The jaugernaut that we call the 1969 Baltimore Orioles keeps rolling over opponents. The 1968 Detroit Tigers are an outstanding club, but the were only able to take 1 game in 4 tries from the O's.
GAME 1 (Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD): This was the game for the Tigers. Hope sprung eternal and Tiger starter Denny McLain was dominant. There's no secret as to why the big righty won 31 games that season and had a sub 2.00 ERA. The O's just couldn't solve him. They had him on the ropes on more than one occasion, but McClain would not yield the big run. Detroit jumped out to a 1-0 lead as second sacker Dick McAuliffe hit a tape measure shot to center off of Oriole starter Dave Leonhard, who only gave up 2 runs in 8 innings, but that was not good enough to beat "the gambler". The Tigers got an insurance run that they dearly needed in the top of the 8th. The O's answered back and got a run of their own, but fell short in the bottom of the 9th even after Paul Blair led off with his third hit of the day.
GAME 2: The O's needed to get on track and they did by scoring in the bottom of the 1st after
Don Bufford lead off with a double. 2 batters later big John Wesley Powell, know to his fans a Boog, knocked him in for his first RBI of the day. That lead would not last long as Oriole starter Mike Cuellar would give up a collasal 2 run shot to his opposite number, Earl Wilson, who hit 7 in 1968. Wilson and Cuellar matched each other pitch for pitch after that until both were lifted in the 8th inning. Heading into the bottom of the 9th Detroit looked like they were going to hold on, but with 2 outs Patterson gave Chico Salmon something he could hit and he promptly singled home Ellie Hendricks and we headed to extra frames. Both managers took different approaches for extra innings. Detroit decided to go with a bullpen by committee and play for a quick win. Baltimore put in spot starter Tom Phoebus and figured to play for the long haul. This piece of strategy almost came back to burn the O's as Detroit scored 2 runs in the top of the 12 and looked to have it all sewn up. Tiger centerfielder Mickey Stanley lead off with a walk and promptly scored as Tiger great Al Kaline homered to plate them both. Kaline, who suffered with nagging injuries all year finally got his national moment in the sun. Unfortunately for the long suffering Tiger fans that moment would be eclipsed by what the O's were going to do in the bottom of the 12th. Veteran reliever Don 
McMahon started the inning and got pinch hitter Andy Etchebarren to strike out. Things looked good, but McMahon was out of gas, since he had already pitched the 11th. Out came fireballed Pat Dobson with the task of getting 2 more Orioles out and giving Detroit the first two games of the series and a happy plane right home to Wayne County Airport. This was not to happen. Dobson was not to get any Orioles out. Don Bufford immediately single to left and the Oriole faithful began to stir. Davey Johnson followed that with a double and everyone was on the edge of their seat. With 1 out and runners on second and third gold glove centerfielder Paul Blair delivered a sharp single to center to tie the game. Before the dust could settle Boog Powell would drive him home with a sharp hit into the gap. The play at the plate was close, but the fleet footed Blair was home and so were the Orioles. Another magical win in a magical season.
GAME 3 (Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI): In a shocking move the Tigers were forced to start lightly used 20 year old Les Cain in place of Mickey Lolich, who was nursing a sore arm. Cain had never faced a lineup like the 69 O's and his inexperience showed. By the end of the 2nd Cain was gone and so were the Tigers hopes. Baltimore pounded him for 5 runs, which is more than enough for Oriole ace, Jim Palmer, to protect. Palmer went the distance and threw an economical 69 pitches to improve his record to 5-0. The Tigers could only muster 3 hits off of Palmer and never threatened. The big blow in the game came off of Boog Powell's bat. After Merv Rettenmund lead off with a single and Frank Robinson walked, Powell slammed a 3 run shot. The O's scored 6 more times before the contest ended. On a side note future HOF'er Eddie Mathews singled to lead off the 9th. Mathews is in the process of winding down a fantastic career and hopes to contribute many key pinch hits off the bench for the Tigers down the stretch.
GAME 4: This game figured to favor the offense, since both teams were starting back end
rotation pitchers. Tom Hardin toted the rubber for the O's and went 7 innings and gave up 4 runs. Normally that won't get it done. Luckily for Hardin he was facing Detroit's Joe Sparma who threw 125 pitchers in 5 innings of action and left the game on the short side of the ledger. Both team's bullpens were stellar. Pat Dobson, looking to redeem himself for his poor game 2 performance, threw 4 shutout innings. The O's relied on Dick Hall and Eddie Watt and neither disappointed. Watt notched his 6th save as he struck out the first 2 batters he faced in the 9th (Don Wert and Ray Oyler). Gates Brown pinch hit for Dobson and doubled, but wound up stranded as Dick McAuliffe popped out to Davey Johnson at second to end it. Willie Horton was again Detroit's hitting star, going 3 for 3 with 2 homers. The big blast being a 3 run shot in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game after Baltimore took a 3 run lead over the first 3 innings. Baltimore got the long ball from Boog Powell and Frank Robinson. Normally light hitting shortstop Mark Belanger went 3-4 and raised his average to .366 to lead the senior circuit.
DIAMOND DUST: The O's moved to 20-4 and seem to be in total control of the senior circuit. Detroit dropped to an even 12-12, but is still very much in the playoff picture. Tiger manager Bill Keller was agitated in his post series interview when asked why Lolich did not make an appearance vs the 1st place O's. Keller, not one to mince words, blamed his pitching coach Dave Koch for limiting Lolich's EPC rendering him useless to the Tigers for this 4 game set. Keller left the podium in an abrupt fashion mubling how this EPC thing needs to be fixed next year...or else !
GAME 1 (Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD): This was the game for the Tigers. Hope sprung eternal and Tiger starter Denny McLain was dominant. There's no secret as to why the big righty won 31 games that season and had a sub 2.00 ERA. The O's just couldn't solve him. They had him on the ropes on more than one occasion, but McClain would not yield the big run. Detroit jumped out to a 1-0 lead as second sacker Dick McAuliffe hit a tape measure shot to center off of Oriole starter Dave Leonhard, who only gave up 2 runs in 8 innings, but that was not good enough to beat "the gambler". The Tigers got an insurance run that they dearly needed in the top of the 8th. The O's answered back and got a run of their own, but fell short in the bottom of the 9th even after Paul Blair led off with his third hit of the day.GAME 2: The O's needed to get on track and they did by scoring in the bottom of the 1st after
Don Bufford lead off with a double. 2 batters later big John Wesley Powell, know to his fans a Boog, knocked him in for his first RBI of the day. That lead would not last long as Oriole starter Mike Cuellar would give up a collasal 2 run shot to his opposite number, Earl Wilson, who hit 7 in 1968. Wilson and Cuellar matched each other pitch for pitch after that until both were lifted in the 8th inning. Heading into the bottom of the 9th Detroit looked like they were going to hold on, but with 2 outs Patterson gave Chico Salmon something he could hit and he promptly singled home Ellie Hendricks and we headed to extra frames. Both managers took different approaches for extra innings. Detroit decided to go with a bullpen by committee and play for a quick win. Baltimore put in spot starter Tom Phoebus and figured to play for the long haul. This piece of strategy almost came back to burn the O's as Detroit scored 2 runs in the top of the 12 and looked to have it all sewn up. Tiger centerfielder Mickey Stanley lead off with a walk and promptly scored as Tiger great Al Kaline homered to plate them both. Kaline, who suffered with nagging injuries all year finally got his national moment in the sun. Unfortunately for the long suffering Tiger fans that moment would be eclipsed by what the O's were going to do in the bottom of the 12th. Veteran reliever Don 
McMahon started the inning and got pinch hitter Andy Etchebarren to strike out. Things looked good, but McMahon was out of gas, since he had already pitched the 11th. Out came fireballed Pat Dobson with the task of getting 2 more Orioles out and giving Detroit the first two games of the series and a happy plane right home to Wayne County Airport. This was not to happen. Dobson was not to get any Orioles out. Don Bufford immediately single to left and the Oriole faithful began to stir. Davey Johnson followed that with a double and everyone was on the edge of their seat. With 1 out and runners on second and third gold glove centerfielder Paul Blair delivered a sharp single to center to tie the game. Before the dust could settle Boog Powell would drive him home with a sharp hit into the gap. The play at the plate was close, but the fleet footed Blair was home and so were the Orioles. Another magical win in a magical season.
GAME 3 (Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI): In a shocking move the Tigers were forced to start lightly used 20 year old Les Cain in place of Mickey Lolich, who was nursing a sore arm. Cain had never faced a lineup like the 69 O's and his inexperience showed. By the end of the 2nd Cain was gone and so were the Tigers hopes. Baltimore pounded him for 5 runs, which is more than enough for Oriole ace, Jim Palmer, to protect. Palmer went the distance and threw an economical 69 pitches to improve his record to 5-0. The Tigers could only muster 3 hits off of Palmer and never threatened. The big blow in the game came off of Boog Powell's bat. After Merv Rettenmund lead off with a single and Frank Robinson walked, Powell slammed a 3 run shot. The O's scored 6 more times before the contest ended. On a side note future HOF'er Eddie Mathews singled to lead off the 9th. Mathews is in the process of winding down a fantastic career and hopes to contribute many key pinch hits off the bench for the Tigers down the stretch.GAME 4: This game figured to favor the offense, since both teams were starting back end
rotation pitchers. Tom Hardin toted the rubber for the O's and went 7 innings and gave up 4 runs. Normally that won't get it done. Luckily for Hardin he was facing Detroit's Joe Sparma who threw 125 pitchers in 5 innings of action and left the game on the short side of the ledger. Both team's bullpens were stellar. Pat Dobson, looking to redeem himself for his poor game 2 performance, threw 4 shutout innings. The O's relied on Dick Hall and Eddie Watt and neither disappointed. Watt notched his 6th save as he struck out the first 2 batters he faced in the 9th (Don Wert and Ray Oyler). Gates Brown pinch hit for Dobson and doubled, but wound up stranded as Dick McAuliffe popped out to Davey Johnson at second to end it. Willie Horton was again Detroit's hitting star, going 3 for 3 with 2 homers. The big blast being a 3 run shot in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game after Baltimore took a 3 run lead over the first 3 innings. Baltimore got the long ball from Boog Powell and Frank Robinson. Normally light hitting shortstop Mark Belanger went 3-4 and raised his average to .366 to lead the senior circuit.DIAMOND DUST: The O's moved to 20-4 and seem to be in total control of the senior circuit. Detroit dropped to an even 12-12, but is still very much in the playoff picture. Tiger manager Bill Keller was agitated in his post series interview when asked why Lolich did not make an appearance vs the 1st place O's. Keller, not one to mince words, blamed his pitching coach Dave Koch for limiting Lolich's EPC rendering him useless to the Tigers for this 4 game set. Keller left the podium in an abrupt fashion mubling how this EPC thing needs to be fixed next year...or else !
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