MINNESOTA 4, WASHINGTON 2 IN MINNESOTA
Date: Saturday, September 18.
Batting stars: Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his seventeenth) and a double. Frank Quilici was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run. Earl Battey was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pitching stars: Dave Boswell pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk with one strikeout. Johnny Klippstein pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one strikeout.
Opposition stars: Woodie Held was 1-for-2 with a double and three walks, driving in one. Frank Howard was 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Ken Hamlin was 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base (his eighth), scoring twice.
The game: Howard singled in Held to give the Senators a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but RBI singles by Battey and Don Mincher put the Twins up 2-1 in the bottom of the first. Versalles hit a two-run homer in the second to make it 4-1. That was all the runs the Twins would get, but it was all they needed. This was due in large part to the bullpen, as starter Jim Kaat was pulled with none out in the fifth after giving up a run-scoring double to Held. Boswell came in and put out the fire in the fifth. He pitched until the seventh, when a walk, a single, and a bunt put men on second and third with one out. Bill Pleis came in and retired pinch-hitter (and future Twin) Brant Alyea on a popup. Klippstein then came in to pitch the rest of the game. He allowed two singles to start the eighth, but a double play took care of the threat.
Of note: Ted Uhlaender was 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run. Sandy Valdespino was 1-for-3 with a run. Jimmie Hall was 0-for-3 with a walk. Kaat pitched four innings, giving up two runs on four hits and six walks with three strikeouts.
Record: The win made the Twins 95-55. Chicago beat Cleveland 8-5, so the Twins' lead remained 9.5 games.
Notes: Battey got his average back over .300 at .302...Manager Sam Mele apparently was taking advantage of the Twins' big lead in the pennant race to rest some players. Uhlaender played left in place of Bob Allison and Valdespino was in right in place of Tony Oliva...Uhlaender's stolen base was the first of his career. He would steal fifty-two in his career, with a high of sixteen in 1968...Washington stranded thirteen runners and went 1-for-12 with men in scoring position.