Aug. 17, 1984: Tigers 6 – Mariners 2

W: Milt Wilcox (13-7) – L: Mike Moore (5-12) | Boxscore

Record: 80-43 — 10 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Milt went eight strong innings, giving up just one run on seven hits, three walks and he struck out five. Aurelio López did his thing in the ninth: one run, one hit, one walk, one strikeout.

Future-Tiger Mike Moore gave up all six Tigers runs in 5^2/3 innings.

Trammell, Gibson and Ruppert Jones each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rick Reed, 1B – John Hirschbeck, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Steve Palermo
Time of Game: 3:08
Attendance: 36,496

Birthdays

Mike Maroth, Matt Anderson, Dave Lemanczyk, and the late Rudy York, Pat McLaughlin, Hub Walker and Walt Justis

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 503 7/9 — Rarity: 213

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 12, 1984: Tigers 8 – Royals 4

W: Milt Wilcox (12-7) – L: Bret Saberhagen (6-9) | Boxscore

Record: 77-41 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Detroit sprinted to a 4-0 lead in the first, thanks to Ruppert Jones‘s two-run homer off Kansas City starter Bret Saberhagen.

In the bottom of the seventh, Milt allowed a single, double and a walk, and was tagged for three of the Royals’ four runs that inning, before being replaced by Aurelio López.

The Tigers continued their 1984 mastery* of Dan Quisenberry scoring three in the eighth to pull away for good.

Alan Trammell and Darrell Evans each drove in a pair of runs.

*He pitched 12 innings against Detroit in the regular season and allowed 14 hits and six runs, including two homers.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dale Ford, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Rocky Roe, 3B – Ken Kaiser
Time of Game: 2:47
Attendance: 32,753

Birthdays

Kyle Lobstein, Urbano Lugo, the late Fred Hutchinson, Marc Hall

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 498 9/9 — Rarity: 54

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 10, 1984: Tigers 5 – Royals 4

W: Aurelio López (10-0) – L: Joe Beckwith (5-3) – S: Willie Hernández (25) | Boxscore

Record: 75-41 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Royals had a 4-3 lead before solo home runs in the sixth, by Kirk Gibson, and the eighth, Ruppert Jones, put the Tigers up for good.

Dan Petry started and last until two out in the seventh, striking out five. López and Hernández combined for 2^1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Alan Trammell and Tom Brookens each had two hits. George Brett had three hits and three RBI for K.C.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rocky Roe, 1B – Ken Kaiser, 2B – Dale Ford, 3B – Larry Barnett
Time of Game: 2:54
Attendance: 32,181

Birthdays

Matt den Dekker, Anthony Gose, Josh Anderson, Jeff Frazier, Brandon Lyon, Tom Brookens and Rocky Colavito

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 496 9/9 — Rarity: 12

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 4, 1984: Royals 9 – Tigers 5

W: Joe Beckwith (4-2) – L: Doug Bair (4-3) | Boxscore

Record: 72-36 — 9.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Let’s see, the Tigers had a 4-2 lead at one point in this one, then the Royals scored seven runs across the sixth and seventh innings and that was it. K. C. had 15 hits, with Don Slaught and Pat Sheridan each collecting three.

Doug Bair allowed just two runs — half of starter Glenn Abbott‘s total, and less than Sid Monge‘s three — but took the loss anyway. He faced five batters in the sixth: two walked, two got hits.

Kirk Gibson had three hits, including two triples, and Ruppert Jones homered.

The Royals’ win got them within four games of the .500 mark … and 20 fewer wins than the Tigers.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Terry Cooney, 1B – Derryl Cousins, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Bill Kunkel
Time of Game: 2:57
Attendance: 41,714

Birthdays

John Farrell, Terry Humphrey, Johnny Grubb, Frank Kostro, and the late Kevin Collins, Ray Oyler, Tuck Stainback, George Caster and Chick Galloway.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 490 9/9 — Rarity: 23

See you tomorrow.

July 31, 1984: Doubleheader versus Cleveland

Game 1: Tigers 5 – Indians 1

W: Juan Berenguer (5-7) – L: Roy Smith (4-3) | Boxscore

Record: 71-32

Highlights

This was a makeup game from the previous week’s rainout in Cleveland.

Berenguer was solid: 6^1/3 innings, four hits, two walks and four strikeouts — and just one run.

The Tigers jumped all over Indians’ starter Smith with five runs in the second inning. Doug Baker hit a bases-loaded triple and Ruppert Jones hit a solo shot which sent Smith to the showers.

Doug Bair pitched 2^2/3 flawless innings.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
Time of Game: 2:30

Game 2: Indians 6 – Tigers 4

W: Neal Heaton (8-10) – L: Dave Rozema (7-3) – S: Tom Waddell (5) | Boxscore

Record: 71-33 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Cleveland chased Rozey with six runs on seven hits in 2^1/3 innings.

At the time, I wish I had better appreciated the freak of nature that was Aurelio López. Sparky used him in every situation except for spot starter — and he probably would have excelled in the role. In this one, he pitched 6^2/3 of shutout relief, allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out five.

Bárbaro Garbey went three for four and Lou Whitaker had two hits and an RBI.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: 32,158

Birthdays

Reese Olson, Andy Van Hekken, Gabe Kapler, Howard Bailey, Dave Dombrowski, Terry Fox and the late Al Aber, Harry Malmberg and Billy Hitchcock

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 486 9/9 — Rarity: 37

See you tomorrow.

July 28, 1984: Red Sox 3 – Tigers 2

W: Bob Stanley (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (13-7) – S: Mark Clear (3) | Boxscore

Record: 69-32 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Lou Whitaker led off the scoring with a solo homer in the first, and Darrell Evans doubled in the second to score Larry Herndon.

Morris had one of his better starts of late, seven innings pitched, three runs, eight hits and seven strikeouts, but the Boston trio of John Henry Johnson, Bob Stanley and Mark Clear held the Tigers’s offense in check.

The Tigers had bases loaded with two out in the ninth, but Ruppert Jones grounded out.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Tim McClelland
Time of Game: 2:58
Attendance: 49,372

Birthdays

Brendon Davis the late Ted Lepcio, Ben Steiner, John Glaiser, Hank Perry and Bob Wood

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 483 — Rarity:25

See you tomorrow.

July 21, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 6

W: Sid Monge (3-1) – L: Dickie Noles (3-3) – S: Willie Hernández (19) | Boxscore

Record: 65-39 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

You could file this one under “winning ugly.” The Tigers gave Glenn Abbott a 2-0 lead but he couldn’t hold it — he was pulled with one out in the third after giving up five runs on five hits.