HIGHLIGHT

Peter Carry

May 12, 1969

All of the Astros, particularly Pitcher Don Wilson, were fuming when they arrived in Cincinnati for a two-game series last week. Houston had lost 14 of its last 15 games and the Reds had socked the Astros for two of their worst defeats. In one of them, a 14-0 thrashing of Wilson, Cincinnati players had called the Astros bushers, stuck their tongues out at them and, claimed Wilson, pulled unnecessarily daring plays to run up an embarrassing score. Worse yet was the series opener on Wednesday. Striking out 12, Reds ace Jim Maloney stoked the Astros' frustrations by no-hitting them 10-0. It was his second no-hitter, but all Houston Manager Harry Walker could attribute to the righthander was a beautiful, illegal greaseball. A Kentucky fortune-teller was less flattering about the Astros. Jim Wynn and Curt Blefary crossed the Ohio to see her and, according to Blefary, were short-shrifted because of their team's abysmal record. That, apparently, was all Wilson needed. The erratic 24-year-old fastballer matched Maloney by pitching his second no-hit game and defeated the Reds 4-0. Only once before had no-hitters been pitched on successive days (the Giants against the Cardinals last year), but when his teammates ran to the mound to congratulate Wilson, they had to restrain him from charging the Cincy bench. Ringing in his ears were the sideline catcalls—the gentlest of them was "gutless"—of Reds Manager Dave Bristol. "I've never seen a guy more psyched up or madder than Wilson," said Walker. Which should be a lesson for Bristol. Wilson's record was under .500 and his ERA 28th in the National League. But he could bite when he had a mind to.