1968 Tigers Tribute Site

October 9, 1968 at Busch Stadium
Tigers 13, Cardinals 1
Best of Seven Game Series Tied 3-3

The 1968 World Series moved back to St. Louis and the Tigers showed up like they did in game two, the last time a game was played at Busch Stadium.  The Tigers scored enough runs to put this one away with two in the second but the ten they scored in the third frame turned this game into a big time blowout.  In the process, the Tigers forced a pivotal winner take all game seven.

It was Denny McLain going up against Ray Washburn and the 31 win variety of McLain showed up.  The Tigers first got to Washburn in the second inning.  Norm Cash led off with a walk and he scored on Willie Horton’s double.  An out later, Horton scored on Bill Freehan’s single to left.  The inning could have been worse because with two men on, Denny McLain grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The third inning was one for the record books.  The Tigers picked up ten runs on seven hits against four different pitchers.  Dick McAuliffe led off with a walk and he moved to second on Mickey Stanley’s single.  McAuliffe scored on Al Kaline’s single before Larry Jaster came in to relieve Washburn.  Norm Cash singled home Stanley and Willie Horton walked to load up the bases before Jim Northrup came through with one of his trademark grand slams to open the game up.  Ron Willis came in to pitch for Jaster but still the Tigers weren’t done.  Bill Freehan walked and Don Wert was hit by a pitch before Denny McLain moved them both over with a bunt, the first out of the inning.  Dick McAuliffe was given a free pass before Mickey Stanley forced out Bill Freehan at the plate to make it two outs.  Still, Al Kaline picked up his second hit of the inning with a two run single before Dick Hughes came in to replace Willis.  Norm Cash singled home Stanley and Willie Horton singled home Kaline to put the tally at ten runs in the inning.  Finally, Jim Northrup flied out to left to end the inning.

Al Kaline belted a solo homer in the fifth to further pad the lead.  The Cardinals finally got to McLain in the ninth when Julian Javier singled home Roger Maris with two outs.

McLain finished with his first and only win of the series.  He gave up one run on nine hits without a walk and he struck out seven in the complete game.  Al Kaline and Norm Cash both had three hits and Kaline and Northrup both drove in four runs.  The only Tiger starter to not reach base at least once was Denny McLain, who struck out in four at bats.

October 7, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Cardinals 3 
Cardinals Lead Best of Seven Game Series 3-2

The Tigers avoided elimination for at least one day as they closed out Tiger Stadium for the season.  They needed a huge fielding play by Willie Horton as well as some timely hitting to lock up the win but still, it was enough to allow them to fight another day.

Things got off to a grim start in the first inning with Mickey Lolich on the mound.  Lou Brock led off with a double before Julian Javier grounded out to short.  Curt Flood singled home Brock and he stole second before Orlando Cepeda belted a huge two run homer to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

From there, the game turned into a bit of a pitchers duel until the Tigers finally got to Nelson Briles in the fourth inning.  Mickey Stanley led off with a triple and he after an Al Kaline ground out to the pitcher, Norm Cash drove home Stanley with a sac. fly.  Willie Horton followed that up with a two out triple and then he scored on Jim Northrup’s single to shave the Tiger’s deficit down to 3-2.

The Cardinals looked like they might get something going in the fifth inning but Willie Horton came up big with what many think was the biggest play of the series.  Nelson Briles led off the inning with a strikeout but Brock followed that up with a double.  Julian Javier singled and Brock looked like he was going to score easily from second but Willie Horton came up throwing.  After getting the scouting report that Brock tended to let up without sliding into home plate, Horton threw a strike to the plate to get Brock by a step.  Instead of having one out and a run in, the Tigers had two outs with a runner on first with no damage so far.  Curt Flood followed that up with a fly out and the Tigers one run deficit was maintained.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth but couldn’t push a run across.  In the meantime, Mickey Lolich had settled in and he held the Cardinals hitless in the sixth and seventh inning.

The Tigers finally hit pay dirt in the seventh inning.  Don Wert led off with a strikeout before Mickey Lolich helped out his own cause with a single.  Joe Hoerner came in to relieve Briles and he was pummelled by the Tigers hitters.  Dick McAuliffe singled, and then a Mickey Stanley walk loaded the bases.  Al Kaline then came in and singled home Lolich and McAuliffe to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.  Norm Cash singled home Stanley some insurance but Ron Willis finally came on in relief to get to get the Cardinals out of the jam.

Lolich gave up just a single in the eighth but he finally ran into trouble in the ninth.  Tim McCarver led off with a single and after a Phil Gagliano fly out, Ed Spiezio single to put two runners on.  Lolich buckled down though and he got Roger Maris to strike out and Lou Brock to ground out to end the game.

Lolich finished his second complete game of the series with some solid numbers.  He gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.  Al Kaline and Norm Cash both had two hits and two RBIs while Stanley was the lone Tiger with two runs.

October 6, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Cardinals 10, Tigers 1
Cardinals Lead Best of Seven Game Series 3-1

This game went south in a hurry and with it, the Tigers chances in the 1968 World Series looked grim.  Denny McLain, the Tigers ace all season, couldn’t even last through the end of the third inning and while Bob Gibson wasn’t nearly as good as in game one, he did give up just one run on five hits with ten strikeouts.

The Cardinals didn’t wait long to put runs on the board because Lou Brock led off the game with a solo homer.  Roger Maris reached base with one out in the inning on an error by Norm Cash before Orlando Cepeda struck out.  Tim McCarver kept the inning going with a single and then Mike Shannon drove home Maris with a single to make it 2-0 Cardinals before the Tigers even took their first turn at bat.

McLain put the Cardinals down in order in the second but it was more trouble in the third.  Curt Flood led off with a single and while it looked like he’d get out of the inning unscathed after he got Maris to line out to center and Cepeda to pop out to first, Tim McCarver struck again with a triple to make it 3-0.  Mike Shannon followed that up with a double which made it 4-0 and then Julian Javier drew a walk before the rain hit.  After a 1:14 rain delay, Joe Sparma took the mound in place of McLain and he got Dal Maxvill to ground out to end the inning.

Joe Sparma didn’t last long though.  In the sixth, Bob Gibson led off with a homer and Lou Brock followed that up with a triple.  Daryl Patterson came in to try to stop the bleeding and while he got Curt Flood to fly out for out number one, Brock scampered home on Roger Maris’ ground out to make it 6-0.

The Tigers finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning although it was hardly a rally.  Jim Northrup took Bob Gibson deep with a solo homer.  That was sandwiched between strikeouts by Willie Horton and Bill Freehan.

John Hiller was bombed in the eighth inning to the turn of four runs on two hits and an error.  The big hit was a bases loaded clearing double by Lou Brock and that made it 10-1.

Al Kaline was the only hitter who figured out Gibson and he singled and doubled.  The only other Tiger to reach base more then once was Eddie Mathews, who singled and drew a walk.  Bill Freehan had a particularly tough game and he struck out in each of three plate appearances.

With the loss, the Tigers backs were against the wall.  They now needed three consecutive wins to lock up their first World Series win since 1945.

October 5, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Cardinals 7, Tigers 3
Cardinals Lead Best of Seven Game Series 2-1

The Tigers played a World Series game in front of home crowd for the first time since 1945 but they failed to get it done because some of lackluster hitting and mediocre pitching.  Earl Wilson walked six and gave up three runs in just 4 1/3 innings and Pat Dobson and Don McMahon were also touched up for runs.  While the Cardinals were beating up the Tigers pitching staff, the offense was held to just four hits and while two of those hits left the park, it wasn’t nearly enough to snag the win.

At first, the game looked like it was going to settle into a pitchers duel because neither team got a hit until the third inning.  In the bottom of the third, the Tigers struck and scored two on an Al Kaline two run blast.  Unfortunately, it would be the only time the Tigers would have the lead.

The Cardinals big inning came in the fifth.  Ray Washburn struck out and then Lou Brock singled.  He stole second then scored on Curt Flood’s double.  Roger Maris then drew a walk before Mayo Smith went to his pen.  Pat Dobson took the ball but it hardly stopped the bleeding.  Orlando Cepeda did pop out to give Tiger fans some hope, but Tim McCarver blasted a big three run homer to make it 4-2 Cardinals.

Dick McAuliffe hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-3 but that was as close as the Tigers would get.  Don McMahon gave up a three run homer to Orlando Cepeda in the seventh and from that point on, the blowout was on.  Neither team scored the rest of the way, but the Cardinals came up big time to take a 2-1 lead in the series and more importantly, they had Bob Gibson throwing the next game.

October 3, 1968 at Busch Stadium
Tigers 8, Cardinals 1
Best of Seven Game Series Tied 1-1

The Tigers bounced back in a big way as they evened their series with the Cardinals behind an eight run, thirteen hit attack.  Nelson Briles took the brunt of it and before the Cardinals scored their lone run, the Tigers already had five on the board.

Willie Horton drove in the first run with a solo shot in the second inning.  Mickey Lolich helped out his own cause with a solo homer in the third while the big inning came in the top of the sixth.  Norm Cash led off the inning with a solo homer and then Horton followed that up with a single.  Briles left the game and Steve Carlton took his turn but it didn’t stem the damage.  Jim Northrup singled to put runners at first and scored before Bill Freehan made the first out with a pop out to first base.  Don Wert drew a walk to load the bases and it looked like the runners might be wasted because Mickey Lolich struck out.  Dick McAuliffe kept things going though and he singled home Horton and Northrup to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead

The Cardinals did finally put a run on the board against Mickey Lolich in the bottom of the sixth.  Lou Brock led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on Curt Flood’s single and then scored on an Orlando Cepeda single.  The inning was cut short though because Mike Shannon grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Al Kaline scored on a Jim Northrup double play to make it 6-1 and then Don Wert and Mickey Lolich drew bases loaded walks in the top of the ninth to make it 8-1.  Cash finished with a team high three hits while Don Wert drew three walks and drove in a run.

Lost in all of the offense was an outstanding game by Mickey Lolich.  He gave up just one run on six hits and he walked just two with nine strikeouts in the complete game win.

October 2, 1968 at Busch Stadium
Cardinals 4, Tigers 0
Cardinals Lead Best of Seven Game Series 1-0

The Tigers ran into a buzz saw in game one of the 1968 World Series and the end result was a game one loss.  Bob Gibson struck out a World Series record seventeen batters as he was the star of game one with a five hit shutout.  The Tigers had almost as many errors (3) as they did hits in this one and a mediocre start by Denny McLain meant little because he would have had to have been perfect for the Tigers to walk away with this one. 

The Cardinals got on the board in the fourth inning with three runs.  Roger Maris led off with a walk before Orlando Cepeda popped out to Norm Cash.  Tim McCarver drew a walk and then Mike Shannon drove in Maris with an RBI single.  McCarver moved to third and Shannon moved to second on the play after an error by Willie Horton and then Julian Javier singled them both home to make it 3-0 Cardinals.

The Tigers only real threat came in the sixth inning.  Dick McAuliffe singled and then moved to third on a two out double by Al Kaline but Norm Cash struck out to end the inning.  The Cardinals added a run in the seventh off of Pat Dobson when Lou Brock belted a solo homer but the insurance was unneccesary.

Mickey Stanley was the lone Tiger to reach base more then once with a pair of singles.  Kaline’s double was the lone extra base hit but even he had a tough day with three strikeouts. 

September 29, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Senators 3, Tigers 2  (103-59)

The Tigers finished their regular season with a whimper as they dropped their third straight game in a series sweep at the hands of the Senators.  The Tigers scored two in the first then failed to score the rest of the way as the Senators won it in the ninth for the second straight day.  Al Kaline was the lone Tiger with more then one hit and he went two for five with a run while Bill Freehan singled, drove in a run and drew two walks.

Mickey Lolich got his final tune up before the World Series.  He gave up a pair of runs in four innings.  Pat Dobson gave up an unearned run in the ninth and he fell to 5-8 on the season.  The Tigers did have a couple of days off but they had the unenviable task of flying to St. Louis to take on the defending World Series Champions.

September 20, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 6, Senators 3  (100-54)

The Tigers won their tenth straight and in the process, they reached the 100 win mark for just the fourth time in franchise history.  They were hoping they wouldn’t repeat history though because the other three times they won 100, they couldn’t get that World Series ring.  Still, Mickey Lolich threw a very nice game and he improved to 16-9.  He gave up three runs on three hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson threw two shutout innings to close the game out and he picked up his seventh save of the season.

All six Tigers run came via the long ball.  Jim Northrup belted a pair of two run homers while Al Kaline and Jim Price also went yard with solo homers in the win.

September 21, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 4, Nationals 3  (101-54)

The Tigers tied their franchise record in wins with 101st and they did it with their eleventh straight victory.  Mickey Stanley went three for five with a run while Al Kaline went two for five with an RBI.

Earl Wilson didn’t get the decision with a five inning start.  He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Joe Sparma pitched the final four innings and he gave up one run on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts and he improved to 10-10.

September 14, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Athletics 4  (95-54)

Denny McLain needed some ninth inning heroics but the end result was his historic 30th win of the season.  With the A’s up 4-3, the Tigers picked up two runs in the ninth to win it.  Al Kaline came home on a fielder’s choice by Jim Northrup and then Willie Horton singled home Mickey Stanley for the game winner.  McLain improved to 30-5 and he gave up four runs on six hits and one walk with ten strikeouts.

Norm Cash was the hitting star.  He went two for four with a homerun and three RBIs.  The homer was his 21st of the season.

September 9, 1968 at Anaheim Stadium
Tigers 6, Angels 0  (91-54)

Mickey Lolich had one of his best starts of the season as the Tigers snapped a two game losing streak.  He gave up just two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in the shutout win which pushed his record to 14-9 on the season.

Willie Horton, Al Kaline and Mickey Stanley all homered in the win.  Stanley had a particularly good game with three hits and two runs.

August 31, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Orioles 5, Tigers 1  (85-51)

The Tigers three game winning streak came to an end in a game where the offense picked up just six hits.  Al Kaline had two of those and he drove in a run while Dick McAuliffe tripled and scored.

John Hiller fell to 6-5 with a rough start.  He gave up four runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

August 25, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 6, Tigers 5  (81-48)

The Tigers blew a four run lead as they dropped their third straight to the Yankees in another doubleheader.  Pat Dobson gave up the first five runs in 5 2/3 innings but it was Daryl Patterson who gave up the final run, and for that he took the loss.  He fell to 2-3 and the inning in question was the sixth in which the Yankees scored five runs.

Al Kaline had a big day at the plate and he went three for five with a double, a run and an RBI.  Dick Tracewski singled twice and he also scored two runs.

August 25, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 5, Tigers 4  (81-49)

The Yankees finished up a sweep over the Tigers in a series that saw all four games decided by one run.  Mickey Lolich gave up the bulk of the damage and he fell to 12-8. He gave up five runs on three hits and seven walks with three strikeouts in just three innings.

Jim Northrup tripled and drove in a pair of runs.  Tom Matchick went two for four and he scored twice while Mickey Stanley went two for four with a run and an RBI.

August 22, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, White Sox 2  (81-45)

Some fireworks flew as the Tigers finished up their series with the White Sox in winning fashion.  The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when things went south in the third inning.  Tommy John threw two balls at Dick McAuliffe’s head in lieu of a walk and as McAuliffe started to walk towards first, Tommy John baited him into a fight.  McAuliffe ended up dislocating John’s shoulder and for his efforts, he was suspended for five games.

Al Kaline and Willie Horton both went yard in the win.  For Horton, it was his 29th and it was number eight for Kaline.  Don Wert finished the win three for four.

Mickey Lolich was given the start after some time in the bullpen.  He improved to 12-7 and he gave up two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings.  Don McMahon threw two shutout innings of relief and he picked up his first save of the season.

August 16, 1968 at Fenway Park
Tigers 4, Red Sox 0  (77-43)

Denny McLain put on another pitching show as he won his 25th game of the season.  He gave up just seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in his shutout win.  It was his sixth straight complete game and his sixth shutout of the season.

Dick McAuliffe was the hitting star in the win. He doubled, tripled and scored two runs.  Al Kaline belted a two run homer and he drew two free passes in the win.

August 6, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 2, Indians 1  (68-41)

It can be tough enough playing a doubleheader, but when the first game goes seventeen innings, it makes it that much tougher.  Down 1-0, Don Wert hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game up.  Then neither side scored until the bottom of the seventeenth when Dick Tracewski singled home Bill Freehan for the game winner. 

John Hiller threw the first eight innings and he held the Indians to just one run.  Then five relievers held the Indians to just three hits in nine shutout innings to finish up the game.  John Wyatt threw the final frame and he picked up the win to improve to 2-4.

August 6, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Indians 2  (69-41)

The Tigers didn’t finish up their sweep over the Indians until August 7 because this one was suspended at the end of eight innings where they picked up the next day.  Mickey Lolich picked up the win and he improved to 8-7 with 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief while John Wyatt threw three shutout innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Norm Cash was the hiting star.  He went two for four with a solo homerun while Al Kaline doubled in two at bats and he drove in a pair.

July 27, 1968 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 9, Orioles 0  (63-37)

Tiger stars Willie Horton and Denny McLain shined as the team won for the 63rd time at the 100 game mark today.  McLain improved to 20-3 with an impressive three hit shutout.  He walked two and struck out seven and with 20 out of the way, McLain had his eyes set on 30 wins with over two months left in the season.

Willie Horton homered twice and drove in four.  The two long balls brought his season total up to 25 on the season.  Dick McAuliffe, Don Wert and Al Kaline all went yard as well while Norm Cash went four for five with two doubles and two runs.

July 24, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Senators 6, Tigers 3  (60-37)

Mickey Lolich was shelled and he fell to 7-6 as the Tigers failed once again to put together a winning streak.  Lolich gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Mickey Stanley was the hitting star in the loss.  He went three for four with a double and a run.  Al Kaline went two for three with a walk and an RBI.

July 23, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 6, Senators 4  (60-36)

The Tigers took game one of their series with the Senators with another dramatic comeback.  Down 4-3 in the eighth inning, Jim Price singled home Al Kaline to tie the game up and then Gates Brown singled home Bill Freehan for the game winner.  Jim Northrup doubled home Al Kaline in the ninth for some insurance that the Tigers didn’t need.  Speaking of Kaline, he was a perfect two for two with three walks, two runs and two RBIs.

Denny McLain improved to 19-3 despite a mediocre start.  He gave up four runs on eight hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings.  Jon Warden threw the final 1 2/3 innings and he picked up his third save of the season.

July 19, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Orioles 4  (59-33)

The Tigers put on a show for their home town fans with a dramatic comeback win in the ninth inning.  Down by two runs, Jim Northrup kicked off the ninth with a single and he moved to second on a walk by Al Kaline.  Kaline was then forced out at second base on a fielders choice by Norm Cash to put runners at the corners before Bill Freehan forced Cash out at second to score Northrup.  Then with two outs, Tom Matchick belted a huge two run walk off homer to complete the comeback.

Mickey Lolich was roughed up and he gave up four runs in five innings in his start.  Pat Dobson threw a shutout ninth inning and he improved to 3-1 on the season.

July 16, 1968 at Anaheim Stadium
Tigers 4, Angels 0  (57-32)

Denny McLain did it again.  He not only helped the Tigers avoid a sweep at the hands of the Angels, but he also helped them snap a three game losing streak.  McLain improved to 18-2 and he gave up just eight hits with eight strikeouts in the complete game shutout.

Al Kaline had just one hit in four at bats but it was a solo homer.  Tom Matchick finished two for four and he drove in a run.

July 15, 1968 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 4, Tigers 0  (56-32)

The Tigers were held to five hits in a shutout loss as they dropped their third straight.  Three of those hits came off the bat of Al Kaline while Jim Northrup reached base twice with a single and a walk.

Mickey Lolich gell to 7-5 and while he gave up just three hits in six innings, two of those left the park.  Daryl Patterson threw two perfect innings of relief to close out the game but Angels starter Jim Brunet was just too much for Detroit in this one.

July 7, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Athletics 4  (54-28)

Willie Horton belted a walk off solo homer as the Tigers bounced back and beat the A’s in the first game of their doubleheader.  Dick McAuliffe was also one of the hitting stars and he went two for four with a solo homer and two runs. 

Denny McLain got it done again.  He improved to 16-2 and he gave up four runs on five hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in another complete game.

July 7, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 7, Athletics 6  (55-28)

The Tigers held on to beat the Athletics and they completed a sweep over the team in their doubleheader.  The Tigers jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the seventh but the A’s chipped away at the deficit and while they made it a one run game, Mickey Lolich was able to strikeout the final batter with a runner on to end the game.  For Lolich, it was his first save of the season (check career marks).

Al Kaline was back and he hit his fourth homer of the season.  Dick McAuliffe doubled twice, scored a run and drove in one.  This was the Tigers last game as they headed into the All Star Break for some much needed rest.

May 25, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Tigers 2, Athletics 1  (24-14)

Denny McLain got the Tigers back on track with another nice start as the Tigers ended their three game losing streak.  McLain gave up just a single run (in the ninth inning) on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts and the win pushed his record to an impressive 7-1.

The Tigers managed just six hits of their own but it was enough to get the job done.  McLain singled and he scored one of the two runs while Mickey Stanley made his lone at bat count in spades with an RBI single that put the Tigers on the board in the eighth inning.

The Tigers were dealt a blog though.  Al Kaline was hit in the forearm by a pitch that would put him on the disabled list for well over a month.  Wayne Comer was brought up to take his place on the roster.

May 22, 1968 at Metropolitan Stadium
Twins 4, Tigers 3  (23-14)

The Tigers lost their rubber game with the Twins despite coming back from two runs down to tie it in the top of the eighth.  Don Wert led off the inning with his second homerun of the game to make it a one run contest and then after a Gate Brown pinch hit triple, Al Kaline singled to tie the game.  Unfortunately, Fred Lasher gave up a run in relief of Mickey Lolich in the bottom of the eighth to blow the comeback.

Wert hit his fourth and fifth homeruns of the season and outside of that, the Tigers didn’t get much at the plate.  A decent start by Mickey Lolich went to waste and he gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.

May 20, 1968 at Metropolitan Stadium
Tigers 4, Twins 3  (23-12)

The Tigers came back from an early 3-0 deficit in this one to walk away with their third straight win.  Willie Horton hit a solo shot, his tenth homer of the season, in the ninth inning to send the game into extra frames and then Al Kaline scored on an error (the second of the inning) in the top of the tenth to win it.  Kaline finished with two runs despite not getting a hit and no Tiger had more then one hit.

Denny McLain improved to 6-1 despite a three run second inning. He gave up just the three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in the ten inning complete game.

May 19, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Senators 4  (21-12)

The Tigers held off a late inning surge to walk away with a win in the first game of their doubleheader with the Senators.  The Tigers took a 4-0 lead into the eigth inning when Earl Wilson and Joe Warden were both tagged for a pair of runs to tie it up.  Then Gates Brown singled home Dick Tracewski in the bottom of the eighth inning to break the tie and to give the Tigers the win.

Fred Lasher picked up the win and he improved to 2-0.  John Hiller threw a perfect ninth and he picked up his first save of the season.

Dick McAuliffe put the Tigers on the board with a solo homer to lead things off.  Al Kaline went two for four and he drove in a run.

May 19, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 7, Senators 0  (22-12)

Les Cain picked up his first career win in his first career start as the Tigers finished up a doubleheader sweep over the Senators.  Cain gave up six hits and six walks with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 shutout innings while Fred Lasher got the final seven outs in succession to pick up his third save of the season.

Six of the Tigers runs came via the longball.  Eddie Mathews belted a three run shot, Al Kaline went yard with a two run homer and Dick McAuliffe hit a solo homer.

May 12, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Senators 6, Tigers 3  (18-10)

The Tigers four game winning streak came to an end as Mickey Lolich and John Patterson were hammered in the sixth inning to the tune of five runs. Lolich gave up the first two runs and then Patterson came in and the floodgates opened as he was hammered for three runs.  The loss to Patterson dropped his record to 1-1 on the season.

Al Kaline was the hitting star in the loss.  He went three for four with a double, a run and an RBI.

May 11, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 12, Senators 2  (18-9)

For the second straight game, an impressive offensive performance by the Tigers overshadowed a solid outing by the team’s starter.  Bill Freehan, Willie Horton and Don Wert all went yard in the contest and both Horton and Freehan finished with three RBIs a piece.  Mickey Stanley and Al Kaline also pitched in and they both scored a team high three runs.

Joe Sparma improved to 2-3 on the season.  He gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts in the complete game.

May 10, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 12, Senators 1  (17-9)

The Tigers won their third straight game behind a huge game by Al Kaline at the plate and another rock solid outing on the mound by Denny McLain.  Kaline went three for four with a homerun, six RBIs and three runs.  Bill Freehan and Don Wert also went yard in the contest and Freehan finished the game with three RBIs.

Denny McLain improved to 5-0 with another complete game.  He gave up one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and the lone run was a solo homer off the bat of Frank Howard.