MINNESOTA 8, DETROIT 3 IN DETROIT

Date:  Thursday, August 19 (Game 1 of doubleheader).

Batting stars:  Don Mincher was 1-for-3 with a home run (his seventeenth) and a walk, driving in four.  Sandy Valdespino was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring twice.  Earl Battey was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching star:  Mudcat Grant pitched a complete game, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Julio Navarro struck out four in 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and one walk.  Don Demeter was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fifteenth.  Norm Cash was 1-for-3 with a home run, his seventeenth.

The game:  An RBI single by Tony Oliva and a run-scoring double by Battey put the Twins ahead 2-0 in the first.  In the third the Twins had back-to-back homers, a three-run shot by Mincher followed by a round-tripper by Rich Rollins to go up 6-0.  The Tigers never got closer than five runs after that.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-5.  Tony Oliva was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Record:  The win made the Twins 76-44 and increased their lead over second-place Detroit to eight games.

Notes:  Valdespino played left in place of Bob Allison...Demeter replaced Al Kaline, who was removed in the first inning, apparently injured chasing down Battey's run-scoring double.  He would miss the rest of the month...Oliva tied Battey for the team batting lead, both at .313.  Hall fell below .300 at .299.