Tigers eliminate O’s on Adair error in game 5

Tuesday August 8 at Tiger Stadium

Jim Bunning (2-0, .57) scattered 7 hits, walked 1 and struck out 10 in shutting out the Orioles 7-0.  Jake wood and Dick Brown each had 2 rbis for the Bengals.  Oriole pitchers were able to hold the triumvirate of Kaline, Cash and Colavito to 0 for 10 in the game but the damage came from everywhere else.  Chuck Estrada (0-1, 5.56) who had only given up 1 hit in his previous 7 innings of work was slammed around by Boros, Brown and Wood  Tigers 7  Orioles 0

Wednesday August 9 at Tiger Stadium

Jim Gentile (2) and Brooks Robinson (2) each had a homerun to pace the Oriole offense  in Game 2.  Frank Lary (1-1, 4.50) went the distance for the Tigers and was okay until the 9th inning.  After walking Jackie Brandt and then intentionally passing Gentile after Brandt stole second, Brooks Robinson doubled home both and then scored on Russ Snyder's single.  Billy Hoeft who worked just one third of an inning, got the win (2-0, 0.00)  Hoyt Wilhelm picked up his third save.  Orioles 7 Tigers 4

Friday August 11 at Memorial Stadium

This game may have turned out different if Oriole starter Milt Pappas had not left the game in the 5th with an arm injury.  The game was 2-1 at that point in favor of the Tigers and Pappas had been pitching well.  As it was, reliever Wes Stock surrendered three runs in the 6th and Tiger starter Don Mossi (2-0, 2.00) made the most of the support he received.  Norm Cash (3) and Earl Robinson (1) both had solo homers.  Pappas took the loss (0-1, 2.25)  Tigers 5  Orioles 2

Saturday August 12 at Memorial Stadium

Tiger starter Paul Foytack only lasted four innings, surrendering 8 runs on 11 hits,  including three homeruns.  The big blow was Brooks Robinson's three run homer (4) after Gentile had again been intentionally passed.  Hank Foiles(1) and Gentile (3) both added two run shots of their own.  The Tigers tried to come back, scoring 5 runs in the 7th and 2 in the 8th but the deficit was too much.  Steve Barber got the win (2-0, 0.00) and Billy Hoeft got his first save.  Orioles 9  Tigers 7

Sunday August 13 at Tiger Stadium.

The fifth game would see a match up of the first game pitchers, Jim Bunning and Chuck Estrada. The Orioles opened the scoring in the first.  Gentile walked, though not intentionally.  Brooks was hit by a pitch and Whitey Herzog singled home Gentile.  Gentile's solo shot in the 5th (4) pushed the lead to 2-0.  Estrada lost all command of his pitches in the bottom of the 6th as the Tigers scored twice without the aid of a hit or an error.  Walks to Bunning, Wood and Kaline loaded the bases with one out.  With two out, Estrada walked Colavito to give the Tigers their first run.  Estrada then hit Steve Boros to force in the tying run.  The game would stay that way until the bottom of the 11th.  Wes Stock walked Colavito to lead off the inning, then gave up a single to Boros.  Chico Fernandez forced Boros at second on a ground ball to Stock on which Baltimore second baseman Jerry Adair had trouble getting the ball from his mitt to turn the double play.   Charlie Maxwell came up to pinchhit for Mike Rourke and hit a routine double play ball to Jerry Adair.  Inexplicably the ball bounced off the heel of his glove and before  he could recover it, Colavito scored from third to end the game and win the series for the Tigers.  Hank Aguirre was the winner (1-0,,0.00), Stock the loser (0-1, 7.71).  After the game, some distraught Baltimore fans who had travelled by bus for this penultimate game waited for Adair outside the Baltimore locker room.  Security left the group alone when they stated they only wanted to console Adair and congratulate him on a good tournament (he hit over 400).  But Adair did not report to the team bus and his room at the Detroit Ponchartrain Hotel was not used last night.  Team officials are trying to locate him but are not concerned.  "Jerry is not the type of ballplayer to take this lying down.  We fully expect him to be back next year."  More to come  Tigers 3  Orioles 2

--submitted by Tom “Crash” Davis--