Sens Shut Down Tigers to Take Series

Washington, hoping to avoid the cellar under tough talking manager Ted Williams, takes two of three from the Tigers to win the first series of 1970 vs. the aging tabbies at RFK Stadium.

The series didn't start out well for the Senators. Tiger great Mickey Lolich pitched a four hit, complete game. The Senators didn't get their first hit of the season -- or off Lolich -- until the sixth inning, as Williams found their bats totally useless against lefty starters. The Tigers' Jim Northrup had a day, going four to four with two homers off Washington starter Dick Bosman. Freehan and Horton also homered in the 9-2 Tigers win.

But Washington didn't go quietly in the series. In Game Two, it was the Tigers' Earl Wilson who was hammered for five runs in six innings. Del Unser stroked a two run shot for the Sens, and singing star Lee Maye (who also led a double life as doo wop singer with Arther Lee Maye and the Crowns) stroked three singles and knocked in two. Newly anointed starter Casey Cox, a former reliever, showed worthy of the task with seven innings of three hit ball in the 6-2 Senators win.

Game Three was closer but still favored the Senators. Detroit's Joe Niekro seemed to be cruising, ahead 3-0 in the top of the seventh, as the Tigers had knocked out Washington starter George Brunet after six.  But Niekro proceeded to give up back to back homers to big Frank Howard and Mike Epstein and departed for the showers. Tigers reliever Tom Timmermann was ineffective in the eighth, as the Sens battled for two more, the main blows a clutch RBI
single from future Tiger Eddie Brinkman. Mexico's finest, Horacio Pina, picked up the save in the ninth for the 4-3 Sens win.