The Week

AL WEST

While the Athletics were overwhelming seven straight starters with hair power, the Chicago White Sox lost but once in six games yet dropped another 1� games behind their Western rivals. Before their biggest home crowd (51,904) since 1954, the Sox twice rocked the Yankees as Dick Allen won the nightcap 5-4 with his now-famous pinch home run. Shaking off a yearlong slump, Bill Melton fouled off six consecutive pitches against Milwaukee before hitting a three-run homer into the teeth of a 25-mph wind. The 3-2 triumph was Chicago's 21st in 25 home games and the Sox' 15th win in 21 one-run decisions.

Minnesota used three of its least-noted hitters, Eric Soderholm, Steve Brye and Rick Dempsey, for a game of beat the clock in Baltimore. All three came through in the ninth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit and the Twins went on to win 5-4 in the 15th, beating the Baltimore curfew by one minute. The Twins proceeded to lose three games in which they scored a total of four runs.

California started a so-so week the hard way by ending a five-game win streak at Cleveland, where Manager Del Rice was ejected for unangelic lobbying the third time this season. California also suffered a one-run loss to Boston in a rain-shortened, 6� inning contest before bouncing back Saturday afternoon to win 7-3, sparked by Bob Oliver's seventh home run.

Kansas City got a superb pitching performance from Jim Rooker, who blanked the Yanks 1-0 on a four-hitter. Earlier Paul Schaal's first grand-slam homer salvaged half a doubleheader with Boston.

Texas, with Catcher Rich Billings collecting 10 hits in 23 at bats, was remarkable for banging out 57 hits, considerably above the Ranger norm.

OAK 33-13 CHI 28-18 MINN 25-19 CAL 23-26 KC 20-27 TEX 20-29

AL EAST

What with the problems pervading that dynasty in Baltimore, Detroit should have been ready to take command, but the Tigers' high point of the week was a rather ragged occasion. Mickey Lolich pitched his 150th career victory when he somehow survived three home runs for an 8-6 decision over the Angels. Detroit thereafter dropped four straight as its four-game lead dwindled to one. Lolich was tagged for two more homers Saturday by the A's, running his gopher ball count to five in 14 innings. "My slider just isn't working," he said, "so I have to go to my fastball, and I knew they'd catch up with that."

The Orioles also began to catch up a bit after starting the week with a pair of 2-0 losses to Oakland. Reacting perhaps to Earl Weaver's thought that "we might have some guys over the hill," Brooks Robinson hit his first homer in 146 at bats, then another and was nine for 18 over the week. Boog Powell, now crowding the plate but still hitting in the .150 area, got two hits in an 11-2 conquest of the Twins that ended a five-game Oriole losing streak.