September 30, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5 (90-69), Angels 0 (82-76)
Mickey Lolich came through once again as he continued his impressive second half as he kept the Tigers pennant hopes alive with a three hit shutout over the Angels. He walked four and struck out eleven and the Angels never really threatened to score through the entire game.
The Tigers did most of their damage in the first two innings. In the first inning, Willie Horton belted a two run homer to put the Tigers on the board and Gary Mathews and Dick Tracewski drove in a run a piece in the second inning to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead. George Brunet lasted just those two innings and he lost his 19th game of the season.
Dick McAuliffe singled home Tracewski in the fourth inning to give the Tigers another run but it turned out to not be neccesary.
Lolich improved to 14-13 with the win. No Angel hitter reached base more then once and only Buck Rodgers had an extra base hit off of him with a double.
September 30, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Angels 8 (83-76), Tigers 6 (90-70)
The Tigers blew a four run lead as they lost a critical game in the final of their first doubleheader of the weekend with the Angels. The loss puts them in a position that they need to sweep the Angels tomorrow just to force a tie and a one game playoff with whoever wins tomorrow’s game between the Twins and the Red Sox.
Earl Wilson got the start for the Tigers and the Angels had Jack Hamilton on the mound. The Tigers struck first with a big first inning. Dick McAuliffe led off with a single and Lumpe drew a walk to put two runners on. Al Kaline popped out to the catcher and then Willie Horton drew a walk to load up the bases. Eddie Mathews then drew the third walk of the inning to put the Tigers on the board and the Angels had enough of Hamilton. Simmons came in to pitch and he immediately hit Jim Northrup to drive in another run. Bill Freehan hit a sac. fly to make it two outs and a 3-0 lead before Don Wert finished the inning when he flew to left field.
The Angels answered in the third when Jim Fregosi belted a solo homer. Roger Repoz singled home Don Mincher in the fourth inning and the Angels had pulled to within a single run but the Tigers doubled their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Lumpe scored on Eddie Mathews ground out.
In the seventh, the game appeared in hand after Jim Northrup belted a two run homer to make it 6-2 to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game. With just two innings to go, the win would have put the Tigers in a virtual tie with the Red Sox and Twins atop the American League standings.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be because in the eighth inning, the wheels fell of the wagon. With Fred Lasher on the mound, Jim Fregosi singled, Jimmie Hall drew a walk and Don Mincher singled home Fregosi to make it 6-3. Rick Reichardt then singled home Hall to make it 6-4 and Mayo Smith must have been nervous because he went to the pen and brough in Hank Aguirre.
Aguirre did get his first batter, Morton, to ground out but Mincher scampered home and it was now just a one run game. Buck Rodgers drew a walk and once again, Smith went to his pen to bring in Fred Lasher.
Lasher couldn’t stop the damage though. Satriano singled off of him and Reichardt scored the tying run. He did strike out Taylor to make it two outs but Jim Fregosi singled for the second time in the inning and that scored two to give the Angels an 8-6 lead.
The Tigers didn’t get a single baserunner on in either the eighth or ninth as Weaver shut them down. Minnie Rojas picked up the win and he improved to 12-9 while Weaver earned his first career save. Aguirre took the loss for the Tigers even though it was Lasher who ended up doing the most damage.