Celebrate '68: Five Shutouts In A Row For Gibson

                On June 26, 1968, Bob Gibson fired his fifth shutout in a row, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 during the first game of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The shutout extended Gibson’s scoreless innings streak to 47. Earlier that season, Don Drysdale had set the mark for scoreless innings thrown with 58 and 2/3, as well as the record for shutouts in a row with six. This left sportswriters across America clamoring as they looked to report that Gibson had surpassed the mark. When Gibson’s fifth shutout was in the books he was asked about possibly breaking records and he answered “Macht nichts” which is German for “it does not matter.” You see, Bob Gibson’s focus was not on a record book. Bob Gibson was focused on winning.

            Gibson had to feel good early on about winning this ballgame, as an Orlando Cepeda sac fly off Bucs starter Al McBean plated Curt Flood in the first. In the fourth inning, Gibson picked up a two-out double, then scored when Lou Brock followed him with a double. McBean gave his club seven innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth. His replacement Ron Kline served up a longball to Mike Shannon in the bottom of that same inning, which capped off the Cardinals scoring for the day.

            The way Bob Gibson yearned for run support that season a 3-0 lead was a big one. With the way he was throwing though all he needed was a run. Nobody could solve the puzzle that wore the 45 on the back of his St. Louis Cardinals jersey. Gibson allowed just four hits in this game. He struck out seven, including the great Roberto Clemente, who ended that game with a K. Pitching shutout after shutout meant that Gibson’s ERA would continue to fall. It sat at 1.21 coming into the day and at 1.14 once the game was in the books.

            This would be Bob Gibson’s last start of June in 1968. Not one run had scored on him during that month of domination. He would begin the month of July in Los Angeles going head-to-head with none other than Don Drysdale. It may have been the game of the Summer as fans, writers, and all of baseball would have eyes on it to see what would come next during what was coined the year of the pitcher.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseballP-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196806261.shtml

Sources included: The Pittsburgh Press, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Joplin News Herald, The Havre Daily News, and Baseballreference.com