Jints take 2 of 3 from “swooning” Cubs

8/29 - Polo Grounds
Cubs 8, Giants 6
Rick Reuschel vs Juan Marichal
A huge 4 run outburst in the bottom of the 4th looked to put the home team in the driverseat with a 2 run lead and the Domincan Dandy on the mound.  4 consecutive walks and a wild pitch helped contribute to Big Daddy's woes so much so that he was given the hook.  Chicago's pen came threw in the clutch, allowing just 1 run the rest of the way.  This gave the Cub offense a chance to catch up, which they did thanks to the generosity of one Stu Miller.  Marichal left the game after 5 non-descript innings, but he did have a lead.  Miller gave up that lead in his first inning of work, the 6th on a two out pinch hit 3 run homer by Hank Sauer.  The "Hawk", Andre Dawson would poke one down the right field line for two more runs in the 7th.  Bruce Sutter would post his 5th save of the season by tossing a perfect 9th.

8/30 - Polo Grounds
Giants 5, Cubs 4
Greg Maddux vs Larry Jansen
Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks led off the game with a triple to dead center then scored on a Glen Beckert squeeze play.  The Jints answered right back as the Say Hey kid doubled home Will Clark with 2 out and The Baby Bull singled him home to give the home team a 2-1 lead.  Chicago would tie it in the third on a Ron Santo RBI single, but once again the Jints would plate two in the bottom of the frame to double up Chicgo 4-2.  Willie Mays would go deep to score his star pupil Bobby Bonds, who led off the inning with a single.  Jim Ray Hart's single with one out in the bottom of the 6th would easily score Will Clark to make it 5-2.  Young Greg Maddux, still learning his craft, would be done after 7 innings of up and down ball.  Maddux, who's season record fell to 0-2, gave up 5 runs in his 7 inning stint.  Jansen would leave after six innings and stand poised to post the win.  Relievers Scott Garrelts and Hoyt Wilhelm did their best to muck up the 9th, but the Cubs could only come within 1 run of tying before Wilhelm struck out Ryne Sandberg looking on a 2-2 floater.

8/31 - Wrigley Field
Giants 7, Cubs 3
Johnny Antonelli vs Ken Holtzman
Tied 3-3 after 4 innings of play the Jints managed to score the final 4 runs of the game to hand a marginally effective Antonelli his second win of the season.  If Antonelli was marginally effective, Holtzman would be considered marginally ineffective thanks to his 5 runs allowed in 6 innings and throwing an inflated 121 pitches over that rocky road.  Willie Mays hit his 12 round tripper to lead all NL sluggers.  Matt Williams and Monte Irvin finally hit their respective 1st homers of the year.  Alvin Dark and Mays both had 2 RBI's as did Hank Sauer for the Cubbies, who in the words of manager Jim Walden, "are in full scale swoon".