Manager Billy Martin turned to John Hiller for the starting assignment and the "forgotten man" of the Tigers' staff responded by defeating the Brewers, 5-1, for his first victory in two years. As a result, the Tigers pulled within one-half game of the Red Sox before going into a three-game confrontation with their rivals for the East Division championship.

Hiller, who suffered a heart attack January 11, 1971, was out all that year and served as a pitching coach at Lakeland (Florida State) this season before going back on the Tigers' active list July 8. He had pitched 22 games in relief and had started twice, losing both times, before facing the Brewers and holding them to five hits.

The Tigers scored all their runs on homers. Aurelio Rodriguez hit for the circuit following a single by Willie Horton and pass to Jim Northrup in the fifth inning. Dick McAuliffe and Al Kaline added solo swats in the eighth. Hiller held the Brewers until giving up a run in the ninth on a walk and singles by Dave May and Rick Auerbach. [The Sporting News]

Detroit Tigers 5, Milwaukee Brewers 1

Game Played on Sunday, October 1, 1972 (Day game) at Tiger Stadium

Brewers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  5  0
Tigers       0  0  0    0  3  0    0  2  x  -   5  6  0


Brewers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Theobald 2b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .223      McAuliffe 2b          4   1   1   1     0   0   .239
Rodriguez c           2   0   0   0     2   0   .286      Kaline rf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .304
Lahoud lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .223      Sims c                4   0   0   0     0   2   .242
Scott 1b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .268      Cash 1b               3   0   1   0     1   1   .261
Brown rf              3   1   1   0     1   0   .248      Horton lf             2   1   1   0     0   0   .230
Ferraro 3b            4   0   1   0     0   1   .259        Stanley cf          1   0   0   0     0   1   .234
May cf                4   0   2   0     0   1   .238      Northrup cf,lf        1   1   0   0     2   0   .260
Auerbach ss           4   0   1   1     0   0   .219      Rodriguez 3b          3   1   2   3     0   0   .234
Parsons p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .164      Brinkman ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .203
  Heise ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Hiller p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Colborn p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .081
  T. Reynolds ph      1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Bell p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .071
  Sanders p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  O'Brien ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .196

Totals               31   1   5   1     5   3             Totals               28   5   6   5     3   6

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 17,429
Left on Base: Brewers 8, Tigers 3
DP: Brewers 1, Tigers 1
Home Runs: Rodriguez (12), McAuliffe (8), Kaline (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Horton (1)
GIDP: Lahoud (8), Northrup (16)


Brewers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Parsons L(13-13)        5     3   3   3   1   1   1  18   3.91
Colborn                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.11
Bell                    0.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   3   1.66
Sanders                 1.2   3   2   2   0   4   2   8   3.12
Totals                  8     6   5   5   3   6   3  32

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hiller W(1-2)           9     5   1   1   5   3   0  36   2.03
Totals                  9     5   1   1   5   3   0  36

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


BREWERS 1ST: Theobald grounded out (shortstop to first);
Rodriguez walked; Lahoud grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Rodriguez out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe flied out to center; Kaline grounded out
(third to first); Sims grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

BREWERS 2ND: Scott lined to left; Brown flied out to right;
Ferraro flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0,
Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Cash singled to right; Horton flied out to right;
Northrup grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Cash out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0,
Tigers 0.

BREWERS 3RD: May struck out; Auerbach flied out to center;
Parsons grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Rodriguez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Brinkman grounded out (pitcher to first); Hiller was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

BREWERS 4TH: Theobald grounded out (second to first); Rodriguez
walked; Lahoud forced Rodriguez (second to shortstop); Scott
forced Lahoud (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 4TH: McAuliffe flied out to center; Kaline grounded out
(shortstop to first); Sims flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

BREWERS 5TH: Brown grounded out (third to first); Ferraro struck
out; May singled to right; Auerbach grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Cash flied out to center; Horton singled to center;
Northrup walked [Horton to second]; Rodriguez homered [Horton
scored, Northrup scored]; Brinkman grounded out (third to
first); Hiller grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 3.

BREWERS 6TH: HEISE BATTED FOR PARSONS; Heise flied out to left;
Theobald walked; Rodriguez flied out to right; Lahoud walked
[Theobald to second]; Scott forced Lahoud (shortstop to second);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 6TH: COLBORN REPLACED HEISE (PITCHING); McAuliffe
grounded out (second to first); Kaline made an out to shortstop;
Sims was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers
0, Tigers 3.

BREWERS 7TH: Brown singled to left; Ferraro singled to center
[Brown to second]; May popped to first in foul territory;
Auerbach forced Ferraro (third to second) [Brown to third]; T.
REYNOLDS BATTED FOR COLBORN; T. Reynolds grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 7TH: BELL REPLACED T. REYNOLDS (PITCHING); Cash walked;
Horton out on a sacrifice bunt (third to first) [Cash to
second]; Northrup was walked intentionally; SANDERS REPLACED
BELL (PITCHING); Rodriguez singled to right [Northrup to second,
Cash to third]; Brinkman flied out to right; Hiller struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 3.

BREWERS 8TH: STANLEY REPLACED HORTON (PLAYING CF); NORTHRUP
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Theobald made an out to second;
Rodriguez flied out to center; Lahoud grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 8TH: McAuliffe homered; Kaline homered; Sims was called
out on strikes; Cash struck out; Stanley struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Brewers 0, Tigers 5.

BREWERS 9TH: Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); Brown
walked; Ferraro flied out to center; May singled to left [Brown
to second]; Auerbach singled to right [May to second, Brown
scored]; O'BRIEN BATTED FOR SANDERS; O'Brien was called out on
strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Brewers 1, Tigers 5.

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