The Tigers likely savored the off day after all the doubleheaders. Let’s look ahead 10 years to a markedly different brand of Tigers baseball played in 1994. 😬
Abbott made his final appearance as a Tiger and as a major leaguer in this one. He started and wasn’t able to survive the first inning: 2/3 of an inning, five runs on five hits, including a three-run homer from Rich Gedman — who had a five-RBI game.
Juan Berenguer pitched 51/3 innings of solid relief — two days after pitching a complete game.
The Tigers had seven hits, all singles, off Boyd; Johnny Grubb had two of them.
Miscellany
Venue: Fenway Park
Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Tim Welke
*Smith appeared in one major-league game, for the Tigers, on May 18, 1912. He entered the game as a defensive substitution at third base, and didn’t have a plate appearance. This was an infamous game against the Athletics in Philadelphia when (future Catholic priest) Allan Travers was forced into duty and allowed 24 runs on 26 hits and seven walks. Read about him here.
‘Twas the final day of the 1984 All-Star Break and the Tigers prepared to start the second half with a four-game series against the Twins at the Metrodome.
So, let’s look at a game from this date in another season: 1977.
Record: 38-46 — 6th place, 10.5 games behind Boston
Highlights
The Blue Jays tagged Tigers starter Dave Roberts with five runs in the top of the first. Detroit answered with a run of their own in the first, and another four in the second to make it 5-5 heading to the third.
Rusty Staub led the Tigers’s 10-hit attack, with a two-for-three night — including a second-inning three-run homer — and four RBI.
Sept. 22: He entered the game against Boston with bases load and two out in the bottom of the ninth, and got Dwight Evans to hit into a 1-3 ground out. Noles earned the save.
Sept. 25: Facing the Blue Jays, he pitched 11/3 innings, allowing a hit, a walk and a run. The Tigers lost 3-2.
Sept. 27: Noles’ final Tigers appearance came in a huge, season-saving Tigers win. Doyle Alexander pitched the first 102/3 innings, and four relievers covered the final 21/3. Noles was the fourth; he entered with two out in the bottom of the 13th and they tying run on first. He got Barfield to hit it to shortstop for a force out at second. Tigers won 3-2 and that was it for Noles in Detroit.
On Oct. 23, 1987, he was returned to the Cubs. That’s a 32-day Tigers career. But given the mayhem of those final 10 days of the 1987 season, those were pretty good days to be with Detroit.
Lou Whitaker led off the game with a double to right off the Expos’ Charlie Lea. (Baseball Reference’s box score describes the hit as “Pop Fly to Short RF Line”.)
In the third, he singled off Fernando Valenzuela and finished two for three before being replaced by the Blue Jays’ Dámaso García in the sixth.
Lance Parrish started and batted seventh. He went hitless with two strikeouts. Jim Sundberg replaced him in the fifth.
Jack Morris relieved Stieb in the third and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk, and striking out two.
Chet Lemon started and batted eighth. In the second inning he singled to center off Lea. In the top of the fifth, Lance, Chet and the Mariners’ Alvin Davis were struck out in succession by Dwight Gooden.
Willie Hernández allowed an eighth-inning homer to Dale Murphy which gave the N.L. the insurance run they needed.
Texas led this one 7-0 in the third, ringing the bell of Doug Bair in a spot start. He lasted 22/3 innings, serving up six runs on eight hits.
Tanana started for the Rangers and he gave up six runs, two earned, and struck out five in his six innings of work.
The Tigers trailed 8-2 to start the sixth inning and scored four runs — three on Howard Johnson‘s homer — to draw within 8-6. Another run in the eighth made it 8-7, but the Rangers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to seal it.
Chet Lemon matched Johnson’s two-hit, three-RBI performance.
The Tigers head into the All-Star Break 30 games over .500.
Miscellany
Venue: Arlington Stadium
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Mark Johnson
Time of Game: 2:37
Attendance: 16,010
Lerrin LaGrow – RHP #30
The Tigers drafted Phoenix-native Lerrin LaGrow in the sixth round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from Arizona State University.
He made his major-league debut the following season, on June 28, 1970.
He came in the eighth inning, in relief of starter Joe Niekro. He faced one batter, Paul Schaal, and gave up a single.
Here’s a snapshot of LaGrow’s Tigers career:
1970: 0-1, 7.03 ERA in 12 innings pitched
1972: 0-1, 1.32 in 27 IP
1973: 1-5, 4.33 in 54 IP
1974: 8-19, 4.66 in 216 IP
1975: 7-14, 4.38 in 164 IP
The Cardinals purchased his contract from the Tigers on April 2, 1976, which means he didn’t even get to enjoy the Mark Fidrych Era.
But, by leaving Detroit when he did, his number 30 became available for Jason Thompson.
Detroit’s skid hits four games in a pitcher’s duel-turned-blowout.
Wilcox and Dotson matched zeroes through five innings, and in the sixth the wheels came off of Milt and the Sox took an 8-0 lead.
Aurelio López relieved Wilcox, who’d given up six runs, but he managed to get just one out before handing it over to Sid Monge. Poor Isidro gave up two runs and a homer in his two innings of work.
Dotson allowed just three of the Tigers five hits.
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