1971 Detroit at Washington

Friday July 9. Jim Northrup opened the scoring in the second, doubling home Bill Freehan. In the third, Norm Cash drove home Al Kaline and then was, in turn, driven home by Freehan. The Senators came back with two in the 5th on a single by Sonny Randle and a double play ground ball. A single run in the 6th tied the game, but then the roof fell in. The Tigers struck for seven runs in the 7th, including two run triples by Kaline and Eddie Brinkman and a three run homer by Freehan (16). Dick Billings drove home two in the 8th for the Nats and pinchhitter Elliot Maddox led off the ninth with a homer (1). Joe Coleman got the win (11-3). Pete Broberg took the loss (2-3). Tigers 10 Senators 6.

Saturday July 7. The Tigers had averaged nearly nine runs per game over their last 4 games but on this day Mickey Lolich would have much less to work with. Facing his old teammate, Denny McLain for the second time this season, Mickey allowed only 5 hits and two walks, but McLain was nearly as good. The Tigers scored first in the first on a Cash sacrifice fly. Elliot Maddox tied the game in the fourth with an rbi single. And that was how the game stood until Bill Freehan's 17th homer of the season in the 7th. Lolich went the distance for his 18th win against 3 losses. McLain was the loser (6-9) Tigers 2 Senators 1

Sunday July 8. Dean Chance took the mound for his first start since June 19. And he was the right choice. Although he could only go 5 innings before tiring, he left the game with a 6-0 lead. After single runs in the first and third, triples by Aurelio Rodriguez and Brinkman and consecutive singles by Kaline, Northrup and Freehan prduced four more runs. Kevin Collins pinched hit for Chance to lead off the 6th and ended up making the first and last outs of the inning as the Tigers batted around, scoring six tmes, including a two run homer by Kaline (12). The Tigers would add three more while the Senators would only manage one tally against Tom Timmerman (save, 2) during his four innings or relief work. Chance got the win (5-3), Bill Gogolewski took the loss (1-2) Tigers 16 Senators 1 --submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--