Bob Gibson broke the World Series strike-out record by whiffing 17 batters as he carried the St. Louis Cardinals past Denny McLain and the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in the first game of the 1968 series.
Gibson, who yielded five hits, also set a series mark by pitching his sixth consecutive complete game and tied an-other by recording his sixth consecutive victory.
The Cardinals gave Gibson all the runs he needed when they scored three times off McLain in the fourth. Lou Brock completed the scoring when he homered off Pat Dobson in the seventh.
McLain was victimized by three Tiger errors and his own wildness before he left the game for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The Detroit ace was no match for Gibson, who displayed a dazzling mixture of speed, curve and change-up. McLain could not be reached for his usual post-game rebuttal.
Detroit manager Mayo Smith will send Mickey Lolich to the mound today to face Cardinal pitcher Nelson Briles as the Tigers scramble to deadlock the series.
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