A balk that allowed Mickey Stanley to score capped a comeback by the Tigers and resulted in a 6-5 victory over the Orioles. After Frank Howard doubled a run home for the Tigers in the first inning, the Orioles took a 5-1 lead with a homer by Terry Crowley in the second and a grand slam by Boog Powell in the third.

Howard, who was acquired from the Rangers for stretch-drive power September 1, brought the Tigers back into the game with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Willie Horton followed with a single and Stanley walked to force the exit of Dave McNally. After Doyle Alexander relieved, Aurelio Rodriguez grounded to Mark Belanger, who threw high to the plate, Horton scoring. Rodriguez was given credit for a hit. The other runners advanced on the error. Stanley then faked a break for the plate and when Alexander stopped his delivery, a balk was called, allowing Stanley to score the winning run. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 6, Baltimore Orioles 5
Game Played on Wednesday, September 13, 1972 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Orioles      0  1  4    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   5  5  1
Tigers       1  0  0    0  5  0    0  0  x  -   6 10  1


Orioles              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Buford lf             4   1   1   0     0   2   .208      Taylor 2b             1   0   1   0     0   0   .292
Rettenmund cf,rf      4   1   2   0     0   0   .244        McAuliffe 2b        3   1   1   0     1   0   .236
Grich 2b              4   1   0   0     0   1   .275      Kaline rf             5   0   1   0     0   1   .281
Powell 1b             4   1   1   4     0   0   .243      Freehan c             2   2   1   0     2   1   .272
Crowley rf            2   1   1   1     0   0   .245      Howard 1b             4   1   3   4     0   1   .248
  Blair ph,cf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Lane pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Robinson 3b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Cash 1b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Oates c               1   0   0   0     1   0   .260      Horton lf             2   1   1   0     1   0   .221
  Etchebarren ph,c    1   0   0   0     0   1   .199        Northrup ph,lf      1   0   0   0     0   1   .252
Belanger ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .193      Stanley cf            2   1   0   0     2   0   .237
McNally p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .158      Rodriguez 3b          4   0   2   1     0   1   .224
  Alexander p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .043      Brinkman ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Baylor ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .254      Coleman p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .101
  Harrison p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .077        Blessitt ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Scott p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Scherman p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Reynolds p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   5   5   5     1   5             Totals               31   6  10   5     6   6

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance: 29,788
Left on Base: Orioles 1, Tigers 8
DP: Orioles 1, Tigers 0
Errors: Belanger, McAuliffe
Doubles: Howard (10)
Home Runs: Crowley (11), Powell (19), Howard (10)
Caught Stealing: Rettenmund (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Scherman (1)
GIDP: Stanley (14)


Orioles                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McNally L(13-15)        4.2   6   6   5   5   4   1  24   2.90
Alexander               1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.46
Harrison                0     2   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.22
Scott                   0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   2.49
Reynolds                1.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.57
Totals                  8    10   6   5   6   6   1  38

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Coleman W(16-13)        5     5   5   4   1   4   2  21   2.66
Scherman SV(12)         4     0   0   0   0   1   0  12   3.57
Totals                  9     5   5   4   1   5   2  33

Balks: Alexander (1)

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


ORIOLES 1ST: Buford was called out on strikes; Rettenmund flied
out to right; Grich struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles
0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: Taylor singled to left [Taylor out at second (left
to second)]; Kaline grounded out (third to first); Freehan
walked; Howard doubled to left [Freehan scored]; Horton walked;
Stanley forced Horton (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Orioles 0, Tigers 1.

ORIOLES 2ND: MCAULIFFE REPLACED TAYLOR (PLAYING 2B); Powell
flied out to center; Crowley homered; Robinson flied out to
left; Oates walked; Belanger made an out to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 2ND: Rodriguez grounded out (pitcher to first); Brinkman
grounded out (second to first); Coleman struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 1, Tigers 1.

ORIOLES 3RD: McNally popped to third in foul territory; Buford
singled to center; Rettenmund singled to right [Buford to
second]; Grich reached on an error by McAuliffe (assist by
Rodriguez) [Buford to third, Rettenmund to second]; Powell
homered [Buford scored, Rettenmund scored (unearned), Grich
scored]; Crowley flied out to right; Robinson flied out to
center; 4 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 3RD: McAuliffe grounded out (first to pitcher); Kaline
singled to center; Freehan struck out; Howard was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 1.

ORIOLES 4TH: On a bunt Oates made an out to first; Belanger
grounded out (shortstop to first); McNally struck out (catcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Horton flied out to center; Stanley walked;
Rodriguez struck out; Brinkman flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 1.

ORIOLES 5TH: Buford struck out; Rettenmund singled to center;
Rettenmund was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Grich
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 5TH: BLESSITT BATTED FOR COLEMAN; Blessitt grounded out
(first unassisted); McAuliffe singled to center; Kaline made an
out to second; Freehan walked [McAuliffe to second]; Howard
homered [McAuliffe scored, Freehan scored]; Horton singled to
center; Stanley walked [Horton to second]; ALEXANDER REPLACED
MCNALLY (PITCHING); Rodriguez singled to shortstop [Horton
scored, Stanley to third (error by Belanger), Rodriguez to
second]; Alexander balked [Stanley scored (unearned), Rodriguez
to third]; Brinkman flied out to right; 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

ORIOLES 6TH: SCHERMAN REPLACED BLESSITT (PITCHING); Powell
grounded out (second to first); BLAIR BATTED FOR CROWLEY; Blair
flied out to right; Robinson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 6TH: BLAIR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); RETTENMUND
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Scherman flied out to left;
McAuliffe grounded out (second to first); Kaline struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

ORIOLES 7TH: ETCHEBARREN BATTED FOR OATES; Etchebarren was
called out on strikes; Belanger flied out to left; BAYLOR BATTED
FOR ALEXANDER; Baylor flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 7TH: ETCHEBARREN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); HARRISON
REPLACED BAYLOR (PITCHING); Freehan singled to left; Howard
singled [Freehan to second]; LANE RAN FOR HOWARD; NORTHRUP
BATTED FOR HORTON; SCOTT REPLACED HARRISON (PITCHING); Northrup
was called out on strikes; REYNOLDS REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING);
Stanley grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Lane out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Orioles 5,
Tigers 6.

ORIOLES 8TH: CASH REPLACED LANE (PLAYING 1B); NORTHRUP STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING LF); Buford popped to catcher in foul territory;
Rettenmund flied out to center; Grich flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 8TH: Rodriguez singled to center; On a bunt Brinkman
forced Rodriguez (first to shortstop); Scherman out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Brinkman to second];
McAuliffe was walked intentionally; Kaline flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.

ORIOLES 9TH: Powell grounded out (first to pitcher); Blair flied
out to right; Robinson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Orioles 5, Tigers 6.