On This Date in Sports July 8, 1958: Singles Party
The All-Star Game celebrates its 25th Anniversary at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The game features a singles parade, as it is the first midsummer classic to be played without an extra-base hit. A total of 13 hits are recorded as the American League edges the National League 4-3, with Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees driving home the winning run in the sixth inning.
It was the 25th All-Star Game in Baltimore, with Vice President Richard M. Nixon making the short trip up the Beltway to throw out the first pitch. For American League manager Casey Stengel it was his own pitcher from the New York Yankees, Bob Turley, getting the start. A similar move was made by Milwaukee Braves manager Fred Haney who had Warren Spahn starting for the National League.
Bob Turley got into early trouble as Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants led off the game with a base hit. After Bob Skinner of the Pittsburgh Pirates lineout, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals pushed Mays to third with a single. Hank Aaron of the Braves followed with a sacrifice fly to give the NL an early 1-0 lead. Turley dug a deep hole for the AL by plunking Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs and walking Pirates third baseman Frank Thomas to load the bases. He followed that up with a Wild Pitch that made it 2-0.
The American League got a run back in the bottom of the inning as an error by Banks allowed Nellie Fox of the Chicago White Sox to reach base. Fox moved to third on a single by Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle and scored when Jackie Jensen of the Boston Red Sox hit into a double play. Bob Turley struggled in the second as he issued a one-out walk to Warren Spahn, who was forced out when Mays reached on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Willie Mays would manufacture a run on the bases, stealing second and advancing to third on a bad throw by Baltimore Orioles catcher Gus Triandos. Bob Skinner followed with a single to make it 3-1, chasing the Yankees starter. Ray Narleski of the Cleveland Indians ended the inning by getting Musial to pop up. Triandos atoned for his error with a leadoff single in the bottom of the second. He would come around to score after singles by Narleski and Fox.
The National League maintained a 3-2 lead until the fifth inning when Mickey Vernon of the Indians led off with a single against Pittsburgh’s Bob Friend. Friend proceeded to load the bases after issuing a walk to Fox and a single to Mantle. With the bases loaded, Friend produced two ground balls, one from Jensen that plated Vernon and tied the game and one off the bat of Yankees' first baseman Moose Skowron, ending the inning with a double play.
After Early Wynn of the White Sox made quick work of the National League in the sixth, Frank Malzone put Friend on the robes again with a leadoff single. After Yogi Berra of the Yankees was retired with a pop-up to third, Ted Williams, in a pinch-hitting role, reached base on an error by Frank Thomas at third. Gil McDougald of the Yankees followed with an RBI single to give the AL its first lead of the game at 4-3. Larry Jackson of the St. Louis Cardinals would limit the damage by inducing a double play off the bat of Nellie Fox. The one run was enough as Billy O’Dell of the hometown Orioles had three perfect innings of relief, with Wynn getting the win and Friend getting the loss. The final out was recorded when Del Crandall of the Braves popped up to Fox at second.