MINNESOTA 6, KANSAS CITY 4 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, May 21.

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his third) and a walk, scoring twice.  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Rich Rollins was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Camilo Pascual struck out eight in eight innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits and five walks.

Opposition stars:  Jim Gentile was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his ninth.  Jim Landis was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring twice.  Bert Campaneris was 1-for-4 with a walk, a run, and a stolen base (his tenth).

The game:  A bases-loaded walk to Jerry Kindall gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the second inning.  Gentile hit a two-run homer in the third to put the Athletics ahead 2-1.  The Twins got the lead back in the fifth, with Tony Oliva's RBI single tying the score and a double play putting them in front.  Versalles hit a two-run homer in the sixth to make it 5-2 and Earl Battey had an RBI single in the seventh to increase the lead to 6-2.  It looked like it was over, but Kansas City opened the ninth with a walk and a single, resulting in the removal of Pascual.  Bill Pleis got a strikeout, but an error made it 6-3 and brought the tying run to the plate.  Al Worthington came in and got the final two outs (one a run-scoring ground out) to end the game.

Of note:  Sandy Valdespino was 1-for-5 with a run.  Oliva was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Record:  The win made the Twins 21-12, still in second place, but now only two games behind Chicago.

Notes:  Bob Allison sat out this game and would only pinch-hit in the next one, leading one to think he might have had a minor injury or illness.  Starter Diego Segui was removed in the second inning after the bases-loaded walk to Kindall.  That's a remarkably quick hook.  It's possible that he had a minor injury or illness, too, but he not only made his next start on schedule, he threw a complete game in it.