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MICKEY LOLICH |
THE "GOLD DUST TWINS" AND
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
...
Mickey Lolich outduels Luis
Tiant in Detroit
April 25, 1975
...
Dave Meyer's two-out home run in the fifth inning broke Luis Tiant's
perfect game and gave the Detroit Tigers a 1 to 0 victory over the
Red Sox. The homer, his first of the season, landed in the lower deck
in right field, some 340 feet from home plate. It however made a
winner of Mickey Lolich, who was locked in a brilliant pitcher's duel with
Tiant. Lolich got out of numerous jams, allowed just four scattered hits, in
raising his record to 3-0. Tiant wound up yielding only two base hits, but lost
the game.
The Red Sox stranded two runners in the first inning. Juan Beniquez led off
the game with a single, but got picked off first base and eventually was tag in
a rundown. Lolich then walked Dwight Evans and Jim Rice before Fred Lynn struck
out to end the threat.
In the second inning Rick Burleson lined a single to center, but got thrown
out trying to steal second. In the fourth Carl Yastrzemski led off with a
double, moved over to third on a fly out, but was stranded there. Rick Burleson
singled to start off the fifth, but he too was stranded on base.
From the first hitter through the 14th hitter, not one Detroit player came
even close to getting a base hit off Tiant before Meyers' home run. Luis retired
the next three batters, before Ron LeFlore reached on a single in the sixth
inning. Tiant walked only one, Nate Colbert. But the way he handled Willie
Horton, allowing a fly ball and striking him out twice, Bill Freehan on three
flyballs and Colbert on a pop up and strikeout, was an indication of how well
Luis was pitching.
Tony Conigliaro, healed after a bad leg bruise, pinch-hit in the
eighth-inning and lined out to Ben Oglivie in right. Rico Petrocelli still sat
out, but said he feels better and is ready to play. |
