1971 Tigers Royals

Sunday July 18 (first game) The Tigers matched Bill Gilbreth (1-2) with his 8+ era against Paul Splittorff (7-1) with his 1.56 era. They were overmatched. The Royals pounded Gilbreth for 5 runs in 5 innigs, then notched two more aginst Bill Denehy. Meanwhile, the Tigers could only come up with one run off Splittorff. Royals 7 Tigers 1

Sunday July 18 (second game) Joe Niekro pitched well, leaving the game after fve innings with a 3-2 lead. He had given up a two run home to Amos Otis (11) but had gotten back one from Norm Cash (28). Tom Timmerman couldn't hold that lead however, surrendering two runs to the Royals in the 6th uncluding Otis' second homer of the game (12). The Tigers got one back in the 8th on an Eddie Brinkman sacrifice fly off Ted Abernathy. In the 9th, pinch hitter Chick Harrison worked Fred Scherman (5-4) for a leadoff walk, was forced at second by Freddie Patek and scored when Paul Schall tripled. Tom Burgmeier (4-

1) got the win. Royals 5 Tigers 4

Monday July 19. The Tigers were looking to Mickey Lolich to put an end to their four game losing streak. Although Lolich gave up 9 hits, he only walked one and struck out 11. The Tigers scored first in the second on another Brinkman sac fly. The Rotals answered in the bottom of the second with an rbi single by Ed Kirkpatrick. Al Kaline put the Tiers ahead again in the third with his 12th homer of the season, but again, the Royals came back to tie the game on a Cookie Rojas single. The damage might have been greater had not Lolich picked off Patek, the first of two times in this gae that Lolich picked off Patek. Bill Freehan doubled home two Tigers in the fifth and in the sixth the roof fell in on the Royals. Tony Taylor singled home one run, Kaline tripled home two more and Willie Horton singled him home. That finished the scoring as the Royals could only manage a single and a walk over the final three innings. Lolich becomes the first 20 game winner in the majors this season running his record to 20-6. Jim Rooker took the loss (1-5) Tigers 8 Royals 2 --submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--