MINNESOTA 8, BOSTON 0 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Sunday, August 8.

Batting stars:  Tony Oliva was 4-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in three.  Bob Allison was 1-for-2 with a triple and three walks, scoring twice and driving in one.  Don Mincher was 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs.

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

Opposition stars:  Felix Mantilla was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Dave Morehead pitched five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  It was close for quite a while.  Mincher singled in a run in the first to put the Twins up 1-0.  It stayed 1-0 until the fifth, when Allison tripled in a run and scored on a balk.  Mincher delivered a two-run triple in the seventh to make it 5-0 and in the eighth, Oliva had a two-run double and Jimmie Hall an RBI single to round out the scoring.  The Red Sox did not have a hit until Mantilla's two-out double in the seventh, which was the only scoring threat they had.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-5 with a run.  Hall was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.

Record:  The win made the Twins 72-39.  Baltimore split a doubleheader with Kansas City, meaning the Twins' lead was now eight games.

Notes:  Oliva and Hall both raised their averages to .307...Dave Morehead would lead the league in losses in 1965 with eighteen.  It is the only black ink on his baseball-reference page.

MINNESOTA 9, BOSTON 4 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, August 7.

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-5 with a home run (his fifteenth) a stolen base (his fifteenth) and two runs.  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jerry Kindall was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Pitching star:  Mudcat Grant pitched a complete game, giving up four runs on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Frank Malzone was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.  Felix Mantilla was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fifteenth) and a walk.  Lee Thomas was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The game:  Each team scored once in the first, with the Twins run coming on a Versalles homer.  It stayed 1-1 until the fourth, when Don Mincher's two-run homer capped a three-run inning that put the Twins up 4-1.  Hall hit an RBI triple and later scored in a three-run fifth that made it 7-1.  Solo homers by Carl Yastrzemski in the sixth and Mantilla in the eighth cut the lead to 7-3, but that Twins scored two more in the bottom of the eighth to put to bed any thoughts of a Red Sox comeback.

Of note:  Tony Oliva was 0-for-2 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Bob Allison was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Record:  The win made the Twins 71-39.  Baltimore once again lost to last-place Kansas City, this time 7-4, so the Twins lead increased to 7.5 games.

Notes:  Hall's average went up to .306, while Oliva fell to .301...Harmon Killebrew sat out a second consecutive game, with Mincher again at first and Rich Rollins at third.  He would not return until September 21...Jerry Zimmerman started the game, but was removed for Earl Battey in the third inning.  If he was injured it was nothing serious, as he played again a few days later.

MINNESOTA 4, WASHINGTON 3 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Wednesday, August 4.

Batting stars:  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Bob Allison was 1-for-4 with a home run, his seventeenth).  Jerry Kindall was 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit home run, his fifth.

Pitching stars:  Dick Stigman struck out five in the shutout innings, giving up only a walk.  Garry Roggenburk pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Jim King was 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Mike Brumley was 2-for-4 with a run.  Don Lock was 1-for-3 with a walk.

The game:  It was scoreless until the fourth, when King tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Senators up 1-0.  Don Mincher hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to tie it 1-1.  The Senators got the lead again in the fifth, scoring one on a sacrifice fly and another on King's double to make it 3-1.  Allison homered leading off the sixth to make it 3-2.  The Twins still trailed going into the bottom of the ninth, when Kindall opened the inning with a pinch-hit home run off Howie Koplitz.  Koplitz walked Zoilo Versalles and was replaced by Marshall Bridges.  Tony Oliva greeted Bridges with a single and was followed by Hall's RBI single to win the game.

Of note:  Oliva was 2-for-5.  Earl Battey was 0-for-3.  Starter Jim Perry pitched 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Record:  The win made the Twins 68-39.  Baltimore swept a doubleheader from California, cutting the Twins' lead to five games.

Notes:  Oliva was hitting .303.  Hall was at .305.  Battey fell to .294...Jerry Kindall hit only forty-four career home runs, with a high of thirteen in 1962.  He would hit only six in 1965, his last season...Washington's starter was Leslie Ferdinand "Buster" Narum.  He was a rotation starter (mostly) for the Senators for two seasons, 1964-65.  In those two seasons, he went 13-27, 4.37, 1.44 WHIP.  He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat, one of three he hit in his career (one each in 1963, 1964, and 1965).  I could not find out why he was called "Buster".  Maybe it's not a very interesting story, or maybe he wasn't good enough for anyone to care.  Which is kind of a sad thought, really.

WASHINGTON 4, MINNESOTA 2 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Tuesday, August 3 (Game 2 of doubleheader).

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his twelfth.  Jerry Zimmerman was 1-for-1 with a walk and a run.  Joe Nossek was 1-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Johnny Klippstein pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Mike McCormick pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Frank Howard was 1-for-4 with a home run, his eighteenth.  Ken Hamlin was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The game:  Howard homered leading off the second and Hamlin had an RBI double in the third to put the Senators up 2-0.  Versalles tied it with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third.  In the fifth Don Zimmer delivered a two-out two-run double to give Washington a 4-2 lead.  And that was it for the scoring.  The Twins loaded the bases with two out in the fourth but did not get another hit until Rich Rollins doubled leading off the ninth.  The next three Twins went out to end the game.

Of note:  Frank Quilici was 1-for-4.  Tony Oliva was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Bob Allison was 0-for-4.  Starter Dwight Siebler pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Record:  The Twins were now 67-39 and led Baltimore by 5.5 games.

Notes:  The Twins used somewhat of a B lineup.  Jimmie Hall, Harmon Killebrew, and Earl Battey all did not start, although Battey pinch-hit for Zimmerman in the seventh and caught the rest of the game.  Siebler, normally a reliever, made his only start of the season...Ken Hamlin was a utility infielder for several clubs from 1957-66.  He was the regular shortstop for Kansas City in 1960, but hit only .224/.297/.271.  He was more-or-less the regular shortstop for Washington in 1965, sharing time with Ed Brinkman, and had his best year, hitting .273/.333/.370...Don Zimmer was in his last year as a major league player and would hit only .199...Mike McCormick had a fine career, pitching in the big leagues for sixteen years, most of them with the Giants.  He made the all-star team twice (1960, when he led the league in ERA, and 1961) and won the Cy Young Award in 1967, when he won twenty-two games with an ERA of 2.85.  For his career he was 134-128, 3.73, 1.29 WHIP.

MINNESOTA 4, WASHINGTON 3 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Tuesday, August 3 (Game 1 of doubleheader).

Batting stars:  Don Mincher was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fourteenth) and a walk.  Sandy Valdespino was 2-for-3 with a double and a run.  Mudcat Grant was 1-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Grant pitched 7.1 innings, giving up three runs on eleven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Al Worthington pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Don Blasingame was 3-for-5 with a run.  Frank Howard was 1-for-4 with a home run, his seventeenth.  Mike Brumley was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.

The game:  Ken Hamlin started the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the third, but Tony Oliva delivered a run-scoring single in the bottom of the third to tie it 1-1.  Mincher led off the fourth with a home run and Grant had an RBI double later in the inning to give the Twins a 3-1 lead.  Willie Kirkland singled in a run in the fifth and the Senators had men on first and second with none out, but a strikeout and a double play left the score 3-2.  A pair of errors gave the Twins an insurance run in the seventh and they needed it, as Howard homered in the eighth to make it 4-3.  After that, however, Washington could get only a two-out single in the ninth.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-4.  Oliva was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Bob Allison was 0-for-4.  Earl Battey was 0-for-3 with a walk.

Record:  The win made the Twins 67-38.  Baltimore won and Cleveland lost, so the Orioles regained sole possession of second place, six games back.

Notes:  Jimmie Hall again sat out, with Oliva moving over to center and Valdespino playing right.  Harmon Killebrew also did not play, with Mincher at first and Rich Rollins at third...Oliva's average was now .304 and Battey dropped to .301...The starting pitcher for Washington was Bennie Daniels, who I don't believe I've ever heard of.  He was with Pittsburgh from 1957-60, but only saw significant time on the mound in 1959, when he pitched 100.2 innings.  He was traded to Washington and spent the rest of his career with them.  His best year was 1961, when he went 12-11, 3.44, 1,25 WHIP.  He was mostly a starter, but spent substantial time in the bullpen each season.  1965 would be his last year in the majors.  For his career he was 45-76, 4.44, 1.39 WHIP.  He made his major league debut in the last game played at Ebbets Field, started the last game played at Griffith Stadium, and won the first game played at RFK Stadium (then D. C. Stadium).

MINNESOTA 6, BALTIMORE 5 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Monday, August 2.

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs.  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Jimmie Hall hit a pinch-hit home run, his eighteenth.

Pitching star:  Jim Merritt pitched 8.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Don Larsen struck out four in 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing only two walks.  Dick Brown was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fourth.  Luis Aparicio was 2-for-4 with a home run, his eighth.

The game:  Versalles brought home a run with a double-plus-error and Rich Rollins followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Twins a 2-0 lead in the third.  The lead held until the sixth, when Aparicio homered and Brooks Robinson later had an RBI single to tie it 2-2.  In the eighth, Versalles led off with a double, Rollins had an RBI single, Oliva followed with a run-scoring triple, and Bob Allison delivered a one-out single to put the Twins up 5-2.  It seemed safe enough, but in the ninth Brown came through with a two-out three-run homer to tie it 5-5.  No worries, though, because Hall led off the ninth with a home run off Jim Palmer to win the game.

Of note:  Rollins was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-2 and was removed from the game in the sixth inning.  Earl Battey was 0-for-2 with a walk.

Record:  The win made the Twins 66-38.  Cleveland did not play, so the Orioles and Indians were once again tied for second place, six games back.

Notes:  Oliva and Battey were now at .305.  Hall, who batted only once as a pinch-hitter, was at .304...Joe Nossek once again started in center field...Three of Dick Brown's four home runs in 1965 to date have come against the Twins.  He would hit five for the season...The Orioles had quite a bullpen in 1965.  In addition to Larsen and Palmer, Harvey Haddix also pitched in relief in this game.

BALTIMORE 7, MINNESOTA 6 IN MINNESOTA

Batting stars:  Bob Allison was 1-for-2 with a home run (his sixteenth) and a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, scoring once.  Earl Battey was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Pitching star:  Garry Roggenburk pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Boog Powell was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his ninth.  Luis Aparicio was 1-for-4 with a triple and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.  Dick Brown was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

The game:  Versalles doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs to give the Twins a 1-0 lead in the first.  Each team scored once in the second, with the Twins run coming on an Allison homer, to make it 2-1.  It was 3-1 Twins after four, but a double, a triple, an error, a single, and two walks produced the Oriole runs and a 4-3 Baltimore lead.  The Twins tied it 4-4 in the fifth and it stayed tied until the eighth, when Battey's two-run double gave the Twins a 6-4 lead going into the ninth.  Al Worthington, who had gotten the last two outs in the eighth, retired the first man in the ninth but then issued a pair of walks.  Dick Stigman came in to face Powell, who hit a three-run homer to put the Orioles ahead 7-6.  The Twins got a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth but did not advance the runner past first base.

Of note:  Tony Oliva was 0-for-5.  Jimmie Hall was 0-for-3 with two walks.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs.   Jim Kaat pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Record:  The Twins record dropped to 65-38 but they remained in first place.  Cleveland split a doubleheader with the Yankees, so Baltimore moved back into sole possession of second place, five games back.

Notes:  Battey took over the team batting lead at .308.  Oliva fell to .303 and Hall to .302...As we've chronicled before, Kaat was clearly suffering from overuse.  He had made eight starts in July, two of them on two days' rest and one on one day of rest.  He pitched well in this game for four innings, giving up only two hits, before allowing the three runs in the fifth.

MINNESOTA 2, BALTIMORE 1 IN MINNESOTA (11 INNINGS)

Date:  Saturday, July 31.

Batting stars:  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Jim Perry pitched eight innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts.  Bill Pleis struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up only a walk.  Al Worthington pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  John Miller pitched 8.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Brooks Robinson was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Jerry Adair was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The game:  Baltimore opened the second with two walks and a single, loading the bases.  Adair then hit into a forceout, putting the Orioles ahead 1-0.  A double play ended the inning, but for a long time it looked like the one run might hold up.  Only once in the first eight innings did the Twins get a man as far as second base.  In the bottom of the ninth, however, Hall hit a one-out double which was followed by Killebrew's RBI single, tying the game 1-1.  In the eleventh, Oliva led off with a single and was bunted to second by Worthington.  Killebrew was then intentionally walked.  Joe Nossek then hit a grounder to third.  The Orioles got a force at second, but could not turn the double play and Oliva scored all the way from second base to win the game for the Twins.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-5.  Frank Quilici was 0-for-5.  Earl Battey was used as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-1.

Record:  The Twins improved to 65-37 and remained in first place.  Cleveland lost 7-6 to the Yankees, so the Indians and Orioles remained tied for second place, but they were now six games behind Minnesota.

Notes:  Oliva now had an average of .307.  Hall and Battey were each at .304...Oliva obviously made quite a baserunning play, scoring from second on a force out...It is interesting that, having already pitched two innings, Worthington was left in the game to bunt Oliva to second.  One wonders if he was considered an exceptional bunter or if the plan was to leave him in to pitch a third inning if necessary.  As a short reliever, of course, he rarely batted--he had only fourteen plate appearances in 1965.  This was one of two sacrifice hits he had that season.  He had twenty-five in his career.

MINNESOTA 3, BALTIMORE 2 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, July 30.

Batting stars:  Rich Rollins was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Earl Battey was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

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

Opposition stars:  Curt Blefary was 1-for-2 with a home run (his fourteenth) and a walk.  Dave McNally pitched seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks with two strikeouts.  He was also 1-for-2 with a run.  Russ Snyder was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

The game:  Tony Oliva's RBI ground out put the Twins up 1-0 in the first.  That lead held until the fifth, when Blefary homered to tie it.  The Twins got the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth on Rollins' RBI double, but the Orioles tied it back up again in the top of the sixth when Snyder delivered an RBI single.  It stayed 2-2 until the ninth.  Don Mincher singled, Harmon Killebrew doubled, and Bob Allison was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.  Battey then bunted and pitcher Dick Hall made an error, allowing the go-ahead run to score.  Baltimore went down in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Of note:  Oliva was 0-for-4 with an RBI.  Killebrew was 1-for-4 with a double.

Record:  The win made the Twins 64-37 and increased their lead to five games.  Baltimore, by losing, fell into a tie for second with Cleveland, which beat the Yankees 5-0.

Notes:  Battey was hitting .306.  Oliva dropped to .305.  Jimmie Hall did not play, with Joe Nossek taking over in center field...This was Curt Blefary's rookie year.  He hit .260/.381/.470 with 22 homers and was the Rookie of the Year at age 21.  His 1966 was similar:  .255/.371/.468 with 23 homers at age 22.  Those would be the best two seasons he would have.  He was a starting outfielder for the Orioles through 1968 but when he batted only .200 in '68 he was traded to Houston in a deal that sent Mike Cuellar to Baltimore.  He had a pretty good year for the Astros, hitting .253/.347/.393 with 12 homers in the spacious Astrodome, but it was the last good year he would have.  He went to the Yankees in 1970, to Oakland in 1971, and finished his career with San Diego in 1972.

MINNESOTA 8, WASHINGTON 1 IN WASHINGTON

Date:  Wednesday, July 28.

Batting stars:  Tony Oliva was 5-for-5 with two stolen bases (his eleventh and twelfth), scoring three times and driving in two.  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double, scoring twice.  Don Mincher was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Camilo Pascual pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Garry Roggenburk pitched 5.1 innings of relief, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Don Zimmer was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Frank Howard was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Doug Camilli was 1-for-1 with an RBI.

The game:  The Twins opened the scoring in the third when Oliva singled in a run and Harmon Killebrew followed with a two-run homer.  Bob Allison delivered a two-run single in the fifth to make it 5-0.  In the sixth, Oliva had another RBI single and Mincher followed with a two-run double.  The lone Senators run came in the seventh, when Zimmer led off with a double and scored on Camilli's pinch-hit single.

Of note:  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Killebrew was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer (his twenty-second) and a walk.  Earl Battey was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Record:  The win made the Twins 63-37.  Baltimore defeated California 5-1, so the Twins lead remained four games.

Notes:  Oliva's big day boosted his average over .300 for the first time all season at .308.  Hall was at .305.  Battey went up to .304...Pascual had been battling injuries for some time.  After this game, he would go on the disabled list and would not pitch again until September.