1968 Tigers Tribute Site

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.

July 23, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 6, Senators 4  (60-36)

The Tigers took game one of their series with the Senators with another dramatic comeback.  Down 4-3 in the eighth inning, Jim Price singled home Al Kaline to tie the game up and then Gates Brown singled home Bill Freehan for the game winner.  Jim Northrup doubled home Al Kaline in the ninth for some insurance that the Tigers didn’t need.  Speaking of Kaline, he was a perfect two for two with three walks, two runs and two RBIs.

Denny McLain improved to 19-3 despite a mediocre start.  He gave up four runs on eight hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings.  Jon Warden threw the final 1 2/3 innings and he picked up his third save of the season.

July 17, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 3, Tigers 2  (57-33)

The Tiger continued their struggles out west despite the change of scenery as they dropped their opener to the Athletics by a single run.  All of the scoring in this one came in the first two innings.  Willie Horton hit his 23rd homer of the Tigers and Joe Sparma singled and drove in a run in his lone at bat.

Speaking of Sparma, he had a tough outing.  He gave up three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and he only pitched into the second inning.  Jon Warden was exceptional and he threw five innings of shutout relief but the Tigers hitters could never quite get it going to mount a comeback.

June 2, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Yankees 4, Tigers 3  (29-17)

This time it was the Yankees who came out on top in a one run game as they topped the Tigers in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  The Tigers scored three runs in the sixth inning but then the Yankees finally got to Denny McLain, who gave up single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.  Then in the ninth, Jon Warden gave up what would be the game winner on a close play at the plate that would see Tigers manager Mayo Smith get ejected.

Warden took the loss and while McLain didn’t get the win, he threw a decent enough game.  He gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts in eight innings.

Dick McAuliffe accounted for half of the Tigers’ hits with three singles, a run and an RBI.  Jim Northrup had the only extra base hit with a double.  He also walked and drove in a run.

June 2, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 8, Yankees 1  (30-17)

Mickey Stanley capped off a six run fifth inning with a grand slam as the Tigers salvaged a split with the Yankees in their doubleheader.  Stanley finished the game with two hits while Jim Northrup went two for four with two runs and an RBI.

Lost in all of the offense was a very nice start by John Hiller.  He improved to 3-1 and he gave up just one run on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in the complete game win.

May 15, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Orioles 10, Tigers 8  (19-11)

Denny McLain lost his first decision of the season and he lasted just two innings in a high scoring affair.  McLain fell to 5-1 and he gave up four runs in the two frames.  Jon Warden was also touched up and he gave up three runs in two innings of work.

Mickey Stanley had a big day at the plate.  He went two for five with a homerun, four RBIs and two runs.  Norm Cash also pitched in with a solo homer in the sixth inning.

May 8, 1968 at Memorial Stadium
Tigers 3, Orioles 1  (16-9)

Earl Wilson had one of his best starts of the season as he gave up just one unearned run in eight innings of work. That lone run didn’t come until the ninth inning and it was Jon Warden who came in to put out the fire.  He struck out one and got all three batters he faced out in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Jim Northrup put the Tigers on the board with a solo homer in the first inning.  Willie Horton went two for three with a walk, a run and an RBI.

April 28, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 2, Tigers 1  (10-4)

The Tigers lost a tough one in a low scoring pitchers duel.  Joe Sparma took a shutout into the eighth inning but both he and Jon Warden combined to give up two runs in the eighth to blow a 1-0 lead.  Sparma dropped to 1-2 on the season and while one of the runs scored off of Warden, both were credited to Sparma.

The Tigers lone run came in the fourth inning when Roy Oyler drove in Jim Northrup with a sac. fly.  No Tiger reached base more the once in the loss.

April 28, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Tigers 3, Yankees 2  (11-4)

The Tigers salvaged both a split in their doubleheader with the Yankees as well as their four game series at Yankee Stadium.  The Tigers were down 2-1 heading into the ninth when Bill Freehan belted a solo shot to tie the game and then just two batters later, Jim Northrup drove in the winning run with a solo shot of his own.  Don Wert singled twice and drove in a run to account for the other Tigers run.

Les Cain made his major league debut and while he didn’t get the win, he definitely kept the Tigers in this one.  He gave up just a single run on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts in seven innings.  John Hiller threw 1 2/3 shutout innings and he picked up the win while Fred Lasher got the final batter out to earn his second save of the season.

April 20, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 4, White Sox 1  (7-1)

The Tigers continued their April tear with their seventh straight win and this time it was Mickey Lolich and the pen who got it done.  Lolich gave up just five hits in seven shutout innings while Jon Warden improved to 3-0 as he pitched the Tigers out of a jam in the ninth.  Dennis Ribant picked up the save with shutout tenth.

Dick McAuliffe had the big hit of the game with a two run single in the top of the tenth inning.  Bill Freehan doubled twice and he drove in a run.

April 17, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, Indians 3  (5-1)

The Tigers picked up their fifth straight win and their second extra inning win in three games in their opener against the Indians.   Willie Horton provided the heroics with a two run, walk off homer in the bottom of the tenth inning to win it for Detroit.  Mickey Stanley had a nice game as well at the plate and he went two for five with an RBI.

Denny McLain got his second no decision of the season with seven solid frames.  He gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.  Jon Warden picked up his second win of the season as he got the final two batters out in the tenth inning.

April 13, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, White Sox 2  (2-1)

Daryl Patterson threw some exceptional relief pitching after Joe Sparma ran into problems in the fifth inning.  Like Jon Warden two days before, Patterson picked up his first career win and he gave up four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.  Fred Lasher got the final out of the game and he picked up his first save of the season.

Mickey Stanley was the hitting star.  He went two for five with a double, two RBIs and a run.  Willie Horton doubled, drove in a run and scored in the win.

April 11, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3  (1-1)

The Tigers blew a three run lead but still managed to win when Gates Brown broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch hit, walk off solo homer.  Dick McAuliffe and Bill Freehan also belted solo shots while Freehan reached base a team high four times with three walks and the homer.

Denny McLain threw five shutout innings before he gave up three runs in the sixth inning.  Rookie Jon Warden came in and threw two shutout innings and he picked up his first career win.