It was fitting that game seven of the 1968 Fall Classic featured Bob Gibson and Mickey Lolich. Both their ERAs were 1.67 at the conclusion of that year's World Series. The Detroit Tigers won this memorable Fall Classic, four games to three over St. Louis, after being behind three to one.
Gibson seemed stronger than Lolich. He beat Denny McLain 4-0 in game one in St. Louis. And did he ever rack up the K's. Seventeen to be exact. The Tigers were held to just five hits. St. Louis, though, only had six themselves, however. Gibson was just so dominating, you had to feel he'd be that way for the rest of the World Series.
St. Louis got another six in the second game, but it was far too few as Lolich went the distance in an 8-1 win. Lolich also went 2-4 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs.
The Cardinals put down the accelerator in games three and four in Detroit. The took a home run-happy game three, 7-3. Gibson was back in game four, and made it look easy as he beat McLain 10-1 and hit a home run of his own. Lou Brock got it all going with a home run to start the game on McLain's second pitch, and the Tigers were never in it. Things were looking grim for Detroit.
But Lolich did it all in game five. Down 3-0, he held Detroit in it. In the bottom of the seventh with Detroit still down 3-2, he singled with one out to start a four-run rally. From there, he held his 5-3 lead into the ninth, where he slammed the door on the Cards, who got the first two men on.
McLain won game six back at St. Louis, 13-1, and that squared this Fall Classic at three games each. Detroit scored ten runs in the top of the second, four of them on a Jim Northrup grand slam.
That set up Lolich and Gibson in game seven. Each were 2-0, but Gibson's ERA was 0.50 and Lolich's 2.00.
Gibson started out stronger. Pitching for the home side, it was 1-2-3 in the first, second and third. Detroit got a man on in the fourth, but Hoot got the other three men out. Lolich settled down after the Cards put two runners on in the bottom of the first. Gibson had given up one hit through seven.
Bob got Mickey Stanley to strikeout to start the top of the seventh. Al Kaline grounded out. Gibson seemed safe. But then the roof caved in. Norm Cash and Willie Horton singled. When Jim Northrup followed with a drive to centre, Curt Flood misjudged it and it sailed right over him for a triple. 2-0, Detroit. When Bill Freehan followed that with a double, it was 3-0.
Mike Shannon reached on an error in the bottom of the frame, but was stranded. Brock walked in the bottom of the eighth after Gibson set down Detroit 1-2-3 again, but it led nowhere. But with one out in the top of the ninth, Horton singled for his second hit of the game. Had Willie not been Bob's seventeenth K of game one? What a second go-around makes. Jim Northrup then got his second hit of the afternoon, a single. Freehan was retired on a foul to first. But Don Wert singled and Horton scored his second of the game. 4-0, Detroit. Three outs to go.
Lolich got Flood to line out. Orlando Cepeda fouled out to catcher Bill Freehan. Shannon took Lolich out of the park to left to make it a 4-1 game. But when Tim McCarver popped out to Freehan like Cepeda did, the 1968 Fall Classic belonged to Detroit.
Gibson and Lolich never got another crack at the World Series. Gibson made it to the Hall Of Fame, Lolich was not dominating enough despite over 200 wins to make it. But no matter. They were the two best pitchers in the World Series that year. And they each pitched amazing ball in all three of their starts.
Gibson seemed stronger than Lolich. He beat Denny McLain 4-0 in game one in St. Louis. And did he ever rack up the K's. Seventeen to be exact. The Tigers were held to just five hits. St. Louis, though, only had six themselves, however. Gibson was just so dominating, you had to feel he'd be that way for the rest of the World Series.
St. Louis got another six in the second game, but it was far too few as Lolich went the distance in an 8-1 win. Lolich also went 2-4 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs.
The Cardinals put down the accelerator in games three and four in Detroit. The took a home run-happy game three, 7-3. Gibson was back in game four, and made it look easy as he beat McLain 10-1 and hit a home run of his own. Lou Brock got it all going with a home run to start the game on McLain's second pitch, and the Tigers were never in it. Things were looking grim for Detroit.
But Lolich did it all in game five. Down 3-0, he held Detroit in it. In the bottom of the seventh with Detroit still down 3-2, he singled with one out to start a four-run rally. From there, he held his 5-3 lead into the ninth, where he slammed the door on the Cards, who got the first two men on.
McLain won game six back at St. Louis, 13-1, and that squared this Fall Classic at three games each. Detroit scored ten runs in the top of the second, four of them on a Jim Northrup grand slam.
That set up Lolich and Gibson in game seven. Each were 2-0, but Gibson's ERA was 0.50 and Lolich's 2.00.
Gibson started out stronger. Pitching for the home side, it was 1-2-3 in the first, second and third. Detroit got a man on in the fourth, but Hoot got the other three men out. Lolich settled down after the Cards put two runners on in the bottom of the first. Gibson had given up one hit through seven.
Bob got Mickey Stanley to strikeout to start the top of the seventh. Al Kaline grounded out. Gibson seemed safe. But then the roof caved in. Norm Cash and Willie Horton singled. When Jim Northrup followed with a drive to centre, Curt Flood misjudged it and it sailed right over him for a triple. 2-0, Detroit. When Bill Freehan followed that with a double, it was 3-0.
Mike Shannon reached on an error in the bottom of the frame, but was stranded. Brock walked in the bottom of the eighth after Gibson set down Detroit 1-2-3 again, but it led nowhere. But with one out in the top of the ninth, Horton singled for his second hit of the game. Had Willie not been Bob's seventeenth K of game one? What a second go-around makes. Jim Northrup then got his second hit of the afternoon, a single. Freehan was retired on a foul to first. But Don Wert singled and Horton scored his second of the game. 4-0, Detroit. Three outs to go.
Lolich got Flood to line out. Orlando Cepeda fouled out to catcher Bill Freehan. Shannon took Lolich out of the park to left to make it a 4-1 game. But when Tim McCarver popped out to Freehan like Cepeda did, the 1968 Fall Classic belonged to Detroit.
Gibson and Lolich never got another crack at the World Series. Gibson made it to the Hall Of Fame, Lolich was not dominating enough despite over 200 wins to make it. But no matter. They were the two best pitchers in the World Series that year. And they each pitched amazing ball in all three of their starts.
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