Our Blog: 1967 AL Pennant Race

Tuesday, September 26, 1967. Only 1 1/2 games separate the top 4 teams as play begins.

Twins 7, Angels 3.

Behind two Harmon Killebrew home runs, the Twins defeat the Angels before 8,012 at Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota. The home runs are hit in the 6th inning with 1 on, and the 7th inning with nobody aboard. Killebrew now has 43 home runs, putting him 1 ahead of Boston's Carl Yastremski for the HR lead. Jim Kaat wins his 16th game of the year, against 13 losses, going all 9 innings. He gives up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 5 hits, while striking out 13 and walking 2. Jim McGlothlin starts for the Angels and suffers his 8th loss against 11 wins. He gives up 5 runs, 4 earned, on 7 hits over 5 1/3 innings. Jim Weaver (1/3 inning, 1 run, 1 hit), Jim Coates (1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits), and Pete Cimino (2 innings, 1 run, 3 hits) relieve for McGlothlin. For Minnesota, Bob Allison and Rod Carew have 3 hits each, with Allison picking up his 6th triple of the year. Allison also powers his 24th home run in the 4th inning with noone on. Aurelio Rodriguez's 13th double of the year, which drives in 2 runs, is the only extra base hit for California. The Twins have 11 hits, 1 error, and leave 6 on base. The Angels have 5 hits, 3 errors, and also leave 6. See Game

Indians 6, Red Sox 3

Before 16,652 at Fenway Park in Boston, the Red Sox fall a game behind the Twins by losing to Luis Tiant and the Indians. Tiant gives up 3 runs on 8 hits over 9 complete innings, striking out 8 and walking 3. Gary Bell starts for the Red Sox and lasts 4 innings, giving up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 5 hits. He suffers the loss, evening his record at 13-13. Jose Santiago comes on in the 5th and gives up 3 runs on 3 hits over 2 innings. Lee Stange (1 inning) and Gary Waslewski (2 innings) pitch 3 hitless and scoreless innings. Cleveland's Chico Salmon, with 3 RBI's, has a double, his 13th, and a home run, his 2nd, in the 6th inning with 1 on. Also in the 6th inning for the Indians, Chuck Hinton hits his 10th home run of the year, with the bases empty. Yastrzemski hits his 43rd home run of the year, a 3-run blast in the 7th inning, tying him with Killebrew for the HR lead. Boston has 3 doubles in the game - Yastrzemski (30th), Elston Howard (9th), and Rico Petrocelli (24th). The Indians have 8 hits, 1 error, and leave 2 on base. The Red Sox have 8 hits, 2 errors, and leave 8. See Game

Tigers 1, Yankees 0

Mickey Lolich pitches a 4 hit shutout in front of 8,418 at Yankee Stadium in New York. He strikes out 5 and walks 1 in his 9 complete innings. His record now stands at 13-13. Mel Stottlemyre starts for the Yankees, giving up 1 run on 3 hits over 8 innings. He suffers his 15th loss, against 14 victories. Dooley Womack pitches a scoreless 9th. The only run in the game is on a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning by Eddie Mathews, scoring Lenny Green, who had doubled earlier in the inning before advancing to third on a Dick McAuliffe single. Green's double is the only extra base hit in the game. The Tigers have 3 hits, 1 error, and leave 7 on base. The Yankees have 4 hits, 1 error, and leave 5. See Game

After play, and with only 5 days left to the season, 1 1/2 games separate all 4 teams, with the Twins in first, the Red Sox and White Sox 1 game out, and the Tigers 1 1/2 behind.

Next: September 27, Twins/Angels. Red Sox/Indians. White Sox/Athletics DH.