NEW YORK 6, MINNESOTA 0 IN NEW YORK (GAME 1 OF DOUBLEHEADER)
Date: Friday, August 28.
Batting star: Rich Reese was 2-for-3 with a double.
Pitching stars: None.
Opposition stars: Fritz Peterson pitched a complete game shutout, giving up three hits and one walk and striking out four. Thurman Munson was 3-for-4 with two doubles. Peterson was 2-for-3 with a double. Gene Michael was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
The game: Cesar Tovar led off the game with a walk and Reese followed with a single, putting men on first and second with none out. But Harmon Killebrew grounded into a double play and Tony Oliva bounced back to the pitcher, taking the Twins out of the inning. The Twins would get only two more hits and only once again get a man to second, when Reese doubled with two out in the ninth.
The Yankees were held scoreless until the fifth. Ron Woods led off that inning with a double and scored on Michael's single. Peterson then singled. With one out, Munson hit an RBI single and runners went to second and third on the throw home. A wild pitch plated a run and a sacrifice fly brought home another, giving New York a 4-0 lead. They added two in the sixth. Bobby Murcer singled, John Ellis walked, and a bunt moved runners to second and third. Michael then delivered a two-run single to make it 6-0.
And that was that, as they Yankees took a 6-0 victory.
WP: Peterson (15-9).
LP: Jim Kaat (10-10).
S: None.
Notes: Oliva was in center field, with Tovar in left and Brant Alyea in right. Danny Thompson remained at second base in place of Rod Carew. Bob Allison and Rick Renick pinch-hit for pitchers.
Tony Oliva was 0-for-3 and was batting .321. Tom Hall retired both men he faced and had an ERA of 2.90.
The Twins had just three hits in the game.
I assume the configuration of Yankees stadium led Bill Rigney to change his outfield alignment.
I had forgotten that Munson was already the regular catcher for the Yankees in 1970.
In some ways, this was Peterson's best year. He went 20-11, 2.90, 1.10 WHIP (leading the league), and made his only all-star appearance. Arguably, though, he was better in 1969--he went 17-16, but with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, which also led the league. He also led the league in walks per nine innings and strikeout/walk ratio in both years. For his career, he was 133-131, 3.30, 1.19 WHIP. It was his misfortune to come to the Yankees in their worst years, or his won-lost record would be much better.
Record: The Twins were 75-52, in first place in the American League West, 3.5 games ahead of California.