BLYLEVEN’S GEM SPOILED IN END
Staub’s 2-Run Single is Game-Winner
DETROIT, May 5 (AP) – Bert Blyleven carried a perfect game into the seventh
inning but Rusty Staub’s two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth
gave the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Tiger
Stadium. Blyleven allowed only two hits—both of them singles—but the
two safeties plated all three Detroit runs. Tigers starter Dave Roberts
allowed just two unearned runs on four hits and earned the complete game
victory.
The game was scoreless through three but the Twins broke the deadlock in the top
of fourth inning. Larry Hisle led off and reached on Tom Veryzer’s
error, then stole second base. Rod Carew followed with a single to center,
scoring Hisle to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. Dan Ford followed with a base
hit to right, advancing Carew to third. After Craig Kusick popped out,
Danny Thompson lifted a sacrifice fly to center, plating Ford and increasing the
Twins lead to 2-0.
Blyleven, meanwhile, was mowing down the Tigers, retiring the first 18 batters
he faced. The string was finally broken when he walked Ron LeFlore on a
3-2 pitch to open the bottom of the seventh. LeFlore promptly stole second
base and when Alex Johnson followed with Detroit’s first hit—a single
through the hole into left field—LeFlore scored to cut the deficit to
2-1. Blyleven retired the next three batters to end the inning.
Roberts was nearly as effective as Blyleven. After Ford’s single in the
fourth, Roberts set down the final 18 Minnesota batters he faced in the game.
The Twins carried their 2-1 lead into the ninth. Blyleven retired pinch
hitter Dan Meyer to open the inning, but then walked LeFlore for the second time
in the game and, for the second time, LeFlore swiped second. Blyleven then
walked Johnson as well, putting the potential winning runs on base with one
out. Willie Horton rolled out to second baseman Bob Randall for the second
out of the inning, bringing Staub to the plate. The Twins held a meeting
at the mound. With first base open, the option of walking Staub to pitch
to Jason Thompson with the bases loaded was available, but they decided to go
after Staub instead. On the very first pitch Staub slapped a ground ball
to the left side of the infield that eluded the dive of shortstop Chuck
Scrivener. LeFlore and Johnson both scored, winning the game for the
Tigers.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the scuffling Twins who continue their
struggle to score runs. Minnesota has scored only 38 times in 17 games
thus far this season, by far the worst mark in the American League to date.
5/5/1976, Min76-Det76, Tiger Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Twins 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 2 0 1976 Tigers 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 2 1 2 1 Twins AB R H BI AVG Tigers AB R H BI AVG Bostock cf 4 0 0 0 .241 LeFlore cf 2 2 0 0 .263 Hisle lf 4 1 0 0 .215 Johnson,A lf 3 1 1 1 .269 Carew 1b 4 1 2 1 .269 Horton dh 4 0 0 0 .188 Ford rf 4 0 1 0 .169 Staub rf 4 0 1 2 .315 Kusick dh 3 0 1 0 .190 Thompson,J 1b 3 0 0 0 .143 Thompson,D ss 2 0 0 1 .185 Freehan c 3 0 0 0 .226 Roof c 3 0 0 0 .000 Rodriguez,A 3b 3 0 0 0 .333 McKay 3b 3 0 0 0 .113 Veryzer ss 2 0 0 0 .235 Randall,B 2b 3 0 0 0 .250 Oglivie ph 1 0 0 0 .304 30 2 4 2 Scrivener ss 0 0 0 0 .667 Sutherland 2b 2 0 0 0 .139 Meyer ph 1 0 0 0 .259 28 3 2 3 Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Blyleven L 1-4 8.2 2 3 3 3 7 110 69 3.22 8.2 2 3 3 3 7 110 69 Tigers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Roberts,D W 1-2 9.0 4 2 0 0 1 85 63 2.34 9.0 4 2 0 0 1 85 63 Det: Oglivie batted for Veryzer in the 8th Scrivener inserted at ss in the 9th Meyer batted for Sutherland in the 9th E-Veryzer. RBI-Carew(5), Thompson,D(4), Johnson,A(5), Staub 2(9). SB-Hisle(2), LeFlore 2(6), Johnson,A(2). K-Hisle, Johnson,A, Staub, Thompson,J, Freehan, Rodriguez,A, Sutherland 2. BB-LeFlore 2, Johnson,A. SF-Thompson,D. GWRBI: Staub Temperature: 59, Sky: clear, Wind: in from left at 23 MPH. Attendance: 13,846 Game Time: 1:42