Morris pitched a gem, eight innings, four hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts, and was the hard-luck loser. He kept the Mariners off the board until the eighth when his throwing error on a comebacker led to two runs scoring.
The Tigers offense mustered seven hits, all singles, off three Seattle pitchers and they scored in the ninth on a two-out, bases-loaded walk by Alan Trammell.
The Tigers were down 7-0 heading to the eighth. Wilcox, five innings, four runs, and Doug Bair, two innings, three runs, took the brunt of the damage.
Stieb shut down Detroit over seven innings, allowing just three hits.
Classic Darrell Evans: one for one with three walks.
Miscellany
Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – John Hirschbeck, 1B – Steve Palermo, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
Time of Game: 2:28
Attendance: 34,122
Steve Baker – RHP #31
Steve Baker‘s major-league debut was a good one. On May 25, 1978, he started against the Orioles and went 61/3 and allowed just one run on eight hits and six strikeouts. Baltimore scored off of John Hiller in the eighth to take a 2-1 lead, and that was the final score.
According to his profile in the 1979 Tigers Yearbook, managers in the American Association, to which Triple-A Evansville belonged, in 1978 picked Baker as “the best prospect and pitcher with the best curve.”
He pitched in 15 games for the ’78 Tigers, 10 of them starts, finishing with a 2-4 record and a 4.55 ERA.
In 1979, Baker’s career with the Tigers nosedived in a hurry.
May wasn’t kind to Baker, June and July were worse — and, well, August just piled on.
June: Three starts, 121/3 innings, 13 earned runs.
July: Four starts, 271/3 innings, 16 earned runs
August: One appearance, 4 innings, six hits, four earned runs
When the dust settled, Baker had just one scoreless appearance all year, and finished 1-7 with a 6.64 ERA and one save.
He began the 1980 season in Evansville before the Blue Jays purchased his contract on June 6. Baker’s final Tigers line: 3-11, 5.74 ERA and that one save.
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