The Tigers won their tenth straight and in the process, they reached the 100 win mark for just the fourth time in franchise history.  They were hoping they wouldn’t repeat history though because the other three times they won 100, they couldn’t get that World Series ring.  Still, Mickey Lolich threw a very nice game and he improved to 16-9.  He gave up three runs on three hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson threw two shutout innings to close the game out and he picked up his seventh save of the season.

All six Tigers run came via the long ball.  Jim Northrup belted a pair of two run homers while Al Kaline and Jim Price also went yard with solo homers in the win.

The Tigers continued to roll in a number of ways.  They not only ran up the score on the A’s, but Mickey Lolich threw a shutout and the Tigers cut their magic number down to just two.  Lolich continued to build on his strong second half and he gave up just three hits and two walks with twelve strikeouts in the shutout.

Three different Tigers belted a combined five homers in this one.   Jim Northrup and Bill Freehan both belted a pair.  Freehan finished with four RBIs while Northrup drove in three.  Willie Horton also went yard with his 36th of the season.  He went two for four and his homerun was a solo shot.

Denny McLain needed some ninth inning heroics but the end result was his historic 30th win of the season.  With the A’s up 4-3, the Tigers picked up two runs in the ninth to win it.  Al Kaline came home on a fielder’s choice by Jim Northrup and then Willie Horton singled home Mickey Stanley for the game winner.  McLain improved to 30-5 and he gave up four runs on six hits and one walk with ten strikeouts.

Norm Cash was the hitting star.  He went two for four with a homerun and three RBIs.  The homer was his 21st of the season.

Tigers 3, Athletics 0  (94-54)

You don’t see too many ten hit shutouts but that’s just what Earl Wilson hurled in the Tigers fourth straight win.  He gave up the ten hits along with one walk and he struck out nine en route to his 13th win of the season.

Wilson once again helped out his own cause with a solo homer, his seventh of the season.  Dick McAuliffe hit his sixteenth and Jim Northrup went two for three with a run.

Denny McLain improved to 29-5 and he was now one away from the magical 30 win mark.  He gave up two runs on nine hits and a walk with twelve strikeouts in another complete game.

Jim Northrup doubled twice, scored a run and drove in one.  McLain helped out his own cause with a team high three hits and he tripled, drove in two and scored a run.

The Tigers march towards the American League pennant continued behind a solid start by John Hiller.  He gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson picked up his sixth save of the season with two innings of shutout relief.

Jim Northrup had a big game and he went three for four with a run and an RBI.  Mickey Stanley went one for three with two runs.

Tigers 6, Athletics 3  (88-52)

It looked like the Tigers were going to let this game get away.  Up 2-0 in the eighth inning, Earl Wilson was finally touched up for three runs and the Tigers entered the ninth down by a run.  Fortunately, they stormed back and scored four in the ninth to escape with a win.  The big hit of the inning was a two run single by Jim Northrup that gave the lead back to Detroit.  Earl Wilson helped out his own cause earlier in the game with a solo shot, his sixth homer of the season. 

Wilson threw a solid game he just had the one bad inning.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.  Pat Dobson threw a shutout ninth and he improved to 5-5 on the season.

The Tigers were held to four hits in a shutout loss as the Tigers kicked off their series with the A’s with a pair of games.  Bill Freehan had two of the Tigers hits while Willie Horton was the tough luck hitter at the plate.  He struck out in all four of his at bats.

Mickey Lolich fell to 13-9 with a rough start.  He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

September 2, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Tigers 4, Athletics 3  (87-52)

Bill Freehan belted a tenth inning homerun that proved to be the game winner as the Tigers salvaged a split in their doubleheader with the A’s.  For Freehan, it was his 21st of the season and Jim Northrup pitched in with two singles, a double and an RBI.

Pat Dobson picked up the win after he threw two innings of shutout relief to close out the game.  He improved to 4-5 on the season.  Longtime reliever Roy Face made his Tiger debut in this game.  He gave up a walk, a hit and he struck out one in 2/3 of an inning.

The Tigers entered the final month of their historic and took care of business behind another solid start by Denny McLain.  He improved to 27-5 and he gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.  McLain not only had to contend with a 43 minute rain delay that put off the start of the game, but he also had to deal with a 51 minute delay after the Tigers hit in the bottom of the first inning.

Jim Northrup had a big game and he went three for five with a homerun, three RBIs and two runs.  Mickey Stanley also had three hits to go along with run and RBI while Dick McAuliffe went one for three with two walks and three runs.

The Tigers blew out the Orioles for their third straight win as the two teams kicked off a weekend series.  The Tigers scored three in the second and five in the third to put this game away pretty early.  Earl Wilson not only pitched a good game, but he belted his fifth homerun of the season and he finished with four RBIs.  Jim Northrup went three for five with a double, a run and an RBI.

Wilson improved to 12-11 with a four hitter.  He gave up one run and he walked one and struck out nine in the complete game.

Denny McLain followed up his two consecutive losses with his 26th win as the Tigers took care of the Angels in their series opener.  McLain gave up one run on six hits and two walks with eleven strikeouts in yet another complete game.

Jim Northrup had a big day at the plate. He went three for four with a homerun, three RBIs and two runs.  Bill Freehan hit his 20th homer of the season and Willie Horton went three for four with two runs.

The Tigers blew a four run lead as they dropped their third straight to the Yankees in another doubleheader.  Pat Dobson gave up the first five runs in 5 2/3 innings but it was Daryl Patterson who gave up the final run, and for that he took the loss.  He fell to 2-3 and the inning in question was the sixth in which the Yankees scored five runs.

Al Kaline had a big day at the plate and he went three for five with a double, a run and an RBI.  Dick Tracewski singled twice and he also scored two runs.

August 25, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees 5, Tigers 4  (81-49)

The Yankees finished up a sweep over the Tigers in a series that saw all four games decided by one run.  Mickey Lolich gave up the bulk of the damage and he fell to 12-8. He gave up five runs on three hits and seven walks with three strikeouts in just three innings.

Jim Northrup tripled and drove in a pair of runs.  Tom Matchick went two for four and he scored twice while Mickey Stanley went two for four with a run and an RBI.

The Tigers held on to win a wild one as they finished up a four game sweep over the Angels for their fourth straight win.  Jim Northrup and Norm Cash both hit a pair of homeruns and Northrup had a team high five RBIs.  Bill Freehan and Willie Horton both also went yard in the win.

Pitching was not the name of the game in this one.  Dennis Ribant picked up the win and he improved to 2-1 but he was more in the right place at the right time because he pitched just 2/3 of an inning.  John Hiller pitched a perfect ninth inning and he picked up his second save of the season.

The Tigers won their fifth straight game and once again, it was Denny McLain who pitched the Tigers to victory.  He improved to 14-2 and he gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts in another complete game.

Jim Northrup hit another grand slam and those four RBIs turned out to be the difference in the game.  Norm Cash drove in the other run with a solo shot in the second inning and Denny McLain helped out his own cause with two hits and a run.

The Tigers piled on twelve hits and eight walks to win their third straight game.  Willie Horton led the way and he went two for five with a triple, two runs and two RBIs while Jim Northrup tripled, drove in two and drew two walks.

Mickey Lolich was roughed up and he gave up four runs before he even finished the third inning.  Dennis Ribant picked up the win and he improved to 1-1.  He gave up one unearned run on three hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.  Pat Dobson got the final batter out and he picked up his fourth save of the season.

Jim Northrup put a huge exclamation point as the Tigers finished up their series with the Indians with a blowout win.  Northrup hit not one, but two grand slams and he finished with eight RBIs.  Jim Price hit his first homer of the season and Bill Freehan went two for five with a double, two runs and two RBIs.

Lost in all of the offense was another nice start by Denny McLain.  He gave up three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and the win pushed his record to 13-2 on the season.

The Tigers blew a thirteenth inning lead as they dropped their series opener to the Indians.  Jim Northrup had doubled home Mickey Stanley in the top of the thirteenth inning but Pat Dobson gave up a two run homer in the bottom of the inning and he fell to 2-1.  This was after a solid start by Mickey Lolich, who gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts in nine innings.

The Tigers picked up seven hits and they were all by different hitters.  Norm Cash drew three walks while Dick McAuliffe doubled, drove in a run and drew a walk.

Earl Wilson got it done on the mound for the Tigers as they came back home to take on the Red Sox.  He gave up one run on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in eight innings of work and the win pushed his record to 5-4.  Pat Dobson got into trouble and gave up a pair of hits in the ninth but he struck out two and picked up his second save in as many games.

Jim Northrup played a role in both Tigers runs.  He singled, doubled, drove in one and scored.  Mickey Stanley singled twice and scored the other run for the Tigers.

Mickey Lolich fell to 5-4 on the season despite a solid outing as the Tigers lost to the White Sox in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. 

Bill Freehan was the only Tiger with two hits in the contest.  Don Wert doubled, scored a run and drew a walk.

June 16, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 6, White Sox 1 (41-22)

The Tigers salvaged both a split in their doubleheader with the White Sox as well as their four game series behind another fantastic outing by Denny McLain.  He improved to 11-2 and he gave up one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson got the final five outs and he picked up his first save of the season.

Jim Northrup doubled, singled and drove in a pair.  Dick McAuliffe doubled, drove in two and scored a run in the win.

The Tigers took the rubber game in their five game series with the Red Sox in a game that saw all eight runs come in the first three innings.  The Tigers jumped out to a two run lead in the top of the first, lost the lead in the bottom half of the inning when the Red Sox scored three and then retook the lead for good with three in the third.

All five Tiger runs came via the longball.  Jim Northrup put the Tigers on the board with a two run shot in the first while Norm Cash hit the game winner with a three run blast in the third.

Joe Sparma evened out his record at 5-5.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks with a strikeout and he came an out short of a complete game.  Fred Lasher got the final out and he picked up his fifth save of the season.

The Tigers overcame a three run first inning deficit to top the Red Sox 5-4.  Denny McLain had the tough first inning but he buckled down and improved to 9-1.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits with a strikeout in six innings.  Daryl Patterson was fantastic and he threw three no-hit innings to close the game out and he picked up save number one.

Mickey Stanly hit his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning.  Jim Northrup reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk.

The Tigers almost came back in this one but they fell a run short in their opener against the Red Sox.  Dick McAuliffe had a fantastic game and he went three for four with a homerun and two runs while Jim Northrup went three for five with a pair of RBIs.

Joe Sparma was crusing in this one until he reached the fifth inning.  He gave up all four runs in the frame and he fell to 4-5 on the season.

This time it was the Yankees who came out on top in a one run game as they topped the Tigers in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  The Tigers scored three runs in the sixth inning but then the Yankees finally got to Denny McLain, who gave up single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.  Then in the ninth, Jon Warden gave up what would be the game winner on a close play at the plate that would see Tigers manager Mayo Smith get ejected.

Warden took the loss and while McLain didn’t get the win, he threw a decent enough game.  He gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts in eight innings.

Dick McAuliffe accounted for half of the Tigers’ hits with three singles, a run and an RBI.  Jim Northrup had the only extra base hit with a double.  He also walked and drove in a run.

June 2, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 8, Yankees 1  (30-17)

Mickey Stanley capped off a six run fifth inning with a grand slam as the Tigers salvaged a split with the Yankees in their doubleheader.  Stanley finished the game with two hits while Jim Northrup went two for four with two runs and an RBI.

Lost in all of the offense was a very nice start by John Hiller.  He improved to 3-1 and he gave up just one run on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in the complete game win.

The Tigers overcame a four run first inning deficit to top the Yankees by a single run.  Les Cain was bounced in the first inning after getting just one batter out and he was tagged for four runs on five hits.  Back to back homers by Willie Horton and Norm Cash in the sixth inning tied the game and then Jim Northrup scored on Bill Freehan’s single in the seventh inning for the game winner.

Bill Freehan finished the game with three RBIs while Willie Horton had a team high three hits.  His homerun was his fifteenth of the season and for Cash, it was just his third.

Pat Dobson did a fantastic job after that first inning and he went on to pick up the win.  He did allow one inherited runner to score in the first but after that, he didn’t allow a run in 5 2/3 innings.  Fred Lasher gave up just one hit in three shutout frames and he improved to 3-1.

Bill Freehan had a big day at the plate as the Tigers won their third straight game against the Angels.  He went three for three with two walks, a homerun, two RBIs and three runs.  Jim Northrup drove in three runs on two hits while Dick McAuliffe went two for four with a walk and two runs.

Joe Sparma evened his record to 4-4 on the season.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.  Fred Lasher pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball to close out the game and he picked up his fourth save of the season.

Joe Sparma gave up just three hits in a solid start as the Tigers got back on track with a win against the Senators.  Sparma improved to 3-3 and he gave up three runs on the three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.  Two of three hits he gave up were long balls.

Jim Northrup had the big hit of the game with a grand slam in the ninth inning that broke a 3-3 tie.  He finished three for five and the homer was his sixth of the season.  Dick McAuliffe singled, drew a walk and scored twice in the win.

One of the Senators homers was a two run shot by Frank Howard.  It was his eighth homerun in five games, a mark that set a new major league record.

Earl Wilson had one of his best starts of the season as he gave up just one unearned run in eight innings of work. That lone run didn’t come until the ninth inning and it was Jon Warden who came in to put out the fire.  He struck out one and got all three batters he faced out in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Jim Northrup put the Tigers on the board with a solo homer in the first inning.  Willie Horton went two for three with a walk, a run and an RBI.

Orioles starter Leohnard completely shutout down the Tigers as they managed just a single hit the entire game.  Jim Northrup singled with two outs in the seventh inning and that was it for the Tigers.

Joe Sparma fell to 1-3 with a subpar outing.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in five innings of work.

The Twins turned the tables on the Tigers in a ten inning, 3-2 game that replicated the previous days scores with the sides being switched.  Still, it was a solid game as Jim Northrup drilled a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra frames.  Still, Dennis Ribant gave up a pair of hits which resulted in a tenth inning run as the Tigers took the loss.  Prior to that, John Hiller and Daryl Patterson threw two scoreless innings a piece to keep the Tigers in the game.

Northrup had the big day at the plate.  He went two for three with the solo homer, a walk and he scored both Tigers’ runs.

The Twins turned the tables on the Tigers in a ten inning, 3-2 game that replicated the previous days scores with the sides being switched.  Still, it was a solid game as Jim Northrup drilled a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra frames.  Still, Dennis Ribant gave up a pair of hits which resulted in a tenth inning run as the Tigers took the loss.  Prior to that, John Hiller and Daryl Patterson threw two scoreless innings a piece to keep the Tigers in the game.

Northrup had the big day at the plate.  He went two for three with the solo homer, a walk and he scored both Tigers’ runs.