KAAT FANS 14 AS TWINS DRUB NATS
Washington Officially Eliminated from Pennant Chase
BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Aug. 28 (AP) - Jim Kaat fanned 14 batters and tossed a
complete game four-hitter as the Minnesota Twins whipped the Washington
Senators, 8-1, at Metropolitan Stadium. Zoilo Versalles was the offensive
star for the Twins, going 4-for-5, including a double and a home run, scoring
twice and driving in two.
The 14 strikeouts by Kaat is the highest total recorded by an American League
pitcher in a game this season. Only Sandy Koufax, of the National League's
Los Angeles Dodgers struck out more. Koufax fanned 17 St. Louis Cardinals
in a 1-0 victory on June 12.
After the Senators scored on Chuck Hinton's home run in the top of the first,
the Twins evened the game in the bottom half of the frame. Versalles led
off with a double to center field, moved to second on a ground out and scored on
Tony Oliva's RBI single.
Minnesota then seized firm control of the game in the third. Versalles
started things off again, this time with a single. Rich Rollins drew a
walk from Washington starter Frank Kreutzer, putting runners at first and
second. Oliva then singled to load the bases. After a pair of force
outs at the plate, it appeared that the Twins might blow a golden opportunity,
but Bob Allison drilled a bases clearing double off the left field wall and
Minnesota led, 4-1.
The Twins plated three more runs in the sixth. With one out, Earl Battey
hit his eighth home run of the year to push the lead to 5-1. One out
later, Kaat singled and then trotted home on Versalles' third hit of the game, a
long home run into the seats in left field.
Minnesota capped the scoring in the eighth when Hall singled with two outs and
Allison doubled him home.
After Hinton's first inning home run, Kaat retired nine straight batters before
yielding a one-out double to Don Lock in the fourth. Roy Sievers followed
by drawing a walk, but Kaat then set down the next 15 Senators he faced.
At one point during the streak he struck out five consecutive batters.
With one out in the ninth, the string was interrupted by consecutive singles by
Hinton and Lock before Kaat regrouped and retired the final two hitters to
complete his 11th game of the season.
The loss officially eliminates the Senators from pennant contention, making
Washington the first team to be mathematically ousted from the pennant race in
either league.
8/28/1964, Was64-Min64, Metropolitan Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1964 Senators 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 4 1 1964 Twins 1 0 3 0 0 3 1 0 x 8 14 0 7 0 Senators AB R H BI AVG Twins AB R H BI AVG Brinkman ss 4 0 0 0 .228 Versalles ss 5 2 4 2 .227 Hinton lf 4 1 2 1 .214 Rollins 3b 4 0 1 0 .244 Lock cf 4 0 2 0 .262 Kostro 3b 0 0 0 0 .242 Sievers 1b 3 0 0 0 .184 Oliva rf 5 1 2 1 .322 Zimmer 3b 3 0 0 0 .260 Killebrew lf 4 1 1 0 .264 Blasingame,D 2b 1 0 0 0 .204 Hall,J cf 4 2 1 0 .280 Kirkland rf 3 0 0 0 .175 Allison 1b 4 0 2 4 .302 Ridzik p 0 0 0 0 .000 Battey c 3 1 2 1 .256 Leppert c 2 0 0 0 .193 Kindall pr 0 0 0 0 .217 Kennedy ph 1 0 0 0 .215 Allen,B 2b 4 0 0 0 .204 Cottier 2b 3 0 0 0 .139 Henry,R c 0 0 0 0 .174 Brumley c 0 0 0 0 .202 Kaat p 4 1 1 0 .192 Kreutzer p 1 0 0 0 .154 37 8 14 8 Valentine ph 1 0 0 0 .281 Koch p 0 0 0 0 .103 King rf 1 0 0 0 .221 31 1 4 1 Senators INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kreutzer L 3-8 4.0 6 4 4 1 3 75 45 4.47 Koch 2.0 4 3 3 0 2 35 23 6.04 Ridzik 2.0 4 1 1 1 1 33 22 4.50 8.0 14 8 8 2 6 143 90 Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kaat W 15-6 9.0 4 1 1 1 14 122 79 2.64 9.0 4 1 1 1 14 122 79 Was: Valentine batted for Kreutzer in the 5th King inserted at rf in the 7th Kennedy batted for Leppert in the 8th Blasingame,D inserted at 2b in the 8th Kennedy moved to 3b in the 8th Brumley inserted at c in the 8th Min: Kindall ran for Battey in the 7th Kindall moved to 2b in the 8th Henry,R inserted at c in the 8th Kostro inserted at 3b in the 9th E-Brinkman. 2B-Lock(15), Versalles(28), Allison 2(28). HR-Hinton(8), Versalles(19), Battey(8). RBI-Hinton(42), Versalles 2(53), Oliva(73), Allison 4(73), Battey(42). K-Brinkman 3, Hinton 2, Lock, Sievers, Kirkland, Cottier 3, King, Kennedy, Blasingame,D, Rollins, Hall,J, Allen,B, Kaat 3. BB-Sievers, Rollins, Battey. PB-Leppert. GWRBI: Allison Temperature: 69, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 5 MPH. Attendance: 14,378