1968 Tigers Tribute Site

October 10, 1968 at Busch Stadium
Tigers 4, Cardinals 1
Tigers Win Best of Seven Game Series 4-3

The Tigers and Mickey Lolich saved the best for last as the Tigers completed a historic comeback to secure their first World Series win since 1945.  In a first time battle between both team’s best postseason pitchers, it was Mickey Lolich who came out on top with a fantastic outing that saw him surrender just one run on five hits to go a perfect 3-0 in three complete game wins for the Tigers.

Through six innings, this was a total nail biter.  The Tigers managed just a single hit off of Bob Gibson while the Cardinals picked up just four.  The biggest threat came in the bottom of the sixth inning but Lolich picked both Lou Brock and Curt Flood off of first base to negate any damage.  Both times Lolich was able to get the ball over to first base on stolen base attempts.

The Tigers finally shined in the seventh inning.  Mickey Stanley struck out and Al Kaline grounded out to lead things off but with two outs, the Tigers got it going.  Norm Cash and Willie Horton belted back to back singles and then Jim Northrup belted a triple to drive them both in.  Bill Freehan followed that up with a double to make it 3-0 and just like that, the Tigers were three innings away from taking the series. 

The Cardinals got nothing in the seventh and eighth and then in the top of the ninth, the Tigers got an insurance run.  Willie Horton singled with one out before Dick Tracewski came in to run for him.  Tracewski moved to third on Jim Northrup’s single and then Don Wert singled him home to make it 4-0.

The Cardinals finally got on the board in their last frame.  With two outs, Mike Shannon belted a solo homer but the optimism was short lived because Tim McCarver followed that up with a pop out to Norm Cash to end the game.

Lolich was nothing short of fantastic and in the process, he secured World Series MVP honors.  In his third consecutive complete game, he gave up just one run on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts and he finished the series a perfect 3-0.

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 9, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Red Sox 5, Tigers 3  (71-42)

The Tigers five game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the defending American League champion Red Sox.  Pat Dobson was cruising in this one until he ran into trouble in the eighth inning.  In that frame, both he and John Wyatt combined to give up four runs that sealed the Tigers fate.  Dobson fell to 3-4 and he gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

All three Tiger runs came via the long ball.  Gates Brown, Mickey Stanley and Dick Tracewski all hit solo homers in the loss.

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 3, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Angels 2  (51-27)

The Tigers remained perfect in the month of the June and they won their third game behind a trio of homeruns.  Norm Cash belted two run shot while both Dick Tracewski and Willie Horton went yard with nobody on base.  For Horton, it was his ninteenth of the season and Bill Freehan pitched in with a double, two singles and an RBI.

Denny McLain improved to 15-2 on the season with another nice start.  He gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks with ten strikeouts in the complete game win.

July 1, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Angels 1 (49-27)

The Tigers kicked off the month of July with an impressive win behind the arm of Mickey Lolich.  He gave up just a single run on five hits with fourteen strikeouts in the complete game win.

Bill Freehan provided the bulk of the offense with a pair of homeruns and three RBIs.  Dick Tracewski also went yard in the win with his second of the season.

June 23, 1968 at Cleveland Stadium
Indians 3, Tigers 0  (43-26)

The Tigers suffered their third straight loss and their second straight shutout at the hands of the Indians.  This time, the offense was held to just three hits, two of which were by Don Wert.  He singled and doubled while Tom Matchick had the only other hit with a single.

John Hiller was roughed up and he gave up three runs while he pitched just 1/3 of an inning.  Dennis Ribant did a fine job in relief and he pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings and he also got the Tigers out of their first inning jam, but it wasn’t enough as the hitters could never get going.

June 23, 1968 at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers 4, Indians 1 (44-26)

The Tigers snapped their three game losing streak behind a solid outing by Joe Sparma.  He gave up one run on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson threw two no-hit innings to close out the game and he picked up his third save of the season.

Dick Tracewski had a big day at the plate in the win. He went two for five and his three run homer was the difference.  Dick McAuliffe had a pinch hit, RBI single and he later drew a walk.

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.