MINNESOTA 6, DETROIT 5 IN MINNESOTA (10 INNINGS)
Date: Sunday, June 27 (Game 2 of doubleheader)
Batting stars: Jimmie Hall was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one. Joe Nossek was 3-for-5 with a hit-by-pitch, scoring once and driving in one. Tony Oliva was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Pitching stars: Mel Nelson pitched four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Jim Perry pitched three innings, giving up one run on two hits and no walks with two strikeouts. Al Worthington pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one walk with one strikeout.
Opposition stars: Al Kaline was 4-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two. Don Demeter was 3-for-5 with a home run (his sixth) and a stolen base, scoring twice. Orlando Pena struck out four in 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.
The game: Kaline singled in a run in the first, but an RBI double by Hall and a run-scoring single by Jerry Zimmerman put the Twins ahead 2-1 after two. Kaline's run-scoring double tied the score in the third, but Versalles drove in a run with a single in the fourth to put the Twins back in front 3-2. Run-producing singles by Oliva and Killebrew gave the Twins a seemingly safe 5-2 lead after seven, but Demeter led off the eighth with a home run and Willie Horton hit a two-run shot later in the inning to tie it 5-5. The Twins loaded the bases with none out in the ninth, but Bob Allison fouled out and Hall grounded into a double play. In the tenth, Rich Rollins led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Bernie Allen was walked, Zoilo Versalles flied out, but Nossek singled to center to bring home the winning run.
Of note: Versalles was 2-for-6 with a run and an RBI. Killebrew was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Hall raised his average to .315.
Record: The Twins improved their record to 42-26, but doubleheader sweeps by Chicago and Cleveland held their lead to a half game over both teams.
Notes: This was the last of Nelson's three starts in 1965. He would pitch in relief the next day and stay in the bullpen the rest of the season. He would make four more starts in his career, all with St. Louis in 1968. It was the next-to-last relief appearance for Perry, who would join the rotation July 5. Nossek raised his average to .315. He played third base, with Rollins playing second, and the way the Twins were searching for infield options you'd think he might have been given a shot there. Apparently Sam Mele didn't think the defensive cost was worth it, though, as he only started at third two more times in 1965 and would make only one more appearance there in his career.