With 50,835 in stands and untold numbers watching on national television, the Orioles rolled up 21 hits, the most off Detroit pitching in any game since July 17, 1966, and humiliated the Tigers, 15-3. With Jim Northrup hitting a two-run homer, the Tigers led until the sixth inning when the Orioles erupted for six runs.

They added seven in another explosion in the eighth and tapered off with their final two runs in the ninth. Merv Rettenmund and Bobby Grich had four hits apiece, including a homer for Grich. Johnny Oates and Boog Powell also homered for the Orioles, while Gates Brown produced the Tigers' last tally with a circuit clout in the sixth. The four games between the East division contenders drew a total of 170,335, believed to be a Detroit series record. [The Sporting News]

Baltimore Orioles 15, Detroit Tigers 3

Game Played on Monday, July 3, 1972 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium

Orioles      0  0  0    0  0  6    0  7  2  -  15 21  0
Tigers       0  2  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   3  9  3


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Buford lf             6   1   2   1     0   0   .218      McAuliffe 2b          4   0   3   0     0   0   .224
Oates c               5   3   3   2     0   0   .301      Kaline rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Powell 1b             6   3   2   3     0   2   .184      G. Brown lf           4   1   1   1     0   0   .239
Rettenmund cf,rf      6   1   4   0     0   0   .260      Freehan c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .284
Crowley rf            3   1   2   0     0   1   .280      Cash 1b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .256
  Blair cf            3   1   0   1     0   0   .237      Northrup cf           4   1   3   2     0   0   .256
Robinson 3b           5   2   2   2     0   0   .249      Rodriguez 3b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .235
Grich 2b              5   2   4   3     0   1   .285      Brinkman ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .196
Belanger ss           4   1   1   1     1   2   .182      Timmermann p          2   0   0   0     0   2   .059
Palmer p              5   0   1   2     0   1   .229        Seelbach p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
                                                            Haller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .171
                                                            Perranoski p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Zachary p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               48  15  21  15     1   7             Totals               34   3   9   3     1   4

Time of Game: 2:57   Attendance: 50,835
Left on Base: Orioles 8, Tigers 5
DP: Orioles 2, Tigers 0
Errors: Kaline, Freehan, Cash
Doubles: Grich (6), Oates (7), Freehan (10)
Home Runs: Oates (2), Grich (5), Powell (6), Northrup (3), G. Brown (5)
Stolen Bases: Belanger (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Oates (1)
GIDP: Kaline 2 (7)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Palmer W(11-4)          9     9   3   3   1   4   2  35   2.02
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   4   2  35

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Timmermann L(6-7)       5     7   4   3   0   4   1  23   2.42
Seelbach                0.1   3   2   2   0   1   0   4   3.61
Scherman                1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   2.66
Perranoski              0.1   4   5   5   1   0   1   6   6.61
Niekro                  0.1   3   2   2   0   0   0   4   4.03
Zachary                 1.1   3   2   2   0   1   1   7   2.25
Totals                  9    21  15  14   1   7   3  50

Wild Pitches: Niekro (2)

Umpires: HP - Larry McCoy, 1B - Jim Honochick, 2B - Lou DiMuro, 3B - Bill Deegan


ORIOLES 1ST: Buford singled to center; Oates out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Buford to second]; Powell struck out;
Rettenmund flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles
0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe popped to first in foul territory; Kaline
grounded out (shortstop to first); G. Brown grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 0.

ORIOLES 2ND: Crowley singled to right; Robinson made an out to
first; Grich struck out; Belanger was called out on strikes; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Freehan doubled to center; Cash grounded out (second
to pitcher) [Freehan to third]; Northrup homered [Freehan
scored]; Rodriguez popped to catcher in foul territory; Brinkman
lined to second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

ORIOLES 3RD: Palmer grounded out (third to first); Buford popped
to catcher in foul territory; Oates flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 3RD: Timmermann struck out; McAuliffe singled to third;
Kaline flied out to right; G. Brown flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

ORIOLES 4TH: Powell grounded out (first to pitcher); Rettenmund
singled; Crowley was called out on strikes; Robinson flied out
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 4TH: Freehan grounded out (shortstop to first); Cash was
called out on strikes; Northrup singled to center; Rodriguez
walked [Northrup to second]; Brinkman struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

ORIOLES 5TH: Grich singled to left; Belanger made an out to
first; On a bunt Palmer forced Grich (first to shortstop);
Buford forced Palmer (second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 5TH: Timmermann was called out on strikes; McAuliffe
singled to right; Kaline grounded into a double play (shortstop
to second to first) [McAuliffe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 2.

ORIOLES 6TH: Oates homered; Powell reached on an error by Cash;
Rettenmund singled to center [Powell to second]; Crowley singled
to right [Powell to third, Rettenmund to second]; SEELBACH
REPLACED TIMMERMANN (PITCHING); Robinson singled to center
[Powell scored (unearned), Rettenmund scored, Crowley to third];
Grich doubled [Crowley scored, Robinson to third]; Belanger
struck out; Palmer singled to right [Robinson scored, Grich
scored]; SCHERMAN REPLACED SEELBACH (PITCHING); Buford grounded
out (catcher unassisted) [Palmer to second]; Freehan dropped a
foul fly hit by Oates for an error; Oates grounded out (second
to first); 6 R (5 ER), 6 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 6, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 6TH: BLAIR REPLACED CROWLEY (PLAYING CF); RETTENMUND
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); G. Brown homered; Freehan
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cash popped to first in foul
territory; Northrup grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 6, Tigers 3.

ORIOLES 7TH: Powell struck out; Rettenmund singled to center;
Blair popped to first in foul territory; Robinson flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 6, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 7TH: Rodriguez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Brinkman grounded out (shortstop to first); HALLER BATTED FOR
SCHERMAN; Haller grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Orioles 6, Tigers 3.

ORIOLES 8TH: PERRANOSKI REPLACED HALLER (PITCHING); Grich
homered; Belanger walked; Belanger stole second; Palmer grounded
out (shortstop to first); Buford singled to right [Belanger
scored, Buford to second (on throw to home)]; Oates singled to
right [Buford scored, Oates to third (error by Kaline) (on throw
to home)]; Powell singled to left [Oates scored]; NIEKRO
REPLACED PERRANOSKI (PITCHING); Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Powell to second]; Rettenmund singled to left [Powell to
third]; Blair forced Rettenmund (third to second) [Powell
scored]; Robinson singled to left [Blair to third]; Grich
singled to center [Blair scored, Robinson to third]; ZACHARY
REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Belanger singled to pitcher
[Robinson scored, Grich to second]; Palmer was called out on
strikes; 7 R, 8 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 13, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 8TH: McAuliffe singled to right; Kaline grounded into a
double play (pitcher to second to first) [McAuliffe out at
second]; G. Brown flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 13, Tigers 3.

ORIOLES 9TH: Buford flied out to center; Oates doubled to left;
Powell homered [Oates scored]; Rettenmund grounded out
(shortstop to first); Blair grounded out (shortstop to first); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 15, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 9TH: Freehan flied out to center; Cash singled to right;
Northrup singled to center [Cash to third]; Rodriguez popped to
first; Brinkman flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Orioles 15, Tigers 3.

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.
Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".