An error on a play at the plate in the 11th inning enabled the Athletics to open the defense of their West division title with a 4-3 victory over the Twins before a crowd of only 9,912. Danny Thompson, Harmon Killebrew and Bobby Darwin hit homers to account for the Twins' runs. After Thompson's sock in the first inning, Sal Bando singled and Dave Duncan homered for the A's in the fifth. Killebrew tied the score with his smash in the seventh, but the A's went ahead again in their half on a walk to Mike Epstein, a stolen base by pinch-runner Blue Moon Odom and single by Duncan.

Ken Holtzman, who started for the A's, yielded the mound to Rollie Fingers in the ninth and, with two out, Darwin sent the game into overtime with his homer. Joe Rudi opened the 11th for the A's with a double and went to third on a sacrifice by Reggie Jackson. After the Twins walked Bando intentionally, pinch-hitter Gene Tenace smashed a hot grounder to Eric Soderholm, who knocked the ball down and, with no chance for a double play, threw quickly to the plate. Rudi barreled into George Mitterwald and was safe when the catcher was unable to hold the ball. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 4, Minnesota Twins 3
Game Played on Saturday, April     15, 1972 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Twins        1  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  -   3  5  1
A's          0  0  0    0  2  0    1  0  0    0  1  -   4  8  2


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tovar rf              5   0   2   0     0   1   .400      Campaneris ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
Thompson ss           4   1   1   1     0   0   .250      Rudi lf               5   1   1   0     0   0   .200
Carew 2b              4   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Jackson rf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Killebrew 1b          5   1   1   1     0   1   .200      Bando 3b              4   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Darwin cf             5   1   1   1     0   0   .200      Epstein 1b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Brye lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Odom pr             0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Soderholm 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hegan 1b            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Roof c                3   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Tenace ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Brooks cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  LaRoche p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Duncan c              4   1   2   2     0   1   .500
Blyleven p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Green 2b              4   0   2   1     0   0   .500
  Mitterwald c        2   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Holtzman p            2   0   1   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Alyea ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   3   5   3     1   7             Totals               34   4   8   3     4   4

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance:  9,912
Left on Base: Twins 5, A's 6
DP: Twins 2, A's 0
Errors: Mitterwald, Campaneris, Brooks
Doubles: Rudi (1)
Home Runs: Thompson (1), Killebrew (1), Darwin (1), Duncan (1)
Stolen Bases: Brye (1), Odom (1)
Caught Stealing: Brooks (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Thompson (1), Campaneris (1), Holtzman (1), Jackson (1)
GIDP: Holtzman (1), Rudi (1)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven                6     5   2   2   1   1   1  22   3.00
Granger                 1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   9.00
LaRoche L(0-1)          3.1   1   1   0   2   2   0  13   0.00
Totals                 10.1   8   4   3   4   4   1  41

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Holtzman                8     3   2   2   0   4   2  29   2.25
Fingers                 2     1   1   1   0   3   1   7   4.50
Locker W(1-0)           1     1   0   0   1   0   0   5   0.00
Totals                 11     5   3   3   1   7   3  41

Umpires: HP - John Rice, 1B - Marty Springstead, 2B - Russ Goetz, 3B - Hank Morgenweck


TWINS 1ST: Tovar flied out to left; Thompson homered; Carew
flied out to left; Killebrew grounded out (third to first); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris flied out to left; Rudi grounded out
(third to first); Jackson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

TWINS 2ND: Darwin made an out to second; Brye grounded out
(first unassisted); Soderholm made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Bando made an out to shortstop; Epstein grounded
out (shortstop to first); Brooks flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

TWINS 3RD: Roof struck out; Blyleven grounded out (pitcher to
first); On a bunt Tovar singled; Thompson grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Duncan made an out to second; Green singled;
Holtzman grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Green out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1,
Athletics 0.

TWINS 4TH: Carew grounded out (second to first); Killebrew flied
out to left; Darwin grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Campaneris singled; Rudi grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Campaneris out at second];
Jackson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins
1, Athletics 0.

TWINS 5TH: Brye reached on an error by Brooks [Brye to second];
Soderholm grounded out (shortstop to first); Roof flied out to
center; Blyleven struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Bando singled; Epstein flied out to left; Brooks
flied out to center; Duncan homered [Bando scored]; Green flied
out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 2.

TWINS 6TH: Tovar struck out; Thompson made an out to second;
Carew grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Holtzman singled; Campaneris out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Holtzman to second]; Rudi flied out to
left; Jackson was walked intentionally; Bando flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 1, Athletics 2.

TWINS 7TH: Killebrew homered; Darwin flied out to center; Brye
reached on an error by Campaneris; Brye stole second; Soderholm
flied out to right; Roof struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: GRANGER REPLACED ROOF (PITCHING); MITTERWALD
REPLACED BLYLEVEN (PLAYING C ); Epstein walked; ODOM RAN FOR
EPSTEIN; On a bunt Brooks made an out to catcher; Odom stole
second; Duncan singled [Odom to third]; Green singled [Duncan to
second, Odom scored]; Holtzman out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher
to second) [Duncan to third, Green to second]; Campaneris struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 2, Athletics 3.

TWINS 8TH: HEGAN REPLACED ODOM (PLAYING 1B); Mitterwald flied
out to right; Tovar made an out to shortstop; Thompson grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2,
Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 8TH: LAROCHE REPLACED GRANGER (PITCHING); Rudi popped
to catcher (catcher to third); Jackson grounded out (second to
first); Bando made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 2, Athletics 3.

TWINS 9TH: FINGERS REPLACED HOLTZMAN (PITCHING); Carew grounded
out (first to pitcher); Killebrew was called out on strikes;
Darwin homered; Brye struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3,
Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Hegan struck out; Brooks walked; Brooks was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Duncan was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 3.

TWINS 10TH: Soderholm flied out to center; LaRoche was called
out on strikes; Mitterwald grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 10TH: Green grounded out (second to first); ALYEA
BATTED FOR FINGERS; Alyea flied out to left; Campaneris flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 3.

TWINS 11TH: LOCKER REPLACED ALYEA (PITCHING); Tovar singled;
Thompson out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Tovar to
second]; Carew was walked intentionally; Killebrew popped to
first in foul territory; Darwin grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 11TH: Rudi doubled; Jackson out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Rudi to third]; Bando was walked
intentionally; TENACE BATTED FOR HEGAN; Tenace reached on a
fielder's choice [Rudi scored (error by Mitterwald) (unearned)
(no RBI), Bando to second]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
3, Athletics 4.