The Twins struck first in the top of the first as Zoilo Versalles dumped a base hit to left to start. Cesar Tovar flied out to center but Harmon Killebrew walked. Tony Oliva singled home Versalles to give the Twins the lead. Bob Allison lashed a base hit to left to load the bases and Sox manager Dick Williams came out to tell Santiago to pick up the pace or he was bringing in Gary Bell. Santiago responded by getting the biggest out of the game when he got Rod Carew to hit a line drive right to Jerry Adair. Ted Uhlaender grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were lucky to only be down 1-0.
Kaat got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Andrews led off with a base hit to left. Jerry Adair banged into a double play but Carl Yastrzemski lined a base hit into the right field corner. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson took a nasty curve for a strike three to end the inning.
Santiago cruised in the top of the second as Jerry Zimmermann popped up to first to start. Kaat grounded out to second and Versalles grounded out to short to end the inning. George Scott led off the bottom of the second by lining a base hit up the middle but Rico Petrocelli popped up to right. Reggie Smith struck out swinging on a foul tip into the mitt before Russ Gibson took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning.
Tovar led off the top of the third by popping up to Scott to start. Killebrew doubled off the Monster but Santiago struck out Oliva. Allison whiffed on a curveball to end the inning. The Sox caught a break in the bottom of the third although Santiago struck out to start. All of a sudden during the at-bat against Mike Andrews, Kaat started shaking his arm and motioned toward the dugout. Kaat shockingly left the game and later told reporters he felt something "pop" in his elbow. Jim Perry came in and Andrews walked before moving to second on the Adair grounder. Yaz whiffed to end the inning but Kaat was gone.
Carew damn near beat out a grounder to Scott to begin the top of the fourth but Uhlaender took advantage of Harrelson and Smith nearly colliding to reach third on a triple. Santiago stepped up to strike out Zimmerman and get Perry to fly out to center to end the inning. Harrelson whiffed to start the bottom of the fourth then Scott grounded out to second. Petrocelli popped up to Killebrew in foul territory to end the inning.
Santiago cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Versalles struck out swinging to start. Tovar grounded out to third and Killebrew struck out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Smith doubled off the Monster to start and Dalton Jones pinch hit for Gibson. Jones hit a routine grounder to Carew but it took a bad hop that ate up Rod, allowing Jones to reach first and Smith third. Santiago watched strike three go by before Andrews took strike three as well. Adair tied the game with a bloop singled to score Smith and advance Jones to third. Who else but Yaz hit a liner that Killebrew dove and missed that Carew corralled. Killebrew didn't get to first in time and Yaz was credited with an rbi single, Dalton scoring the go-ahead run. Harrelson popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning but Boston surged ahead 2-1.
Elston Howard took over behind the plate with Jose Tartabull in right to start the top of the sixth inning. Oliva popped up to third in foul territory but Allison drew a walk. Carew struck out but Uhlaender singled to left. Rich Reese pinch hit for Zimmerman and hit a roller into left to score Allison with the tying run. Frank Kostro pinch hit for Perry and walked to load the bases. Versalles popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2/
Old friend Russ Nixon took over behind the plate with Ron Kline now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Scott then blasted his 19th home run of the season to dead center to put the Sox back in front. Petrocelli popped up to Tovar, Smith flied out to deep to center and Tartabull struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Santiago returned for the top of the seventh and Smith made a running grab on a Tover liner to start. Killebrew swung at air and Oliva grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh although Santiago grounded out to short to start. Andrews check swing singled and Adair hit a picture perfect double play ball to Kline. Kline threw to Versalles who dropped the ball for this 30th error of the season. Jim Merritt came in to face Yaz and Carl responded by clobbering his 44th home run of the season to ice the game. Howard flied out to the left field warning track and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.
Santiago returned briefly for the top of the eighth only to walk Allison. Sox manager Dick Williams took no chances and told Jose to hit the showers. He held the 1965 AL champs to 2 runs in 7 innings. Gary Bell came in and Carew flied out to right before Uhlaender forced Allison at second. Nixon lined out to a running Yaz to end the inning.
Petrocelli walked to open the bottom of the eighth but Smith beat out a double play ball. Tartabull flied out to deep right and Smith tagged up, advancing to second. Bell grounded out to second to end the inning.
Bell came back to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Rich Rollins pinch hit for Merritt to start. Rollins grounded out to third and Versalles popped up to right to put the Sox one out away from victory. Things got hairy when Tovar doubled down the left field line and Killebrew crushed his 44th home run of the season into the screen. Oliva then hit a bullet....right to Adair for the final out! The Sox had won it 6-2 to set up tomorrow's showdown.
Hero of the Night is Carl Yastrzemski. He hit the backbreaking 3 run bomb and drove in 4 total runs to guide the Sox to victory.
The Good:
Mike Andrews was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
George Scott was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Dalton Jones singled and scored as a pinch hitter.
Jose Santiago got the win by tossing 7 innings of one run ball.
The Bad:
Ken Harrelson was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Elston Howard was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Russ Gibson was 0 for 1.
Jose Tartabull was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Gary Bell allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.
The Ugly:
Jerry Adair was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Rico Petrocelli was 0 for 3 but walked.
Reggie Smith was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
What an unbelievable season this has been. From Dick Williams saying they'll win more than they lose in Spring Training to Billy Rohr's 1 hitter to Tony Conigliaro getting hurt to the 10 game win streak, this has been a roller coaster of a season. Just the fact the Sox are one win away from being American League Champions means win or lose, its been a hell of a year. Who would have thought that last year's champs, the Orioles, would fall off a cliff? Who would have thought Eddie Stanky's White Sox would fade in September? Who would have thought Jim Kaat would hurt his elbow and leave today's game? All that remains between the Sox and the World Series is a win tomorrow. Carl Yastrzemski has a legit shot at the triple crown, Jim Lonborg has a legit shot at the Cy Young award and the Sox are win away from the pennant. The win improved the Sox to 91-70, tied with the Twins for first place in the American League. Tomorrow its winner take all as Jim Lonborg (21-9) takes on Twins ace Dean Chance for the American League pennant.
