1957 Milwaukee Braves Regular Season Summary

All headlines are from the next day’s edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel, unless otherwise noted.

April 16. BRAVES ON THEIR WAY, 4-1.Spahn’s Pitching, Logan’s Home Run Highlight Opener. The Braves opened the 1957 season in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon in front of 23,674 spectators in Wrigley Field. Thirty-six-year-old Warren Spahn tossed a complete game, holding the Northsiders to four hits en route to his 204th career victory. The Braves scored all of their runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Johnny Logan’s two-run home run.

The Braves’ Opening Day starting lineup was:

1. Danny O’Connell 2B
2. Henry Aaron RF
3. Eddie Mathews 3B
4. Joe Adcock 1B
5. Bobby Thomson LF
6. Johnny Logan SS
7. Bill Bruton CF
8. Del Crandall C
9. Warren Spahn P

April 17. No game scheduled

April 18. NOW IT’S TWO IN A ROW! Burdette Shuts Out Cincy; Aaron Homers. On a sunny afternoon, 41,506 fans turned out for the Braves’ home opener. Lew Burdette tossed a six-hit shutout to defeat the Redlegs, 1-0. In the sixth inning Henry Aaron blasted a one-out home run off Hal Jeffcoat into the bullpen in right center field for the game’s only run. This contest would be the first of the Braves’ four 1-0 complete-game victories thrown by four different pitchers, Burdette, Spahn, Bob Buhl, and Gene Conley, during the season.

April 19. No game scheduled

April 20. O’Connell, Murff Sink Redlegs, 5-4. In the second game of a six-game homestand, Del Crandall went 3-for-4, including a wind-aided second-inning home run, and later scored in the sixth inning on Danny O’Connell double, one of his three hits. Red Murff pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to preserve the victory for starter Ray Crone.

April 21. BRAVES ALONE ATOP N.L. Win Fourth in a Row for Spahn’s 2nd. The Braves’ damage was done by Joe Adcock (three hits and one run batted in) and Del Crandall (two hits and two RBIs) as Warren Spahn scattered nine hits for his second consecutive complete-game victory of the season, 3-1 over the Redlegs.

April 22. BRAVES RIP CUBS FOR FIVE STRAIGHT. Buhl posts Braves 5th win, 9-4; Rush Routed. Behind home runs by Aaron and Adcock, the Braves jumped out to a 9-1 lead after four innings. Bob Buhl held the Cubs to five hits, but walked four in seven innings before yielding to Gene Conley, who pitched the last two innings in a 9-4 victory.

April 23. Neeman’s Homer in Tenth Hands Braves First Loss. Cubs rookie catcher Cal Neeman belted his first career home run in the tenth inning off Lew Burdette, who pitched all ten innings but was collared for the hard-luck loss, 3-2. The Braves knocked out starter Elmer Singleton in the fifth inning, but were limited to two hits for the final 5 1/3 innings by journeymen Vito Valentinetti, Dick Littlefield, and Turk Lown.

April 24. BRAVES HOMERS BEAT CARDS. The Braves’ three primary home-run threats, Aaron, Adcock, and Mathews, connected off Cardinals starter Herm Wehmeier. Taylor Phillips pitched six innings of relief and earned the victory when Del Crandall launched a dramatic walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning to defeat the Cardinals, 8-7.

April 25. No game scheduled

April 26. BRAVES FOUR HOME RUNS RIP REDS. The lights at Crosley Field did not bother the Braves as they belted four home runs in their first night game of the season and the first contest of a 16-game road trip. In the second inning Joe Adcock cranked a massive home run to deep right center field, then hit a grand slam in the next inning to record a season-high five runs batted in. Warren Spahn pitched his third consecutive complete game to garner the win, 9-2.

April 27. Burdette Bests Redlegs Again. Lew Burdette matched Warren Spahn with his third consecutive complete game to start the season, holding on for a 5-4 victory over Cincinnati. In the first inning Aaron knocked a pitch from starter Warren Hacker completely over a signboard on top of a factory behind the left-field fence at Crosley Field. Adcock added his fifth home run of the young season, a two-out solo shot, in the fifth inning.

April 28. BRAVES WIN 4TH IN ROW, 3-2. Red Murff relieved Taylor Phillips who issued six walks in 3 2/3 innings (but also secured his first big-league hit in the fourth inning) and held the Redlegs to three hits and one run over 5 1/3 innings to earn his first major-league victory, 3-2, for the three-game sweep of Cincinnati. The two Braves hurlers profited from four double plays; the last twin killing choked off a ninth-inning Redlegs rally. The Braves improved their record to 9-1, their best start since coming to Milwaukee.

April 29. No game scheduled

April 30. HRs by Antonelli and Rhodes Beat Braves. In the first game of a two-game series at the Polo Grounds, the Braves had no answer for former Brave Johnny Antonelli, who limited them to seven singles and struck out nine in a convincing 4-0 win. Dusty Rhodes crushed a pitch from Bob Buhl over the roof in right center field with Red Schoendienst aboard for the first two runs of the game. Antonelli, a capable batter, belted his tenth career home run, a two-run shot off Ray Crone in the seventh inning, to complete the scoring.

NL Standings, after games played on April 30, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
Milwaukee Braves	9	2	0	.818	−
Brooklyn Dodgers	8	3	0	.727	1
New York Giants	7	6	0	.538	3
St Louis Cardinals	5	5	0	.500	3.5
Philadelphia Phillies	5	7	0	.417	4.5
Cincinnati Redlegs	5	7	0	.417	4.5
Pittsburgh Pirates	4	8	0	.333	5.5
Chicago Cubs	3	8	0	.273	6

---

May 1. BRAVES BEAT GIANTS IN 10TH. “My fastball is no longer my ace in the hole,” said Spahn. “I came up with my new sinker pitch. Now I am finally a low ball pitcher and it’s given me a new lease on life.”1 Going into the top of the tenth tied, 1-1, the Braves scored four runs, including back-to-back home runs by Frank Torre and Bobby Thomson. Spahn pitched a hitless tenth frame to win his fourth consecutive complete game, 5-1 over the Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York.

May 2. BRAVES BEAT PIRATES, 8-5. The Braves scored five unearned runs off reliever Elroy Face, including three in the top of the tenth inning to defeat the Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Hank Aaron rapped a season-high five hits, Danny O’Connell matched his season high with three, and Mathews belted three singles (and knocked in three runs) as part of Milwaukee’s 18-hit attack. Red Murff pitched a scoreless tenth frame to preserve Lew Burdette’s third victory of the year.

May 3. AARON’S BAT LEAVES BRAGAN SPEECHLESS AFTER BRAVES WIN ONE FROM THE PIRATES, 8-7. (From the Milwaukee Journal). The Braves won their third consecutive extra-inning game behind the hot hitting of Hank Aaron (3-for-4 with a double, triple, and home run), while Joe Adcock, Billy Bruton, Del Crandall, and Bobby Thomson had two hits each. Red Murff blew the lead when he surrendered a two-out run-scoring single to Bob Skinner, the first batter he faced in the ninth inning. Thomson singled home Aaron for the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning. With men on first and second in the bottom of the 11th, Warren Spahn came on in relief to induce pinch-hitter Danny Kravitz to pop up to center, thus preserving the Braves’ exciting win. Pittsburgh used 23 players (including seven pitchers) during this contest.

May 4. BRAVES SHUT OUT, 1-0, BY VERNON LAW. Twenty-year-old rookie Juan Pizarro made his major-league debut against the Pirates, yielding just seven singles and one run. However, Vern Law pitched the first of three career two-hitters (he never threw a no-hitter or a one-hitter) for the shutout. Hank Aaron and Johnny Logan had the only hits for the Braves, who lost for just the third time in 15 games.

May 5. BRAVES BEAT DODGERS, 10-7. Four Aaron Blows Lead 16-Hit Spree. Ernie Johnson, 32, made his first appearance of the year by relieving starter Bob Buhl and Ray Crone, who had been rocked for a combined ten hits and seven runs in the first three innings. Johnson retired the first 16 batters he faced before yielding a bloop single to Gino Cimoli in the ninth. The Braves roared back from a 7-3 deficit with seven unanswered runs, led by Aaron’s three-run homer to give Johnson the win, 10-7, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

May 6. BRAVES DROP 14-INNING TILT TO BUMS, 5-4. An “incipient bean-ball battle” began in the first inning when Dodgers starter Don Drysdale knocked down Hank Aaron twice with inside pitches.2 Lew Burdette retaliated by dusting off Roy Campanella after Carl Furillo’s three-run homer was followed by Gil Hodges’ deep fly ball to center field. The Braves tied the game on home runs by Mathews, his second of the game, in the sixth, and Joe Adcock in the eighth inning. Given a 4-3 lead in the 12th inning, Burdette surrendered it with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Sandy Koufax pitched a scoreless 14th and earned the win when Gino Cimoli blasted a walk-off shot off loser Red Murff.

May 7. PHILS DEFEAT BRAVES. The Phillies jumped on Warren Spahn for seven hits and five runs in four innings. In the third inning Phillies second baseman Granny Hamner clouted a monster blast into the upper deck in left field of Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Manager Fred Haney replaced struggling left fielder Bobby Thomson (batting just .156) with little-used Chuck Tanner, who rapped an RBI double in the sixth. Robin Roberts held the Braves to six hits, yielding four runs, for the complete-game victory, 8-4.

May 8. PHILS BEAT BRAVES, 2ND STRAIGHT. Phillies rookie Don Cardwell pitched a complete game seven-hitter, striking out nine, to hand the Braves their third consecutive loss, 2-1. The Braves rallied in the ninth for one run, but Danny O’Connell struck out with two outs and runners on first and third base to end the game.

May 9. No game scheduled.

May 10. PIZARRO, BRAVES WHIP CARDS. Johnny Logan went 4-for-4 with two singles, a double, and a home run to drive in five runs, and Eddie Mathews went 3-for-5 with a double and home run, knocking in three. In his second big-league start, Juan Pizarro hit his first major-league home run (a deep blast into the right-center pavilion seats) and went the distance, overcoming nine hits, four walks, and five runs to earn a 10-5 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis, his first career victory, behind the Braves’ 14-hit attack.

May 11. BRAVES LOSE, TIE FOR FIRST. The Braves overcame their third deficit to tie the Cardinals at 7-7 in the eighth inning on Del Crandall’s run-scoring single. Reliever Ray Crone extinguished a bases-loaded situation in the eighth, but was the victim of two errors in the tenth. Danny O’Connell bobbled Al Dark’s grounder, then Joe Adcock threw Stan Musial’s sure double-play grounder into left field. After Crone intentionally walked Jim King, Ken Boyer hit a walk-off single to win the game, 8-7, in the tenth inning.

May 12. BURDETTE, PHILLIPS MUZZLE CARDS IN PAIR, 4-2 and 10-4. In the first game of the Braves’ first doubleheader of the season, Lew Burdette tossed a nifty six-hitter and Hank Aaron supplied the fireworks with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Nursing a two-run lead in the eighth inning, Burdette faced trouble with two on and no outs, but Johnny Logan fielded a grounder to force out Bobby Gene Smith at third. Burdette then induced Al Dark to fly out and Stan Musial to ground out to end the inning.

In the second game the Braves jumped on Herman Wehmeier for two runs in the third inning, when Hank Aaron connected for his ninth home run of the year. In the fourth Danny O’Connell’s two-run single knocked Wehmeier out of the game. Eddie Mathews then hit a three-run blast off reliever Willard Schmidt to give the Braves an 8-0 lead. Starter Red Murff surrendered four unanswered runs before reliever Taylor Phillips came on to pitch five scoreless innings of relief and pick up his second win of the year.

The Braves went 10-6 on their first road-trip of the year.

May 13. No game scheduled.

May 14. BRAVES TIP BUMS, TAKE LEAD. In the first game of a seven-game homestand, Joe Adcock belted a triple to score Hank Aaron and scored himself on Chuck Tanner’s infield single to give the Braves a two-run lead after one inning. Bob Buhl pitched 6 2/3 innings and matched a career high with nine bases on balls. The Dodgers threatened with two on in the seventh, but Ernie Johnson came on in relief and got Roy Campanella to foul out, ending the rally and saving the 3-2 win for Buhl.

May 15. HOME RUN IN 10TH NIPS BRAVES, 3-2. The Braves reached starter Don Drysdale for only two hits over seven innings, but one of them was Frank Torre’s double, scoring Danny O’Connell and Eddie Mathews in the seventh. The Braves’ Gene Conley surrendered just three hits over 7 1/3 innings before yielding to Lew Burdette in his first relief appearance of the year. Burdette surrendered a home run to Don Zimmer in the tenth to take the loss.

May 16. BUCS DROP BRAVES TO SECOND PLACE. Bob Friend tossed a seven-hitter. Eddie Mathews’ leadoff ninth-inning home-run was his only blemish. Rookie Juan Pizarro had his third consecutive strong outing, yielding only five hits and two runs over eight innings, but was a hard-luck loser, 2-1. The loss dropped the Braves to second place for the first time all season, one game behind the Dodgers.

May 17. Scheduled game with the Pittsburgh Pirates was rained out.

May 18. BRAVES WIN 6-5, HALF GAME OUT (AP, Racine Journal-Times). The Braves played their fourth consecutive one-run game and were led by Hank Aaron who enjoyed the first of his two two-home-run games of the season. He went 3-for-4, scored three times, and knocked in four runs. Warren Spahn had his third consecutive poor outing (seven hits and four runs in four innings); however, Burdette tossed one-run ball over five innings to notch his fifth win of the season, 6-5 over the Pirates, to improve the Braves’ record to 18-9.

May 19. BRAVES HAND GIANTS VICTORY IN ONE GAME SERIES, 6-3 (Milwaukee Journal). In the top of the eighth inning in a 3-3 tie, Danny O’Connell muffed a sure double play with two men on and one out. Reliever Red Murff walked Daryl Spencer, then surrendered a go-ahead two-run single by catcher Ray Katt. Johnny Antonelli pitched three scoreless innings in relief for the Giants to garner the win.

May 20. No game scheduled.

May 21. RAIN ENDS BRAVES, PHILS GAME IN TIE. On a cold, rainy night, the Braves and Phillies played to a 1-1 tie. Starting pitcher Gene Conley singled home Billy Bruton in the bottom of the fifth inning to save the game for the Braves. The Phillies batted in the top half of the sixth, but the game was called after a 31-minute delay in the bottom half of the inning, thus erasing the Phillies’ statistics from that half-inning.

May 22. HOMER BEATS PHILS IN 13TH. On a rainy night, Phillies starter Robin Roberts held the Braves batters in check through 12 innings, yielding only three runs, all from Eddie Mathews’ game-tying home run in the fifth inning. Leading off the bottom of the 13th, Chuck Tanner hit his first and only career walk-off home run, giving the Braves an exciting 4-3 win. Tough-luck loser Roberts tossed 170 pitches.

May 23. No game scheduled.

May 24. CUBS ROOKIE PACES WIN OVER BRAVES. Warren Spahn was rocked in his fourth consecutive start, yielding six hits and three runs to the Cubs in five innings. Moe Drabowsky tossed a complete-game nine-hitter to earn the win, 5-1, in the first game of a four-game series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs’ 26-year-old rookie right fielder Frank Ernaga homered in his first big-league at-bat and tripled in his second at-bat, both off Spahn.

May 25. BRAVES SQUEEZE 7-6 WIN FROM CHICAGO (AP, Racine Journal-Times). The Cubs clobbered starter Bob Buhl and reliever Taylor Phillips for seven hits, drew five walks, and scored five runs in 3 1/3 innings before a quartet of relievers (Ray Crone, Dave Jolly, Ernie Johnson, and Warren Spahn) shut them down. Trailing 5-1 after four innings, the Braves roared back with six unanswered runs, led by Johnny Logan and Joe Adcock, who each went 3-for-3. Billy Bruton’s run-scoring triple and Hank Aaron’s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning proved to be the difference in a 7-6 win.

May 26. BRAVES LOSE PAIR TO CUBS. Twin Loss Drops Club to Third. In the first game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, Cubs rookie pitcher Dick Drott set a new club record by striking out 15 batters, including Hank Aaron and Billy Bruton three times each, in a complete-game 7-5 victory. Del Crandall and Chuck Tanner connected for home runs off the 20-year-old right-hander.

In the second game, Del Rice’s first home run of the year, in the sixth inning, and Johnny Logan’s run-scoring triple in the eighth gave the Braves a 4-2 cushion. But Juan Pizarro, who had been cruising along, surrendered a home run to Frank Ernaga in the eighth and then came undone in the ninth. After issuing a one-out walk and yielding two singles and the tying run, Pizarro was relieved by Ray Crone with two men on and Ernie Banks at the plate. Banks delivered a walk-off single to win the game. The Braves fell to third place, 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Cincinnati Redlegs. “We’ve been in a slump the last two weeks,” said manager Fred Haney. “I’m not worried about their ability to snap out of it.”3

May 27. REDS TIP BRAVES IN ‘OVERTIME’ In the first game of an eight-game homestand, Del Crandall hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score, 6-6. Reliever Ernie Johnson yielded five runs on four hits in the tenth for the 11-6 loss. Frustration resulted in fisticuffs after a hard slide involving Johnny Logan and Cincinnati’s Hal Jeffcoat, who were both ejected. The brief fracas also drew in Eddie Mathews and the Redlegs’ 60-year-old third-base coach, Jimmie Dykes. After a seven-game homerless drought, Aaron hit his league-leading 12th home run. Third-place Milwaukee dropped to a season-worst 3 1/2 games out of first place.

May 28. BRAVES’ 2 HITS NIP REDLEGS. Don Gross of the Redlegs threw seven hitless innings until Bobby Thomson led off the eighth inning with a triple. Frank Torre’s one-out single drove in Thomson for the only run of the game. Spahn bounced back after four ineffective starts to hold Cincinnati to eight hits for his first shutout of the season.

May 29. BUHL’S 4-HITTER HALTS CUBS. Bob Buhl pitched his first complete game of the season and third baseman Felix Mantilla recorded his first three hits of the season to lead the Braves’ 12-hit attack. Notoriously poor-hitting Buhl went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run in the 6-2 victory.

May 30. BRAVES, CUBS BREAK EVEN. Home Runs Help Crone Win Opener. In the first game of a doubleheader, Ray Crone pitched an eight-hit complete game (his first of the year) and received help from Billy Bruton’s first home run of the year and catcher Del Rice’s second to record the win, 5-2.

Down by two runs in the ninth inning during the second game, the Braves began a two-out rally as Del Crandall and pinch-hitter Chuck Tanner singled, then pinch-hitter Joe Adcock walked. With the bases full, Turk Lown came on in relief and struck out Felix Mantilla to save the win, 4-2, and secure a split in the doubleheader for the Cubs.

May 31. CARDS SHADE BRAVES. Juan Pizarro pitched a complete game, but surrendered 11 hits and lost his third contest in five starts. The Cardinals’ Lindy McDaniel went the distance and held the Braves to two earned runs in a 4-3 win. The loss was the Braves’ ninth in 20 games decided by one run. Milwaukee finished with a 14-14 record in May, the team’s only nonwinning month of the season.

NL Standings, after games played on May 31, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
Cincinnati Redlegs	26	14	0	.650	−
Brooklyn Dodgers	23	15	0	.605	2
Milwaukee Braves	23	16	1	.590	2.5
Philadelphia Phillies	23	17	1	.575	3
St Louis Cardinals	19	19	0	.500	6
New York Giants	18	23	0	.439	8.5
Chicago Cubs	12	24	0	.333	12
Pittsburgh Pirates	11	27	0	.289	14

---

June 1. Cards Drop Braves 7-1 (AP Racine Journal-Times). The Braves began the new month with their worst defeat thus far in the season. The Cardinals’ Murry Dickson held the Braves to six hits in front of the biggest home crowd since the season’s opener, 38,240. Rookie Bobby Malkmus started his first game at second base, the weak spot on the team. Since their 12-2 start, the Braves have played 11-15 ball, and are now just six games above .500. The loss dropped Milwaukee to fourth place, 3 1/2 games out of first and behind Cincinnati, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia.

June 2. BRAVES TOP CARDS, TAKE 3RD. The Braves scored three runs in third inning on RBI singles by Bobby Thomson and Frank Torre. Bob Buhl scattered eight hits and yielded one run in eight innings, but the star of the game was relief pitcher Ernie Johnson. Entering the game in the ninth inning with runners on first base and second base, Johnson got Walker Cooper to hit into a double play and then struck out Don Blasingame to end the game, 3-1.

June 3. No game scheduled.

June 4. GIANTS EDGE BRAVES IN 13TH, 8-7. In New York for the first game of a 14-game road trip, Hank Aaron, Del Crandall, Frank Torre, and Carl Sawatski hit home runs but it was not enough to overcome shaky pitching by starter Ray Crone and relievers Bob Trowbridge and Gene Conley. Dusty Rhodes hit a two-out walk-off single in the 13th inning to drive in Valmy Thomas. Daryl Spencer supplied his own two-out theatrics in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game with a single.

June 5. OUTHOMERED 6 TO 3, THE BRAVES TOP GIANTS, 9-8. The two teams combined for nine home runs, one shy of the NL record. In the first inning Joe Adcock hit a line drive that caromed off the 449-foot mark in deep right center field at the Polo Grounds for an inside-the-park home run. Ernie Johnson rescued the Braves again, relieving starter Juan Pizarro in the second inning and pitching 7 1/3 innings for the win. Johnson also hit his only big-league home run, a three-run blast in the third inning. With Giants on first and second in the ninth inning, Taylor Phillips closed out the game by retiring two New York batters.

June 6. GOMEZ SILENCES BRAVES BATS WITH 4-HITTER, 2-0. The Braves endured their third shutout of the season and their fifth loss in seven games. The Giants’ Ruben Gomez pitched a quick game (1:55), aided by Red Schoendienst’s third-inning home run off loser Bob Buhl.

June 7. SPAHN BLANKS PIRATES FOR 6TH WIN. At Forbes Field, Warren Spahn tossed his second shutout of the season, blanking the Pirates 5-0 on seven singles. Del Crandall knocked in two runs with a single in the second inning. In search of offense, Fred Haney moved Hank Aaron to the cleanup spot for the first time this season.

June 8. Game rained out.

June 9. BRAVES, PIRATES SPLIT. Aaron Gets Homers (AP Racine Journal-Times). In the first game of a doubleheader, Bob Trowbridge tossed a career-high ten innings and yielded just one run for the 2-1 win. Ernie Johnson pitched a hitless 11th inning for the save. Johnny Logan hit the game-winning single in the 11th, knocking in Felix Mantilla. Tough-luck loser Bob Friend went the distance and gave up just five hits. Aaron hit his first home run batting in the cleanup spot.

In the second game Juan Pizarro lost his third consecutive decision. The Braves scored twice in the ninth but came up short, 5-3. Aaron clouted another home run, in the seventh inning.

June 10. BUHL’S PITCHING, MATHEWS’ BAT WIN FOR BRAVES, 3-1. Playing in Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, against the Brooklyn Dodgers (Brooklyn played seven “home” games at Roosevelt in 1956 and eight in 1957), Bob Buhl tossed a complete-game four-hitter (three of the hits were by Gil Hodges). Eddie Mathews hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fourth to provide Buhl enough runs for his fifth win. The victory moved the Braves back into second place for the first time since May 25.

June 11. BRAVES HOMERS BEAT BUMS. Back in Ebbets Field for the second game of the series, Ray Crone went the distance to pick up his third win of the season. Bobby Thomson smashed a grand slam, Joe Adcock hit his ninth home run, and Billy Bruton went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in a decisive 7-2 victory over Milwaukee’s biggest rivals.

June 12. BUMS OUTLAST BRAVES. The Dodgers scored nine unanswered runs, knocking out starter Gene Conley after two-thirds of an inning and reliever Lew Burdette after one inning. The Braves fought back with home runs by Hank Aaron, Frank Torre, and Mathews (his 200th career blast, a new club record breaking Wally Berger’s 199 home runs as a Boston Brave/Bee from 1930-1937), but it wasn’t enough in an 11-9 loss that left Milwaukee tied with Brooklyn for second place.

June 13. BRAVES REGAIN 1ST PLACE. Starting in place of Del Crandall, who had split his thumb on a foul tip two days earlier, Carl Sawatski had a career day with two doubles and the game-deciding three-run home run in the eighth inning off Brooklyn’s Clem Labine. Tempers flared in the second inning after Don Drysdale surrendered a second home run to Bill Bruton, then hit Johnny Logan. After reaching first base and jawing with the intimidating Dodgers pitcher, Logan charged Drysdale and a bench-clearing brawl ensued. The Braves’ 8-5 win moved them into first place for the first time since May 15.

June 14. BRAVES ROUT PHILLIES, 10-2. Warren Spahn threw a three-hitter for his seventh victory. The Braves’ 2-3-4 hitters (Johnny Logan, Eddie Mathews, and Hank Aaron) went a combined 8-for-15 with seven runs batted in to lead the rout of the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium.

June 15. BRAVES WIN, BOOST LEAD. GIVE 3 PLAYERS FOR SCHOENDIENST. Bob Buhl pitched his second consecutive four-hitter (he also walked eight) and was supported by the Braves’ 16-hit attack to defeat the Phillies, 7-2. However, the biggest news of the day (the trading deadline) was the Braves’ acquisition of all-star second baseman Red Schoendienst in exchange for Ray Crone, Danny O’Connell, and Bobby Thomson. “We’re giving up plenty, but we feel Red is the key man in our effort to give to the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin the pennant,” said Milwaukee general manager John Quinn.4

June 16. BRAVES SPLIT 2 WITH PHILS. Batting in the two hole in his first game with the Braves, Schoendienst went 2-for-5 in the opening game of a Sunday doubleheader as Milwaukee won, 3-2. The game ended when Carl Sawatski gunned down Chico Fernandez on a steal attempt with two outs in the ninth inning. Juan Pizarro tossed a complete-game five-hitter to give the Braves their fourth consecutive win, their longest streak since April 24-28.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Lew Burdette tossed the second of his two career one-hitters, but lost the game, 1-0. The only Philadelphia hit was a leadoff double in the sixth inning by catcher Joe Lonnett, who scored on Richie Ashburn’s sacrifice fly. Curt Simmons silenced the Braves bats on six hits. The Braves concluded their road trip with a 9-5 record and a game-and-a-half lead over the second-place Cardinals.

June 17. BUCS BEAT BRAVES IN 9TH. In a makeup game from June 8, the Braves began a 16-game homestand by pounding Pirates’ pitchers for 17 hits, but only two for extra bases. Red Schoendienst recorded a season-high four hits. The Pirates erupted for four runs in the top of the ninth off reliever Dave Jolly for the 7-5 victory.

June 18. CRONE, GIANTS BEAT BRAVES. Giants Rout Spahn with 3-Run 6th. The Braves knocked out Giants starter Johnny Antonelli with three runs in the fourth inning, but Ray Crone, who had been traded by Milwaukee three days earlier, silenced his former teammates on three hits over the final six innings to hand the Braves their third consecutive loss, 5-4.

June 19. BRAVES CLIP GIANTS 6-0 (AP Racine Journal-Times). Bob Buhl tossed his third consecutive four-hitter and first shutout of the season to defeat the Giants. In his first start of the season, left fielder Wes Covington connected for a three-run home run and Hank Aaron hit a solo shot, his 19th.

June 20. BRAVES LOSE, DROP TO 2ND. The 4-3 defeat to the Giants marked the Braves’ 13th loss in 27 one-run games through the first 60 games and their seventh loss in 12 extra-inning contests. In the 12th inning, Taylor Phillips gave up a leadoff triple to Gail Harris, then surrendered a sacrifice fly to relief pitcher Johnny Antonelli, who got credit for his third win of the season against the Braves. After eight consecutive games in first place, the Braves fell to second, but just 2 1/2 games separated the Cardinals, Braves, Redlegs, Dodgers, and the surprising Phillies.

June 21. SIMMONS HANDCUFFS SLUMPING BRAVES, 6-1. In the first game of a five-game series between the two first-division teams, Curt Simmons of the Phillies tossed his second consecutive complete game against the Braves. Burdette was knocked out after five innings having yielding ten hits and five runs.

June 22. PHILS STOP BRAVES 4-2, TAKE OVER SECOND PLACE. (AP Racine Journal-Times). The Braves lost their third consecutive game and sixth of their last seven as 28-year-old Phillies rookie Jack Sanford improved his record to 9-1 with a six-hitter (all singles).

June 23. JOE ADCOCK BREAKS LEG. Injury Mars Double Win by Braves. In the first game of a doubleheader, Hank Aaron hit a dramatic two-out ninth-inning walk-off single to left field off starter Robin Roberts, scoring Red Schoendienst from second base to give starter Bob Buhl the victory, 7-6.

In the second inning of the second game, slugging first baseman Joe Adcock broke his right leg and tore ligaments in his knee sliding into second base on Del Crandall’s infield hit. Billy Bruton had a double and a triple to go with three runs batted in and Schoendienst had three hits in four at-bats and knocked in two runs to lead the Braves to a seemingly costly 7-3 victory and a sweep of the Sunday twin bill. (Adcock would not return to the starting lineup until nearly mid-September.)

June 24. BRAVES LOSE TO PHILS, DROP TO 3RD. Spahn was rocked for eight hits and six runs in six innings; relievers Dave Jolly and Juan Pizarro yielded four more runs in three innings, as the Braves were defeated, 10-4, and lost the third game of their five-game series with the Phillies. The Braves scorched starter Harvey Haddix for 12 hits in 7  1/3 innings but managed only four runs and left nine runners on base.

June 25. BRAVES LOSE, 2-0, FALL TO 4TH PLACE. In a battle of four-hitters, Dodgers rookie Danny McDevitt tossed his first career shutout. Lew Burdette surrendered a first-inning home run to Duke Snider in his third consecutive tough-luck loss during which the Braves scored one run. The Braves’ loss was their eighth in 11 games.

June 26. BRAVES’ RALLY BEATS BUMS. In front of 39,233 fans on a Wednesday night, the Braves overcame an early 3-0 deficit behind a home-run barrage started by Carl Sawatski and Eddie Mathews in the third and continued in the fifth inning when Hank Aaron (batting second), Mathews, and Wes Covington hit consecutive home runs off starter Don Newcombe. Trailing by two runs in the eighth, the Braves scored six times on four hits and two Brooklyn errors en route to a 13-9 win.

June 27. BUHL’S FIFTH FOUR-HITTER OF SEASON BEATS DODGERS. (Milwaukee Journal). Despite a shaky ninth inning, Bob Buhl continued his wizardry over the Dodgers. After he beat them in eight of nine decisions in 1956, his 2-1 victory over Don Drysdale was his third consecutive complete-game win against Brooklyn during the 1957 campaign. The Braves’ two runs came on Hank Aaron’s triple in the eighth inning, scoring Buhl and Billy Bruton.

June 28. SPAHN, BRAVES HALT PIRATES, 4-2. Warren Spahn went the distance, yielding just five hits, and hit his 18th career home run (a record for pitchers in the NL). Del Crandall had a season-high three runs batted in. The win put the team back in first place, a half-game ahead of the Cardinals and the Redlegs.

June 29. BRAVES STILL IN FIRST, BEAT PIRATES, 13-6. The offense exploded for 13 runs for the second time in four games. Making his fourth of nine consecutive starts in place of the injured Red Schoendienst, Felix Mantilla hit his first big-league home run. Hank Aaron hit a three-run homer in the sixth and Eddie Mathews followed with a long blast to deep right-center field.

June 30. HOMERS WIN 2 FOR BRAVES. MATHEWS’ DRIVE ENDS 2ND IN 13TH. The Braves ended the month by sweeping a Sunday doubleheader from the Pirates to increase their wining streak to six games and end June with a half-game lead over the Redlegs. In the first game, Bob Trowbridge held Pittsburgh to two runs over seven innings and was relieved by Ernie Johnson who got the win (7-4) when the Braves erupted for five runs in the eighth off Pirates starter Vern Law. The damage was done by an unexpected trio of batters: Consecutive singles by Felix Mantilla, Carl Sawatski, and pitcher Johnson accounted for four runs.

In the second game, Hank Aaron had four hits, including a home run, and Felix Mantilla had two singles and a homer, but the hero of the game was Eddie Mathews, whose walk-off two-run blast in the 13th inning off reliever Luis Arroyo gave the Braves a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind win in front of 36,283 fans. The Braves finished 9-7 on their 16-game homestand.

NL Standings, after games played on June 30, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
Milwaukee Braves	42	29	1	.592	−
Cincinnati Redlegs	42	30	0	.583	.5
St Louis Cardinals	38	30	0	.559	2.5
Brooklyn Dodgers	37	32	0	.536	4
Philadelphia Phillies	36	34	2	.514	5.5
New York Giants	36	36	0	.500	6.5
Pittsburgh Pirates	26	46	1	.361	16.5
Chicago Cubs	22	42	2	.344	16.5

---

July 1. CARDINALS KO BUHL IN THIRD. In St. Louis to play a two-game series against the third-place Redbirds (just 2 1/2 games behind the Braves), Milwaukee got an offnight from Buhl, who surrendered five hits and five runs in 2⅔ innings, and Juan Pizarro, who was tagged for four runs in one inning of relief. But the real culprit in the 9-5 loss was shoddy defense on the left side of the infield as five of those runs were unearned, the product of a season-high four errors. The Braves outhit the Cardinals 11 to 8, but they left ten runners on base.

July 2. BRAVES BEATEN, 4-2, DROP TO 2ND. The Cardinals’ 18-year-old rookie Von McDaniel won his fourth consecutive decision to begin his career. Red Schoendienst returned to the lineup (and didn’t miss another start all season), allowing Aaron to return to the cleanup spot. The Braves managed just five hits and dropped to second place a half-game behind Cincinnati.

July 3. BRAVES LOSE TO REDS; SLIP TO THIRD. Lew Burdette was knocked out in the sixth inning by first-place Cincinnati and the Redlegs’ hitters did not strike out in 35 plate appearances during the game. Aaron, Crandall, and Wes Covington hit homers off starter Hal Jeffcoat, but the Braves lost their third straight, 7-5, to fall to third place behind the Redlegs and Cardinals.

July 4. BRAVES WIN, 10-7; HALF GAME OUT. The two best offenses in the league accounted for 31 hits. Aaron went 3-for-5 with two doubles and his league-leading 26th home run, and Mathews swatted his 17th. With the teams tied 7-7 in the eighth inning, Schoendienst hit a go-ahead single and later scored (along with Bruton) on Redlegs relief pitcher Raul Sanchez’s throwing error.

July 5. CUBS BEAT BRAVES, BUHL 7-4. Back in Milwaukee for a three-game series with last-place Chicago, the Braves managed just eight hits in eight innings off rookie Don Elston. Hank Aaron hit a home run for the seventh time in his last eight games. Another Cubs rookie, light-hitting third baseman Jerry Kindall, clubbed his first big-league home run in the second inning to help knock starter Bob Buhl out in the second inning.

July 6. LOWLY CUBS BEAT BRAVES AGAIN, 3-2 (Milwaukee Journal). The largest crowd of the year at County Stadium (43,053) saw the Braves lose for the fifth time in their last seven games. Starter Warren Spahn, pitching on three days’ rest, surrendered six hits and three runs in seven innings and was tagged for his fourth loss in his last five decisions. Pinch-hitting for Spahn, Andy Pafko hit his first round-tripper of the year.

July 7. BURDETTE BACK ON BEAM, TAMES CUBS, 4-2. BRAVES REGAIN SECOND. Lew Burdette won for the first time since May 18, tossing a six-hitter. Hank Aaron and Wes Covington went a combined 5-for-8 in leading the Braves’ nine-hit performance. With the win, the Braves moved to second place (44-34), 2 1/2 games behind the Cardinals, as most players prepared for a three-day respite for the All-Star Game. The Braves and the Pirates would get only a two-day break, in order to play a makeup game in Pittsburgh.

July 8 and 9. No games scheduled.

July 10. BUCS BEAT BRAVES ON AN ERROR. In a makeup game from an early-season rainout, the normally sure-handed first baseman Frank Torre bobbled a hopper by Bob Skinner to load the bases with two outs in the sixth inning and the game tied, 2-2. Then Gene Baker hit a bases-clearing single to hand Bob Buhl his third straight loss, 5-2, in the first contest of a 13-game road trip. The sluggish Braves managed only six hits off starter Bob Purkey, who went the distance.

July 11. BRAVES WIN; 2 GAMES OUT. Bob Trowbridge hurled his first complete game of the year. Johnny Logan hit a two-run home run in the four-run fourth inning. Pittsburgh committed six errors. The Pirates had 12 hits and runners in scoring position in every inning, but managed only two runs as they stranded 11 men on base. The 7-2 Milwaukee win was a costly one, however. Center fielder Bill Bruton and shortstop Felix Mantilla collided violently as they converged on Bill Virdon’s short fly ball that went for a double in the first inning. The speedy Bruton was lost for the season with a torn ligament in his right knee. Mantilla suffered a bruised chest and didn’t return to the field until August 9.

July 12. BRAVES TIP BUCS; AARON HITS 28TH. After the Braves scored two runs in the ninth — one unearned — they quelled a two-run Pittsburgh rally in the bottom half to win 5-4. Don McMahon relieved Warren Spahn with runners on the corners with one out for the save. Hank Aaron moved to center field to replace the injured Bruton and
remained there for the rest of the season.

July 13. 2 HOMERS GIVE BRAVES 4-3 VICTORY. Wes Covington’s inside-the-park home run in the second inning and Del Crandall’s two-run blast in the seventh highlighted Milwaukee’s scoring. Lew Burdette went the distance as the Braves endured another two-run rally by the Pirates in the ninth inning to win by one run.

July 14. HODGES HOMER TIPS BUHL. Bob Buhl tossed a complete game but for the third consecutive game, the opponent mounted a ninth-inning rally. A Gil Hodges walk-off two-run home run in Ebbets Field was the difference in a 3-2 defeat.

July 15. O-W-W-W-W! BUMS, 20!! BRAVES, 4!! The Braves surrendered their most runs since a 24-2 shellacking by the Cubs on July 3, 1945. Reliever Taylor Phillips was clobbered for nine runs on five hits and four walks in the last meaningless frame for the Dodgers. Henry Aaron’s 15-game hitting streak ended. Brooklyn’s two-game sweep dropped the Braves to third place.

July 16. BRAVES HALT PHILS, 6-2. Warren Spahn tossed a six-hitter and Hank Aaron rebounded to go 3-for-3 with his 29th home run. The Braves’ win, coupled with the Dodgers’ defeat of the Cardinals, created a three-way tie (Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and St. Louis) for first place with the Dodgers a half-game back.

July 17. BRAVES NEAR LEAD WITH 10-3 WIN OVER PHILLIES. Frank Torre matched his career high with four hits, and Aaron and Schoendienst chipped in with three each to lead a 13-hit attack. Burdette was shaky (eight hits in 5 1/2 innings), but good enough to earn his third straight win with relief help from Don McMahon (3  2/3 scoreless innings). Aaron jammed his left ankle stepping on a drainboard and would be replaced by rookie John DeMerit for the next five games.

July 18. BRAVES BEAT PHILS, LEAD BY ONE. Bob Buhl ended a personal four-game losing streak to give the Braves a three-game sweep of Philadelphia and a one-game lead over St. Louis in the tight NL pennant race. Buhl’s personal catcher, Del Rice, hit his fourth home run of the year and knocked in a season-high three runs during the 4-2 Milwaukee win. Don McMahon picked up another save when he struck out Harry Anderson with two runners on and two outs.

July 19. PAFKO’S 2 HOME RUNS HUMBLE GIANTS, 3-1. Batting cleanup in place of the injured Aaron, Andy Pafko accounted for all three Braves runs on two home runs. In his first start since June 12, big Gene Conley tossed his first complete-game win of the year, holding the Giants to seven hits.

July 20. COVINGTON BOMBS GIANTS, 7-5. The Braves blew a five-run lead in the eighth inning but won their fifth consecutive contest in the ninth on Wes Covington’s second home run of the game, a two-run blast. Injuries to Milwaukee outfielders continued to mount when right fielder Pafko (who had replaced Aaron after his move to center field) came down with a bad back. He was replaced by Del Crandall, who started his first career game in right field. “We are considering the advisability of bringing up an outfielder from our [Wichita farm team],” said GM Pat Quinn. “Ray Shearer and Bob Hazle have been hitting the ball hard.”5

July 21. FIELDING LAPSE COSTS BRAVES OPENER AGAINST GIANTS, 5-4. The Braves led 4-3 in the ninth inning of the first game of a doubleheader when Johnny Logan and Wes Convington could not decide who should catch pinch-hitter Ray Jablonski’s easy popup for the final out. The ball dropped and the Giants now had runners on second and third. Hank Sauer then lined a pinch-hit two-run single to left to win the game for New York, handing Don McMahon his first big-league loss.

In the nightcap, The Braves scored seven unanswered runs in the last three frames to defeat the Giants 7-4 and maintain their one-game lead over Brooklyn and St. Louis in the pennant race. Johnny Logan matched his career high with five hits; he and Crandall (playing right field) hit home runs and drove in two runs apiece.

The Braves finished the road trip with a 9-4 record.

July 22. No games scheduled

July 23. BUHL BLANKS PHILS ON 2-HITTER. In the first contest of a 16-game homestand, Wes Covington made a diving grab of Solly Hemus’s sure double for the first out in the ninth inning to help preserve Bob Buhl’s fourth and final career two-hitter. Johnny Logan’s two-out RBI triple in the second inning (his seventh consecutive hit) drove in the only run in the game.

July 24. PHILLIES’ SANFORD HALTS BRAVES, 3-1. The Braves managed only five hits, including a seventh-inning home run by Wes Covington, off Jack Sanford. Gene Conley was the tough-luck loser, yielding just two runs over eight innings.

July 25. ROBERTS PINS 5-3 LOSS ON BRAVES. After they had led the pennant race for the past seven games, the Braves’ loss dropped them into a tie with the Cardinals, with the Dodgers and Redlegs just one game behind and the Phillies three back. The Braves’ pitching staff was reduced to eight with Ernie Johnson’s sore right elbow. Aaron joined the 30-home-run club for the first of 15 times with a solo shot off Robin Roberts.

July 26. BRAVES WIN ON HOME RUN IN 11TH. After Milwaukee tied the Giants with two runs in the eighth, Nippy Jones’ first home run since May 1952 was a dramatic one: a walk-off, three-run blast in the 11th inning to win the game, 6-3, and keep the Braves tied with the Cardinals.

July 27. BRAVES WHIP N.Y. FOR BUHL’S 12TH. The Braves managed only seven hits off two Giants pitchers, but profited from five walks and a wild pitch to win 5-2. Red Schoendienst’s hitting streak was snapped at 23 games, but Milwaukee’s second consecutive victory over the Giants moved the Braves back into a one-game lead over St. Louis.

July 28. BRAVES BOW TO ANTONELLI, 2-0. In the first game of a Sunday doubleheader in front of 40,503, the Braves had no answer against Johnny Antonelli who limited them to seven hits, including three by first baseman Nippy Jones. Milwaukee was hitless during nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Gene Conley tossed a six-hitter and the Braves managed ten singles off four different New York pitchers to win the nightcap, 5-3, to stay tied with the Cardinals for the NL lead.

July 29. BASES LOADED WALK WINS FOR BRAVES. Role players came through in the clutch again. Down 8-4 in the ninth inning, the Braves scored four runs, highlighted by Nippy Jones’s two-out RBI single to right field. Andy Pafko scored on the hit, and pinch-runner John DeMerit scored on right fielder Ozzie Virgil’s wild throw. Felix Mantilla gave the Braves their fourth win (9-8) against the Giants in the five-game series when he drew a walk with the bases loaded and two outs in the tenth inning.

July 30. BURDETTE BEATS PIRATES, 5-2. The Braves managed nine hits and were aided by two Pirates errors that led to three unearned runs. Lew Burdette pitched an uneventful five-hitter to win his ninth contest and give the Braves a 59-41 record after 100 games.

July 31. BRAGAN ACT STEALS SHOW, BUT THAT’S ALL; BRAVES TIPS BUCS, 4-2. (Milwaukee Journal). Bob Buhl tossed his third consecutive complete game and wasn’t bothered by Pirates manager Bobby Bragan, who returned to the field in the fifth inning with orange juice for the umpires after he had been ejected. Schoendienst went 3-for-3 with a home run, and Buhl (who hit .082 for the season) notched his second two-hit game of the year. With six wins in their last seven games of the month, the Braves won 18 of 30 in July and remained tied for first with the Cardinals.

NL Standings, after games played on July 31, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
St Louis Cardinals	59	40	0	.596	−
Milwaukee Braves	60	41	1	.594	−
Brooklyn Dodgers	57	42	0	.576	2
Cincinnati Redlegs	55	44	0	.556	4
Philadelphia Phillies	56	45	2	.554	4
New York Giants	44	57	0	.436	16
Pittsburgh Pirates	36	66	1	.353	24.5
Chicago Cubs	33	65	2	.337	25.5

---

August 1. No game scheduled.

August 2. 45,840 SEE CONLEY BLANK BUMS. In front of the largest crowd in any NL game thus far in the season, Gene Conley tossed a four-hitter against Brooklyn to win for the sixth time in 11 decisions, and knocked in the game’s only run with a single in the fifth inning that scored Johnny Logan. Despite the win, the Braves remained in second place a half-game behind the Cardinals.

August 3. BUMS’ LATE RUSH TIPS BRAVES, 7-1. The Dodgers scored six unanswered runs in the last two innings to hand the Braves their first loss in six games. Milwaukee managed just five hits in six innings off rookie starter Danny McDevitt. Brooklyn reliever Ed Roebuck hurled three hitless frames to earn the victory. Milwaukee fell 1 1/2 games off the pace in the NL pennant race.

August 4. BRAVES TRIM BROOKS, 9-7. Home runs by Hank Aaron, Johnny Logan, Del Rice, and Eddie Mathews gave Bob Buhl a 9-2 lead after six innings before a five-run Dodger rally during the last three innings. With one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Warren Spahn came on in relief and secured the final two outs to record a save and preserve the victory as the Braves took the rubber game of the three-game series in front of 43,109 fans.

August 5. No game scheduled

August 6. BRAVES WIN, 5-4, TAKE LEAD. In front of 41,980 fans on a Tuesday night, Milwaukee managed only five hits off three Redlegs pitchers but scored five runs thanks to two Cincinnati errors. Spahn won his first start since July 16 to move the Braves into a tie for first place.

August 7. BRAVES ROUT REDS, LEAD BY 1 1/2. Gene Conley responded to the birth of his child just hours before the game with his third consecutive complete-game victory. In leading the Braves to a 12-2 win, Wes Covington went 2-for-2 with two round-trippers, four runs scored, and four runs batted in. More than 40,000 fans packed County Stadium for the third consecutive home date to see the Braves win their third game in a row and the eighth in their last nine games.

August 8. BRAVES WIN, 5-3, SWEEP REDS SET. Red Schoendienst hit a two-out, two-run single with the game tied, 3-3, in the eighth inning to give the Braves their 12th win in the 16-game homestand. The three-game sweep of the Redlegs dropped Cincinnati to seven games behind Milwaukee. More importantly, the 5-3 win provided the Braves a 2 1/2-game cushion over the Cardinals and a five-game lead over the Dodgers.

August 9. BRAVES CRUSH CARDS, 13-2. LEAD LEAGUE BY 3 1/2; BUHL WINS 15TH. In the first game of a six-game road trip, right fielder Bob “Hurricane” Hazle went 4-for-5, including his first big-league home run, and Red Schoendienst continued his hot-hitting (4-for-4) to lead an 18-hit attack against the second-place Cardinals. “I’m taking these games one at a time,” said manager Haney cautiously. “It’s still the old ulcer race, with a five-team scramble down to the wire.”6

August 10. BRAVES STUN CARDS; LEAD BY 4 1/2. 40TH ‘BLANK’ FOR SPAHN. Spahn tossed his best game all season, a dominant five-hit shutout to give the Braves breathing room at the top of the NL. “Hurricane” Hazle knocked in three runs; Johnny Logan and Del Crandall drove home two each, and Hank Aaron scored four times to lead the Braves to a 9-0 spanking of the Cardinals.

August 11. BRAVES BEAT CARDINALS FOR 7TH IN A ROW. Gene Conley’s fourth consecutive complete game and seventh win in his last eight decisions gave the Braves a resounding sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis and Milwaukee’s season-high seventh straight win. Eddie Mathews’ 22nd home run led a modest five-hit attack for a 5-1 win and 5 1/2-game lead in the pennant race. The Braves also displayed their drawing power on the road as the three-game attendance total at Busch Stadium I, with a ballpark capacity of just over 30,000, was almost 81,000 fans

August 12. No game scheduled.

August 13. BURDETTE TURNS INTO A SLUGGER AS BRAVES SHELL REDLEGS, 12-4 (Milwaukee Journal). In the first game of a three-game set at Crosley Field, Lew Burdette slugged the first two home runs in his big-league career, drove in four runs, and tossed a complete game to power the surging Braves to their eighth consecutive victory. The Braves opened a 6 1/2-game margin over the Cardinals who continued their “free fall,” losing their seventh consecutive contest.

August 14. BRAVES HIKE STREAK TO 9. Leading by two heading into the ninth inning, the Braves erupted for eight runs keyed by Wes Covington’s first career grand slam during a 13-3 pounding of Cincinnati. To cap the scoring, rookie reliever Don McMahon also rapped his first big-league hit in the ninth, a double clearing the bases (good for three of his nine runs batted in during an 18-year career). Starter Bob Buhl won his seventh consecutive start, to sport a 16-6 season record.

August 15. WOW — 10 IN A ROW. RIP REDLEGS, 8-1; HANK HITS 2 HRS. Hank Aaron knocked in five runs on two home runs, and Bob Hazle and Eddie Mathews blasted solo shots as the Braves swept the Redlegs in Cincinnati for their season-best tenth consecutive victory and increased their lead to 8 1/2 games. Milwaukee has outscored its opponents 91-27 during the winning streak.

August 16. BRAVES’ ‘BIG THREE’ LEAVES 16 MEN STRANDED AS ST. LOUIS WINS, 6-2 (Milwaukee Journal). 45,437 fans packed County Stadium looking for Milwaukee’s consecutive win number 11, but the Braves were held to ten singles (four by Red Schoendienst) and were cold in the clutch as their 3-4-5 hitters (Mathews, Aaron, and Crandall) went a combined 1-for-13. On a positive note, Bob Hazle had two more hits (giving him 16 in his last 25 at-bats; for a remarkable .640 batting average covering seven games). For the first time since July 29, a Braves’ starter failed to pitch at least seven innings as Gene Conley was knocked out in the second frame.

August 17. AARON’S HIT IN 11TH TRIPS CARDS, 5-4. After the Braves tied the game, 3-3, in the eighth inning on Frank Torre’s two-out, run-scoring single, Milwaukee won it in the 11th on Hank Aaron’s walk-off, two-run double. Warren Spahn pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief to notch his 14th win.

August 18. MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS IS WASTED AS BRAVES DROP PAIR (Milwaukee Journal). For just the second time all season, the Braves were swept in a doubleheader. On a rain-soaked day that had two long delays, game one starter Bob Buhl left after facing just two batters in the first inning, complaining of tightness in his right shoulder (he would miss the next three weeks). Behind home runs by Bob Hazle and Eddie Mathews, the Braves jumped out to a 6-1 lead going into the top of the seventh before St. Louis scored five unanswered runs in the final three frames to tie the game and then plated two more runs to win it in the tenth, 8-6.

In the nightcap, Vinegar Bend Mizell blanked the Braves, 6-0, on four hits as the Redbirds clubbed starter Bob Trowbridge for nine hits and five runs before he was replaced in the fifth inning. The Braves lost a series (three games to one) for the first time since they lost two of three to the Phillies on July 23-25, but Milwaukee still maintained a 6 1/2-game lead over St. Louis in the pennant race. The weekend series against the Cardinals attracted more than 130,000 fans to County Stadium.

August 19. No game scheduled.

August 20. BRAVES’ LATE RALLY TOPS PIRATES 3-1. In Pittsburgh for just one game to begin a 16-game road trip covering seven cities, the Braves got a seven-hit complete game from Warren Spahn and timely hitting to secure a 3-1 win. With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the ninth, Eddie Mathews belted a one-out triple to score Red Schoendienst and later crossed home on Aaron’s single.

August 21. No game scheduled.

August 22. BURDETTE TAMES DODGERS. In his first victory at Ebbets Field in almost two years, Lew Burdette tossed a seven-hitter for his 12th win. Red Schoendienst, Eddie Mathews, and Bob Hazle had three hits each, and Hank Aaron walloped a three-run home run in the first inning to start the Braves toward a 6-1 win. The Braves’ consecutive road game winning streak has reached nine.

August 23. BUMS’ RALLY IN 9TH TOPS BRAVES, 3-2. Gene Conley held the Dodgers scoreless for eight innings, but Brooklyn rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win on Gino Cimoli’s two-out walk-off single off reliever Don McMahon, who had just made a key throwing error. Starter Sandy Koufax held the Braves to four hits over seven innings, but the win went to Don Drysdale, who pitched a scoreless ninth in relief.

August 24. BRAVES’ 21-GUN SALUTE SINKS DODGERS. With the Dodgers’ impending move to Los Angeles, the Braves pounded Brooklyn pitchers for 13 hits and 13 runs in their last game at Ebbets Field. Shortstop Felix Mantilla had his best day at the plate with season highs in hits (3), runs scored (3), and runs batted in (4). Mantilla, Hank Aaron, Nippy Jones, and Andy Pafko blasted home runs, while the Dodgers tied a franchise record by using eight pitchers. Lew Burdette pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief to notch his second win in three games. The 13-7 win maintained the Braves’ 6 1/2-game margin over St. Louis.

August 25. HAZLE’S 2 HOMERS, 6 RBIs WRECK PHILS FOR SPAHN. Bob “Hurricane” Hazle continued his hitting exploits, with three more hits (two home runs and six RBIs) to raise his batting average to a resounding .526. Warren Spahn completed his fifth consecutive start (and hit a solo home run) to win 7-3 and boost the Braves to a 7 1/2-game lead.

August 26. PHILS REBOUND IN 9TH TO TIP BRAVES, 4-3. For the second time in four games, the Braves were victims of a ninth-inning walk-off single. Thirty-seven-year old pinch-hitter Ron Northey (who had not played a complete game in the field since 1950) connected off reliever Ernie Johnson to give the Phillies the win.

August 27. HOME RUNS PLUS M’MAHON WIN FOR BRAVES. Red Schoendienst, Frank Torre, and Eddie Mathews hit home runs to account for all four Braves runs in New York. Reliever Don McMahon stymied the Giants’ rally in the eighth inning. With two men on and no outs, he retired six consecutive batters to save the 4-3 win for Lew Burdette. Milwaukee is now 30 games over .500 with a record of 77-47.

August 28. GIANTS BASH ON BRAVES IN 8-RUN 3RD. The Braves got hitting from the top of the order as Schoendienst, Torre, Mathews, and Aaron went a combined 10-for-22 with six runs scored, but the pitching and defense failed. Gene Conley was rocked for eight hits and nine runs (only four earned) in 2 2/3 innings as Bob Hazle’s and Felix Mantilla’s throwing errors contributed to the Giants’ big third inning in a 12-6 loss.

August 29. No game scheduled.

August 30. BRAVES’ 4 HOMERS TOP REDS, 9-5. On the strength of home runs by Carl Sawatski, Wes Covington, Frank Torre, and Eddie Mathews, the Braves had a balanced 11-hit attack to give Warren Spahn his 17th win and maintain a seven-game lead over Brooklyn in the pennant race.

August 31. BRAVES BLAST FIVE HOME RUNS BEAT REDS 16TH TIME, 14-4 (Milwaukee Journal). The Braves continued to pound home runs during a 15-hit attack at Crosley Field as they improved their season record against the Redlegs to 16-2. Wes Covington, Del Rice, and Eddie Mathews had three runs batted in each to lead an overpowering offense that knocked out Redlegs’ starter Joe Nuxhall in the first inning. Cincinnati also chased Braves starter Lew Burdette in the first, but Juan Pizarro pitched 8 2/3 innings of relief and struck out nine to earn the win.

NL Standings, after games played on August 31, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
Milwaukee Braves	79	48	1	.622	−
Brooklyn Dodgers	73	56	0	.566	7
St Louis Cardinals	72	56	0	.563	7.5
Philadelphia Phillies	65	63	2	.508	14.5
Cincinnati Redlegs	64	64	0	.500	15.5
New York Giants	62	70	0	.470	19.5
Chicago Cubs	49	76	2	.392	29
Pittsburgh Pirates	48	79	1	.378	31

---

September 1. BRAVES BLANKED BY REDLEGS, 6-0. Cincinnati’s Brooks Lawrence held the Braves to five hits while his counterpart, Gene Conley, was blasted for five hits and four runs before he was replaced with no outs in the fourth inning. Despite the loss, the Braves maintained a 6 1/2-game lead over St. Louis. The 6-0 shutout was certainly not indicative of how the Braves offense lit up the Crosley Field scoreboard during their 11 games in the Queen City this season. Milwaukee hit 29 home runs as the visiting team, slugged .571, and scored 88 runs against the overmatched Redlegs hurlers.

September 2. BRAVES HUMILIATE CUBS, 23-10, 4-0. In Chicago on Labor Day for their last doubleheader of the season, the Braves exploded with ten extra-base hits in the first game for the most runs and most hits (26) since their move to Milwaukee. On the day when first baseman Joe Adcock returned to the team, Frank Torre scored a career-high (and tied a major-league record) six runs; Wes Covington knocked in a career-best six runs, also matched by Hank Aaron; and six Milwaukee batters notched three hits or more. Ernie Johnson relieved starter Lew Burdette and pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief to secure the win.

In the nightcap Bob Trowbridge tossed the best game of his career, a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts. Covington had three more hits along with two RBIs to total six hits and eight runs driven in for the day. His batting average during the ten at-bats that afternoon went from .280 to .293. The two wins, coupled with double losses by both the Cardinals and Dodgers, gave the Braves an 8 1/2-game lead. “The Braves all but sewed up the league flag,” wrote beat reporter Red Thisted.7

September 3. SPAHN BLANKS CUBS, 8-0, FOR 41ST SHUTOUT OF CAREER (Milwaukee Journal). While Spahn limited the Cubs to six hits to set a modern NL record for the most career shutouts by a left-hander, the top of the order (Schoendienst, Nippy Jones, Mathews, and Aaron) went a combined 8-for-17 with seven runs scored and five driven in. Aaron broke out of his monthlong slump (27-for-110, .245 average but 27 runs batted in during the 28 games) by going 7-for-15 with 10 RBIs in the three-game sweep at Chicago.

September 4. BLASINGAME AND ENNIS RUIN BRAVES’ GOOD RELIEF WORK (Milwaukee Journal). The Braves were in St. Louis for the last time this season. Juan Pizarro was knocked out in the first inning having surrendered four runs without registering an out. Big Gene Conley came on in relief and pitched nine innings of three-hit ball. Home runs by Del Rice and Eddie Mathews tied the game, 4-4, by the fifth inning, but Milwaukee could not plate another tally during the next six frames. Don McMahon breezed through the tenth and 11th innings before yielding a one-out double to Don Blasingame, who stole third, and then walking two hitters intentionally to load the bases, playing for a double play to end the inning. The plan backfired when Del Ennis hit a fly to right fielder Bob Hazle, who seemed to have an easy catch, but the ball bounced off his shoulder for an error, allowing Blasingame to score the winning run, 5-4.

September 5. MUCH MORE OF THIS COULD BRING TROUBLE. BRAVES LOOK BAD LOSING. In the last game of a 16-game road trip, the Braves looked tired as they managed just four hits off Sam Jones. Slumping Lew Burdette (7 1/3 innings in his last three starts) was knocked out in the fifth inning, and relievers Juan Pizarro (two runs in two innings) and Dave Jolly (five runs in one inning) fared worse in a 10-1 shellacking at Busch Stadium I (still affectionately called Sportsman’s Park by many St. Louis fans).

September 6. CUBS HAND BRAVES THIRD LOSS IN A ROW. Returning home to play 18 of their final 21 games and begin a 12-game homestand, the Braves lost their third in a row for the first time since July 1-3. Bob Trowbridge had a four-hit shutout going until the Cubs exploded for five runs in the seventh inning en route to a 5-4 victory.

September 7. SPAHN COOLS CUBS, 7-2, FOR 19TH. Warren Spahn won his ninth consecutive decision by limiting the Cubs to five hits. Every Braves starter managed at least one hit, while Wes Covington and pinch-hitter Andy Pafko belted home runs in a balanced 14-hit attack to help the Braves maintain their 6 1/2-game lead over the Cardinals.

September 8. CUBS BEAT BRAVES; CUT LEAD TO 5 1/2 GAMES. Ernie Johnson gave up a single and four walks in the tenth inning, resulting in two runs and a 5-3 loss. On a positive note, Bob Buhl, in his first appearance in three weeks, pitched three innings of scoreless relief. “We’re not feeling any pressure yet,” said Spahn after the Braves’ fourth loss in five games. “A recession has set in. You’ve got to expect it after all those runs we’ve scored and the way we’ve been winning.”8

September 9. No game scheduled.

September 10. BRAVES CLIP BUCS, 4-3, TO HOLD 5 1/2-GAME LEAD. Lew Burdette pitched a complete game to pick up his 15th win and scored the decisive run in the seventh inning on Eddie Mathews’ single. Hank Aaron launched his 40th home run of the season in the fourth inning and his blast was followed by Mathews’ 31st. Shortstop Johnny Logan returned from a shin injury to start for the first time since August 16.

September 11. BUCS CHECK SPAHN’S BID FOR NO. 20, 2-1. In front of just 14,713 fans (the lowest County Stadium turnout since May 29), the Braves lost for the fifth time in their last seven games. In the season’s last meeting between the two clubs, the Pirates’ Ronnie Kline yielded just six hits (one of them a solo homer by Andy Pafko) while Spahn surrendered just seven hits as the Braves’ lead shrank to 4 1/2 games over St. Louis.

September 12. CRANDALL’S HIT TIPS BUMS, 2-1. The Braves got good news as first baseman Joe Adcock started his first game since injuring his leg on June 23 and pitcher Bob Buhl made his first start since August 18. Bob Trowbridge pitched 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and pinch-hitter Del Crandall hit a walk-off single to score Johnny Logan with one out in the ninth for the win.

September 13. BRAVES BOW TO BUMS, 5-1; HOLD LEAD AS CARDS LOSE. On Friday the 13th, 40,367 Braves faithful saw their team lose another one. After they managed just four hits the night before, the Braves’ hitting woes continued. Don Drysdale overpowered the Braves, limiting them to five hits, and did not allow a baserunner beyond first base after the second inning when Johnny Logan’s triple scored Frank Torre for Milwaukee’s lone run. Paying his respects to the Braves, Dodgers outfielder Carl Furillo said, “The Braves have got to simply kick each other in the pants and hustle more. It’s like the beginning of spring training all over again.”9

September 14. ERSKINE 4-HITS BRAVES, 7-1; CUTS LEAD TO FOUR. “I have three words for you,” said Fred Haney after his team’s seventh loss in nine games, “no-hit, no-pitch, no-win.”10 In his only complete game of the year, veteran Carl Erskine continued the Dodgers’ mastery of the Braves, who managed just 13 hits in the three-game series. On a positive note, the Braves finished the season with a 12-10 edge over their rivals from Brooklyn; however, their lead over the Cardinals shrank to just four games.

September 15. BRAVES LOSE THIRD STRAIGHT. For the fifth consecutive game, the Braves’ anemic offense scored two runs or less, resulting in the team’s eighth loss in ten games, 3-2, to the Phillies. Spahn failed in his second attempt to win his 20th game of the season by surrendering the tying run in the ninth. He yielded two singles to start the tenth inning and was charged with the loss when Ted Kazanski greeted reliever Bob Trowbridge with a run-scoring single. The Braves’ lead fell to an alarming 2 1/2 games, but things would soon change.

September 16. BUHL HALTS BRAVES’ TUMBLE, 5-1. For the first time since September 7, the Braves managed to reach double figures in hits as every starter (except Bob Buhl) had at least one safety. Johnny Logan led the way against the Phillies, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored; the slumping Henry Aaron (2-for-20 in his previous five games) batted fifth and responded by going 2-for-4 and knocking in his first run in six games. Del Rice, Buhl’s personal catcher, had a double and home run to help his batterymate win his eighth consecutive decision. The Braves finished the season 12-10 against Philadelphia.

September 17. HOMERS BY ADCOCK, AARON TOP GIANTS. Joe Adcock and Hank Aaron supplied all the power the Braves needed on a cold night in Milwaukee. Each went 3-for-4 and belted home runs; for Adcock it was his first since June 11. But the star of the game was pitcher Bob Trowbridge, a late replacement for Gene Conley. Trowbridge tossed his third complete game of the year (and the final one in his career), limiting the Giants to just five hits in a commanding 3-1 victory. With the victory, the Braves maintained a three-game lead over the Cardinals.

September 18. BRAVES HIKE LEAD TO 4; 2 MILLION YEAR AGAIN. For the fourth consecutive season, more than 2 million fans came out to County Stadium to cheer for their Milwaukee Braves. More importantly on this evening, the Braves beat the Giants, 8-2, for their third straight win and increased their lead over the Cardinals to four games. Lew Burdette pitched a masterful four-hitter, and was aided by the team’s biggest offensive outburst since September 3. Del Crandall, 2-for-3 with two runs batted in, led a balanced 11-hit attack against former Braves hurlers Johnny Antonelli and Ray Crone. The Braves finished the season series by taking 13 of 22 against New York.

September 19. No game scheduled.

September 20. BRAVES ROUT CUBS; CARDS EDGE CINCY (AP Racine Journal-Times). The Braves traveled 90 miles south for their last road trip of the year, a three-game series at Wrigley Field. In front of just 4,032 fans, all of the Braves’ starting position players had at least one hit in a balanced 14-hit attack. Wes Covington belted his 20th home run of the season, a deep shot to left center field off loser Bob Rush. Warren Spahn held the Cubs to three hits and two runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings to record his 20th win for the eighth time in the last 11 seasons, as the Braves won, 9-3.

September 21. BRAVES BEAT CUBS, 6-2. Lead by 5. Joe Adcock cranked two long home runs off loser Moe Drabowsky and Hank Aaron continued his hot hitting with two hits (10-for-20 in his last five games) to help Bob Buhl win his ninth consecutive decision and 18th game of the season, a complete-game eight-hitter to give the Braves a five-game lead over the Cardinals with seven games to play.

September 22. HAZLE HOMERS — BRAVES ONE WIN FROM CROWN. The Braves showed their ability to overcome big deficits with the long ball. Down four runs after the first inning, the Braves roared back to tie the game in the fourth behind Hank Aaron’s 42nd home run and RBI hits by Bob Hazle and Del Crandall. After the Cubs scored three in the fifth inning, the Braves clawed their way back to tie the game 7-7 in the ninth inning on Eddie Mathews’ towering home run to right field. Bob Hazle, who went 4-for-5, led off the tenth inning with his seventh and final home run of the season, and with two outs Mathews singled in an insurance run to complete the Braves’ sweep, 9-7, and finish the season series against Chicago with a 13-9 record.

September 23. BRAVES WIN FLAG; IT’S BEDLAM! (Milwaukee Journal). The Braves returned to County Stadium for the final six games of the year. The 40,926 faithful fans came out full of hope on a chilly Monday night to watch a pitching duel between crafty veteran Lew Burdette and three Cardinals hurlers for ten innings. Gene Conley tossed a scoreless 11th inning, giving way to the biggest moment thus far in Milwaukee baseball history. With two outs and Johnny Logan on first base, Hank Aaron launched a pennant-clinching walk-off home run for a 4-2 victory.

September 24. BRAVES SPEAR EIGHTH IN A ROW, 6-1. In a routine ballgame, Warren Spahn limited the Cardinals to just five hits en route to his NL-best 21st victory. In his first at-bat since his dramatic blast the night before, Henry Aaron hit his first career grand slam for his major-league leading 44th home run of the season. Spahn and the Braves cruised the final eight innings and let the 30,661 fans in attendance savor Milwaukee’s first pennant.

September 25. CARDS SNAP BRAVES’ EIGHT GAME WIN STRING, 4-1. In search of his tenth consecutive victory, Bob Buhl pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings before the Cardinals surprised him with six hits and four runs. The Braves managed just seven hits off Lindy McDaniel and Lloyd Merritt in the loss, and finished the season series with St. Louis tied at 11 games apiece. The big news of the day was the announcement that injured center fielder Billy Bruton, who had not played since his knee injury on July 11, would not be activated for the World Series.

September 26. No game scheduled.

September 27. BURDETTE’S 4-HITTER SILENCES REDS, 2-1. On a chilly night, 23,676 steadfast fans showed up to help the Braves set a new major-league attendance mark (they finished the season with 2,215,404). Redlegs’ left-hander Charlie Rabe, in his first big-league start, pitched well, yielding just five hits in seven innings, but two of the hits were solo shots by Del Crandall and Andy Pafko in the fifth inning to account for the Braves’ only runs. Lew Burdette was sharp, surrendering just four hits and one run (a homer by Wally Post) in a complete game to win his 17th.

September 28. KLIPPSTEIN TOSSES 1-HITTER AT BRAVES (AP Big Springs [Texas] Daily Herald). Cincinnati right-hander Johnny Klippstein threw the game of his life, a one-hitter, to defeat Warren Spahn and the Braves, 6-0. With two out in the eighth inning, Bob Hazle lined a single to right field to break up the no-hitter. (Klippstein had pitched seven innings of no-hit ball against the Braves the season before, on May 26, 1956; however, the notoriously wild hurler had walked seven and hit a batter, and was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Relievers Hersh Freeman and Joe Black extended the no-hitter through 9 2/3 innings before the Braves won the game in 11 innings.)

September 29. BRAVES SET ‘WIN’ RECORD. In the last game of the regular season, Bob Buhl showed his World Series form by pitching five shutout innings in front of 45,000 fans. The Redlegs scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead, 3-2, but in fitting style, the Braves came back. Following singles by Joe Adcock and Ray Shearer, Red Schoendienst singled with two outs to score pinch-runner Mel Roach. Felix Mantilla then belted yet another single to score Shearer and win the game 4-3. The Braves took the season series from Cincinnati, 18 games to 4. Milwaukee finished with 95 wins to break the previous franchise mark of 94 by the 1914 Boston Braves.

Final NL Standings, after games played on September 29, 1957

Team	Won	Lost	Tie	Pct	GB
Milwaukee Braves	95	59	1	.617	−
St Louis Cardinals	87	67	0	.565	8
Brooklyn Dodgers	84	70	0	.545	11
Cincinnati Redlegs	80	74	0	.519	15
Philadelphia Phillies	77	77	2	.500	18
New York Giants	69	85	0	.448	26
Pittsburgh Pirates	62	92	1	.403	33
Chicago Cubs	62	92	1	.403	33

Notes

1 Milwaukee Sentinel, May 2, 1957.

2 Milwaukee Sentinel, May 7, 1957.

3 Milwaukee Sentinel, May 27, 1957.

4 The Milwaukee Sentinel, June 16, 1957.

5 Milwaukee Sentinel, July 21, 1957.

6 Milwaukee Sentinel, August 10, 1957.

7 Milwaukee Sentinel, September 3, 1957.

8 Milwaukee Sentinel, September 9, 1957.

9 Milwaukee Sentinel, September 14, 1957.

10 Milwaukee Sentinel, September 14, 1957.