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.