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DEAN CHANCE |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
Dean Chance is perfect
against the Sox for 5 innings
August
6, 1967 ... Dean Chance threw a perfect game
against the Red Sox and he'll take it any way he can get it. There
were 15 hitters in five innings, before a 57 minute torrential rain
ended it at Metropolitan Stadium, with the Twins leading 2 to 0. It
was the third consecutive victory over the Red Sox and enabled them
to move ahead of the Sox into second place by one percentage point.
The Twins scored their runs in the fourth inning off Jim Lonborg, who struck out
five in the first three innings and looked overpowering. After a 25 minute rain
delay started the fourth inning, Lonborg walked Cesar Tovar, who stole second
when Tony Oliva was struck out. Then on successive pitches, Harmon Killebrew
singled, Bob Allison doubled off the left-field fence and Rich Rollins bounced
one over third base. Those accounted for two runs before Ted Uhlaender lined out
to second base and Jerry Zimmerman flew to right to end the inning.
The Red Sox were not tough for Chance. Elston Howard hit a hard liner to
right in the third and Lonborg followed by sending Bob Allison back to the fence
to catch a line drive. Rico Petrocelli was the final batter and hit a ground
ball to short, to end the inning.
Lonborg had thrown a fastball by Chance for a called third strike and had one
strike on Versalles, when the downpour started in the fifth inning. The
tarpaulin was removed when the rain stopped. But after another five minutes, the
rain started once again and home plate umpire Jim Odom motioned the ground crew
back into action. The infield was soaked by the time the crew got the cover back
on and 57 minutes later the umpires came out to inspect the field. The dugouts
were filled with water and the outfield looked like one of Minnesota's lakes, so
that was the ball game. |
