Seven innings of scoreless relief pitching by Ray Corbin, who allowed only four hits, was rewarded with a victory for the rookie when the Twins defeated the Senators, 5-3. Corbin also squeezed in the tying run in the fourth inning.

With the Senators leading, 3-2, Jim Nettles walked, George Mitterwald doubled and Corbin laid down his bunt to score Nettles. After walks to Cesar Tovar and Steve Braun, a single by Rod Carew drove in Mitterwald. Tovar tallied the last run after a walk to Harmon Killebrew when Leo Cardenas grounded into a forceout. [The Sporting News]



Minnesota Twins 5, Washington Senators 3
Game Played on Saturday, July      17, 1971 (Night game) at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Twins        0  0  2    3  0  0    0  0  0  -   5  7  0
Senators     1  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  2


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tovar rf              3   2   1   1     1   0   .294      Nelson 3b             5   2   3   1     0   2   .328
Braun 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .251      Randle 2b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .236
Carew 2b              5   0   2   2     0   0   .285      Howard 1b             3   0   0   0     2   1   .294
Killebrew 1b          3   0   0   1     2   0   .261      Billings lf,c         3   0   1   1     1   1   .247
Cardenas ss           5   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Maddox cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .179
Alyea lf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .191      Casanova c            2   0   1   0     1   0   .206
  Holt lf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .258        Grzenda p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Nettles cf            3   1   1   0     1   0   .349        Allen ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .248
Mitterwald c          4   1   2   0     0   0   .241        Lindblad p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Kaat p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .231      Unser rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .271
  Haydel p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Harrah ss             4   1   2   0     0   0   .240
  Thomas ph           0   1   0   0     1   0   .125      Shellenback p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .150
  Corbin p            1   0   1   1     0   0   .231        Pina p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Riddleberger p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cox p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
                                                            McCraw ph,lf        2   0   0   0     0   0   .230

Totals               31   5   7   5     6   2             Totals               34   3   9   3     4   5

Time of Game: 2:46   Attendance:  7,124
Left on Base: Twins 9, Senators 9
DP: Twins 1, Senators 2
Errors: Randle, Casanova
Doubles: Mitterwald (5), Nelson 2 (2), Maddox (5)
Stolen Bases: Tovar (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Corbin 2 (4), Tovar (6), Shellenback (1)
GIDP: Cardenas (8), Braun (4), Maddox (5)
Hit by Pitch: Braun (5,by Shellenback)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat                    1.2   5   3   3   3   1   0  13   3.62
Haydel                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.40
Corbin W(7-6)           7     4   0   0   1   4   0  25   3.14
Totals                  9     9   3   3   4   5   0  39

Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Shellenback L(3-6)      3.1   3   4   3   3   1   0  17   3.71
Pina                    0.1   0   1   0   1   0   0   3   3.35
Riddleberger            0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.60
Cox                     2.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   9   3.03
Grzenda                 2     2   0   0   1   0   0   8   1.31
Lindblad                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.78
Totals                  9     7   5   3   6   2   0  41

Hit by Pitch: Shellenback (3)

Umpires: HP - Hank Soar, 1B - Larry Barnett, 2B - Merle Anthony, 3B - George Maloney


TWINS 1ST: Tovar grounded out (second to first); Braun grounded
out (second to first); On a bunt Carew singled to third;
Killebrew walked [Carew to second]; Cardenas flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 1ST: Nelson doubled; Randle flied out to center [Nelson
to third]; Howard was walked intentionally; Billings struck out;
Maddox doubled to center [Nelson scored, Howard to third];
Casanova was walked intentionally; Unser grounded out (pitcher
to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Twins 0, Senators 1.

TWINS 2ND: Alyea flied out to center; Nettles grounded out
(third to first); Mitterwald grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Senators 1.

SENATORS 2ND: Harrah singled to right; Shellenback out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Harrah to second]; Nelson
doubled to left [Harrah scored]; Randle flied out to left;
Howard was walked intentionally; Billings singled to right
[Nelson scored, Howard to second]; HAYDEL REPLACED KAAT
(PITCHING); Maddox flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 0, Senators 3.

TWINS 3RD: THOMAS BATTED FOR HAYDEL; Thomas walked; Tovar
singled to center [Thomas to third]; Braun was hit by a pitch
[Tovar to second]; Carew reached on an error by Randle [Thomas
scored (RBI), Tovar to third, Braun to second, Carew to first];
Killebrew popped to second in foul territory [Tovar scored,
Braun to third]; Cardenas grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [Carew out at second]; 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Twins 2, Senators 3.

SENATORS 3RD: CORBIN REPLACED THOMAS (PITCHING); Casanova flied
out to center; Unser grounded out (first unassisted); Harrah
singled to center; Shellenback grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Senators 3.

TWINS 4TH: Alyea struck out; Nettles walked; Mitterwald doubled
[Nettles to third]; PINA REPLACED SHELLENBACK (PITCHING); Corbin
reached on an error by Casanova on a sacrifice bunt [Nettles
scored (RBI), Mitterwald to third, Corbin to first]; Tovar
forced Corbin (second to shortstop) [Mitterwald scored
(unearned)]; Tovar stole second; Braun walked; RIDDLEBERGER
REPLACED PINA (PITCHING); Carew singled to left [Tovar scored
(unearned), Braun to second]; COX REPLACED RIDDLEBERGER
(PITCHING); Killebrew walked [Braun to third, Carew to second];
Cardenas forced Killebrew (shortstop to second); 3 R (1 ER), 2
H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 4TH: Nelson struck out; Don Mincher ejected by HP
umpire Hank Soar; Mincher was standing at the fence in the CF
bullpen and the Twins thought he was stealing signs; Soar
motioned for Mincher to move and Mincher motioned back from 410
feet away; Randle flied out to left; Howard struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

TWINS 5TH: Alyea struck out; Nettles grounded out (first to
pitcher); Mitterwald flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 5TH: Billings walked; Maddox grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Billings out at second];
Casanova singled to center; Unser grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

TWINS 6TH: Corbin singled to pitcher; Tovar out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Corbin to second]; Braun flied out to
left; Carew grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 6TH: Harrah popped to first in foul territory; MCCRAW
BATTED FOR COX; McCraw grounded out (second to first); Nelson
singled to center; Randle struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 5, Senators 3.

TWINS 7TH: GRZENDA REPLACED CASANOVA (PITCHING); BILLINGS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); MCCRAW STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
LF); Killebrew grounded out (second to first); Cardenas grounded
out (third to first); Alyea grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 7TH: HOLT REPLACED ALYEA (PLAYING LF); Howard popped to
first; Billings popped to shortstop; Maddox grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

TWINS 8TH: Nettles singled to right; Mitterwald singled to left
[Nettles to second]; Corbin out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Nettles to third, Mitterwald to second]; Tovar was
walked intentionally; Braun grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Tovar out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 8TH: ALLEN BATTED FOR GRZENDA; Allen singled to right;
Unser grounded out (first unassisted) [Allen to second]; Harrah
flied out to center; McCraw grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 5, Senators 3.

TWINS 9TH: LINDBLAD REPLACED ALLEN (PITCHING); Carew popped to
shortstop; Killebrew grounded out (third to first); Cardenas
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins
5, Senators 3.

SENATORS 9TH: Nelson struck out; Randle grounded out (third to
first); Howard popped to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins
5, Senators 3.