two games. Bell pitched one inning in finale, Day 1.6. (Paige and Manning were inadvertently flip-flopped, will revert to their usual rotation slots.)

Game One: Crawfords 7, Homestead 4
WP: B. Foster (4-2)
LP: Paige (3-2)
HR: Beckwith (4), J. Gibson (11), Charleston (6), Moore (2)

Game Two: Crawfords 7, Homestead 6
WP: Streeter (1-2)
LP: Salmon (1-1)
HR: Wilson (4), Scales (9)

Game Three: Homestead 9, Crawfords 5
WP: Bell (2-0)
LP: Rogan (3-3)

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Homestead needed a furious rally late in the third game of this showdown to avoid a sweep and to stay -- by the slimmest of margins -- atop Division B.

Oscar Charleston's three-run bomb -- back by John Beckwith's two-run shot -- powered the Crawfords in the opener. Bill Foster allowed just four hits in his complete game win.

The Crawfords score five runs in the last three innings of the second game to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 7-6 win. Ted Trent allowed four runs in the second but followed that with five shutout frames.

Homestead trailed 5-1 in the eighth inning of the finale to Bullet Joe Rogan, but banged out six hits and two walks against Rogan and Leon Day to take a 7-5 lead, then added two more in the ninth off Day. The relief corps of William Bell, Leroy Matlock and Henry Salmon bent -- each allowed two baserunners in their inning of work -- but didn't break -- none allowed a run. Charleston was not only 0-for-5, he struck out all five times.

Alejandro Oms of the Crawfords was 9-for-15 for the series with six runs, three RBIs, two doubles, a triple and a homer. Teammate Ray Dandridge opened the series 0-for-7 but finished with a 5-for-7 spurt that included the game winning single of Game Two.

Series 11: Garfields take two of three from Hilldale

Garfield 10-17, Hilldale 8-19

Pitcher use: Galvin and Winters need three games, Welch and SJ Williams two games, Young and Redding one game. Radbourn and Powell pitched two innings in finale, Hensley one, Clarkson .6

Game One: Garfields 2, Hilldale 1
WP: Young (2-4)
LP: Redding (1-4)
HR: Thompson (3)

Game Two: Garfields 7, Hilldale 1
WP: Welch (3-2)
LP: SJ Williams (2-5)

Game Three: Hilldale 7, Garfields 6 (10 inn.)
LP: Clarkson (0-3)
WP: Hensley (1-0)
HR: Thompson (4), Stearnes (4), Torriente (1), Poles (1)

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Hilldale broke a six-game losing streak with a comeback win the finale, but remains in the cellar of Division B.

Cy Young outdueled Cannonball Dick Redding in a dandy pitching duel in the opener. Sam Thompson took advantage of a Willie Wells error to hit a two-run homer; that was enough of Young.

Young went the distance, scattering two hits and five walks to stake an early claim of pitcher of the series honors. Redding wasn't much worse, allowing six hits and two walks.

The second game turned on another Hilldale error, this one by Turkey Stearnes. His first-inning boot set up a four-run (all unearned) outburst that gave Mickey Welch plenty of cushion.

Smokey Joe Williams allowed five runs in eight innings, but only one was earned. The Garfields stole four bases off him, two of them in the four-run first. Welch scattered seven hits and walked none.

The Garfields had a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning of the finale, but Hilldale chipped away and tied it in the eighth at five. Thompson homered in top of the tenth to put the Garfields on the verge of a sweep, but with two outs in the tenth, John Clarkson hit Wells with a pitch, walked Newt Allen and allowed a game-ending triple to Judy Johnson.

For the series, Thompson was 7-for-13 with two homers, a double, a walk, a steal, five runs and three RBIs.