NATIONAL LEAGUE 6, AMERICAN LEAGUE 5 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Tuesday, July 13.

National League stars:  Willie Stargell was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and scored twice.  Willie Mays was 1-for-3 with a home run and two walks, scoring twice.  Juan Marichal started and pitched three innings, allowing only one hit.

American League stars:  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and two walks.  Dick McAuliffe was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs.  Pete Richert struck out two in two innings, giving up one hit.

The game:  Mays led off the game with a home run and Joe Torre hit a two-run homer later in the first inning, both off Milt Pappas, to give the NL a 3-0 lead.  In the second, Stargell hit a two-run homer off Mudcat Grant to make it 5-0.  The Americans got on the board in the fourth on Rocky Colavito's RBI single.  In the fifth, McAuliffe and Killebrew each hit a two-run homer off Jim Maloney to tie it 5-5.  In the sixth, Ron Santo delivered an RBI single to put the Nationals up 6-5.  The AL got a man to third with two out in the eighth and Tony Oliva led off the ninth with a double, but they could not tie the score.

Twins:  Jimmie Hall was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run.  Oliva was 1-for-2 with a double.  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-1 with a walk.  Grant struck out three in two innings but gave up two runs on two hits and a walk.

MINNESOTA 6, NEW YORK 5 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Sunday, July 11.

Batting stars:  Harmon Killebrew was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his sixteenth) and a walk, scoring twice.  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-4 with a home run (his tenth) and two walks, scoring twice.  Rich Rollins was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Bill Pleis pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two walks with one strikeout.  Johnny Klippstein struck out both batters he faced.

Opposition stars:  Elston Howard was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Mickey Mantle was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Hector Lopez was 2-for-4 with a walk.

The game:  It was close all the way.  The Yankees got an RBI single from Lopez in the first to go up 1-0, but Versalles homered in the third to tie it 1-1.  In the fourth, two singles, a sacrifice fly, and an Earl Battey run-scoring single put the Twins up 3-1, but the Yankees got the two runs right back in the fifth when Howard came through with a two-run double.  Rollins doubled in a run in the bottom of the fifth to put the Twins ahead again at 4-3, but a walk, a single, a walk, and a wild pitch tied it for the Yankees in the seventh.  In the ninth, a single and two errors gave the Yankees a 5-4 advantage but with two out in the bottom of the ninth, Killebrew delivered a walk-off two-run homer to give the Twins the victory.

Of note:  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a run.  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Battey was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Jim Kaat pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Record:  The win made the Twins 53-29 and gave them a five-game lead heading into the all-star break.  Baltimore and Cleveland were now tied for second.

Notes:  Hall now had an average of .325...Battey raised his average to .313...I don't remember Joe Nossek as having a reputation as a great defender, but he was in center field in this game, with Hall moving to left in place of Allison, who remained out of the lineup.  Don Mincher pitch-hit for Nossek in the seventh and stayed in to play first, with Killebrew moving to left and Hall to center.  It was one of only two games in which Killebrew would play in the outfield that season.  He had been the Twins' regular left fielder from 1962-64, with Vic Power manning first base from 1962-63 and Allison as the primary starter there in 1964...Mantle was obviously back in the starting lineup but played left field.  I hadn't realized this, but probably as a concession to age and/or injury, Mantle was no longer in center in 1965 but was the regular in left.

NEW YORK 8, MINNESOTA 6 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, July 10 (Game 2 of doubleheader)

Batting stars:  Don Mincher was 2-for-5 with a triple, scoring once and driving in three.  Tony Oliva was 4-for-5 with a stolen base (his eighth) and a run.  Sandy Valdespino was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.

Pitching star:  Mel Nelson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Roger Repoz was 4-for-5 with a home run (his fifth) and a triple, scoring three times.  Hector Lopez was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fifth) and two walks, scoring twice.  Clete Boyer was 1-for-4 with a grand slam, his ninth homer.

The game:  Jimmie Hall's RBI double got the Twins on the board in the first, but Repoz and Lopez led off the second with back-to-back homers to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.  Ray Barker doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 3-1.  The Twins came back in the fifth, getting a three-run double by Mincher and a run-scoring single by Valdespino to go ahead 5-3.  Phil Linz singled in a run in the sixth to make it 5-4.  In the seventh, a single, a walk, and a bunt single, all off Dick Stigman, loaded the bases with none out.  Johnny Klippstein then came in to face Boyer, who hit a grand slam to give the Yankees an 8-5 edge.  The Twins got three singles in the ninth, cutting the lead to 8-6 and putting the tying run on base with two out, but Steve Hamilton struck out Bernie Allen to end the game.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Hall was 1-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-5 with a run.  Mudcat Grant struck out six in 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and no walks.

Record:  The loss snapped the Twins' nine-game winning streak and made their record 52-29.  They remained in first place, four games ahead of Cleveland, which lost to California 1-0.

Notes:  Hall's average dropped to .325...Bob Allison and Earl Battey did not play, with Valdespino and Jerry Zimmerman taking their spots in the lineup...Mickey Mantle was out again as well, with Repoz playing center...Tom Tresh was also out of the lineup, with Joe Pepitone taking his spot in the outfield and Ray Barker coming into the lineup to play first base...It seems somehow fitting that we've reached the half-way point of the season on Christmas Day.

MINNESOTA 4, NEW YORK 1 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, July 10 (Game 1 of doubleheader)

Batting stars:  Zoilo Versalles was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his ninth) and two runs.  Jimmie Hall was 3-for-4 with a run.  Joe Nossek was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching stars:  Jim Perry pitched eight innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Al Worthington pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Whitey Ford pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Tom Tresh was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The game:  It was scoreless through four.  In the fifth Hall singled and Nossek doubled, putting men on second and third with none out.  Perry brought home one with a squeeze bunt and Versalles followed with a two-run homer.  The Yankees got one back in the sixth on Tresh's RBI double, but they never got the tying run on base.  The Twins added a run in the ninth on a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Sandy Valdespino.

Of note:  Rich Rollins, back in the lineup at third base for the first time in a few weeks, was 0-for-3.  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Earl Battey was 0-for-3.

Record:  The win was the ninth in a row for the Twins and raised their record to 52-28.  They were in first by four and a half games over Cleveland and Baltimore.

Notes:  Nossek replaced Bob Allison in the lineup but played center field, with Hall moving to left...Hall raised his average to .327...Battey saw his average drop to .309...Mickey Mantle was again not in the starting lineup but was used as a pinch-hitter.

MINNESOTA 8, NEW YORK 3 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, July 9.

Batting stars:  Don Mincher was 2-for-4 with two home runs (his eighth and ninth) and four RBIs.  Harmon Killebrew was 2-for-2 with a three-run homer (his fifteenth) and two walks, scoring twice.  Tony Oliva was 1-for-5 with a double and two runs.

Pitching star:  Dave Boswell pitched a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Roger Repoz was 1-for-2 with a home run (his fourth) and a walk.  Elston Howard was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Phil Linz was 2-for-4.

The game:  In the first inning Killebrew hit a three-run homer and Mincher followed with a solo blast to give the Twins a 4-0 lead.  Howard homered in the fourth and Repoz hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-2.  The Twins got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Sandy Valdespino delivered a two-out RBI single.  Mincher hit a three-run homer in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base (his tenth) and a run.  Jimmie Hall was 0-for-4 with a run.  Earl Battey was 1-for-4.

Record:  The victory was the Twins' eighth in a row.  It raised their record to 51-28 and put them in first by 3.5 games, as Cleveland lost a doubleheader to California.

Notes:  Hall's average dropped to .321...Battey fell to .314...Repoz was playing center in place of Mickey Mantle, who appeared later as a pinch-hitter.

MINNESOTA 5, BOSTON 2 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Wednesday, July 8.

Batting stars:  Tony Oliva was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Earl Battey was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.  Bernie Allen was 1-for-3 with three RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Jim Kaat pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  Johnny Klippstein pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up two walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Eddie Bressoud was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once.  Felix Mantilla was 0-for-1 with three walks and a run.  Dennis Bennett pitched three innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Allen's two-run single gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the second.  A sacrifice fly by Hall in the third and another by Allen in the fourth made it 4-0.  The Red Sox got an RBI single by Chuck Schilling in the fifth and a sacrifice fly by Bob Tillman in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-2.  The Twins got another sacrifice fly in the seventh, this one by Harmon Killebrew, to go up 5-2.  With two out in the ninth, a strikeout/wild pitch and a walk brought the tying run to the plate, but Al Worthington came in to retire Schilling on a fly out to end the game.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-4.  Jimmie Hall was 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and an RBI.  Killebrew was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Record:  The win was the Twins' seventh straight and made them 50-28.  Their lead fell to a game and a half, however, as Cleveland swept a doubleheader from the White Sox.

Notes:  Hall raised his average to .326.  Battey raised his average to .316...Jim Lonborg started for the Red Sox and took the loss.  It dropped his record to 5-9 with a 3.18 ERA.

MINNESOTA 9, BOSTON 0 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Tuesday, July 6.

Batting stars:  Jimmie Hall was 3-for-3 with two two-run homers (his fifteenth and sixteenth) and a walk.  Don Mincher was 1-for-4 with a home run, his seventh.  Zoilo Versalles was 1-for-5 with a double and two runs.

Pitching star:  Mudcat Grant pitched a complete shutout, giving up eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Bob Heffner struck out six in five innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.  Tony Conigliaro was 1-for-1 with a double and three walks.  Eddie Bressoud was 3-for-5.

The game:  A few big inning made the difference.  In the first, Hall hit a two-run homer and Mincher followed later with a solo blast to make it 3-0.  Hall hit another two-run homer in the second to make it 5-0.  There was no more scoring until the seventh, when the Twins got their remaining four runs.  Two singles and a walk filled the bases, an error brought one home, Earl Battey's bunt scored another, and Bernie Allen singled home two more.  The Red Sox had two on in the second, third, and eighth and loaded the bases in the fifth, but did not score.

Of note:  Tony Oliva was 1-for-5 with a run.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Battey was 0-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

Record:  The Twins went to 49-28 and increased their lead over idle Cleveland to two games.

Notes:  Bob Allison was hit by a pitch in the first inning and was removed from the game.  He would not play again for a week and a half...Hall raised his average to .325...Battey's average dropped to .305...This was the second straight shutout for Twins pitchers...I am stunned that, in the seventh inning, with the Twins leading 6-0, the bases loaded and one out, Battey was bunting.  If you did that today, the old school types would scream that these young punks don't know how to play the game properly.  Of course, the old school types probably said that then, too.

MINNESOTA 2, BOSTON 0 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Monday, July 5 (Game 2 of doubleheader)

Batting stars:  Bob Allison was 1-for-1 with three walks and a stolen base (his eighth), scoring once.  Earl Battey was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Tony Oliva was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

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

Opposition stars:  Dave Morehead struck out seven in six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and five walks.  Lee Thomas was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Eddie Bressoud was 2-for-4.

The game:  In the fourth, Allison singled and scored on a stolen base-plus-error to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.  In the sixth, an error, a walk, and Battey's RBI single made it 2-0.  Perry took it from there.  The Red Sox had two men on in the second, seventh, and ninth, but did not score.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-4.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-4.

Record:  The doubleheader sweep made the Twins 48-28 and put them in first place by a game over Cleveland, who lost to the White Sox 3-1.

Notes:  Hall raised his average to .317...Battey raised his average to .309...It was Perry's first start of the season and only the second time he had pitched more than three innings.  It goes without saying (but we're saying it anyway) that a pitcher in his situation would never be allowed to throw a complete game today, especially after allowing two batters to reach in the ninth.  He would remain in the rotation the rest of the season, although he made a couple of relief appearances down the stretch.

MINNESOTA 6, BOSTON 2 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Monday, July 5 (Game 1 of doubleheader).

Batting stars:  Jimmie Hall was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two stolen bases (his fifth and sixth) and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Tony Oliva was 1-for-3 with a triple and two walks, scoring three times.  Bob Allison was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.

Pitching star:  Dave Boswell struck out eight in ten innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Tony Horton was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Lee Thomas was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fourteenth) and a walk.  Bob Duliba struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

The game:  Hall had an RBI double in the first inning, with Oliva scoring from first, to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.  Oliva circled the bases on a triple-plus-error in the third to make it 2-0.  Horton homered in the fourth to cut the lead in half at 2-1, but Zoilo Versalles delivered an RBI single with two out in the bottom of the fourth to give the Twins a two-run lead again.  It was still 3-1 in the sixth when a single and two walks loaded the bases for the Twins with one out.  Harmon Killebrew drove in two with a single and Allison singled in another to give the Twins a 6-1 advantage.  Thomas homered in the ninth and the Red Sox put two on with two out, but Russ Nixon grounded out to end the game.

Of note:  Versalles was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Killebrew was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Record:  The win put the Twins at 47-28, in first place, and a game ahead of Cleveland, which lost to the White Sox 3-1.

Notes:  There were no doubleheaders on Sunday, July 4, but five of them on Monday, July 5...Hall raised his average to .314...With Allison back in the lineup, Killebrew returned to the fourth spot in the order, but Oliva moved up to second, with Hall third...Earl Battey returned to the lineup as well, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run to raise his average to .303...Largely forgotten now, first baseman Tony Horton was a pretty good ballplayer.  In 1965, as a twenty-year-old, he would hit .294/.361/.485 in 163 at-bats for the Sox.  He went back to AAA in 1966 in favor of George Scott, had an outstanding season there, started 1967 with Boston, and was traded to Cleveland in June, where he spent the rest of his career.  In almost four seasons with the Indians, he hit .269/.316/.439, numbers that don't sound like anything special now but were pretty good for the time.  He was an extremely intense player, a perfectionist, and eventually the pressure of playing major league baseball got to him.  He had what was termed a nervous breakdown in late August of 1970 and never played professional baseball again, his career over at age twenty-five.  He apparently had a successful business career and at last report was living in Pacific Palisades, California.

MINNESOTA 5, KANSAS CITY 2 IN KANSAS CITY

Date:  Sunday, July 4.

Batting stars:  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his twelfth.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer (his fourteenth) and a walk.  Don Mincher was 2-for-4 with a run.

Pitching stars:  Camilo Pascual pitched only 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk, before coming out of the game due to injury. Johnny Klippstein struck out five in four perfect innings of relief.

Opposition stars:  Ed Charles was 2-for-3 with a triple and a stolen base (his eighth), scoring once and driving in one.  Don Mossi pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one walk with one strikeout.  Starter Fred Talbot pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  The Athletics took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Charles hit a one-out RBI triple and scored on a squeeze bunt.  The lead held until the sixth, when Oliva hit a two-out three-run homer to put the Twins in front 3-2.  After Charles' triple, the Athletics did not get a man on base the rest of the game.  Killebrew added a two-out two-run homer in the ninth.

Of note:  Zoilo Versalles was 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and a run.  Sandy Valdespino was 1-for-4 with a run.  Jimmie Hall was 0-for-4.

Record:  The win made the Twins 46-28 and kept them tied for first with Cleveland, who beat Baltimore 4-2.

Notes:  Bob Allison was again out of the lineup, with Valdespino taking his place in left field...Hall's average fell to .311...Earl Battey was out of the lineup, too, with Jerry Zimmerman taking his place...Pascual continued to battle an injury.  He had not pitched since June 24 and would not pitch again until July 20.  He made three more starts in July, throwing only 11.1 innings, before missing the entire month of August...Given how many Sunday doubleheaders there were, one would think everyone would play a doubleheader on Sunday the Fourth of July.  In fact, there were no doubleheaders played that day.