MINNESOTA 4, CHICAGO 3 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Monday, May 10.

Batting stars:  Jerry Zimmerman was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Rich Rollins was 1-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-4 with two runs.

Pitching stars:  Jim Kaat pitched eight innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.  Mel Nelson pitched a perfect inning of relief.

Opposition stars:  Joel Horlen pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Dave Nicholson was 1-for-3 with a home run.  Danny Cater was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The game:  Harmon Killebrew singled in a run in the first to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.  Nicholson led off the third with a homer to tie it 1-1.  Two singles and a ground out gave the Twins a 2-1 lead in the fourth.  In the sixth, Rollins had an RBI double and Zimmerman delivered a run-scoring single to make it 4-1.  The White Sox scored one in the eighth.  In the ninth, Moose Skowron singled and Pete Ward doubled to cut the lead to 4-3 with none out.  A walk put men on first and second.  Nelson then came in and retired the next three batters to save the game.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-4.  Jerry Kindall was 0-for-4.  Tony Oliva was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.  Killebrew was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Bob Allison was 1-for-4.

Record:  The win moved the Twins back into first place, a half game ahead of Chicago and California.

MINNESOTA 6, CHICAGO 1 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Sunday, May 9.

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-3 with a home run (his second) and a walk.  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Camilo Pascual was 1-for-3 with a home run, his second.

Pitching star:  Pascual pitched a complete game, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Ron Hansen was 2-for-3.  Ken Berry was 2-for-3.  Greg Bollo pitched two perfect innings.

The game:  Versalles led off the bottom of the first with a home run and Hall singled in a run later in the inning to make it 2-0 after one.  Hall singled in another run in the third and Pascual homered in the fourth to give the Twins a 4-0 lead.  Rich Rollins contributed a two-run single in the fifth.  Meanwhile, the White Sox did not even put together a threat until the seventh, when they opened the inning with two singles and Moose Skowron later singled in their lone tally.  It was the last hit they would get, as the last seven White Sox were retired.

Of note:  Jerry Kindall was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-4 with a run.  Bob Allison was 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base, his fourth.

Record:  The win gave the Twins a record of 13-7 and left them tied for second with California (though ahead based on winning percentage), a half game behind Chicago.

MINNESOTA 4, CHICAGO 1 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, May 8.

Batting stars:  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fifth.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Bob Allison was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Mudcat Grant pitched a complete game, giving up one run on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Floyd Robinson was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Don Buford was 2-for-4.  Gary Peters pitched 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout.

The game:  There was no score through five.  In the top of the sixth, the first two Sox were retired, but then came a walk and two singles to put Chicago up 1-0.  Tony Oliva's sacrifice fly tied it in the bottom of the sixth.  Zoilo Versalles contributed a sacrifice fly in the seventh to put the Twins ahead 2-1 and Hall hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Hoyt Wilhelm to make it 4-1.  The White Sox did not seriously threaten after the sixth inning.

Of note:  Versalles was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.  Rich Rollins was 2-for-4 with a double.  Oliva was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Record:  The win made the Twins 12-7 and kept them tied for second with California (though ahead based on winning percentage), 1.5 games behind Chicago.

Note:  Jerry Zimmerman came in as a defensive replacement for Earl Battey and caught the last three innings.