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In baseball, sometimes the sequence of when you get your hits matter more than anything else. On August 8, 1967, the Yankees benefited from just that.
In the top of the first on August 8, 1967, the Yankees picked up an early run off Angels starter George Brunet. Roy White drew a one out walk, and Mickey Mantle and Tom Tresh followed that with two singles to score White.
In the bottom of the first, Yankees starter Fred Talbot got two quick outs to start the inning. He then walked the next two batters, before getting Woodie Held to fly out to end the inning.
In the next frame, Talbot got the first batter of the bottom of the second out, but then he allowed two straight singles. After a bunt moved the runners to second and third, Talbot got a ground out, stranding two runners on for the second straight inning.
Talbot would not come back out for the third inning after suffering a bruised wrist and was relieved by Bill Monbouquette. Despite the change in pitcher, the inning went like the other did: the Angels put a runner on, but the Yankees got out of it. Monbouquette allowed a single, but got a double play, and the Yankees kept their 1-0 lead after three innings.
In the fourth, Monbouquette pitched a 1-2-3 inning. It would be the only one of those the Yankees would get all game.
Jose Cardenal got in scoring position for the Angels in the fifth inning, when he singled and stole second. However, Jim Fregosi flew out, stranding another Angels runner. In the sixth, a two-out single by Held wouldn’t amount to anything.
In the seventh inning, Buck Rogers tripled off Monobouquette to lead off the inning. After getting close several times before, the Angels now had the tying run 90 feet away and several chances to get him home.
Bobby Knopp flew out, brining the pitcher’s spot up in the order. The Angels sent up Bubba Morton as a pinch hitter. Morton hit one to Ruben Amaro at short, who threw Rogers out at home on a fielder’s choice. The Angels blew yet another runner in scoring position.
However, the inning wasn’t over. Morton was at first, and Cardenal came to the plate. Cardenal picked up his second hit of the game on a single then. However, Morton got himself in a rundown, and was eventually tagged out, ending the inning.
The following inning, the Angels again picked up two singles, but again couldn’t bring home a run. In the ninth inning Knopp picked up a one-out single off Monbouquette. Former Yankee Bill Skowron was sent up as a pinch hitter. He caught whatever the rest of the Angels had, and grounded into a double play to end the game. Despite allowing 10 hits and two walks, the Yankees won 1-0.
The Los Angeles Times headline for the story of this game read “Yanks Heist 1-0 Win From Angels,” and it’s hard to argue with that. The Yankees offensive performance was almost as bad. They only had five hits in this game, but actually left more runners on base, thanks to the eight walks the Angels’ pitchers issued.
It was far from a good performance from either team. The Yankees just happened to get a hit with a runner in scoring position, while the Angels kept finding comical ways to not do that.
Sources
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL196708080.shtml