The batting combination of Matty Alou and Sal Bando accounted for the winning run in each half of a twi-night doubleheader as the Athletics defeated the Twins in a pair of overtime games, 1-0 and 2-1. As a result of the sweep and the White Sox' loss to the Indians, the A's magic number for clinching the West Division title was reduced to one.

In the opener, Alou doubled in the 11th inning and scored with one out on a double by Bando. In the nightcap, the Twins counted their lone run in the fifth inning on singles by Rich Reese, Danny Thompson and Glenn Borgmann. The A's pulled even in the seventh when Catfish Hunter, Alou and Bert Campaneris singled. Alou then singled in the 10th, moved up on a sacrifice by Campaneris and scored the winning run on a single by Bando. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 1, Minnesota Twins 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, September 27, 1972 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Twins        0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   0  9  0
A's          0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  -   1  7  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Tovar lf              4   0   1   0     1   0   .263      Alou rf               5   1   2   0     0   1   .308
Carew 2b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .320      Campaneris ss         5   0   1   0     0   1   .243
Killebrew 1b          4   0   1   0     0   1   .231      Bando 3b              5   0   1   1     0   1   .235
  Reese pr,1b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .225      Rudi lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .310
Darwin rf             5   0   1   0     0   3   .266      Jackson cf            4   0   0   0     0   2   .262
Mitterwald c          4   0   1   0     1   0   .192      Epstein 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .271
Brye cf               3   0   2   0     0   0   .238      Tenace c              3   0   1   0     0   1   .216
  Braun ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .288        Lewis pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Soderholm ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .187        Duncan c            1   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Nettles cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .207      Maxvill 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Thompson ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .267        McNulty ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Renick 3b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .179        Kubiak 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .201
Blyleven p            4   0   0   0     0   0   .146        Marquez ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .400
                                                            Cullen 2b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
                                                            Mincher ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .219
                                                            Odom pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .127
                                                            Green 2b            1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
                                                          Holtzman p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .182
                                                            Hegan ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .315
                                                            Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .278
                                                            Knowles p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Locker p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40   0   9   0     2   6             Totals               37   1   7   1     2   9

Time of Game: 2:44
Left on Base: Twins 9, A's 7
DP: Twins 0, A's 2
Doubles: Tovar (19), Rudi (31), Alou (4)
Stolen Bases: Odom (4), Campaneris (45)
Caught Stealing: Lewis (1)
GIDP: Blyleven (1)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven L(15-17)      10.1   7   1   1   2   9   0  39   2.76
Totals                 10.1   7   1   1   2   9   0  39

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Holtzman                8     7   0   0   0   3   0  29   2.56
Fingers                 0.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.52
Knowles                 1.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   7   1.37
Locker W(6-1)           1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.13
Totals                 11     9   0   0   2   6   0  42

Umpires: HP - Jerry Neudecker, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Red Flaherty, 3B - Bill Haller


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

ATHLETICS 1ST: Alou was called out on strikes; Campaneris was
called out on strikes; Bando flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 2ND: Darwin singled to shortstop; Mitterwald forced Darwin
(shortstop to second); Brye lined into a double play (first
unassisted) [Mitterwald out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Rudi popped to catcher in foul territory; Jackson
lined to center; Epstein flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 3RD: Thompson singled to pitcher; Renick singled to left
[Thompson to second]; On a bunt Blyleven grounded into a double
play (first to shortstop to second) [Renick to second, Thompson
out at third]; Tovar flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Tenace popped to catcher in foul territory;
MCNULTY BATTED FOR MAXVILL; McNulty grounded out (third to
first); Holtzman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

TWINS 4TH: KUBIAK REPLACED MCNULTY (PLAYING 2B); Carew struck
out; Killebrew grounded out (pitcher to first); Darwin flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Alou singled to center; Campaneris flied out to
center; Bando flied out to center; Rudi forced Alou (second
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 5TH: Mitterwald singled to right; Brye singled [Mitterwald
to third]; Thompson reached on a fielder's choice [Mitterwald
out at home (pitcher to catcher), Brye to second]; Renick forced
Brye (catcher to third) [Thompson to third (on throw), Renick to
second]; Blyleven grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Jackson flied out to left; Epstein lined to
second; Tenace struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

TWINS 6TH: Tovar flied out to right; Carew grounded out (pitcher
to first); Killebrew struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 6TH: MARQUEZ BATTED FOR KUBIAK; Marquez struck out;
Holtzman flied out to center; Alou lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 7TH: CULLEN REPLACED MARQUEZ (PLAYING 2B); Darwin struck
out; Mitterwald grounded out (third to first); Brye singled to
right; Thompson forced Brye (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Campaneris grounded out (third to first); Bando
grounded out (third to first); Rudi doubled to left; Jackson
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 8TH: Renick grounded out (shortstop to first); Blyleven
grounded out (second to first); Tovar doubled to right; Carew
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Epstein struck out; Tenace singled to left; LEWIS
RAN FOR TENACE; MINCHER BATTED FOR CULLEN; Lewis was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Mincher walked; ODOM RAN
FOR MINCHER; Odom stole second; HEGAN BATTED FOR HOLTZMAN; Hegan
walked; Alou grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 9TH: DUNCAN REPLACED LEWIS (PLAYING C ); GREEN REPLACED
ODOM (PLAYING 2B); FINGERS REPLACED HEGAN (PITCHING); Killebrew
singled to left; REESE RAN FOR KILLEBREW; Darwin struck out;
Mitterwald walked [Reese to second]; BRAUN BATTED FOR BRYE;
KNOWLES REPLACED FINGERS (PITCHING); SODERHOLM BATTED FOR BRAUN;
Soderholm flied out to left; Thompson grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 9TH: REESE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); NETTLES
REPLACED SODERHOLM (PLAYING CF); Campaneris singled to third;
Campaneris stole second; Bando struck out; Rudi made an out to
first; Jackson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 10TH: Renick singled to center; Blyleven forced Renick
(catcher to shortstop); Tovar walked [Blyleven to second]; Carew
grounded out (first unassisted) [Tovar to second, Blyleven to
third]; Reese struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 10TH: Epstein grounded out (third to first); Duncan
flied out to left; Green singled to shortstop; Knowles flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 11TH: LOCKER REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Darwin struck
out; Mitterwald grounded out (shortstop to first); Nettles
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 11TH: Alou doubled to left; Campaneris lined to first;
Bando singled to left [Alou scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 0, Athletics 1.