Aug. 1, 1984: Indians 4 – Tigers 2

W: Steve Farr (2-7) – L: Dan Petry (14-5) – S: Ernie Camacho (13) | Boxscore

Record: 71-34 — 11 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A strong start from Petry wasn’t strong enough as Steve Farr throttled the Tigers offense, allowing just two hits and striking out eight in 6^1/3 innings.

Peaches threw 7^1/3, giving up six hits and three runs. Two homers by Petry-nemesis George Vukovich was pretty much the difference.

Dave Bergman hit a two-run homer, his sixth, in the fifth inning.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Greg Kosc, 1B – Ted Hendry, 2B – Drew Coble, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 2:46
Attendance: 27,271

Birthdays

Kevin Jarvis, Brian Bohanon, Gregg Jefferies and Milt May

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 487 9/9 — Rarity: 11

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 29, 1984: Tigers 3 – Red Sox 0

W: Milt Wilcox (11-6) – L: Oil Can Boyd (5-8) – S: Willie Hernández (21) | Boxscore

Record: 70-32 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

What a game for Milt: 8 innings, 3 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts.

Oil Can all but matched him: 8 innings, 3 runs, 4 hits — but 10 strikeouts … three by Ruppert Jones.

Willie Hernández pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to lock it down.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Tim McClelland, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 2:09
Attendance: 42,013

Birthdays

Seth Greisinger, Dave LaPoint, Jeff Jones, Don Wert and the late Roy Henshaw and George Cutshaw

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 484 9/9: Rarity 32

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 27, 1984: Doubleheader vs. Boston

Game 1: Tigers 9 – Red Sox 1

W: Dan Petry (14-4) – L: Bruce Hurst (10-6) | Boxscore

Record: 69-30 — 12.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers scored two in the first on a Chet Lemon homer and a — wait for it — Lance Parrish steal of home. They tacked on two more in the sixth then blew it open with five in the seventh.

Petry threw a complete game, allowing just the one run on a Rich Gedman solo homer with one out in the ninth.

This is another one of those “I was there” doubleheaders, sitting in the upper deck bleachers. When the Tigers won, my friends and I were reveling in the thought of, if Detroit swept, they would be 70-30 after 100 games. Alas …

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Tim McClelland, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Al Clark
Time of Game: 2:30

Game 2: Red Sox 4 – Tigers 0

W: Bob Ojeda (9-7) – L: Glenn Abbott (3-3) | Boxscore

Record: 69-31 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Ojeda shutout the Tigers for the second time in 1984 — the first was 1-0 on May 3 when he allowed six hits and struck out 10 — and this time he was even better. The lefty allowed just three hits in this complete game domination.

On the other side, Glenn Abbott was not good: 3^1/3 innings, 10 hits, a walk and four earned runs.

Rusty Kuntz led off the bottom of the first with a single and the Tigers would not get another hit until the seventh.

Wade Boggs went 4 for 5 and Marty Barrett 3 for 3.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Tim McClelland, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Mike Reilly
Time of Game: 2:22
Attendance: 49,607

Birthdays

Max Scherzer and the late Ray Boone, Charley Hall and Harry Kane (born Harry Cohen)

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 82 6/9 — Rarity: 345

See you tomorrow.

July 25, 1984: Indians 4 – Tigers 1

W: Roy Smith (4-2) – L: Dave Rozema (7-2) – S: Ernie Camacho (12) | Boxscore

Record: 68-30 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Rozema allowed four runs on seven hits in his 6^1/3 innings of work

Darrell Evans homered to drive in the Tigers’ only run, and doubled.

The loss broke Detroit’s six-game winning streak.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
Time of Game: 2:48
Attendance: 15,516

Birthdays

Alex Presley, Torey Lovullo, Denny Bautista, Mick Kelleher and the late Larry Sherry

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 480 9/9 — Rarity: 8

See you tomorrow.

July 24, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 5

W: Milt Wilcox (10-6) – L: Steve Farr (1-7) | Boxscore

Record: 68-29 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Doug Baker had a career day, going 4 for 5 with two runs scored, and Milt allowed six hits across 6^2/3 innings — plus four unearned runs.

The Tigers, who had an 8-1 lead in the seventh, had 15 hits, three by Lou Whitaker, and two apiece by Larry Herndon and Kirk Gibson.

Lou, Gibby and Dave Bergman all homered.

Detroit won their sixth straight and 11^th of their last 12.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
Time of Game: 3:21
Attendance: 15,578

Birthdays

Jason Smith, Joe Oliver and Jeff Kaiser

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 479 9/9 — Rarity: 23

See you tomorrow.

July 23, 1984: Tigers 4 – Indians 1

W: Jack Morris (13-6) – L: Bert Blyleven (9-4) – S: Doug Bair (4) | Boxscore

Record: 67-29: 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers ambushed Bert Blyleven with back-to-back first-inning homers from Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish to take a 3-0 lead.

Morris more or less cruised over his six scoreless innings, though the five walks to go with the five hits were suboptimal.

Gibby had a single and his two-run homer.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Greg Kosc, 1B – Ted Hendry, 2B – Drew Coble, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 3:09
Attendance: 16,576

Birthdays

The late Johnny Groth, Ray Scarborough and Frank Croucher

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 478: 9/9 — Rarity: 44

See you tomorrow.

July 22, 1984: Tigers 2 – Rangers 0

W: Dan Petry (13-4) – L: Charlie Hough (10-8) – S: Willie Hernández (20) | Boxscore

Record: 66-29 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Another pitchers duel, this one between Dan Petry and Charlie Hough. I remember watching this one on Channel 4: Peaches threw 8^2/3 innings, allowing a mere four hits, walking one and striking out eight.

The one walk was to Wayne Tolleson to lead off the ninth. He got the next two hitters to pop out to short. With left-handed hitting Pete O’Brien coming up Sparky summoned Willie — to a chorus of boos.

Hernandez threw one pitch, and O’Brien popped out to short.

Dave Bergman batted leadoff and led off the first with a solo homer. The Tigers’ other run scored on a bases-load wild pitch.

The crowd booed me. All 38,000 of them, because they wanted Danny to get that shutout. I don’t blame them. They’re great fans and Danny is such a great guy.
But the object is to win, not make friends.
Sparky, “Bless You Boys”

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Rocky Roe, 2B – Ken Kaiser, 3B – Dale Ford
Time of Game: 2:11
Attendance: 37,846

Birthdays

Redford High graduate Bill Zepp and the late Doc Cramer

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 477 7/9: Rarity: 226

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.