May 20, 1964 - The much-discussed home run power of the Minnesota Twins showed up only in the first and 13th innings of last night’s 7-2 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium, but the real hero of the occasion was entirely unheralded: a 21-year-old pitcher named Jim Roland.
Roland pitched the first 12 innings and thoroughly earned the credit for the victory that Bill Pleis nailed down for him in the 13th. The tall young southpaw, who already has an impressive record and an exciting future, allowed only seven hits, struck out eight, and pitched his best under pressure.
With perfect fielding support, he might have had a shutout, since both of the extra-base hits that knocked in the Yankee runs could have been caught by a better center fielder than Jimmie Hal.
It was also Hall, however, who crashed the three-run homer that completed Minnesota’s five-run rally in the 13th. This blow, his 10th of the season the teams 58th in its 31st game, settled the issue once and for all.
The actual winning run, however, was produced in more modest fashion. It was scored on a sliced double over first base by Rich Rollins, who had homered in the first.
“I know I’m hitting good when I don’t know what I hit,” enthused Rollins afterward about his game-winning double. “I think it was a slider. Sure, it was a handle hit, but I’ll take it. I’ve hit some balls good against the Yankees that I didn’t get.”
Roland, the game-winning pitcher, said: “I felt better tonight, more ready mentally and physically than at any time since I hurt my arm last season. I had a good fastball, curve, and control, and I used a slider for the first time. I’ve just been working on the slider for three days.”
Said Hal Reniff, the losing pitcher: “Yeah, I pitched great and lost. The other day, I didn’t pitch so good and won. Rollins hit a fastball, not a slider. It was off the handle, but it won the game.”
“I was glad to finally hit a home run at Yankee Stadium,” said Jimmie Hall. “I didn’t hit much over .100 against New York last year, and I only hit one ball good here. Roger Maris backed up against the wall to take a home run away from me last year, so I’m just glad I hit that one far enough tonight.”
Said Twins manager Sam Mele: “That was a big game for us. We beat the Yankees twice to finish last season, twice in spring training, and again tonight for five in a row. I wanted to start fast against the Yankees, and now we’ve got to keep beating them. I think the boys have the feeling, greater confidence than ever before, that they can compete with the Yankees now.”
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