Briles won his first four starts of to bring his winning streak to thirteen games (14 including the post-season). He won a career high nineteen games with a career high 141 strikeouts that year to establish himself as a legitimate number two starter behind Gibson. The World Champion Cardinals returned to the World Series in to face the Detroit Tigers. Briles made the game two start against Mickey Lolich, and gave up four earned runs in five plus innings to take the loss. Paired up against Lolich again for game five, Briles left the game in the seventh inning with a 3-2 lead and a runner on first. The bullpen, however, was unable to hold the lead.