Less than one percentage point separated the first two clubs in the East Division race after the Tigers defeated the Red Sox, 10-3. The Red Sox had a .5454 percentage with a 78-65 record and the Tigers stood at .5448 with a 79-66 mark.

The Tigers settled the issue early by scoring four runs in the first inning and four more in the third. In the first, Dick McAuliffe walked and Bill Freehan singled. After Gates Brown forced Freehan, Willie Horton drove in the first run with a single. Norm Cash doubled for another tally, and Mickey Stanley walked. When Aurleio Rodriguez followed with a single, Cash was thrown out at the plate. However, Carlton Fisk threw wildly to second trying to prevent an advance by Rodriguez and Stanley scored on the error. In the third, Al Kaline singled, Horton walked and Cash doubled to score Kaline. Following an intentional pass to Ed Brinkman with two out, Joe Coleman singled and drove in three runs. [The Sporting News]

Detroit Tigers 10, Boston Red Sox 3

Game Played on Thursday, September 21, 1972 (Night game) at Fenway Park

Tigers       4  0  4    0  0  0    1  0  1  -  10 14  0
Red Sox      1  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  2


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McAuliffe 2b          4   1   1   0     1   2   .238      Harper cf             4   1   0   0     1   2   .261
Freehan c             5   0   1   0     0   1   .262      Aparicio ss           4   0   0   0     0   2   .253
G. Brown lf           1   1   0   0     0   0   .235      Yastrzemski 1b        4   0   1   0     0   0   .263
  Kaline ph,rf        4   2   3   0     0   0   .286      Smith rf              4   1   3   1     0   0   .267
Horton rf,lf          3   2   1   1     1   0   .223      Petrocelli 3b         2   1   1   0     2   0   .247
  Northrup lf         1   0   1   1     0   0   .249      Fisk c                2   0   0   0     1   2   .301
Cash 1b               5   2   3   2     0   0   .263        Montgomery c        1   0   0   0     0   1   .289
Stanley cf            4   1   1   1     1   0   .232      Evans lf              4   0   2   2     0   0   .471
Rodriguez 3b          5   0   2   1     0   0   .229      Griffin 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .260
Brinkman ss           4   1   0   0     1   1   .199      Garman p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Coleman p             4   0   1   3     0   1   .104        Curtis p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .104
                                                            Oglivie ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .236
                                                            Newhauser p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cooper ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .091
                                                            Tatum p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Gagliano ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .263

Totals               40  10  14   9     4   5             Totals               33   3   7   3     4  10

Time of Game: 3:01   Attendance: 20,492
Left on Base: Tigers 7, Red Sox 7
DP: Tigers 0, Red Sox 0
Errors: Fisk 2
Doubles: Cash 3 (16), Stanley (15), Kaline (9), Yastrzemski (16), Evans (1)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Coleman W(18-13)        9     7   3   3   4  10   0  37   2.65
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4  10   0  37

Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Garman L(0-1)           0.1   3   3   3   1   0   0   5  10.80
Curtis                  3.2   5   5   4   3   3   0  18   3.87
Newhauser               2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   2.60
Tatum                   3     6   2   2   0   0   0  15   3.07
Totals                  9    14  10   9   4   5   0  44

Umpires: HP - Jim Odom, 1B - Don Denkinger, 2B - Hank Soar, 3B - Frank Umont


TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe walked; Freehan singled [McAuliffe to
second]; G. Brown forced Freehan (shortstop to second)
[McAuliffe to third]; Horton singled to right [McAuliffe scored,
G. Brown to third]; Cash doubled to right [G. Brown scored,
Horton to third]; CURTIS REPLACED GARMAN (PITCHING); Stanley was
walked intentionally; Rodriguez singled to left [Horton scored,
Cash out at home (left to catcher), Stanley scored (error by
Fisk) (unearned), Rodriguez to third]; Brinkman grounded out
(third to first); 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 4, Red
Sox 0.

RED SOX 1ST: Harper walked; Aparicio made an out to shortstop;
Yastrzemski doubled to left [Harper to third]; Smith singled to
left [Harper scored, Yastrzemski out at home (left to catcher),
Smith to second (on throw)]; Petrocelli walked; Fisk struck out;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 4, Red Sox 1.

TIGERS 2ND: Coleman was called out on strikes; On a bunt
McAuliffe struck out; Freehan popped to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 4, Red Sox 1.

RED SOX 2ND: Evans grounded out (first unassisted); Griffin
grounded out (shortstop to first); Curtis struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Red Sox 1.

TIGERS 3RD: KALINE BATTED FOR G. BROWN; Kaline singled to right;
Horton walked [Kaline to second]; Cash doubled to right [Kaline
scored, Horton to third]; Stanley grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rodriguez made an out to second; Brinkman was walked
intentionally; Coleman singled to center [Horton scored, Cash
scored, Brinkman scored]; McAuliffe struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Tigers 8, Red Sox 1.

RED SOX 3RD: KALINE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); HORTON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Harper struck out; Aparicio struck out;
Yastrzemski flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
8, Red Sox 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Freehan grounded out (shortstop to first); Fisk
dropped a foul fly hit by Kaline for an error; Kaline singled to
third; Horton lined to shortstop; Cash made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 8, Red Sox 1.

RED SOX 4TH: Smith singled; Petrocelli walked [Smith to second];
Fisk walked [Smith to third, Petrocelli to second]; Evans
doubled to right [Smith scored, Petrocelli scored, Fisk to
third]; Griffin flied out to center; OGLIVIE BATTED FOR CURTIS;
Oglivie struck out; Harper popped to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Tigers 8, Red Sox 3.

TIGERS 5TH: NEWHAUSER REPLACED OGLIVIE (PITCHING); Stanley flied
out to left; Rodriguez grounded out (pitcher to first); Brinkman
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 8, Red
Sox 3.

RED SOX 5TH: Aparicio struck out; Yastrzemski flied out to left;
Smith singled to right; Petrocelli singled to right [Smith to
third]; Fisk struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 8, Red
Sox 3.

TIGERS 6TH: Coleman grounded out (shortstop to first); McAuliffe
grounded out (first unassisted); Freehan was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 8, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 6TH: Evans flied out to right; Griffin lined to first;
COOPER BATTED FOR NEWHAUSER; Cooper struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 8, Red Sox 3.

TIGERS 7TH: TATUM REPLACED COOPER (PITCHING); Kaline made an out
to second; Horton lined to left; Cash doubled to left; Stanley
doubled to left [Cash scored]; Rodriguez flied out to left; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 9, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 7TH: NORTHRUP REPLACED HORTON (PLAYING LF); Harper
popped to right; Aparicio grounded out (shortstop to first);
Yastrzemski flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
9, Red Sox 3.

TIGERS 8TH: MONTGOMERY REPLACED FISK (PLAYING C ); Brinkman
grounded out (third to first); Coleman grounded out (pitcher to
first); McAuliffe singled to right; Freehan grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 9,
Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 8TH: Smith grounded out (first unassisted); Petrocelli
grounded out (shortstop to first); Montgomery struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 9, Red Sox 3.

TIGERS 9TH: Kaline doubled to left; Northrup singled to right
[Kaline scored]; Cash flied out to center; Stanley flied out to
left; Rodriguez singled to left [Northrup to second]; Brinkman
forced Rodriguez (shortstop to second); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Tigers 10, Red Sox 3.

RED SOX 9TH: Evans singled to center; Griffin popped to right;
GAGLIANO BATTED FOR TATUM; Gagliano forced Evans (shortstop to
second); Harper struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 10,
Red Sox 3.

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