In a runaway season, perhaps it was appropriate to have a nail biter to clinch the pennant.
I was at this game with my brother and girlfriends at the time, sitting in the lower deck centerfield bleachers, perched as dead-center as you could get. We were there early and just could not believe we were at a Tigers playoff game.
The Tigers got on the board early in this one, in the bottom of the second, scoring in the most boring way possible. Bárbaro Garbey hit an infield single, Chet Lemon followed with grounder to third; George Brett threw out Garbey at second. Then, Darrell Evans hit a single to center, Chet took third. Marty Castillo hit into a force out at second, Chet scored. Tiger 1, Royals 0.
Speaking of Brett, he had a 1 for 4 night, and every time he came up we held our breath. Two of his outs were unpleasant: A short fly out to right in his first at bat, and a drive to deep-ish center in his third. Off the bat they seemed destined for the seats.
Here’s an understatement: Wilcox dazzled that night [video], allowing just two hits and two walks over eight innings. He also struck out eight. Meanwhile, poor Charlie Leibrandt was almost as good: 8 innings, 3 hits, 4 walks and 6 strikeouts in his eight innings. I did not feel bad about this at the time.
After Castillo caught the final out, we watched the bedlam from the section where the batting cage was stored. After a while, Gibby, Milt and Sparky were all brought out there on a golf cart and driven under the bleachers. I’d later find out that’s where the Tigers had set up an interview room for the postseason. Tiger Stadium had an “interview room”?
Before we left, I asked one of Detroit’s finest if he would hand me a chunk of outfield sod that was lying at his feet. He reluctantly did, folding it so it would fit in a space in the fence. That weekend, I planted it in my parents’ backyard and it took root and I like to think it’s still there.
Miscellany
Venue: Tiger Stadium
ReplacementUmpires: HP – Bill Deegan, 1B – Jon Bible, 2B – Randy Christal, 3B – Doug Cossey, LF – Dick Runchey, RF – Dick Zivic
Milt Wilcox started and pitched five innings, allowing just one run. The Tigers were up 5-3 going into the bottom of the eighth when Lopez gave up four runs on three hits. It resulted in his first loss of the year.
Don Sutton pitched seven innings for the Brewers, gave up 10 hits and struck out nine.
The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead, sending nine batters came to the plate in the first. Alan Trammell‘s two-run homer off The Count of Montefusco was the Tigers highlight.
Wilcox pitched 51/3 innings, allowing five hits, five walks and five runs.
Willie Randolph had three hits for New York. Righetti threw two scoreless innings for the save.
Miscellany
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Don Denkinger
Milt was superb: seven innings, one run, one hit and one walk but eight strikeouts.
The Tigers scored first thanks to Alan Trammell‘s first-inning double and a single by Darrell Evans. Toronto evened it in the second on George Bell‘s solo homer.
Ruppert Jones homered off Stieb in the fourth and that was it for the scoring.
Miscellany
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Derryl Cousins, 1B – Richard Shulock, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Larry Young
And that just about does it for the Blue Jays. Their weekend started with a heartbreaker and ended in two deflating losses. So, the Tigers left town with an 111/2-game lead with 19 to play.
The Blue Jays scored first, in the bottom of the first, but it was all Tigers after that. Gibby went three for five with a homer and three RBI. Tram, Lance Parrish and Johnny Grubb each had two hits, and Grubb hit his eighth homer.
Detroit was up 3-2 in the sixth and then pulled away with four in the seventh. Oh, and the Tigers matched their 1983 win total in this one.
Miscellany
Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rick Reed, 1B – Jerry Neudecker, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Steve Palermo
Sparky had a short leash on Milt Wilcox, with good reason, pulling him after 32/3 innings in which he gave up five runs on four hits and five walks. Aurelio López and Willie Hernández pitched the next eight and a third, allowing just three hits and combining for eight strikeouts.
The Tigers let four leads slip away, including in the ninth when they took a 6-5 lead. Rozema’s wild pitch with two out in the 13th allowed Mike Davis to score from third with the winning run.
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