While the Red Sox and Orioles were rained out, the Tigers suffered 3-2 and 6-4 defeats at the hands of the Indians in a twi-night doubleheader and fell out of first place in the East Division race. The Red Sox took over the lead by one-half game with the Tigers and Orioles tied for second.

In the opener, the Indians started the scoring against Mickey Lolich in the second inning when Graig Nettles doubled and Ray Fosse singled. Steve Dunning homered in the fifth and, before the inning ended, what proved to be the deciding run counted on a double by Buddy Bell, safe bunt by Alex Johnson and single by Chris Chambliss. Ed Brinkman homered for the Tigers in the seventh. When doubles by Norm Cash and Jim Northrup produced another tally in the eighth, Ed Farmer replaced Dunning and saved the game.

In the nightcap, Roy Foster walked in the fourth inning and Nettles homered for the Indians' first two runs off John Hiller. Joe Niekro, on the mound for the Tigers in the seventh, walked John Lowenstein and gave up a single by Jerry Moses. Jim Foor passed Fosse to load the bases. Tom Timmerman took over and walked Del Unser to force in Lowenstein. Bell grounded into a forceout at the plate, but Frank Duffy singled to drive in Fosse. Bob Strampe then became the Tigers' fourth pitcher of the inning. Chambliss forced Duffy at second, Unser scoring. The throw back to first base, with Strampe covering, was too late to catch Chambliss. While Strampe argued with the umpire, Bell streaked home with another run. The Tigers came back with a three-run homer by Willie Horton in the eighth, but a rally in the ninth fell short with only one more run scoring. [The Sporting News]



Cleveland Indians 3, Detroit Tigers 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, September 19, 1972 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   2  9  0
Indians      0  1  0    0  2  0    0  0  x  -   3  8  0


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McAuliffe 2b          5   0   1   0     0   1   .242      Bell cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .258
Rodriguez 3b          4   0   2   0     0   0   .227      A. Johnson lf         3   0   2   0     0   1   .243
G. Brown lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .232        Lowenstein lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .218
Cash 1b               4   1   3   0     0   1   .261      Chambliss 1b          4   0   2   1     0   0   .279
Sims c                4   0   1   0     0   0   .208      Foster rf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .221
Northrup rf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .248        Bevacqua rf         2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Stanley cf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .233        McCraw rf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .246
Brinkman ss           3   1   1   1     1   0   .201      Nettles 3b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .253
Lolich p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .074      Fosse c               3   0   1   1     0   1   .240
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .247      Duffy ss              2   0   0   0     1   0   .221
  LaGrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Brohamer 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .238
  Kaline ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Dunning p             2   1   1   1     1   0   .258
                                                            Farmer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               35   2   9   2     2   4             Totals               30   3   8   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:13
Left on Base: Tigers 8, Indians 5
DP: Tigers 2, Indians 1
Doubles: Cash (13), Northrup (10), Chambliss (26), Nettles (26), Bell (17)
Home Runs: Brinkman (5), Dunning (3)
Stolen Bases: Fosse (5)
GIDP: G. Brown (7)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lolich L(20-13)         6     8   3   3   2   3   1  26   2.60
LaGrow                  2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   1.74
Totals                  8     8   3   3   2   3   1  32

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dunning W(5-3)          7.2   9   2   2   2   4   1  33   2.86
Farmer SV(6)            1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.02
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   4   1  37

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


TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe flied out to center; Rodriguez singled to
left; G. Brown made an out to third; Cash singled to right
[Rodriguez to second]; Sims flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Bell flied out to left; A. Johnson singled to
shortstop; Chambliss doubled to right [A. Johnson to third];
Foster hit into a double play (third to catcher to third to
catcher to third to second) [A. Johnson out at home, Chambliss
out at third]; Roy Foster ejected by 2B umpire Lou
DiMuro; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

TIGERS 2ND: BEVACQUA REPLACED FOSTER (PLAYING RF); Northrup
flied out to left; Stanley flied out to center; Brinkman
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Nettles doubled to left; Fosse singled to left
[Nettles scored]; Fosse stole second; Duffy flied out to right;
Brohamer made an out to first; Dunning walked; Bell flied out to
right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 1.

TIGERS 3RD: Lolich struck out; McAuliffe singled to right;
Rodriguez singled to right [McAuliffe to third]; G. Brown
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Rodriguez out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0,
Indians 1.

INDIANS 3RD: A. Johnson struck out; Chambliss popped to third in
foul territory; Bevacqua flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Cash struck out; Sims flied out to center; Northrup
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 0,
Indians 1.

INDIANS 4TH: Nettles flied out to center; Fosse struck out;
Duffy walked; Brohamer grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Stanley made an out to second; Brinkman walked;
Lolich struck out; McAuliffe flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 1.

INDIANS 5TH: Dunning homered; Bell doubled to left; A. Johnson
singled to shortstop [Bell to third]; Chambliss singled to right
[A. Johnson to second, Bell scored]; Bevacqua hit into a double
play (third to shortstop to second) [A. Johnson out at third,
Chambliss out at second]; Nettles was called out on strikes; 2
R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 3.

TIGERS 6TH: LOWENSTEIN REPLACED A. JOHNSON (PLAYING LF);
Rodriguez flied out to left; G. Brown grounded out (second to
first); Cash singled to right; Sims singled to right [Cash to
third]; Northrup walked [Sims to second]; Stanley forced Sims
(first to third); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 3.

INDIANS 6TH: Fosse grounded out (third to first); Duffy flied
out to left; Brohamer made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 3.

TIGERS 7TH: Brinkman homered; HOWARD BATTED FOR LOLICH; Howard
flied out to right; McAuliffe struck out (catcher to first);
Rodriguez grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 1, Indians 3.

INDIANS 7TH: LAGROW REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Dunning flied
out to right; Bell made an out to pitcher; Lowenstein flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 1, Indians 3.

TIGERS 8TH: MCCRAW REPLACED BEVACQUA (PLAYING RF); G. Brown
flied out to center; Cash doubled to left; Sims grounded out
(second to first) [Cash to third]; Northrup doubled to right
[Cash scored]; FARMER REPLACED DUNNING (PITCHING); Stanley
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers
2, Indians 3.

INDIANS 8TH: Chambliss grounded out (shortstop to first); McCraw
grounded out (pitcher to first); Nettles made an out to second;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Indians 3.

TIGERS 9TH: Brinkman flied out to right; KALINE BATTED FOR
LAGROW; Kaline grounded out (third to first); McAuliffe flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Indians 3.