An error by Tony Oliva, who dropped a short fly in right field with two out, allowed the Senators to score the last run in their ninth-inning rally to defeat the Twins, 6-5. Bert Blyleven, pitching for the Twins with a 5-2 lead, retired the first two batters in the ninth, but then was kayoed when Tommy McCraw tripled, Bernie Allen singled and Paul Casanova homered to tie the score. Toby Harrah singled to greet Ray Corbin, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Oliva muffed a fly by Dick Billings. [The Sporting News]



Washington Senators 6, Minnesota Twins 5
Game Played on Friday, May       7, 1971 (Night game) at Metropolitan Stadium
Senators     0  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  4  -   6 11  3
Twins        0  4  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   5 10  1


Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Unser cf              4   0   2   1     1   1   .319      Tovar cf,lf           4   0   0   0     1   0   .294
Cullen 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Carew 2b              5   0   0   0     0   0   .233
  Foy ph,2b           1   0   0   0     1   0   .233      Oliva rf              5   1   2   1     0   0   .376
Epstein 1b            5   0   1   0     0   1   .247      Alyea lf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .341
Howard lf             3   0   1   0     1   1   .274        Holt cf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .279
McCraw rf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .286      Braun 3b              1   1   1   0     1   0   .333
Allen 3b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .270        Renick 3b           2   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Casanova c            4   1   1   2     0   0   .283      Reese 1b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .175
Harrah ss             4   3   3   0     0   0   .197        Powell ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .185
Cox p                 0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cardenas ss           3   1   2   2     2   0   .255
  Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Mitterwald c          3   0   1   0     2   0   .209
  Scheinblum ph       0   0   0   0     1   0   .154      Blyleven p            4   0   1   1     0   2   .167
  Shellenback p       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Corbin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Gogolewski p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Perranoski p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Maddox ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .179
  Riddleberger p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Billings ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   6  11   5     4   3             Totals               37   5  10   5     6   4

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance:  7,646
Left on Base: Senators 6, Twins 12
DP: Senators 2, Twins 4
Errors: Epstein, Allen, Casanova, Oliva
Doubles: Cardenas 2 (7)
Triples: McCraw (2)
Home Runs: Casanova (1), Oliva (8)
GIDP: McCraw 2 (2), Foy (3), Howard (6), Carew (7), Reese (3)
Hit by Pitch: Braun (4,by Shellenback)


Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cox                     1.2   4   4   4   2   0   0  10   3.38
Grzenda                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.93
Shellenback             2.2   3   1   1   2   1   1  13   4.56
Gogolewski              2.1   2   0   0   2   2   0  11   3.38
Riddleberger W(1-0)     1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   7.88
Knowles SV(2)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   5   3.52
Totals                  9    10   5   5   6   4   1  44

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven                8.2  10   5   5   2   3   1  34   2.63
Corbin L(2-1)           0     1   1   0   2   0   0   4   0.90
Perranoski              0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.40
Totals                  9    11   6   5   4   3   1  39

Hit by Pitch: Shellenback (1)
Wild Pitches: Blyleven (1), Corbin 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Frank Umont, 1B - Lou DiMuro, 2B - Bill Haller, 3B - Jake O'Donnell


SENATORS 1ST: Unser was called out on strikes; Cullen grounded
out (pitcher to first); Epstein struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Senators 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Tovar walked; Carew grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Tovar out at second]; Oliva grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Twins 0.

SENATORS 2ND: Howard walked; McCraw grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Howard out at second]; Allen
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Alyea singled to center; Braun walked [Alyea to
second]; Reese singled to center [Braun to second, Alyea
scored]; Cardenas doubled [Reese scored, Braun scored];
Mitterwald flied out to right; Blyleven singled to center
[Cardenas scored]; Blyleven was picked off first but was safe on
an error by Casanova [Blyleven to second]; Tovar flied out to
center; GRZENDA REPLACED COX (PITCHING); Carew reached on an
error by Epstein [Blyleven to third]; Oliva grounded out (second
to first); 4 R, 4 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 0, Twins 4.

SENATORS 3RD: Casanova popped to first in foul territory; Harrah
singled to third; SCHEINBLUM BATTED FOR GRZENDA; Scheinblum
walked [Harrah to second]; Unser singled to right [Scheinblum to
third, Harrah scored]; Cullen popped to shortstop; Epstein flied
out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 4.

TWINS 3RD: SHELLENBACK REPLACED SCHEINBLUM (PITCHING); Alyea
grounded out (shortstop to first); Braun singled to left; Reese
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Braun out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 1, Twins
4.

SENATORS 4TH: Howard struck out; McCraw grounded out (second to
first); Allen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 4.

TWINS 4TH: Cardenas walked; Mitterwald singled to left [Cardenas
to second]; Blyleven struck out; Tovar grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Mitterwald to second, Cardenas to third]; Carew
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators
1, Twins 4.

SENATORS 5TH: Casanova grounded out (third to first); Harrah
grounded out (second to first); Shellenback grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 4.

TWINS 5TH: Oliva homered; Alyea flied out to center; Braun was
hit by a pitch; Reese forced Braun (pitcher to shortstop);
Cardenas walked [Reese to second]; GOGOLEWSKI REPLACED
SHELLENBACK (PITCHING); Mitterwald walked [Reese to third,
Cardenas to second]; Blyleven struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Senators 1, Twins 5.

SENATORS 6TH: RENICK REPLACED BRAUN (PLAYING 3B); Unser popped
to shortstop; Cullen popped to third in foul territory; Epstein
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 1, Twins 5.

TWINS 6TH: Tovar flied out to right; Carew grounded out (second
to first); Oliva singled to left; Alyea struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 5.

SENATORS 7TH: HOLT REPLACED ALYEA (PLAYING CF); TOVAR CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Howard singled to left; McCraw grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Howard out at
second]; Allen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 5.

TWINS 7TH: Renick singled to right; Reese flied out to center;
Cardenas grounded out (shortstop to first) [Renick to second];
Mitterwald was walked intentionally; Blyleven grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 1, Twins 5.

SENATORS 8TH: Casanova flied out to center; Harrah singled to
center; MADDOX BATTED FOR GOGOLEWSKI; Blyleven threw a wild
pitch [Harrah to second]; Maddox singled to left [Harrah
scored]; Unser singled to left [Maddox to second]; FOY BATTED
FOR CULLEN; Foy grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Unser out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Senators
2, Twins 5.

TWINS 8TH: FOY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); RIDDLEBERGER
REPLACED MADDOX (PITCHING); Tovar flied out to left; Carew flied
out to left; Oliva flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Senators 2, Twins 5.

SENATORS 9TH: Epstein singled to center; Howard grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Epstein out at
second]; McCraw tripled to right; Allen singled to center
[McCraw scored]; Casanova homered [Allen scored]; CORBIN
REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PITCHING); Harrah singled to shortstop;
BILLINGS BATTED FOR RIDDLEBERGER; Corbin threw a wild pitch
[Harrah to second]; Billings reached on an error by Oliva
[Harrah scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Unser was walked
intentionally [Billings to second]; Corbin threw a wild pitch
[Unser to second, Billings to third]; Foy walked; PERRANOSKI
REPLACED CORBIN (PITCHING); Epstein flied out to left; 4 R (3
ER), 5 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Senators 6, Twins 5.

TWINS 9TH: KNOWLES REPLACED BILLINGS (PITCHING); Holt grounded
out (second to first); Renick reached on an error by Allen;
POWELL BATTED FOR REESE; Powell struck out; Cardenas doubled to
right [Renick to third]; Mitterwald popped to shortstop in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Senators 6, Twins 5.