MINNESOTA 7, CLEVELAND 0 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, August 27.

Batting stars:  Mudcat Grant was 2-for-4 with a run and four RBIs.  Earl Battey was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, driving in one.  Rich Rollins was 2-for-5 with a stolen base (his third), scoring once and driving in one.

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

Opposition stars:  Leon Wagner was 0-for-2 with two walks.  Fred Whitfield was 1-for-3.  Sam McDowell struck out eight in 6.1 innings but allowed four runs on four hits and five walks.

The game:  Grant delivered a two-out two-run single in the fourth to put the Twins ahead 2-0.  in the seventh, Battey had an RBI single and Bob Allison contributed a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.  Grant delivered another two-run single in the ninth and Rollins also singled in a run to close out the scoring.  The only threat the Indians had was in the fourth, when a single and a walk put men on first and second with none out and Rocky Colavito up.  Colavito hit into a double play and Whitfield flied out to end the inning.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and a run.  Allison was 0-for-4 with an RBI.

Record:  The win made the Twins 83-47.  Chicago split a doubleheader with Boston, so the Twins' lead increased to nine games.

Notes:  The Twins continued to have no trouble scoring runs without Harmon Killebrew or Tony Oliva in the lineup...Jimmie Hall did not start, either, with Joe Nossek playing center field.  Hall was used as a pinch-hitter...Battey raised his average to .305...If you're wondering, the record for most RBIs by a pitcher in a game is nine, set by Henry Staley of the Boston Braves in 1893 and tied by Tony Cloninger of the Atlanta Braves in 1966.  The American League record is seven by Vic Raschi of the Yankees in 1953.