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.

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 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.

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 24, 1968 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 5, Orioles 3  (102-56)

The Tigers entered new territory with their 102nd win of the season.  The previous franchise record of 101 wins was set back in 1934 and tied in 1961, but this was definitely a team for the ages as the Tigers made history with a truly memorable season.  Bill Freehan belted a two run homer in the win while Dick McAuliffe went three for four with a pair of runs.

Mickey Lolich improved to 17-9.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings.  Daryl Patterson threw three shutout innings to close the game out and he earned his seventh save of the season.

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 15, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 13, Athletics 0  (96-54)

The Tigers continued to roll in a number of ways.  They not only ran up the score on the A’s, but Mickey Lolich threw a shutout and the Tigers cut their magic number down to just two.  Lolich continued to build on his strong second half and he gave up just three hits and two walks with twelve strikeouts in the shutout.

Three different Tigers belted a combined five homers in this one.   Jim Northrup and Bill Freehan both belted a pair.  Freehan finished with four RBIs while Northrup drove in three.  Willie Horton also went yard with his 36th of the season.  He went two for four and his homerun was a solo shot.

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.

September 2, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 4, Tigers 0  (86-52)

The Tigers were held to four hits in a shutout loss as the Tigers kicked off their series with the A’s with a pair of games.  Bill Freehan had two of the Tigers hits while Willie Horton was the tough luck hitter at the plate.  He struck out in all four of his at bats.

Mickey Lolich fell to 13-9 with a rough start.  He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

September 2, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Tigers 4, Athletics 3  (87-52)

Bill Freehan belted a tenth inning homerun that proved to be the game winner as the Tigers salvaged a split in their doubleheader with the A’s.  For Freehan, it was his 21st of the season and Jim Northrup pitched in with two singles, a double and an RBI.

Pat Dobson picked up the win after he threw two innings of shutout relief to close out the game.  He improved to 4-5 on the season.  Longtime reliever Roy Face made his Tiger debut in this game.  He gave up a walk, a hit and he struck out one in 2/3 of an inning.

August 29, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 2, Angels 0  (84-50)

The Tigers made it two straight over the Angels behind a three hit shutout by Mickey Lolich.  He gave up just one walk and he struck out twelve and the win pushed his record to 13-8 on the season.

Willie Horton pretty much was the Tigers offense in this one.  He had two of the Tigers five hits and he drove in both runs.  His solo homer in the fourth inning was his 31st of the season.

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 14, 1968 at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers 3, Indians 0  (76-43)

The Tigers won their rubber game with the Indians behind a combined shutout by Joe Sparma and Mickey Lolich.  Sparma got into trouble and in the fourth inning and he pitched  3 1/3 shutout innings when Mickey Lolich came in to get the Tigers out of said jam.  He then went on to throw 5 2/3 shutout innings and he improved to 11-7 on the season.

Bill Freehan belted a solo homer, his eighteenth of the season.  Norm Cash went two for four with a triple and an RBI.

August 11, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Red Sox 4 (73-42)

A long day was made even longer as the Tigers and Red Sox kicked off a doubleheader with a 4 1/2 hour, 14 inning contest.  The Tigers were down 4-0 after the Red Sox scored four in the first but the pitching staff held the Red Sox scoreless over the final thirteen frames.  Mickey Lolich provide the bulk of the relief pitching and he gave up two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings of shutout relief to close out the game.  The win pushed his record to 10-7 on the season.

The game winner came on a walk off solo homer by Gates Brown in the bottom of the fourteenth.  Bill Freehan and Wayne Comer also pitched in with solo homers.  For Comer, it was the first homerun of his career.   Mickey Stanley had a team high three hits in six at bats.

August 11, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 6, Red Sox 5  (74-42)

The Tigers worked their magic yet again as they finished up a sweep over the Red Sox in their doublheader.  Down 2-0, the Tigers scored two in the bottom of the eighth to tie it only to see the Red Sox scored three in the top of the ninth.  Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers stormed back and scored four to walk away with the win.  It was Gates Brown who provided the heroics again with his second walk off hit of the day. He singled home Mickey Stanley to win it while Norm Cash was the hitting star with three hits and two RBIs.

Jon Warden picked up the win and improved to 4-1 although he was in the right place at the right time.  He gave up two of the Red Sox ninth inning runs.  John Hiller had a solid start in a no decision and he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

August 10, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3  (72-42)

The Tigers came back from a 3-1 deficit to bounce back and beat the Red Sox.  The Tigers scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to complete the comeback and the game winner came on a solo homer by Norm Cash.  The hitting star in the win, Cash finished three for four while Dick McAuliffe doubled, drew a walk and scored a run.

Daryl Patterson had his first start of his career and he gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings in a no decision.  Mickey Lolich struck out four in 1 2/3 shutout innings and he improved to 9-7.

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.

August 2, 1968 at Metropolitan Stadium
Tigers 6, Twins 5  (66-40)

Bill Freehan led the Tigers offensive attack as the Tigers edged the Twins in the opener of a road series for Detroit.  Freehan went two for four with a double, three RBIs and a run.  Mickey Stanley went one for three with a walk and a run.

Joe Sparma and Mickey Lolich were both shelled in the early of innings of this game.  Don McMahon saved the day though and he threw four innings of shutout relief to improve to 3-1 while Daryl Patterson struck out the final batter of the game to pick up his fifth save of the season.

July 28, 1968 at Memorial Stadium
Orioles 5, Tigers 1  (63-38)

The Tigers failed to sweep the Orioles today as they were held to just three hits by Steve McNally.  Willie Horton drove in the lone run with a solo homer in the ninth inning.  It was his 26th of the season.

Mickey Lolich fell to 7-7 with a rough start.  He gave up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in just 1 2/3 innings.

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 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 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 11, 1968 at Metropolitan Stadium
Twins 5, Tigers 4  (55-29)

The Tigers kicked off their second half with a loss in a game that saw the pitching staff blow a 4-2 lead.  Mickey Lolich gave up a pair of runs in the seventh inning and then John Hiller gave up a ninth inning run that was the game winner.  He fell to 5-3 on the season.

Mickey Stanley provided the bulk of the Tigers offense with a three run blast.  Dick McAuliffe accounted for the other Tigers run and he belted a solo homer.

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.

July 5, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 8, Athletics 5  (53-27)

The Tigers won their fifth straight game in the month of July and their fifth straight game over all as Bill Freehan put the team on his back.  He hit a pair of three runs homers to account for most of the Tigers offense and Willie Horton pitched in with a pair of runs.

Mickey Lolich improved to 7-4 with a mediocre start. He gave up four runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.  Pat Dobson gave up a run in 3 2/3 innings and he picked up his fifth save of the season.

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 25, 1968 at Yankees Stadium
Tigers 8, Yankees 5 (46-26)

The Tigers piled on twelve hits and eight walks to win their third straight game.  Willie Horton led the way and he went two for five with a triple, two runs and two RBIs while Jim Northrup tripled, drove in two and drew two walks.

Mickey Lolich was roughed up and he gave up four runs before he even finished the third inning.  Dennis Ribant picked up the win and he improved to 1-1.  He gave up one unearned run on three hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.  Pat Dobson got the final batter out and he picked up his fourth save of the season.

June 21, 1968 at Cleveland Stadium
Indians 4, Tigers 3 (43-24)

The Tigers blew a thirteenth inning lead as they dropped their series opener to the Indians.  Jim Northrup had doubled home Mickey Stanley in the top of the thirteenth inning but Pat Dobson gave up a two run homer in the bottom of the inning and he fell to 2-1.  This was after a solid start by Mickey Lolich, who gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts in nine innings.

The Tigers picked up seven hits and they were all by different hitters.  Norm Cash drew three walks while Dick McAuliffe doubled, drove in a run and drew a walk.

June 16, 1968 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 3, Tigers 2  (40-22)

Mickey Lolich fell to 5-4 on the season despite a solid outing as the Tigers lost to the White Sox in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. 

Bill Freehan was the only Tiger with two hits in the contest.  Don Wert doubled, scored a run and drew a walk.

June 16, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 6, White Sox 1 (41-22)

The Tigers salvaged both a split in their doubleheader with the White Sox as well as their four game series behind another fantastic outing by Denny McLain.  He improved to 11-2 and he gave up one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson got the final five outs and he picked up his first save of the season.

Jim Northrup doubled, singled and drove in a pair.  Dick McAuliffe doubled, drove in two and scored a run in the win.

June 12, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 2, Twins 1 (38-20)

The Tigers made it three straight over the Twins behind a solid outing by Mickey Lolich.  He improved to 5-3 and he gave up one run on five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in the complete game.

Dick McAuliffe was the hiting star.  He went two for four with a solo homer and a pair of runs.  Willie Horton drove in the other run with a sac. fly.

June 8, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 3, Indians 1  (35-19)

Mickey Lolich was fantastic as he pitched the Tigers to their fifth straight win.  He gave up just a single run on seven hits without a single walk and he struck out ten.  The win pushed his record to 4-3 on the season.

Mickey Stanley was a perfect two for two with with a run and a walk.  Dick McAuliffe went two for four with a run.