The Red Sox regained a one-game lead in the East Division race when Luis Tiant defeated the Tigers, 7-2, for his 10th victory in 11 decisions since August 1. Tiant, who had pitched two straight shutouts, had his scoreless streak broken when the Tigers scored a run in the first inning on two walks and a pair of outfield flies.

However, the Red Sox struck back with four runs before Woodie Fryman could retire a batter in their half of the first. Tommy Harper walked, Luis Aparicio doubled and Carl Yastrzemski drove them in with a single. Reggie Smith followed with a homer to score behind Yastrzemski. Fryman, who had won five straight games, was lifted in the fifth after an error and a single by Smith put two men on base. Rico Petrocelli greeted reliever Chuck Seelbach with a three-run homer. [The Sporting News]



Boston Red Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 2
Game Played on Sunday, September 24, 1972 (Day game) at Fenway Park
Tigers       1  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1
Red Sox      4  0  0    0  3  0    0  0  x  -   7  9  1


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McAuliffe 2b          3   1   1   1     1   0   .244      Harper cf             3   1   0   0     1   2   .259
Stanley cf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .234        Miller cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .211
G. Brown lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .233      Aparicio ss           4   2   1   0     0   0   .254
Cash 1b               3   0   0   1     0   1   .260      Yastrzemski 1b        4   1   1   2     0   1   .264
Sims c                4   0   2   0     0   0   .229      Smith rf              4   2   3   2     0   0   .267
Northrup rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .249      Petrocelli 3b         4   1   1   3     0   2   .244
Rodriguez 3b          4   1   1   0     0   1   .233      Fisk c                4   0   1   0     0   0   .300
Brinkman ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .199      Evans lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .357
Fryman p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .134      Griffin 2b            3   0   1   0     0   1   .261
  Seelbach p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .150      Tiant p               3   0   0   0     0   2   .102
  Haller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .205
  Slayback p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .174

Totals               32   2   7   2     2   4             Totals               33   7   9   7     1   9

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 34,182
Left on Base: Tigers 6, Red Sox 3
DP: Tigers 1, Red Sox 0
Errors: Rodriguez, Petrocelli
Doubles: Northrup (12), Aparicio (25), Fisk (28), Evans (3)
Home Runs: Smith (21), Petrocelli (15)
Stolen Bases: Smith (12)
Sacrifice Flies: Cash (3)
GIDP: Tiant (1)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman L(8-3)           4.1   7   6   5   1   7   1  22   3.36
Seelbach                1.2   2   1   1   0   1   1   6   3.01
Slayback                2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.24
Totals                  8     9   7   6   1   9   2  34

Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tiant W(14-5)           9     7   2   2   2   4   0  35   1.94
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   4   0  35

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Larry Barnett, 3B - Dave Phillips


TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe walked; Stanley walked [McAuliffe to
second]; G. Brown flied out to center [McAuliffe to third]; Cash
hit a sacrifice fly to right [McAuliffe scored, Stanley to
second]; Sims singled to first [Stanley out at home (first to
catcher)]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 0.

RED SOX 1ST: Harper walked; Aparicio doubled to center [Harper
to third]; Yastrzemski singled to center [Harper scored,
Aparicio scored]; Smith homered [Yastrzemski scored]; Petrocelli
struck out; Fisk doubled to left; Evans popped to first in foul
territory [Fisk to third]; On a bunt Griffin struck out; 4 R, 4
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

TIGERS 2ND: Northrup doubled to left; Rodriguez struck out;
Brinkman lined to third [Northrup to third (error by
Petrocelli)]; Fryman grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

RED SOX 2ND: Tiant was called out on strikes; Harper was called
out on strikes; Aparicio made an out to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

TIGERS 3RD: McAuliffe made an out to first; Stanley grounded out
(second to first); G. Brown flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

RED SOX 3RD: Yastrzemski struck out; Smith singled to left;
Petrocelli popped to left; Smith stole second; Fisk popped to
catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Red
Sox 4.

TIGERS 4TH: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Sims made an
out to shortstop; Northrup flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

RED SOX 4TH: Evans doubled to left; Griffin flied out to right;
Tiant struck out; Harper struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Tigers 1, Red Sox 4.

TIGERS 5TH: Rodriguez singled; Brinkman struck out; On a bunt
Fryman singled [Rodriguez to second]; McAuliffe singled to right
[Rodriguez scored, Fryman to second]; Stanley forced McAuliffe
(shortstop to second) [Fryman to third]; G. Brown flied out to
right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 4.

RED SOX 5TH: Aparicio reached on an error by Rodriguez;
Yastrzemski lined to right; Smith singled to left [Aparicio to
second]; SEELBACH REPLACED FRYMAN (PITCHING); Petrocelli homered
[Aparicio scored (unearned), Smith scored]; Fisk grounded out
(shortstop to first); Evans was called out on strikes; 3 R (2
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

TIGERS 6TH: Cash flied out to left; Sims singled; Northrup
popped to third in foul territory; Rodriguez made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

RED SOX 6TH: Griffin singled to center; On a bunt Tiant grounded
into a double play (first to shortstop to second) [Griffin out
at second]; Harper grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

TIGERS 7TH: MILLER REPLACED HARPER (PLAYING CF); Brinkman flied
out to center; HALLER BATTED FOR SEELBACH; Haller popped to
catcher in foul territory; McAuliffe grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

RED SOX 7TH: SLAYBACK REPLACED HALLER (PITCHING); Aparicio
grounded out (third to first); Yastrzemski popped to third in
foul territory; Smith popped to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

TIGERS 8TH: Stanley was called out on strikes; G. Brown singled
to center; Cash struck out; Sims made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

RED SOX 8TH: Petrocelli was called out on strikes; Fisk grounded
out (shortstop to first); Evans flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.

TIGERS 9TH: Northrup grounded out (first unassisted); Rodriguez
grounded out (pitcher to first); Brinkman flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Red Sox 7.