SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 1974
The season is winding down for Kaline and the Tigers. Today's game sees the Boston Red Sox sending Luis Tiant (15-18, 3.60) to the mound against Detroit's Lerrin LaGrow (9-21, 4.37). Kaline is given the day off as Gates Brown takes over as DH for this contest.
Detroit suffers a 9-5 defeat with Kaline not appearing in the game at all.
DIVISION RACES
Nolan Ryan gets his 18th win of the season as he helps the California Angels beat Minnesota 2-1. The Angels magic number for clinching the AL West drops to two after Oakland loses 4-3 in 14 innings to the Chicago White Sox. The A's rallied to tie the game on a Claudell Washington rbi single in the bottom of the ninth but four White Sox relievers kept Oakland off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Both divisions in the National League still have two teams tied for top spot. The 2 NL East contenders each won while the West Division leaders both lost today. In New York, the Pittsburgh Pirates hammered the Mets 12-0 but the Phillies kept pace with a 3-1 win in Montreal. Mike Schmidt belted his 25th homer of the season for the Phils.
Meanwhile the Reds were shutout 2-0 by John Montefusco and the San Francisco Giants while the Dodgers fell 4-1 in San Diego.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 1974
The Tigers finish their season with Boston today before starting a 3-game set with Baltimore to end the 1974 season. Al Kaline is back in the lineup as the DH and batting third today. Roger Moret (5-10, 3.91) gets the start for Boston against Detroit's Vern Ruhle (3-6, 5.81).
Kaline is still 1 homerun shy of 400. He comes up in the bottom of the first with two out. It's not a homer but he does hit a solid double in the left-center gap. However, the Tigers fail to score and the game is scoreless after one. When Kaline comes to the plate again in the third inning with 2 out and Ron LeFlore on second, the Tigers are trailing 4-0. Kaline continues his strong start to the game with an rbi single to score LeFlore. It is the 3005th hit of his illustrious career.
In the 6th Kaline comes up with a runner on first and one out, but he flies out to leftfield. Detroit trails 6-1 at the time. It is 6-2 when Kaline steps to the plate to lead-off the 8th inning in what is likely his last chance today at #400. Roger Moret is still pitching for Boston and he fans Kaline. The game ends 6-2 for Boston.
DIVISION RACES
Eric Soderholm goes 4-for-4 with a homerun and 2 rbi's to lead Minnesota past California 7-1. Bert Blyleven improved upon the best record in baseball with the win to go to 25-7 on the season. Oakland failed to gain ground as the A's lost 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox. 23 year old Chicago starter Jim Otten got his first major league decision in going 5 innings for the win. With the loss Oakland remains 2 games back of California with 2 to play. The A's final two games are in Anaheim against the Angels.
In the National League East Pittsburgh and Philadelphia each won for the fourth straight game so they remain tied for top spot. Each has 3 games remaining with the Pirates hosting Chicago while Philadelphia visits the Mets. Today Pittsburgh blasted the Mets 11-6 behind a 5-hit game from Richie Hebner and Willie Stargell's 34th homer of the season. The Phillies downed Montreal 6-2.
The Cincinnati Reds moved a half game ahead of idle Los Angeles atop the National League West. The Reds trimmed San Francisco 4-3 despite Bobby Bonds hitting his 33rd homer of the season for the Giants. The Reds finish the season with 2 games in Atlanta while the Dodgers visit Houston for 3 games.
NO-HITTER
The big news on the day came out of Cleveland where New York Yankees pitcher Rudy May tossed a no-hitter. May fanned 3 but walked 4 as the Yankees hammered Cleveland 9-0. The 30 year old May, a mid-season pickup from California is 10-5 on the season including 8-3 since joining the Yankees. It was the third no-hitter of the season. Oakland's Vida Blue tossed one in April against Texas while Buzz Capra of the Braves threw a no-hitter against the Dodgers in May.