MINNESOTA TWINS 5, TEXAS RANGERS 2 IN TEXAS (11 INNINGS)

Date:  Thursday, August 30, 1973.

Batting stars:  Steve Braun was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.  Steve Brye was 2-for-5 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Bert Blyleven pitched ten innings, giving up two runs on twelve hits and two walks and striking out seven.  Bill Campbell pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Larry Biittner was 4-for-5 with a double.  Toby Harrah was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Jim Fregosi was 2-for-5 with a double.  Vic Harris was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  Jim Bibby struck out fifteen in 10.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and six walks.

The game:  As you can see, it was a pitchers’ duel  Texas scored first, in the second inning.  With two out, Larry Biittner doubled and Vic Harris followed with an RBI single, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead.  Neither team then got a man past first base until the sixth, when Toby Harrah singled with one out and Alex Johnson drew a two-out walk.  Bill Sudakis then reached on an error, but Harrah was thrown out trying to score on the play, leaving the score at 1-0.

Each team missed a chance in the eighth.  Steve Braun hit a one-out double, but was stranded at second.  Toby Harrah singled with one out and stole second, but was similarly stranded.  In the ninth, however, Rod Carew walked with one out, stole second, and scored on a Tony Oliva single to tie the score.  Joe Lis singled to put men on first and second, but a line drive double play ended the inning.  Texas missed a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.  They got one-out singles from Jim Fregosi and Larry Biittner, and Ken Suarez singled with two out, but Fregosi was thrown out trying to score, and it went to extra innings.

Each team missed a chance in the tenth.  Steve Braun walked with one out and Steve Brye singled, but a pair of fly outs ended the inning.  Dave Nelson led off with a double and Toby Harrah walked, but a pair of strikeouts and a fly out ended the inning.

The Twins broke through in the eleventh.  Rod Carew and Mike Adams opened the inning with walks.  Rich Reese bunted and reached base to load the bases, as no one was retired on a fielder’s choice.  Jim Holt then singled to put the Twins ahead, George Mitterwald hit a sacrifice fly, Steve Braun hit a run-scoring ground out, and Steve Brye hit an RBI double, giving the Twins a 5-1 lead.

The Rangers tried to come back.  Jim Fregosi doubled, Larry Biittner singled, and Vic Harris hit an RBI single, making it 5-2 and bringing the tying run to bat with no one out.  But a double play was followed by a ground out, the game was over, and the victory was preserved.

WP:  Bert Blyleven (16-14).

LP:  Jim Bibby (6-10).

S:  Bill Campbell (2).

Notes:  Jerry Terrell was at shortstop.  He shared the position with Danny Thompson, with Thompson playing more games there (95 to 81).  Larry Hisle, who usually played center, was in left, with Steve Brye in center.  Jim Holt, who usually played left, was in right in place of Bobby Darwin.

Rod Carew was batting .351.  He would finish at a league-leading .350.

Bert Blyleven had an ERA of 2.57.  He would finish at 2.52.

There do not appear to be any former or future Twins who played for Texas in this game.

I wonder when the last time is that both team’s starter pitched at least ten innings.  It’s rare now that each team’s starter even pitches seven.

This was not the longest start of the season for Bert Bleleven.  He pitched 10.1 innings against Oakland in the first game of a doubleheader on September 27.  He made forty starts in 1973 and averaged 8.125 innings per start.  He led the league in WAR with 9.7.  These days, if someone makes one start of more than eight innings, he’s treated like Iron Man McGinnity.

Bill Campbell was in his rookie season, having been called up in mid-July.  It was his second career save.  The Twins really didn’t have a closer in 1973.  Ray Corbin led the team with fourteen saves.  Ken Sanders had eight, but he also had a 6.09 ERA and was waived in early August.  Campbell had seven.

This was Vic Harris’ first full season and his only season as a starter.  He was in the majors through 1980, though, playing a utility role for the Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Milwaukee.

Back then, I had a heck of a time keeping Steve Braun and Steve Brye straight.

Record:  Texas was 46-86, in sixth (last) place in the AL West, thirty-two games behind Oakland.  They would finish 57-105, in sixth place, thirty-seven games behind Oakland.

The Twins were 63-69, in third place in the AL West, fifteen games behind Oakland.  They would finish 81-81, in third place, thirteen games behind Oakland.

Random Record:  The Random Twins are 28-32 (.467).