Sparky Lyle, who leads the major leagues in saves with 35, suffered one of his rare failures in relief when the Tigers came from behind to defeat the Yankees 6-5. The Yankees scored three runs on a homer by Johnny Callison in the first inning and added two on a single by Bobby Murcer in the third.

Trailing, 5-1, the Tigers began their rally in the eighth with a run on singles by Willie Horton, Al Kaline and Duke Sims to kayo Steve Kline. Frank Howard, pinch-hitting, greeted Lyle's arrival with a run-scoring single and, after a walk, Mickey Stanley hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4. In the ninth, Ed Brinkman and Horton singled and Tony Taylor was safe on a bunt that the Yankees let roll. Kaline came through with a sacrifice fly to tie the score and Sims followed with a single to drive in the winning run. [The Sporting News]

Detroit Tigers 6, New York Yankees 5

Game Played on Wednesday, September 27, 1972 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium

Yankees      3  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   5 10  0
Tigers       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  3  2  -   6 12  1


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clarke 2b             5   1   2   0     1   2   .250      McAuliffe 2b          3   0   0   1     1   0   .242
White lf              4   1   1   0     2   0   .271        Taylor ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .295
Murcer cf             4   0   2   2     2   2   .291      Kaline rf,1b          4   1   2   2     0   0   .290
Blomberg 1b           0   1   0   0     1   0   .268      Sims c                5   1   2   1     0   1   .232
  Alou ph,1b          4   0   0   0     1   0   .281      Cash 1b               3   0   1   0     0   1   .261
Callison rf           4   1   2   3     1   0   .258        Howard ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .249
Allen 3b              3   0   0   0     2   0   .231        Staton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lanier 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .214        Seelbach p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .150
Munson c              4   0   1   0     1   0   .286      Northrup lf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .248
Michael ss            4   0   0   0     1   0   .237        I. Brown ph,lf      0   0   0   0     1   0   .263
Kline p               4   1   2   0     0   1   .096      Stanley cf            2   0   0   1     0   0   .233
  Lyle p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .190      Rodriguez 3b          3   1   1   0     1   1   .233
                                                          Brinkman ss           4   1   2   0     0   0   .201
                                                          Coleman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .104
                                                            Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .091
                                                            Slayback p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .174
                                                            Hiller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Haller ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .203
                                                            Gamble pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            LaGrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            G. Brown ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .232
                                                            Zachary p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Horton ph,rf        2   1   2   0     0   0   .227
                                                            Lane pr             0   1   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5  10   5    12   6             Totals               33   6  12   6     3   4

Time of Game: 3:31   Attendance: 21,850
Left on Base: Yankees 17, Tigers 8
DP: Yankees 1, Tigers 1
Errors: McAuliffe
Doubles: Callison (10)
Home Runs: Callison (9)
Stolen Bases: White (23), Murcer (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Stanley (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Stanley (8), Kaline (5)
GIDP: Michael (10), Kaline (10)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kline                   7.1   7   4   4   2   3   0  30   2.33
Lyle L(8-5)             1     5   2   2   1   1   0   9   1.98
Totals                  8.1  12   6   6   3   4   0  39

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Coleman                 1.1   3   3   3   5   4   1  12   2.74
Scherman                1.1   3   2   2   1   0   0   9   3.64
Slayback                0     0   0   0   1   0   0   1   3.24
Hiller                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.29
LaGrow                  3     3   0   0   1   1   0  13   1.37
Zachary                 2     0   0   0   3   0   0   8   1.49
Seelbach W(9-8)         1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   2.98
Totals                  9    10   5   5  12   6   1  49

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


YANKEES 1ST: Clarke was called out on strikes; White walked;
Murcer struck out; White stole second; Blomberg walked; Callison
homered [White scored, Blomberg scored]; Allen walked; Munson
singled to center [Allen to second]; Michael walked [Allen to
third, Munson to second]; Kline struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe walked; Kaline grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [McAuliffe out at second]; Sims was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers
0.

YANKEES 2ND: Clarke struck out; White walked; Murcer singled to
right [White to second]; SCHERMAN REPLACED COLEMAN (PITCHING);
ALOU BATTED FOR BLOMBERG; Alou made an out to catcher; Callison
reached on an error by McAuliffe [White to third, Murcer to
second]; Allen grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: ALOU STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Cash struck out;
Northrup flied out to center; Stanley popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Munson made an out to third; Michael flied out to
right; Kline singled to right; Clarke walked [Kline to second];
White singled to left [Kline to third, Clarke to second]; Murcer
singled to right [Kline scored, Clarke scored, White to third];
SLAYBACK REPLACED SCHERMAN (PITCHING); Alou walked [Murcer to
second]; HILLER REPLACED SLAYBACK (PITCHING); Callison grounded
out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers
0.

TIGERS 3RD: Rodriguez singled to left; Brinkman singled to left
[Rodriguez to second]; HALLER BATTED FOR HILLER; Haller forced
Brinkman (second to shortstop) [Rodriguez to third]; GAMBLE RAN
FOR HALLER; McAuliffe grounded out (first unassisted) [Rodriguez
scored, Gamble to second]; Kaline flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 4TH: LAGROW REPLACED GAMBLE (PITCHING); Allen flied out
to center; Munson grounded out (shortstop to first); Michael
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees
5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Sims grounded out (second to first); Cash lined to
right; Northrup was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Kline singled to left; Clarke singled to center
[Kline to second]; White lined to right; Murcer struck out; Alou
flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Stanley flied out to right; Rodriguez grounded out
(third to first); Brinkman popped to catcher in foul territory;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 6TH: Callison doubled to left; Allen popped to third in
foul territory; Munson was walked intentionally; Michael forced
Munson (third to second) [Callison to third]; Kline grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 6TH: G. BROWN BATTED FOR LAGROW; G. Brown lined to left;
McAuliffe grounded out (first to pitcher); Kaline singled to
shortstop; Sims grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 7TH: ZACHARY REPLACED G. BROWN (PITCHING); Clarke lined
to third; White popped to third in foul territory; Murcer
walked; Murcer stole second; Alou flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 7TH: Cash singled to right; Northrup flied to center;
Stanley out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Cash to
second]; Rodriguez walked; Brinkman forced Rodriguez (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 8TH: Callison walked; Allen walked [Callison to second];
Munson flied out to right [Callison to third]; Michael grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Allen out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 8TH: LANIER REPLACED ALLEN (PLAYING 3B); HORTON BATTED
FOR ZACHARY; Horton singled to right; McAuliffe grounded out
(first unassisted) [Horton to second]; Kaline singled to left
[Horton scored]; Sims singled to right [Kaline to second]; LYLE
REPLACED KLINE (PITCHING); HOWARD BATTED FOR CASH; Howard
singled to left [Kaline scored, Sims to second]; STATON RAN FOR
HOWARD; I. BROWN BATTED FOR NORTHRUP; I. Brown walked [Sims to
third, Staton to second]; Stanley hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Sims scored, Staton to third]; Rodriguez struck out; 3 R, 4 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 4.

YANKEES 9TH: SEELBACH REPLACED STATON (PITCHING); KALINE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); I. BROWN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF);
HORTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Lyle struck out; Clarke
singled to right; White forced Clarke (first to shortstop);
Murcer walked [White to second]; Alou lined to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 4.

TIGERS 9TH: Brinkman singled to left; Horton singled to left
[Brinkman to second]; LANE RAN FOR HORTON; TAYLOR BATTED FOR
MCAULIFFE; On a bunt Taylor singled to third [Brinkman to third,
Lane to second]; Kaline hit a sacrifice fly to center [Brinkman
scored, Lane to third]; Sims singled to center [Lane scored,
Taylor to second]; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

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