Making his debut in the A. L., Joe Niekro pitched the Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the Senators. The Tigers were held to two hits by George Brunet until the seventh inning when Willie Horton singled and Bill Freehan homered. The last run followed on a walk to Don Wert, single by Cesar Gutierrez, a sacrifice and a wild pitch by reliever Horacio Pina. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 3, Washington Senators 0
Game Played on Wednesday, April     8, 1970 (Night game) at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Tigers       0  0  0    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   3  7  0
Senators     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  0


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Senators             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stanley 1b            3   0   0   0     2   0   .250      Unser cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .333
McAuliffe 2b          4   0   0   0     1   2   .091      Brinkman ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .538
Kaline rf             4   0   2   0     0   1   .500      Howard lf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .333
Horton lf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .182      Epstein 1b            2   0   1   0     2   1   .364
Northrup cf           2   0   0   0     1   0   .273      McMullen 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Freehan c             4   1   2   2     0   1   .455      Maye rf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .375
Wert 3b               2   1   0   0     2   1   .000      Nelson 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Gutierrez ss          4   0   2   0     0   0   .429      Roseboro c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .200
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Brunet p              2   0   1   0     0   1   .500
                                                            Pina p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Shellenback p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Stroud ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Such p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Dukes p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            B. Allen ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   3   7   2     6   7             Totals               32   0   6   0     4   6

Time of Game: 2:54   Attendance:  5,097
Left on Base: Tigers 8, Senators 9
DP: Tigers 1, Senators 2
Doubles: Kaline (2)
Home Runs: Freehan (1)
Stolen Bases: Stanley (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Northrup (1), Niekro 2 (2)
GIDP: Freehan (1), Howard (2)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-0)           9     6   0   0   4   6   0  36   0.00
Totals                  9     6   0   0   4   6   0  36

Senators               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Brunet L(0-1)           6.1   5   3   3   4   4   1  26   4.26
Pina                    0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   0.00
Shellenback             0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Such                    1.2   2   0   0   1   2   0   8   0.00
Dukes                   0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.86
Totals                  9     7   3   3   6   7   1  38

Passed Balls: Roseboro (1)
Wild Pitches: Pina (1)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Neudecker, 1B - Emmett Ashford, 2B - Hank Soar, 3B - Lou DiMuro


TIGERS 1ST: Stanley grounded out (third to first); McAuliffe
struck out; Kaline singled to left; Horton struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 1ST: Unser singled to left; Brinkman singled to third
[Unser to second]; Howard grounded into a double play (third to
first) [Brinkman to second, Unser out at third]; Epstein walked;
McMullen forced Epstein (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Northrup walked; Freehan grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Northrup out at second]; Wert
walked; Gutierrez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 2ND: Maye grounded out (second to first); Nelson flied
out to right; Roseboro grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Niekro struck out; Stanley flied out to right;
McAuliffe grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 3RD: Brunet singled to left; Unser singled to right
[Brunet to second]; Brinkman forced Unser (second to shortstop)
[Brunet to third]; Howard flied out to right; Epstein walked
[Brinkman to second]; McMullen forced Epstein (third to second);
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Kaline lined to shortstop; Horton grounded out
(shortstop to first); Northrup flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 4TH: Maye grounded out (first unassisted); Nelson
grounded out (second to first); Roseboro struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Freehan singled to center; Wert lined into a double
play (third to first) [Freehan out at first]; Gutierrez popped
to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 5TH: Brunet was called out on strikes; Unser grounded
out (shortstop to first); Brinkman grounded out (pitcher to
third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 6TH: Niekro flied out to center; Stanley lined to third;
McAuliffe walked; Kaline struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Tigers 0, Senators 0.

SENATORS 6TH: Howard walked; Epstein singled to right [Howard to
second]; McMullen flied out to center; Maye was called out on
strikes; Nelson forced Epstein (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 0, Senators 0.

TIGERS 7TH: Horton singled to left; Northrup out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Horton to second]; Freehan homered
[Horton scored]; Wert walked; Gutierrez singled to left [Wert to
second]; PINA REPLACED BRUNET (PITCHING); Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Wert to third, Gutierrez to
second]; Pina threw a wild pitch [Wert scored, Gutierrez to
third]; Stanley walked; SHELLENBACK REPLACED PINA (PITCHING);
Stanley stole second; McAuliffe grounded out (first to pitcher);
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 3, Senators 0.

SENATORS 7TH: Roseboro walked; STROUD BATTED FOR SHELLENBACK;
Stroud struck out; Unser flied out to center; Brinkman flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Senators 0.

TIGERS 8TH: SUCH REPLACED STROUD (PITCHING); Kaline doubled to
left; Horton flied out to left [Kaline to third]; Northrup
popped to third in foul territory; Freehan was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Senators 0.

SENATORS 8TH: Howard singled to left; Epstein was called out on
strikes; McMullen grounded out (catcher to first) [Howard to
second]; Maye struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3,
Senators 0.

TIGERS 9TH: Wert was called out on strikes; Gutierrez singled to
left; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Gutierrez to second]; Roseboro allowed a passed ball [Gutierrez
to third]; Stanley walked; DUKES REPLACED SUCH (PITCHING);
McAuliffe struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 3, Senators
0.

SENATORS 9TH: Nelson grounded out (pitcher to first); Roseboro
flied out to left; B. ALLEN BATTED FOR DUKES; B. Allen grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 3,
Senators 0.