Killebrew Gets Game-Winning Hit in Twins Victory over Angels

May 11, 1965 - Harmon Killebrew, noted for his home run stroke, settled happily for a ninth-inning single off pitcher Dean Chance’s leg today for the Twins’ 3-2 decision over the Los Angeles Angels at Metropolitan Stadium. The victory increased Minnesota’s American League lead to one game.

It was 2-2 in the ninth, with Chance seeking his fourth straight triumph. He had allowed home runs by Jerry Kindall and Tony Oliva as the Twins’ only hits through eight innings.

Then Kindall drew a walk to open the ninth, delighting 12,506 fans. Speedy Cesar Tovar ran for Kindall.

Oliva ripped a double to the right-field screen, but Tovar was out at the plate attempting to score from first. The play went from right fielder Albie Pearson to relay man Jim Fregosi to catcher Bob Rodgers.

“It was one of the darnedest plays I’ve ever seen,” said Minnesota manager Sam Mele. “The only way Tovar could have been thrown out was a perfect play like that. Fregosi makes them so often against us that nothing he does now would surprise me.

“But Billy [Martin] made the right play, sending Tovar in. I’ll back him on that all the way.”Martin looked at this way: “When I saw the throw miss the cutoff man, I sent Tovar in. I’d do it again 99 times out of 100 and score a run 99 times.”

Oliva, however, had taken third on the throw to the plate, putting the winning run 90 feet from home with one out.

This called for a summit conference between manager Bill Rigney of the Angels, Chance, and catcher Rodgers. The question was whether to walk Killebrew an maybe Jimmie Hall to fill the bases for a force at any base.

“I went to the mound to settle my pitcher a little,” Rigney explained. “I didn’t figure to walk Killebrew because Dean struck him out twice earlier, but we might have walked Hall if we got by Killebrew.”

Killebrew said, “I didn’t think they’d walk me because Chance was getting me out all night.”

The first pitch was a slow curve, which Killebrew swung out in front of for strike one. The next was a fastball, and Killebrew returned it to the mound just as fast. Chance knocked it down in front of him, but by the time he retrieved the ball, Oliva was home ahead of Dean’s underhand toss to the plate.

“I knew the runner was going in from third,” said Chance. “I tried to make the play at home, but I just couldn't get anything on the throw.”

For Rigney, it appeared to be one of the toughest losses of his managerial career.

“Tough loss? That’s the understatement of the year!” snapped Rigney. “The play that killed us was the walk to Kindall to open the ninth. That gave them a chance they should never have had.”

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