Lolich again found himself in a pitching duel tonight at Metropolitan Stadium, and as has happened so often, he was also on the losing end.
Lolich didn't need any relief, yet he lost to Dave Goltz and the Minnesota Twins, 2-1.
Lolich (4-4) is .500 despite an ERA of 2.29.
The Twins nicked Lolich for a run in the seventh inning, breaking a 1-1 tie, and that was all they needed as Goltz threw a seven-hit, complete game against the Tigers.
The Tigers scored 16 runs here last night, and one tonight.
"That's baseball," Lolich said. "I would have liked some of those runs for tonight, but that's just wishful thinking."
Actually, Lolich only would have needed two of last night's runs, as it turned out.
The Twins scored in the opening inning, as the first three batters all singled, with Larry Hisle's base hit knocking in Steve Brye.
The Tigers tied the game in the second. With two out, Ben Oglivie singled home Willie Horton, who had doubled.
From that point on, Lolich and Goltz pretty much cruised along.
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Goltz was the latest opposing pitcher to outduel Lolich
But in the seventh, the Tigers put the first two men on base (Gene Michael singled and Ron LeFlore reached on an error by Goltz as he tried to field a bunt). However, a Gary Sutherland 4-6-3 double play pretty much killed that threat.
Then in their half of the seventh, the Twins stirred and with a Michael error helping them along, Minnesota scratched out one more run. Brye was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in the game-winning run.
Twins manager Frank Quilici stuck with Goltz through the ninth, even though fireman Tom Burgmeier was warming up in the bullpen. Goltz responded by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth, as he did the eighth.
The Tigers (14-18) once again wasted a good pitching performance---and once again it was Lolich's they wasted.
"No sense getting mad about it," Lolich said. "Just go out and pitch well the next time and hopefully it's enough."
Trouble is, that's what Lolich has been doing. It's just not helping him all that much.
Notes: Sutherland is starting to come back down to Earth after his red hot start. He went 0-for-4 and is in a 3-for-26 funk, dropping his average from .379 to .322...The Tigers haven't missed a beat with Michael starting for the injured Tom Veryzer at shortstop---at least not offensively. Michael went 2-for-4 and is hitting .313 (10-for-32) filling in for Veryzer, who continues to nurse a sore ankle...The game was interrupted briefly in the fifth inning when a man "streaking"---the new fad---ran around the outfield, eluding security.
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Tigers record: 14-18 (actual 16-16)
Home: 7-11
Away: 7-7
Last 10: 4-6
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