Maroons Open the Flood Gates
ST. LOUIS (May 1) -- Curt Flood hit in 18 straight games and the Maroons won 11 of their last 12, erasing a horrible 3-11 start and pulling within one game of first place in a tightly contested West Division.  After Apr. 18 the Maroons swept Boston, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles, with a 1-0 loss to Pedro Ramos at Detroit as their only blemish.  Reggie Smith drove in 14 runs in his last 12 games, Joe Morgan has hit .339 since April 12 and had four 3-hit games in five games Apr. 20-25, and Boog Powell hit .985 OPS with 14 RBIs in his first two weeks with his new club.

The pitching has come around also, despite early injuries to starter Dick Drago and reliever Lowell Palmer.  Don Sutton, Lew Burdette, and Luke Walker are 5-0 in their last eight combined starts, and Drago's replacement, fellow rookie Dave Roberts, notched a pair of wins after dropping his UL debut to Atlanta on Apr. 17.  Bob Locker is tied for the league lead with 8 saves, including six in the last 10 days.
 
Six for Santo
DALLAS (Apr. 16) - Manhattan third baseman Ron Santo had the UL's first six-hit game in four years against Boston today, including a game-tying 3-run homer in the ninth, but the Sox lost 10-8 in 15 innings when utility infielder "Slim" Kindall hit a pinch hit home run.  It was the third time in the last five that a six-hit performance came against Federal pitchers.  But the last to get six hits?  The Feds' Orlando Cepeda.

On May 18, 1967 "Cha Cha" snapped out of a 2-for-16 slump with a 6-for-7 game against Cleveland.  His 17th-inning home run not only was his 6th hit, but completed the cycle, and capped a seven-run comeback.
 

WEST DIVISION	EAST DIVISION
Fifth starter Chuck Dobson allowed just three baserunners in eight innings of shutout ball in a 2-0 win over the Mons Apr. 21.	Willie Stargell homered and Jimmie Hall hit a bases-loaded single in the 9th to beat Detroit 8-7 on Apr. 22.
The Toppers ranked only fourth in home runs after big ticket men Rocky Colavito adn Felix Mantilla (earning $21.2 million between them) hit only 3 HRs each in April.	Orlando Cepeda paces the circuit's top offense with 12 HR and a league-leading 31 RBI.
Newly acquired 39-year old righthander Ron Kline shined in a 2-0 win over the Colts Apr. 20, allowing just two hits for his first win as a Texan.	After allowing four hits in each of his first three starts, Dave Boswell gave up just three and stuck out eight in an 8-1 win over L.A. on Apr. 18.
George "Baron von" Mitterwald, who had no homers in his first 18 UL games, gets a pair off Mike Cuellar in a 9-2 win at Fenway Apr. 19.	Sandy Koufax allowed a single hit in 8 innings and Reggie Jackson hit his 9th home run in 16 games in a 7-0 win over Johnny Podres and  Washington on Apr. 18. . . Nobody is quite sure who Larry Brown is, but the shortstop hit 2 homers against St. Louis Apr. 24.
Lee May homered twice and drove in six runs in a 7-4 win over Dallas Apr. 19. . .  Tug McGraw has four saves and has yet to allowed an earned run in six appearances.	Things were so bad during the Mon's 5-11 skid that the only headline maker was 1B Nate Colbert, for his two-game suspension after arguing a strike call on Apr. 24.
Johnny Kucks allowed just 2 runs and struck out 10 on Apr. 20, but lost 2-0 to Dallas and fell to 0-4 on the year.	George Stone (0-5) and Bill Stoneman (0-6) are still winless after 12 starts, leading Bas fans to suspect both are just plain stoned. . .  Were it not for newcomer Willie McCovey, shortstop Davey Concepcion (.253) would lead the team in batting.

IL News and Notes….
by Brendan Harris
Lest we forget, the minor leaguers are battling for wins as much as they are seeking a place on the big league roster.  International League officials have battled back from the cancellation of last year's IL playoffs and virtual obliteration of league's records.  League spokesperson Maggie Smith ascribed the problem to something called the "Y70 bug," but insider sources say the real cause was a massive fire within the league's Mark IV computer, which was built in 1952.  Here are some highlights from the first few weeks of the IL schedule:

Eastern Division
Philadelphia (BOS): The Keystones have continued the success they demonstrated during the unofficial 1970 season, kicking off 1971 with a league-leading 11-3 record.  The only dark spot for the team was the loss of MR Gary Waslewski for 4 weeks after he sustained undisclosed injuries cutting a brownie out of a pan.  An anonymous team source commented, "I really can't talk about it.  But it wasn't pretty. Serves him right for trying to steal my wife's brownies, though…."
Baltimore (WAS):  The Terrapins are tied for second in the East despite not having named regulars to fill their 3 and 4 lineup spots. LF Brant Alyea is batting .500 over his last seven games.
Havana (MAN): The Sugar Kings' righty-dominated lineup is leading the league in batting average, OBP, and runs scored, but the team's pitching ranks in the back half of the IL.  19-year old starter Don Gullett has been the exception, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.47 ERA in his first three games.
Pittsburgh (CLE):  The Maulers started a middling 6-8 largely due to weak production that put them near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories.  Uncertainty in the bullpen may be exacerbating the situation, as coaches have not yet decided which players to prioritize in the MR and closer roles.
Montreal (ATL): Team officials are a bit puzzled with the Alouettes' slow start, as a decent statistical performance has not yet translated into wins.  SS Terry Harmon is a notable bright spot, hitting .550 in his last 5 games, which should give him more at-bats in the future.
Toronto (DET): Another slow starter, the Marlies can take heart in some superb early pitching from starters Ross Grimsley and Steve Hargan and relievers Rollie Fingers and Claude Osteen.  Toronto will have to step up its offensive game, however, to keep up with the rest of the league.

Western Division
Kansas City (CHI): Sitting atop the West with a 9-5 start, the Monarchs' offense has carried the team thus far, ranking within the top three teams in most batting categories.  The team's lack of infield depth will make staying healthy a priority for its prospects this year. 
Twin Cities (BRO): The Trappers' starting pitching has been phenomenal to start the season, with three starters' ERAs under 0.70.  The righty-dominated offense, however, has not fared as well thus far…perhaps still working off a hangover after a mammoth 18-inning loss to Pittsburgh on April 3rd. 
Denver (STL): It looks like the injury bug has hit the Grizzlies as hard as it did their parent organization in the first weeks of the season, taking both 2B Jim Lefebvre and C Ted Simmons out for extended periods.  As a result, the everyday lineup is in disarray, and Denver's problems are compounded by lack of clarity in the middle of the bullpen.  A bright spot is 1B Ron Fairly, who won IL Player of the Week honors by hitting .417 with 7 RBI in the first week of the season. 
Houston (DAL):  The story of the early season for the Generals is the rise and fall of starter Wade Blasingame, who pitched a complete game 4-hitter against Pittsburgh on April 8th but then suffered a torn labrum in the first inning of his next outing, putting him on ice for 4 months. 
Portland (SF): Despite some recognized arms (Forsch, Alexander, Marichal) and a very balanced lineup, the Timbers haven't quite clicked yet, with below-average statistics in many categories.  Don't get behind on this team, though -- their closers have not yet allowed an earned run -- or even many hits. 
San Diego (LA): Pitching has kept the Admirals afloat thus far, with above-average stats in every category except strikeouts.  The bullpen has been particularly impressive, with a 0.95 ERA.  The batsmen may have spent too much time on the beach and too little time in the cage, though -- San Diego's 6-8 hitters are batting roughly .120, pushing the team's overall average to a league-worst .206.