By Bobster

July 28, 1960---The Pirates were off as they traveled to Chicago for 3 games. However, the Braves lost a 3-2 game to SF to increase the Pirates’ lead to 2 full games. The match-ups for the Cub series would feature Mizell (5-2) vs Jim Brewer (0-2), Friend (11-6) vs Glen Hobbie (9-13) and Haddix (6-6) vs Don Cardwell (4-10).

By Bobster

July 27, 1960---The Pirates (56-37) completed a 3-game sweep of St.L. while the Braves were losing to the Giants, to open up a 1½ game lead. George Witt, battling arm problems the past 2 years, started the game for Pittsburgh against the Cardinals’ Ray Sadecki. Witt struggled in the first inning but was bailed out by catcher Hal Smith. Julian Javier opened the game with a single. Witt struck out the next batter,

July 26, 1960---Vern Law (13-5) recorded his 10th consecutive victory over the Cardinals in the past 3 years as the Pirates won 5-4. The Bucs (55-37) scored 3 times in the 4th against St.L. starter Curt Simmons (2-1). Stuart opened the inning with a single. He was forced at second by Cimoli. After Burgess flied out, Hoak doubled to score Cimoli and took third as the throw to home was off target. Mazeroski was given an intentional walk. He stole second, and Hoak scored when catcher Carl Sawatski’s throw to second was errant.

By Bobster

July 25, 1960---The Pirates opened a three game series in St.Louis. The Bucs were in a virtual tie with the Braves for first place and 4 games ahead of the Cardinals, who came into the series at 49-41 and tied with the Dodgers for 3rd place. The series was a chance for the Cardinals to make headway in the pennant race. But the Pirates moved back into first place by themselves with a ½ game lead over the Braves with a 4-2 win over the Cardinals while the Braves were idle.

By Bobster

July 24, 1960---A bad day for the Pirates (53-37) saw them fall into second place for the first time since May 30th, .002 percentage points behind the Milwaukee Braves (52-36). The Braves won a doubleheader against Chicago while the Pirates dropped a 6-3 contest to the Giants. Willie Mays connected for his 21st HR of the year with a man aboard in the 1st inning against starter Tom Cheney. The score remained 2-0 until the 6th inning with Billy O’Dell (5-8) shutting down the Pirates. In the 6th, Bob Schmidt who, like Mays, had homered the day before, connected again for a 3-run HR off Cheney after Felipe Alou’s hit had made it a 3-0 game.

By Bobster

July 23, 1960---San Francisco rookie Juan Marichal (2-0) earned his second ML victory in as many tries with a 4-hit, 3-1 win over the Pirates (53-36) and Harvey Haddix (6-6). Marichal went the distance, walking 4 and striking out 6. Bob Schmidt homered in the 3rd for SF to give them a 1-0 lead, and Willie Mays hit #20 in the 5th to put SF up 3-0.

By Bobster

July 22, 1960---Vinegar Bend Mizell raised his Pirate record to 5-2 with a victory over the SF Giants. Mizell gave up a run in the 1st inning when Willie Mays hit his 19th HR. The Giants also had at least 1 hit in each of the first 7 innings and left the bases loaded in the 3rd. Mizell went the distance, giving up 1 run, 9 hits and 2 BBs with 2 Ks. The Bucs turned 3 DPs behind Mizell. The Giants led 1-0 until the 5th inning when Cimoli started a 3-run rally with a lead-off single.

By Bobster

July 21, 1960---Vern Law’s strong outing salvaged one game of the Dodger series on the same day the Braves’ 7-game winning streak was ended, increasing the Pirates’ hold on first place to 1½ games. Law (12-5) snapped a personal 3-game losing streak and gained his 11th complete game of the season.

By Bobster

July 20, 1960----Another loss to the Dodgers put the Pirates’ hold on first place at only a half-game over the red-hot Milwaukee Braves, who won their 7th in a row. Right-hander George Witt, recently recalled from AAA where he had been rehabbing his sore arm, started for the Pirates (51-35) against All-Star Stan Williams of the Dodgers.

By Bobster

July 19, 1960---In Los Angeles, the Pirates couldn’t hold a 4-0 lead with one of their aces on the mound. Bob Friend opposed Don Drysdale in the first game of a 3-game series against the Dodgers. The Pirates got to Drysdale immediately in the first inning when Virdon led off with a double and scored on Groat’s single. In the second inning with Mazeroski aboard on a single and two outs, Virdon hit his fourth HR of the season to make it 3-0. Drysdale was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 2nd inning trailing 3-0.