Three homers, the last by Roy White in the 12th inning, carried the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Tigers, who dropped 1½ games behind the Red Sox in the East Division race. The Tigers scored a run off Mel Stottlemyre in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Willie Horton with the bases loaded and Mickey Lolich protected that slim lead until the eighth when Thurman Munson homered for the Yankees. Lolich then made a bad pitch in the ninth to Yankee reliever Lindy McDaniel, who swung and connected for what was only the third homer in his 18 years in the major leagues.

The Tigers came back to tie the score in their half of the ninth. Al Kaline singled, took third on a single by Duke Sims and scored when the throw by right fielder Rusty Torres bounced away from shortstop Gene Michael. Sparky Lyle pitched last the two innings for the Yankees and was the winner on White's homer, but the ace reliever had to work out of trouble in the Tigers' half of the 12th. With one out, Jim Northrup doubled and took third on a wild pitch. Aurelio Rodriguez lined to second baseman Horace Clarke and, after a pass to Ed Brinkman, Paul Jata struck out to end the game. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 3, Detroit Tigers 2
Game Played on Thursday, September 28, 1972 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Yankees      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  1    0  0  1  -   3 10  1
Tigers       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2 10  1


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Clarke 2b             6   0   1   0     0   0   .249      McAuliffe 2b          5   0   0   0     0   0   .239
White lf              4   1   1   1     2   0   .270        Taylor ph,2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .295
Murcer cf             6   0   0   0     0   1   .287      Kaline rf,1b          4   2   2   0     2   0   .293
Alou rf,1b            6   0   1   0     0   0   .279      Sims c                5   0   3   0     1   1   .240
Munson c              5   1   1   1     0   0   .285      Cash 1b               2   0   0   0     3   1   .259
Ellis 1b              3   0   0   0     1   2   .293        Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .248
  Torres rf           1   0   1   0     0   0   .219        I. Brown lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Sanchez 3b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .247      Horton lf             2   0   1   1     0   0   .229
Michael ss            5   0   2   0     0   1   .239        G. Brown ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .231
Stottlemyre p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .205        Stanley cf          2   0   0   0     0   0   .232
  Swoboda ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .248      Northrup cf,lf,rf     6   0   3   0     0   0   .251
  McDaniel p          1   1   1   1     0   0   .286      Rodriguez 3b          6   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Spikes ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .167      Brinkman ss           4   0   1   0     2   1   .202
  Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .190      Lolich p              2   0   0   0     3   2   .070
                                                            Jata ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .233

Totals               44   3  10   3     3   5             Totals               41   2  10   1    11   6

Time of Game: 3:31   Attendance: 21,185
Left on Base: Yankees 10, Tigers 16
DP: Yankees 3, Tigers 1
Errors: Torres, Northrup
Doubles: Northrup 2 (14)
Home Runs: Munson (7), McDaniel (1), White (9)
Caught Stealing: Northrup (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Sanchez (2), Taylor (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Horton (2)
GIDP: Michael (11)
Hit by Pitch: Stottlemyre (2,by Lolich)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Stottlemyre             6     5   1   1   6   2   0  28   3.21
McDaniel                4     4   1   0   2   2   0  16   2.35
Lyle W(9-5)             2     1   0   0   3   2   0  10   1.94
Totals                 12    10   2   1  11   6   0  54

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lolich L(21-14)        12    10   3   3   3   5   3  49   2.54
Totals                 12    10   3   3   3   5   3  49

Hit by Pitch: Lolich (9)
Wild Pitches: Stottlemyre 2 (6), Lyle (5)

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


YANKEES 1ST: Clarke grounded out (shortstop to first); White
walked; Murcer flied to right in foul territory; Alou flied out
to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe flied out to center; Kaline walked; Sims
singled to center [Kaline to second]; Stottlemyre threw a wild
pitch [Kaline to third, Sims to second]; Cash was walked
intentionally; Horton hit a sacrifice fly to center [Kaline
scored, Sims to third]; Northrup flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 2ND: Munson lined to right; Ellis grounded out
(shortstop to first); Sanchez singled to left; Michael singled
to center [Sanchez to second]; Stottlemyre forced Michael (third
to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 2ND: Rodriguez grounded out (third to first); Brinkman
lined to right; Lolich walked; McAuliffe lined to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 3RD: Clarke grounded out (shortstop to first); White
grounded out (first unassisted); Murcer grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 3RD: Kaline flied out to right; Sims grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cash was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 4TH: Alou grounded out (third to first); Munson flied
out to right; Ellis struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees
0, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Horton singled to center; Northrup singled to center
[Horton to third]; Rodriguez popped to first in foul territory;
Brinkman flied into a double play to center [Horton out at home
(center to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Sanchez singled to pitcher; Michael grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Sanchez out at
second]; Stottlemyre was hit by a pitch; Clarke singled to
center [Stottlemyre to third (error by Northrup)]; White
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0,
Tigers 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Lolich struck out; McAuliffe popped to second;
Kaline singled to third; Stottlemyre threw a wild pitch [Kaline
to second]; Sims walked; Cash walked [Kaline to third, Sims to
second]; Horton flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Yankees
0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 6TH: Murcer struck out (catcher to first); Alou singled
to shortstop; Munson made an out to catcher; Ellis walked [Alou
to second]; Sanchez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 6TH: Northrup flied out to center; Rodriguez grounded out
(second to first); Brinkman singled to left; Lolich walked
[Brinkman to second]; McAuliffe grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 7TH: Michael singled to center; SWOBODA BATTED FOR
STOTTLEMYRE; Swoboda grounded out (pitcher to first) [Michael to
second]; Clarke lined to right; White was walked intentionally;
Murcer lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers
1.

TIGERS 7TH: MCDANIEL REPLACED SWOBODA (PITCHING); Kaline made an
out to second; Sims singled to center; Cash grounded out (second
to first) [Sims to second]; G. BROWN BATTED FOR HORTON; G. Brown
popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 8TH: STANLEY REPLACED G. BROWN (PLAYING CF); NORTHRUP
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Alou grounded out (third to
first); Munson homered; Ellis struck out; Sanchez grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 8TH: Northrup doubled to right; Rodriguez grounded out
(second to first) [Northrup to third]; Brinkman walked; Lolich
struck out while Northrup was caught stealing home (catcher to
third); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 9TH: Michael grounded out (shortstop to first); McDaniel
homered; Clarke grounded out (third to first); White grounded
out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 9TH: TORRES REPLACED ELLIS (PLAYING RF); ALOU CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); McAuliffe grounded out (second to
first); Kaline singled to center; Sims singled to right [Kaline
scored (error by Torres) (unearned) (no RBI), Sims to second];
Cash was walked intentionally; Stanley lined into a double play
(second to shortstop) [Sims out at second]; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 10TH: Murcer grounded out (first unassisted); Alou
grounded out (shortstop to first); Munson grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 10TH: Northrup grounded out (first to pitcher); Rodriguez
grounded out (third to first); Brinkman was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 11TH: Torres singled to left; Sanchez out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Torres to second]; Michael was called
out on strikes; SPIKES BATTED FOR MCDANIEL; Spikes was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 11TH: LYLE REPLACED SPIKES (PITCHING); Lolich walked;
TAYLOR BATTED FOR MCAULIFFE; Taylor out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Lolich to second]; Kaline was walked
intentionally; Sims struck out; HOWARD BATTED FOR CASH; Howard
lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 12TH: TAYLOR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); I. BROWN
REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING LF); KALINE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); NORTHRUP CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Clarke lined to
center; White homered; Murcer grounded out (pitcher to first);
Alou grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 3, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 12TH: Stanley flied out to right; Northrup doubled to
center; Lyle threw a wild pitch [Northrup to third]; Rodriguez
lined to second; Brinkman walked; JATA BATTED FOR LOLICH; Jata
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 2.