Thursday, July 13, 1967: Tigers 1-4, Washington 0-5 (DH)

Washington, DC- Joe Sparma pitched a complete-game, one-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader, but the Washington Senators rallied for a victory in the nightcap as the Tigers split a twinbill on Thursday night at D.C. Stadium.

The Tigers, behind Sparma's fourth complete game, won 1-0, but Washington responded with a 5-4 win in game two.

In the nightcap, Washington scored three runs in the seventh inning off Tigers starter Denny McLain (7-8) to erase a 4-2 deficit. The Senators used three singles and a triple to score the three runs before McLain was lifted for Mike Marshall. But the damage had been done.

Sparma was magnificent in game one. He walked two and struck out eight. The only hit for the Senators was a two-out single in the fourth inning by Fred Valentine. The Tigers' only offense was a Bill Freehan solo homer in the second inning. Sparma (8-9) made it hold up, retiring 16 of the final 17 batters after Valentine's hit. The tough luck loser for Washington was Camilo Pascual.

In the nightcap, the Tigers (45-37) had their four-game winning streak snapped when the Senators rallied in the seventh inning against McLain. With one out, Bernie Allen singled. One out later, pinch-hitter Dick Nen's single scored Allen. With two outs, Ed Stroud tripled to deep center, tying the game, 4-4. McLain still had a chance to get out of the inning without losing the lead, but Ken McMullen's single scored the go-ahead run and knocked the Tigers right-hander out of the game.

In game two, Dick McAuliffe swatted a solo homer to tie the game, 2-2 in the fifth inning. The Tigers then pushed across two more runs on a walk, a double (and an error) and a single.

Both teams had 11 hits in the second game.

Game 81	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	1
WAS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Game 82	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	4	11	0
WAS	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	0	X	5	11	1

Game 81

WP- Sparma (8-9)

LP- Pascual

Game 82

WP- Bertaina

LP- McLain (7-8)

Sunday, July 9, 1967: Tigers 4-3, Boston 3-2 (DH)

Detroit, MI- Gates Brown hit a pinch-hit, game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of a Sunday doubleheader over the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers completed the twinbill sweep with a 3-2 win in the nightcap. Right-hander Dave Wickersham won both games---first as a reliever and then as a starter.

Brown's heroics capped a Tigers comeback in which they trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth. But Willie Horton drilled a three-run homer off Boston starter Gary Bell to tie the game.

Brown, pinch-hitting for the pitcher with one out in the ninth, lofted a fly ball that caught the first row of the upper deck in right field, making a loser out of John Wyatt and a winner out of Wickersham, who pitched one inning of relief prior to his start in the second game.

In Game 2, Dick McAuliffe's single drove in two runs to cap a three-run fifth inning that turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Wickersham, who went 6.2 innings, and the bullpen took over the rest of the way.

The Tigers (44-36) head into the All-Star break in second place, four games behind the Chicago White Sox, who dropped a doubleheader to the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox fell to fourth place, behind the Twins.

Earl Wilson started Game 1 for Detroit and went eight innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out nine.

Fred Gladding earned his 16th save in the nightcap by pitching a scoreless ninth, although Boston did put two runners on base before Gladding got Mike Andrews to ground out to third base.

Game 79	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	5	0
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	4	10	0
One out when winning run scored.
Game 80	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	10	0
DET	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	X	3	6	1

Game 1
WP- Wickersham (2-3)
LP- Wyatt

Game 2
WP- Wickersham (3-3)
LP- Lonborg

Saturday, July 8, 1967: Tigers 7, Boston 3

Detroit, MI- Slumping Norm Cash hit a two-run homer, and the Tigers overcame a three-run third inning in beating the Boston Red Sox, 7-3 at Tiger Stadium.

Cash's 10th roundtripper opened the scoring in the second inning. Despite the home run, Cash is hitting .195 on the season.

The Red Sox countered Cash's big hit with a three-run homer from Tony Conigliaro in the third inning, but starter Denny McLain and the bullpen shut Boston down the rest of the way.

Willie Horton's sacrifice fly tied the game, 3-3, in the third inning. In the fifth, Horton struck again with a single to score Dick McAuliffe with the go-ahead run. McAuliffe had scored on Horton's fly ball as well.

Detroit (42-36) grabbed two insurance runs in the seventh---again McAuliffe scored---and one more in the eighth. McAuliffe scored that run, too---giving him four runs scored on the day. Boston relievers Sparky Lyle and Bob Osinski were the victims of the Tigers' late uprising.

McLain (7-7) went 6.2 innings for the win, scattering seven hits, walking four and striking out four.

Lee Stange started and took the loss for Boston, which slipped into a second-place tie with the Tigers, six games behind league leader Chicago.

Game 78	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	0
DET	0	2	1	0	1	0	2	1	X	7	11	0

WP- McLain (7-7)

LP- Stange

Friday, July 7, 1967: Boston 6, Tigers 2

Detroit, MI- In a game where all the scoring came courtesy of two-run homers, the Boston Red Sox hit three and the Tigers hit one, resulting in a 6-2 Boston victory.

Joe Foy, Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro connected for the Red Sox, while Willie Horton was the only Tigers hitter to go deep.

All three Boston homers came off Tigers starter Joe Sparma (7-9), whose ERA ballooned to 4.92.

Foy started the scoring in the first inning, while Horton (13) responded in kind for Detroit (41-36).

Conigliaro and Yastrzemski struck in the third and fifth innings, respectively.

Jose Santiago pitched a complete game for Boston, giving up five hits while walking two and striking out five.

Game 77	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	2	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	6	8	1
DET	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1

WP- Santiago

LP- Sparma (7-9)

Wednesday, July 5, 1967: Cleveland 6, Tigers 2

Cleveland, OH- The Cleveland Indians' numbers one through three hitters combined for seven hits, five runs scored and four RBI in a 6-2 victory over the Tigers at Municipal Stadium.

Max Alvis, Chico Salmon and Chuck Hinton led the way as the Indians salvaged the final game of the three-game series.

John O'Donoghue pitched a complete game for the win, scattering five hits. He walked one and struck out seven Tigers hitters.

The Tigers (41-35) scored their only runs on a two-run homer from Mickey Stanley (4) in the fourth inning. That cut the Tribe's lead to 3-2, but Cleveland added three runs in the fifth to pull away.

The Tigers now return home for four games against the Boston Red Sox. The two teams are tied for third place as the Minnesota Twins leapfrogged into second place.

Tigers starter Johnny Podres (4-3) lasted just four-plus innings as the Indians knocked him around to the tune of six runs and 10 hits. Relievers Mike Marshall and Dave Wickersham each pitched two shutout innings, but it was too little, too late.

Game 76	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1
CLE	2	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	X	6	11	0

WP- O'Donoghue

LP- Podres (4-3)

Tuesday, July 4, 1967: Tigers 2, Cleveland 1 (10 inn)

Cleveland, OH- Pinch-hitter Mickey Stanley's double tied the game in the eighth inning, and Willie Horton doubled home the eventual game-winning run in the 10th as the Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 2-1 at Municipal Stadium. Both runs were scored by Dick McAuliffe.

Earl Wilson pitched eight innings, giving up one run and three hits. John Hiller (3-2) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Stanley's hit came off Indians lefty Bob Allen, who was relieving starter Steve Hargan. Horton's game-winning hit was struck off loser Stan Williams.

The Indians scored their run in the seventh. Chico Salmon walked, then stole second base. Joe Azcue walked and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Salmon scored on a squeeze bunt by pinch-hitter Larry Brown.

In the Tigers' eighth, McAuliffe singled with one out. Stanley, batting for Lenny Green, doubled to deep right field, scoring McAuliffe.

In the 10th, McAuliffe again started things. He was hit by a pitch, then moved to second base on a bunt by Stanley. Horton drove a Williams pitch down the left field line to score the go-ahead run.

Hiller allowed one hit and one walk to earn the win.

In a game played on Independence Day, there were very few fireworks.

The Tigers (41-34) gained a game on the first-place Chicago White Sox and tied the Boston Red Sox for second place. Detroit is now 4.5 games back.

Game 75	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	7	0
CLE	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	0

WP- Hiller (3-2)

LP- Williams

Monday, July 3, 1967: Tigers 5, Cleveland 2

Cleveland, OH- Denny McLain pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits, and Bill Freehan slugged a three-run homer, leading the Tigers to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians at Municipal Stadium.

Freehan's 12th homer cleared the left field wall in the third inning, staking the Tigers to a 4-0 lead. The blow came off Indians starter Luis Tiant.

Tigers hitters struck out 12 times, yet managed to generate enough offense to keep the Tribe at arm's length.

Detroit (40-34) gained a game on the first-place Chicago White Sox and moved to within 4.5 games of the Pale Hose. But the Boston Red Sox won and remain a game ahead of the Tigers in second place.

McLain (6-7) walked two and struck out five. He gave up a harmless solo homer in the ninth to Tony Horton.

Tigers outfielder Jim Northrup left the game in the second inning with an arm injury. Northrup was hurt crashing into the stands while chasing a foul fly, which he caught. The injury isn't believed to be serious.

Freehan added two singles to his home run. Willie Horton had a double, single and he smacked his 12th homer as well---a solo shot in the ninth.

Game 74	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	9	0
CLE	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	7	1

WP- McLain (6-7)

LP- Tiant

Sunday, July 2, 1967: Tigers 1, Chicago 0

Detroit, MI- Mickey Stanley's second inning home run was the only offense as the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0 at Tiger Stadium.

Stanley connected off White Sox starter Gary Peters, driving a high fly ball several rows into the upper deck in left field. It was the third homer for the Tigers center fielder.

Joe Sparma (7-8) pitched seven innings of a combined shutout with John Hiller, who earned his second save.

The White Sox doubled the Tigers' three-hit output but couldn't plate a run. In fact, the Tigers didn't get a hit after the third inning in taking two of three from first-place Chicago and moving back to within 5.5 games of the Pale Hose.

But Detroit (39-34) remains in third place as the Boston Red Sox also won on Sunday.

It was a tough loss for Peters, who gave up just the one run on three hits and two walks in seven innings of work.

Game 73	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CHI	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
DET	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	1	3	0

WP- Sparma (7-8)

LP- Peters

Saturday, July 1, 1967: Chicago 7, Tigers 1

Detroit, MI- Joe Horlen pitched a complete game, eight-hitter and took a shutout into the ninth as the Chicago White Sox squared their weekend series with the Tigers with a 7-1 rout.

The Tigers (38-34) didn't score until Bill Freehan hit his 11th homer to lead off the ninth inning.

By then, the game was out of hand as the White Sox scored three runs in the top of the ninth off Fred Gladding to put an exclamation point on the win.

Ken Berry had three RBI for first-place Chicago, who moved back to 6.5 games ahead of the Tigers, who slipped into third place as the Boston Red Sox won their game on Saturday.

The White Sox scored single runs in the first, second, sixth and eighth before the eruption in the ninth.

Tigers righty Dave Wickersham (1-3) made his first start of the season and went six innings, giving up three runs and five hits.

Jim King hit a solo homer for the White Sox in the eighth inning.

Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Ray Oyler each had two hits, accounting for all but two of the Tigers' eight base hits.

The Tigers have lost seven of their past 10 games.

Game 72	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CHI	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	7	8	0
DET	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8	0

WP- Horlen
LP- Wickersham (1-3)