Friday, June 30, 1967: Tigers 5, Chicago 2

Detroit, MI- Johnny Podres pitched a complete game and the Tigers used a four-run third inning to beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-2 at Tiger Stadium.

Podres (4-2) gave up just five hits and walked two as the Tigers (38-33) crept to within 5.5 games of the first-place Chisox. He struck out three.

In the third inning and the Tigers trailing 2-1, Dick McAuliffe hit a solo homer with one out, tying the game. The next five Tigers got on base (three singles, two walks) as they added three more runs.

The White Sox managed just two hits after the third inning.

The Tigers did commit three errors (two by catcher Bill Freehan), but Podres was able to pitch around the miscues.

McAuliffe and Norm Cash each had two hits for Detroit.

Tommy John started and lost for Chicago in a battle of southpaws.

The game also saw the Tigers debut of newly-acquired outfielder Jim Landis from Houston. He started in right field and went 1-for-3 (double).

Game 71	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CHI	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
DET	0	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	X	5	8	3

WP- Podres (4-2)

LP- John

Thursday, June 29, 1967: Cleveland 5, Tigers 4

Detroit, MI- Max Alvis, who made two earlier bids for home runs, drove a ball into the left field seats with a man on base in the eighth inning, lifting the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 win at Tiger Stadium.

Alvis hit two fly balls to the warning track in left field in previous at-bats, but finally connected for a homer in the eighth off Denny McLain (5-7) to erase a 4-3 deficit.

The Tribe scored three runs in the inning to win in come-from-behind fashion.

The Tigers (37-33), losers of six of their past eight games, got back-to-back homers from Willie Horton (11) and Bill Freehan (10) in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. Horton's homer was a two-run shot.

Joe Azcue's solo homer in the fourth made the score 4-2. The Indians hit three four-baggers off McLain; Leon Wagner connected in the first inning.

The Tigers didn't manage a hit after the third inning.

Bob Allen got the win in relief, despite walking three batters in 2/3 of an inning.

The game saw the Tigers debut of outfielder Lenny Green, a Detroit native signed in January. The 34-year-old started in center field and went 0-for-2. The Tigers called Green up from AAA Toledo in response to Al Kaline's broken hand.

Earlier in the day, the Tigers announced the acquisition of outfielder Jim Landis from Houston for pitcher Larry Sherry. Green swings left, Landis swings right. Landis, 33, had his best year in 1961, when he hit 22 home runs for the Chicago White Sox.

With the Astros this season, Landis batted .252 in 143 at-bats with one home run and 14 RBI.

Sherry was 0-1 with an ERA of 11.25 in eight innings for Detroit.

Game 70	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CLE	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	5	7	0
DET	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	5	0

WP- Allen

LP- McLain (5-7)

Wednesday, June 28, 1967: Cleveland 12, Tigers 5

Detroit, MI-- The Cleveland Indians scored five runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings, romping past the Tigers, 12-5 at Tiger Stadium.

Four Indians players had two RBI each, and Chico Salmon drove in three runs for the Tribe.

Tigers starter Joe Sparma (6-8) saw his ERA rise to 4.96, giving up six runs in 5.1 innings. Sparma also walked five and recorded no strikeouts.

The Tigers (37-32) were playing their first game since losing Al Kaline to a broken hand. Kaline is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Detroit fell to 6.5 games behind first-place Chicago.

Johnny Podres fared even worse than Sparma, giving up five runs (one earned) in the seventh inning. Lefty hitters went 5-for-5 against the southpaw Podres, which is not surprising as lefties are batting over .500 against him.

Leon Wagner and Max Alvis each slammed solo homers for the Indians.

John O'Donoghue went 7.1 strong innings for Cleveland to earn the victory.

Game 69	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CLE	1	0	0	0	0	5	5	1	0	12	13	0
DET	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	0	5	9	1

WP- O'Donoghue

LP- Sparma (6-8)

Tuesday, June 27, 1967: Tigers 6, Cleveland 5 (13 innings)

Detroit, MI- The Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians in 13 innings, 6-5, at Tiger Stadium, but it was a costly win.

Al Kaline, the Tigers' leader in just about every major offensive category, has been lost for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

Kaline slammed his bat in anger into the bat rack after a fifth inning strikeout, and the impact caused a hairline fracture in his right pinky and extending to the wrist.

Ray Oyler was the unlikely hitting hero, garnering three hits, including the game-winner---a drive into the left field corner that scored Bill Freehan from third base in the bottom of the 13th.

The Tigers (37-31) rallied for three runs in the eighth to tie the game, 5-5. The big blow was a two-run double by Willie Horton.

The Indians turned a 2-2 tie into a 5-2 lead in the seventh. The big hit was a two-run homer by Duke Sims.

Fred Whitfield also hit a two-run homer for Cleveland.

Tigers starter Earl Wilson struck out 10 in 6.2 innings, but gave up all five Indians runs.

Fred Gladding (1-0) got the win in relief after wiggling out of a jam in his only inning of work. The Indians put runners on first and third with one out, but Gladding got Vern Fuller to ground into a force out at the plate, and Larry Brown tapped to Don Wert, who stepped on third base to end the inning.

But the euphoria over the win was overshadowed in the Tigers clubhouse when news of Kaline's injury spread.

Game 68	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	R	H	E
CLE	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	10	1
DET	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	6	13	0
Two out when winning run scored

WP- Gladding (1-0)

LP- Allen

Sunday, June 25, 1967: New York 2, Tigers 1

Bronx, NY- The Tigers wasted a brilliant performance by Mickey Lolich in falling to the New York Yankees, 2-1, at Yankee Stadium.

Lolich (8-5) allowed just two hits---both in the sixth inning, when the Yankees scored both their runs---but it didn't prevent the hard-luck loss as the Tigers managed to push just one run across the plate.

Mel Stottlemyre pitched a complete game for New York, scattering eight hits.

The Tigers (36-31) have lost four of five.

Lolich carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, when the Tigers moved ahead 1-0 at the top of the frame.

In poor weather conditions, Lolich bobbled a weak grounder by Stottlemyre to start the sixth. One out later, Bill Robinson broke up the no-hitter with a single, sending Stottlemyre to third. Mickey Mantle followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Elston Howard walked, and Tom Tresh followed with an RBI double to score the second Yankees run.

That was enough for Stottlemyre, who allowed just two harmless singles (both by Don Wert) the rest of the way.

Game 67	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	8	2
NY	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	X	2	2	1

WP- Stottlemyre

LP- Lolich (8-5)

Saturday, June 24, 1967: Tigers 8, New York 4

Bronx, NY- The Tigers bats busted out of a mini-slump with a 12-hit attack, and Detroit staved off the New York Yankees, 8-4 at Yankee Stadium.

Johnny Podres (3-2) picked up the win after pitching 6+ innings and giving up three runs.

Mickey Stanley, who made his first career start at first base, slammed a two-run homer (2) in the second inning to highlight a three-run frame that opened the scoring.

The Tigers, led by Podres and relievers Dave Wickersham and Fred Gladding, kept the Yankees at arm's length in snapping a three-game losing streak.

The Tigers bats harassed Yankees starter Fritz Peterson with five runs and eight hits in five innings of work by the lefty.

New York, after trailing 6-1, made the score 6-4 in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Mickey Mantle, but the Tigers (36-30) added two insurance runs in the ninth inning on a Don Wert triple and an Al Kaline double.

Willie Horton had two sacrifice flies for the Tigers.

Game 66	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	0	3	1	1	0	0	1	0	2	8	12	0
NY	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	0	4	8	0

WP- Podres (3-2)

LP- Peterson

Friday, June 23, 1967: New York 5, Tigers 4

Bronx, NY- Tom Tresh drove home Bill Robinson from first base with a hit into the right field corner with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the New York Yankees beat the Tigers, 5-4 at Yankee Stadium.

The Tigers led 4-1 in the sixth inning, but the Yanks scored single runs from the sixth through the ninth to earn the win, their fourth straight over Detroit, all in New York. The Tigers dropped three of four to the Yankees in New York just three weeks ago, a series that just preceded Detroit winning 12 of 16.

However, the Tigers (35-30) have now lost three straight.

With the score tied 1-1, the Tigers erupted for three runs in the sixth inning off Yankees starter Al Downing. The inning could have been even more productive, but Ray Oyler hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end it with runners on first and second.

With two out and nobody on in the ninth, Tigers reliever Hank Aguirre (0-1) looked to be in control. But Robinson flared a single to right field, and Tresh poked an opposite field hit into the right field corner. Robinson, running at the crack of the bat, beat the relayed throw of Al Kaline's to score the winning run.

Tigers starter Denny McLain went six innings (two earned runs). He was followed by John Hiller, who was touched for two runs in one-plus inning of work. Dave Wickersham (one inning) and Aguirre followed Hiller.

Dooley Womack picked up the win in relief for New York. Al Downing started (six innings, three earned runs) and was relieved by Thad Tillotson (two innings).

The Tigers fell into a second place tie with Boston, five games behind the Chicago White Sox.

Game 65	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
DET	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	7	1
NY	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	5	11	0
Two out when winning run scored

WP- Womack

LP- Aguirre (0-1)