Joe Mauer knocked out a first-inning homer off Doug Fister, propelling the Twins to a 3-2 victory in Detroit. Less than 20 hours earlier, Mauer’s one-out, ninth-inning single had broken up a potential no-hitter by Anibal Sanchez. You have to go back 44 years to find the last time that a major-league player broke up a no-hitter in the ninth inning in one game, and then hit a first-inning home run in his next game. And the Tigers were the victims then, too. On May 31, 1969, Detroit’s Joe Sparma took a no-hitter into the ninth inning at Seattle, but the Pilots’ Don Mincher spoiled things with a one-out double; Sparma finished with a one-hitter, winning the game, 3-2. The next day, Mincher’s two-run, first-inning homer off Earl Wilson helped the Pilots win, 8-7.
According to Elias
German born Navy vet 65-68 and served aboard the Shangri La CVA-38. I run https://Twinstrivia.com, best MN Twins historical web site there is. Stop by daily and check out OTD in Twins history and much more. Live in Minnesota and Florida depending on what time of the year it is.
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Cool that it was Minch, too!