1967 American League Pennant Race

April 30, 1967 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 2 (9-6), Orioles 1 

This game was about as strange as they come.  Earl Wilson threw a gem.  in the eighth inning, Wilson walked the bases loaded before Luis Aparicio hit a sac. fly to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead without getting a single hit in the inning.

Entering the top of the ninth, Orioles starter Steve Barber was even more effective.  He had a no hitter going and he kept it going, but in an odd twist, he took the loss.  Norm Cash and Roy Oyler drew back to back walks to start the ninth and they both moved over on Wilson’s bunt.  Willie Horton then popped out and the Tigers were down to their final out.  Barber then gave up the tying run when he threw one in the dirt and Dick Tracewski, who was pinch running for Cash, scored.  Mickey Stanley then drew a walk before Orioles manager went to the pen and brought in Stu Miller.  Don Wert then reached on Mark Belanger’s error and Jake Wood (who had pinch ran for Oyler) scampered home to put the Tigers ahead.

Fred Gladding put the Orioles down in order in the ninth and the end result was, the Tigers won the game 2-1 despite not getting a single hit.  Barber did give up ten walks though and that came back to haunt him.

April 30, 1967 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 6 (10-6), Orioles 2 

The second game of this doubleheader was a lot less strange.  The Tigers scored six runs in the top of the fifth and never looked back.  The Orioles did try to eat at away at the big lead but the closest they came was 6-4.

Joe Sparma improved to 2-0 on the season.  He gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings of work.  Norm Cash was three for three with a homerun and two RBIs and Al Kaline doubled and drove in two runs in the win.

April 29, 1967 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 4 (8-6), Orioles 2 

Mickey Lolich improved to 2-1 with another complete game.  He gave up two runs on six hits and five walks with eight strikeouts.

Gates Brown had the big hit of the game.  His two run single gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead and while the Orioles would pick at the lead, they’d never overtake the Tigers.  Don Wert had a solid game as well.  He had two hits and two runs. 

April 28, 1967 at Memorial Stadium
Orioles 5, Tigers 3 (7-6)

Most of the scoring in this game happened in the first inning and all of it went down in the first three frames.  The Tigers scored two quick runs in the first then Denny McLain gave up four in the bottom half of the inning.  The Orioles then added a run in the second and the Tigers added one in the third and the 5-3 lead would end up being the final.

McLain was gone in the second inning and he dropped to 2-2.  Four relievers then combined to hold the Orioles to two hits in 6 1/3 innings, but the Tigers couldn’t get the bats going to mount a comeback.

Dick McAuliffe and Al Kaline both hit solo shots.  Al Kaline went three for four with two RBIs and a run.

April 25, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5 (7-5), Athletics 0 

A four run first inning and some great pitching by Joe Sparma helped the Tigers win their series opener with the A’s.  Sparma threw a five hit shuout in which he walked four and struck out six.  He improved to 1-0 on the season.

Five different Tigers drove in the five runs.  Dick McAuliffe led the way and he went one for two with a homerun, two walks, two runs and an RBI.

April 23, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Twins 4 (4-5), Tigers 2 (6-5)

The Twins took the rubber game and beat the Tigers in their three game series.  The game started out as a pitchers dual until the Twins rattled off two runs in each of the final two frames to put the game away.

The Tigers actually got on the board first.  In the sixth inning, Earl Wilson helped out his own cause when he singled home Norm Cash.  Then after the Twins had taken a 2-1 lead in the eighth, Norm Cash hit his first homerun of the season to tie the game up.  The Twins then scored a pair of runs in each of the final two frames.  Bond hit a two run shot in the top of the eighth and then Zoilo Versalles tripled home Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew in the top of the ninth to provide the game winning run.

Earl Wilson was cruising in this one until the wheels fell of the wagon.  He had a three hit shutout going through seven innings but it looks like he pitched an inning or two too long.  The game winner came in the ninth when Wilson gave up the two run triple to Versalles to break the 2-2 tie. 

Dean Chance threw a nice game for the Twins but he didn’t get a decision.  He gave up one run on seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings.  Al Worthington gave up the tying run in the eighth but put the Tigers down in the ninth and picked up the win.

April 22, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Twins 4 (3-5), Tigers 3 (6-4)

Bill Freehan was the Tigers offense today in a close game with the Twins.  Down 4-0, Bill Freehan hit a three run shot in the bottom of the ninth to make things close but a game ending double play got the Twins out of a jam to wrap the game up.

Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison led the way on offense for the Twins.  Allison hit a two run shot and Killebrew drove in two runs.  Cesar Tovar had three singles and he scored twice.  Jim Kaat picked up his first win of the season.  He gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout in 8 1/3 innings.

Freehan finished the game three for four.  Al Kaline had two singles and he scored on the Freehan homerun.  Mickey Lolich went eight innings and he gave up the four runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

April 21, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 12 (6-3), Twins 4 (2-5)

The Tigers ran up the score on the Twins in their third straight win.  The big inning for the Tigers was the fourth, in which they scored seven runs to really break the game open.

Denny McLain benefited from a ton of support but he pitched a pretty good game.  He gave up three runs on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts in seven innings of work.  He’s now 2-1 on the season.  Dave Boswell took the brunt of that seven run fourth and he was pulled in that inning.  He gave up six runs (five earned) only three hits but he walked seven.  He dropped to 0-1 on the season.

Jim Northrup had a big day at the plate.  He went three for five with a homerun, three RBIs and two runs.  Bill Freehan went two for three with a homerun, two RBIs and a run and Al Kaline singled twice and drove in two runs.  For the Twins, Rod Carew hit a two run shot in the seventh and Tony Oliva homered and drove in two runs.

April 20, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4 (5-3), Angels 3 (3-5)

The Tigers made it two straight wins at home in a come from behind win over the Angels.  Down 3-2, the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. Gates Brown scored on a wild pitch and Jim Northrup scored on Jay Johnstone’s error.

The Angels scored all three of their runs on homeruns.  Jimmie Hall hit his second homerun in as many days and he drove in two in the fourth inning.  Then Tom Satriano hit a solo shot in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.

Bill Freehan hit homerun number two and Al Kaline continued his hot hitting with his fourth homerun of the season.  Joe Sparma pitched seven solid innings but it was Fred Gladding who picked up the win with two shutout relief innings.  George Brunet took the loss for the Angels.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

April 18, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4 (4-3), Angels 1 (3-4)

Earl Wilson pitched the Tigers to a win in their home opener.  Wilson gave up only a single run on seven hits and four walks with six strikeouts in his first win of the season.  Marcelino Lopez threw better then he did in his previous game against the Tigers, but it wasn’t good enough and he dropped to 0-2.  He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings.

Bill Freehan had a big day at the plate.  He went two for four with a double and two RBis.  Al Kaline hit a solo shot, his third homerun of the season.  The Angels scored their only run on Jimmie Hall’s solo shot in the second inning.

April 16, 1967 at Municipal Stadium
Tigers 6 (3-2), Athletics 3 

The Tigers doubled up the Athletics in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader and Denny McLain picked up his first win of the season.  McLain gave up three runs on six hits and five walks with six strikeouts in the complete game.  While McLain was handling the A’s, Blue Moon Odom was busy walking Tigers left and right.  Odom gave up nine free passes in only 5 1/3 innings.

The A’s scored first and scored single runs in the second and fifth innings.  Those walks finally came back to haunt Odom in the sixth inning.  A six run sixth inning put the Tigers in front for good and the inning was capped off by a three run bases loaded clearing double by Jim Northrup. 

Al Kaline was the only other Tiger with two hits.  He singled twice and had an RBI and a run.

April 16, 1967 at Municipal Stadium
Athletics 11, Tigers 7  (3-3)

The Tigers had their best offensive game of the young season but still got blown out.  Mickey Lolich gave up five runs and he was gone in the third inning.  Orlando Pena and Larry Sherry each gave up three runs in relief and it was those final three runs that actually put this game away.

Al Kaline hit his second homerun of the season and Jim Price had a career day.  Price went three for four with two RBIs (check and see if this was his first career hit).  Norm Cash and Jim Northrup each scored two runs in the loss.

April 15, 1967 at Metropolitan Stadium
Tigers 4 (2-2), Twins 3 (1-3)

The Tigers evened up their record again in a close contest with the Twins.  Joe Sparma was knocked out of this one in the fifth inning after giving up three runs but the bullpen pitched well and allowed the Tigers to come back.  Jim Kaat did a good job of holding the Tigers down in the first four innings, but in the next three he yielding four runs and he was pulled in the seventh.

Down 3-1 in the top of the sixth, Al Kaline hit a two run shot to tie the game up.  Then in the seventh, Al Kaline grounded into what could have been a double play but Harmon Killebrew misplayed it at first base.  While this happened, Don Wert scampered home to give the Tigers the lead for good.  The Twins scored their first run in the first inning when Cesar Tovar scored on Sparma’s wild pitch.  They added two runs in the fifth when Rich Rollins doubled home Kaat and Tovar.  They’d be held scoreless in the final four frames though.

Dave Wickersham, Hank Aguirre and Fred Gladding all pitched well in relief for the Tigers.  They held the Twins to no runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings.

April 14, 1967 at Metropolitan Stadium
Twins 5 (1-2), Tigers 3 (1-2)

Earl Wilson struggled mightily with his control against the Twins in his first start of the season.  Wilson gave up seven walks in only five innings.  He also gave up six hits and this resulted in four runs (three earned).  He only struck out one batter.

Dave Boswell didn’t fare much better for the Twins and he was gone after four innings of work.  Jim Merritt really picked him up through.  He threw four innings of four hit shutout ball in relief to finish the game up and he picked up the win.

Dick Tracewski went two for four with a double, a run and an RBI.  Bill Freehan singled twice and scored.  The Tigers really failed to convert their baserunners into runs because they stranded twelve men on base.

For the Twins, Bob Allison and Zoilo Versalles both hit homeruns.  Versalles finished with two hits, two runs an RBI.

April 12, 1967 at Angels Stadium
Tigers 6 (1-1), Angels 3 (1-1)

Mickey Lolich pitched the Tigers to their first victory of the 1967 season.  Lolich went the distance and gave up only three runs on six hits and two walks with four strikouts.

The Tigers put up an early run in the first inning when Jake Wood led off the game with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.  The Tigers added another run in the third inning when Jim Northrup singled home Gates Brown to make it 2-0. 

The Tigers added two more runs in the fifth inning to effectively put the game away.  Gates Brown hit his second homerun in as many days to make it 3-0.  Then the Tigers loaded up the bases and Bill Freehan scored on Northrup’s ground out.

The Angels finally put some runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth off of Lolich to make it close.  Orlando McFarlane singled home Don Mincher and Bobby Knoop scored on Paul Schaal’s ground out.  In the inning, Don Wallace made his major league debut when he pinch ran for McFarlane.

The Tigers added two more runs in the seventh to give the team some insurance.  The two runs came when Freehan doubled home Al Kaline and Norm Cash.  The Angels scored one more in the seventh o Johnstone’s RBI double but the Angels never got any closer then 6-3.

Marcelino Lopez took the loss for the Angels and he lasted only two innings.  The pen didn’t fare much better as three different relievers all gave up at least a run a piece.

April 11, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 4 (1-0), Tigers 2 (0-1)

The Tigers lost their season opener against the California Angels as Denny McLain was outdueled by George Brunet.  The Angels tagged McClain for a single run in the first inning when Rick Reichardt doubled home Jim Fregosi.  The Angels then knocked him out of the game in the fourth inning after they scored three more runs.  Two runs scored on Don Mincher’s homerun and then Bobby Knoop tripled home Jose Cardenal.

The Tigers really didn’t put up much of a fight in this one.  The Tigers were held to three hits and they didn’t get their first one until the fourth when Jim Northrup singled with two outs.  They didn’t score a run until the ninth inning.  Norm Cash drew a lead off walk and then Gates Brown hit a two run shot with two outs to make it 4-2.

Jim Price made his major league debut in the fifth inning when he came in to pinch hit for McLain.  He grounded out to third base.

Brunet threw a great game for his home crowd on opening day.  He gave up two runs on only three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in nine innings.