After seemingly years of being stymied by Dan Quisenberry, the Tigers got to him in the seventh inning — with an exclamation mark.
The Tigers trailed 2-0 and, with Quisenberry on the mound, the road winning streak again looked in peril … until a two-out grand slam by Alan Trammell as part of a five-run rally.
Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Al Clark
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: 13,559
Rick Schu #35
Rick Schu was tasked with replacing Mike Schmidt when he retired from the Phillies. That could not have been fun, nor could it have been fun coming to the 1989 Tigers, who were 14-24 when the club purchased his contract from the Orioles on May 19.
On a cold and wet Easter Sunday, Juan Berenguer delivered one of his best Tigers starts, at least that I can remember. He gave up just two hits — and didn’t allow one until the fifth — with one walk. He struck out seven.
Michigan native and fellow WMU alum first baseman Mike Squires was pressed into pitching duty, with two gone in the five-run eighth, for the final out.
Miscellany
Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
He appeared in parts of three seasons, 1976-78, as a reliever and spot starter.
Crawford made his Tigers debut on April 20, 1976 against the A’s in Oakland. He came into the game in the ninth, relieving starter Joe Coleman, with the Tigers clinging to a 5-3 lead. Crawford got Bill North to line out but the next batter, Joe Rudi, singled to tie the game. Crawford was lifted for rookie Mark Fidrych who gave up a single to Don Baylor and the A’s won, 6-5.
His final game came on July 27, 1978 against the Orioles. Starter Jim Slaton gave up five runs on nine hits in three innings and Crawford came in to pitch the fourth — and gave up two runs of his own on three hits. Jack Morris relieved him with four scoreless.
Crawford’s final line in Detroit: 10-19, 4.62 ERA and 3 saves.
Whitaker reached on an error by Jerry Remy, scoring Kuntz and Brookens. (8-0)
Trammell doubled.
Dave Bergman, pinch-hit for Garbey — how often does that happen in the first inning? — and walks.
Parrish grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Milt Wilcox takes the mound with an 8-0 lead … and allows the first seven hitters to reach. He gets one more out than Hurst, but after yielding five runs, gives way to Doug Bair.
Boston scores again in the second, to make it 8-6, and the Tigers in the fourth, on a Parrish solo shot.
The Tigers tack on four more in the eighth off Bob Stanley and give Willie Hernandez a 13-6 lead to protect.
Instead, the Red Sox tag him with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Mercifully, the ninth is scoreless, but not exactly clean, and Tigers hold on.
Record: 8-0
Miscellany
Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
The Rangers got off to a fast start in the first, greeting Petry with a couple of singles — one by Buddy Bell and, after a groundout, another by Larry Parrish — and jumping out to a 1-0 lead.
It didn’t last.
In the bottom half, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell walked, leading to Darrell Evans‘ first Tiger Stadium at bat. Evans blasted Dave Stewart‘s 1-0 pitch deep into the upper deck in right and, I think I can speak for most of us, we could hardly contain ourselves.
Petry threw a four-hit complete game, walking three and striking out seven.
With one out in the third, Herndon doubled and the next man up, Dave Bergman, drove him in for the Tigers’ final run.
Record: 6-0
*Somehow, Howard Johnson did not make it on my Top-5 Tigers list Honorable Mentions. I’m correcting that now. I was not happy when he was traded to the Mets after the ’84 season.
Miscellany
Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Jim McKean, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Tim McClelland
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 51,238
Start Time Weather: 62° F, Sunny, No Precipitation
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