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 30, 1984: An Off Day in Detroit

The Tigers had a Monday off day at home before the Indians came to town for a three-game set. Let’s look back on a game played on this date 45 years ago …

July 30, 1979: Tigers 6 – Rangers 4

W: John Hiller (4-7) – L: Danny Darwin (2-2) – S: Aurelio López (9) | Boxscore

Record: 53-49 — 5th place, 16 games behind Baltimore

Highlights

Jack Morris started and went six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs. He departed with a 4-0 lead.

John Wockenfuss homered and Aurelio Rodríguez had three hits.

John Hiller blew a save opportunity but the Tigers scored a run in the eighth and again in the ninth to secure the win.

Miscellany

Venue: Arlington Stadium
Umpires: HP – Bill Deegan, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – George Maloney, 3B – Dan Morrison
Time of Game: 2:40
Attendance: 14,297

Birthdays

Scott Fletcher, Mickey Mahler, and the late Gus Triandos and Joe Coleman, Sr.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 485 9/9 — Rarity: 58

See you tomorrow.

July 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 2

W: Dave Rozema (6-1) – L: Ken Schrom (2-4) – S: Aurelio López (11) | Boxscore

Record: 60-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers had 15 hits on the night, 10 off Twins starter Schrom in 4^2/3 innings.

Of those 15 hits, eight were doubles — Chet Lemon, 2; Howard Johnson; Lou Whitaker, 2; Darrell Evans; Dave Bergman and Kirk Gibson. Evans also had a solo homer. Whitaker had four hits total.

Rozema turned in a solid start: 5^1/3, eight hits, two runs and five strikeouts.

Miscellany

Venue: The Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Vic Voltaggio
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 27,965

Birthdays

Scott Livingstone and the late Bob Miller, Joe Rogalski and Red Oldham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 470 9/9: Rarity: 172

Pete Rose is likely the least-rare guess of my Grid-playing career.

See you tomorrow.

July 13, 1984: Tigers 5 – Twins 3 (11)

W: Willie Hernández (5-0) – L: Rick Lysander (0-1) – S: Aurelio López (10) | Boxscore

Record: 58-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Jack Morris and Twins starter John Butcher matched up more or less evenly through seven. The Tigers gave Morris a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth — thanks to a Johnny Grubb solo homer — only to see The Cat allow the tying run in the bottom half.

Lou Whitaker‘s 11th-inning two-run homer off Lysander gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. Aurelio López earned the save by pitching a quintessential Señor Smoke inning: one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Tom Brookens each had two hits. In fact, the Tigers got four hits in five at bats out of the number-nine spot: One from Doug Baker, Grubb’s homer and Brookens’ double and triple.

Miscellany

Venue: The Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
Time of Game: 3:11
Attendance: 30,050

Birthdays

Clint Sodowsky and the late George Cunningham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 468 9/9: Rarity: 20

See you tomorrow.

July 5, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 4

W: Aurelio López (7-0) – L: Charlie Hough (8-7) – S: Willie Hernández (15) | Boxscore

Record: 56-25 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Down 4-1 heading to the top of the ninth, the Tigers scored six runs off of Rangers’ starter Charlie Hough.

Kirk Gibson‘s two-out, three-run homer turned a tie game into a 7-4 lead.

Dan Petry went 5^2/3, allowing four runs and striking out six.

Miscellany

Venue: Arlington Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Mark Johnson, 3B – Joe Brinkman
Time of Game: 2:26
Attendance: 15,151

Birthdays

Doug Bochtler and Tim Worrell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 459 9/9: Rarity 28

See you tomorrow.

🇺🇲 July 4, 1984: White Sox 8 – Tigers 2 🇺🇲

July 4, 1984: White Sox 8 – Tigers 2

W: Richard Dotson (11-4) – L: Milt Wilcox (8-6) | Boxscore

Record: 55-25 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

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.

Darrell Evans and Johnny Grubb hit homers.

Miscellany

Venue: Comiskey Park
Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:34
Attendance: 37,665

Birthdays

Francisco Cruceta and the late Bill Tuttle, Babe Birrer and George Mullin

See you tomorrow.

July 2, 1984: White Sox 7 – Tigers 1

W: Floyd Bannister (5-6) – L: Dave Rozema (4-1) | Boxscore

Record: 55-23 — 9 games ahead of Toronto

Highlights

This was an ugly one all around: Rozema allowed four runs on five hits and two homers in four innings; Aurelio López coughed up three runs in two.

Bannister pitched a complete game, striking out six.

Alan Trammell had two hits and a walk.

Miscellany

Venue: Comiskey Park
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
Time of Game: 2:29
Attendance: 32,768

Birthdays

Sean Casey, Steve Sparks, Pete Burnside and Gil English

See you tomorrow.

June 28, 1984: Off Day at Home

The Tigers have an off day after losing the series to the Yankees in New York. Up next: a doubleheader against the Twins in Detroit. Let’s look back on a game played on June 28 in another year.

June 28, 1980: Tigers 8 – Blue Jays 3

W: Dave Rozema (4-4) – L: Jack Kucek (1-1) | Boxscore

Record: 37-30 — 3rd place, 6.5 games behind the Yankees

Highlights

Rozema pitched seven innings, scattered seven hits and allowed just two earned runs. Dan Schatzeder and Aurelio López covered the final two innings.

Lou Whitaker, batting ninth, went 3 for 4 with three RBI.

Al Cowens hit his second of the year, a solo shot, in the seventh; he, Rick Peters, and John Wockenfuss each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Fred Spenn, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 2:53
Attendance: 20,059

Birthdays

Chris Spurling, Greg Keagle, Tom Fletcher, Orlando McFarlane, Frank Scheibeck and the late Fred Gladding

See you tomorrow.

June 24, 1984: Tigers 7 – Brewers 1

W: Jack Morris (12-3) – L: Moose Haas (4-6) – S: Aurelio López (9) | Boxscore

Record: 52-18 — 8.5 up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers scored five runs on five hits off Brewers starter Moose Haas.

Morris, 6 innings, 1 hit, and Señor Smoke, 3 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, throttled Milwaukee.

Lance Parrish had a 3 for 4 day with a solo homer, and Ruppert Jones hit a three-run shot.

Miscellany

Venue: County Stadium
Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Marty Springstead, 3B – Jim McKean
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 39,067

Birthdays

George Harper

See you tomorrow.

June 19, 1984: Tigers 7 – Yankees 6

W: Aurelio López (6-0) – L: Ron Guidry (5-5) – S: Willie Hernández (12) | Boxscore

Record: 48-17 — 6^1/2 up on Toronto

Highlights

Carl Willis made his first big-league start: 4^1/3 innings, nine hits, four earned runs.

The Tigers took it to Ron Guidry: a dozen hits and seven earned runs over 7^1/3.

Lance Parrish‘s first-inning two-run homer opened the scoring.

Chet Lemon, Larry Herndon and Tom Brookens each doubled; and Herndon had a three-hit game.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Dave Phillips, 2B – Jerry Neudecker, 3B – John Hirschbeck
Time of Game: 2:49
Attendance: 41,192

Doug Flynn – IF #20

The Tigers signed veteran infielder Doug Flynn as a free agent on June 20, 1985, nine days after he was released by the Expos. Here are four things to know about his brief time in Detroit:

He debuted on June 22 against the Yankees, starting at second base and batting ninth. He singled off Ron Guidry in his first at bat, one of just four hits Guidry allowed.

His final major-league game was Oct. 5, 1985 against the Orioles. He replaced Doug Baker at short — Alejandro Sánchez pinch ran for Baker — in the eighth inning.

Flynn’s final line as a Tiger: 32 games, 55 plate appearances, .255 average, no home runs and two RBI.

The Tigers re-signed him in the offseason, but released him near the end of Spring Training 1986.

Birthdays

Willis Roberts*, Jim Slaton and the late Eddie Cicotte.

*Roberts appeared in one game for the 1999 Tigers: 1.1 IP, three hits, four runs, one HBP.

See you tomorrow.