Befitting his status as the Tigers' veteran star, Al Kaline singled home the tie-breaking run in the seventh inning and scored himself to beat the Red Sox, 3-1, for the East Division championship. Woodie Fryman, who was acquired from the Phillles August 2, gained his 10th victory by checking the Red Sox on four hits through 7 2/3 innings. Chuck Seelbach finished and recorded his 14th save. Luis Tiant, ace of the Red Sox staff, drew the defeat.

The Red Sox scored their run in the first inning. Tommy Harper singled and stole his 25th base of the season. Carl Yastrzemski walked with one away. Reggie Smith hit a grounder to Ed Brinkman, who tossed to Dick McAuliffe for what could have been the start of an inning-ending double play, but McAuliffe dropped the throw as Harper scored. The Tigers pulled even in the sixth when Norm Cash walked, Willie Horton sacrificed and Jim Northrup singled.

With one away in the seventh, McAuliffe atoned for his error with a double and Kaline followed with his single to break the tie. Kaline took second on the throw to the plate and advanced to third on an infield hit by Duke Sims. Cash then hit a slow bouncer to Yastrzemski, who fumbled the ball, allowing Kaline to cross the plate with an insurance run. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 3, Boston Red Sox 1
Game Played on Tuesday, October   3, 1972 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Red Sox      1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1
Tigers       0  0  0    0  0  1    2  0  x  -   3  9  1


Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Harper cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .254      McAuliffe 2b          3   1   1   0     1   1   .239
Aparicio ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      Kaline rf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .313
Yastrzemski 1b        3   0   1   0     1   0   .264      Sims c                3   0   1   0     1   0   .241
Smith rf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .270      Cash 1b               3   1   0   0     1   1   .259
Petrocelli 3b         3   0   0   0     1   1   .240      Horton lf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .230
Fisk c                4   0   0   0     0   0   .293        Stanley cf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .234
Evans lf              3   0   0   0     1   3   .283      Northrup cf,lf        4   0   2   1     0   0   .261
Griffin 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .260      Rodriguez 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .236
  Cooper ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .083      Brinkman ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .204
Tiant p               3   0   1   0     0   1   .107      Fryman p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .137
  Lee p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .188        Seelbach p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Oglivie ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .238

Totals               32   1   4   0     4   7             Totals               32   3   9   2     3   6

Time of Game: 3:06   Attendance: 50,653
Left on Base: Red Sox 8, Tigers 9
DP: Red Sox 0, Tigers 0
Errors: Yastrzemski, McAuliffe
Doubles: Aparicio (26), McAuliffe (15)
Stolen Bases: Harper (25), Smith (15)
Sacrifice Hits: Horton (2)


Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Tiant L(15-6)           6.1   7   3   2   3   4   0  29   1.91
Lee                     1.2   2   0   0   0   2   0   7   3.20
Totals                  8     9   3   2   3   6   0  36

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman W(10-3)          7.2   4   1   0   4   5   0  32   3.24
Seelbach SV(14)         1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   2.89
Totals                  9     4   1   0   4   7   0  36

Wild Pitches: Fryman (5)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Frank Umont, 2B - Lou DiMuro, 3B - Jim Honochick


RED SOX 1ST: Harper singled to center; Harper stole second;
Aparicio grounded out (third to first); Yastrzemski walked;
Smith reached on a fielder's choice [Yastrzemski to second
(error by McAuliffe; assist by Brinkman), Harper scored
(unearned) (no RBI)]; Petrocelli was called out on strikes; Fisk
popped to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers
0.

TIGERS 1ST: McAuliffe was called out on strikes; Kaline singled
to left; Sims walked [Kaline to second]; Cash forced Sims (first
to shortstop) [Kaline to third]; Horton made an out to first; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

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

TIGERS 2ND: Northrup grounded out (first unassisted); Rodriguez
flied out to right; Brinkman lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

RED SOX 3RD: Harper was called out on strikes; Aparicio grounded
out (third to first); Yastrzemski made an out to shortstop; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Fryman singled to center; McAuliffe grounded out
(second to first) [Fryman to second]; Kaline flied out to
center; Sims grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

RED SOX 4TH: Smith grounded out (first to pitcher); Petrocelli
walked; Fisk popped to third in foul territory; Evans walked
[Petrocelli to second]; Griffin forced Evans (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Cash struck out; Horton singled to left; Northrup
made an out to shortstop; Rodriguez forced Horton (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

RED SOX 5TH: Tiant was called out on strikes; Harper flied out
to center; Aparicio doubled to left; Yastrzemski flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 5TH: On a bunt Brinkman singled; On a bunt Fryman struck
out; McAuliffe walked [Brinkman to second]; Kaline struck out;
Sims lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 0.

RED SOX 6TH: Smith walked; Petrocelli flied out to center; Fisk
popped to first in foul territory; Smith stole second; Evans was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers
0.

TIGERS 6TH: Cash walked; Horton out on a sacrifice bunt (third
to first) [Cash to second]; Northrup singled to right [Cash
scored]; Rodriguez forced Northrup (shortstop to second);
Brinkman forced Rodriguez (third to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 1.

RED SOX 7TH: Griffin grounded out (pitcher to first); Tiant
singled; Harper forced Tiant (shortstop to second); Aparicio
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox
1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 7TH: Fryman made an out to second; McAuliffe doubled;
Kaline singled to left [McAuliffe scored, Kaline to second (on
throw)]; LEE REPLACED TIANT (PITCHING); Sims singled to
shortstop [Kaline to third]; Cash reached on an error by
Yastrzemski [Kaline scored (unearned) (no RBI), Sims to second];
Horton was called out on strikes; Northrup singled to left [Sims
out at home (left to catcher), Cash to second]; 2 R (1 ER), 4 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 3.

RED SOX 8TH: STANLEY REPLACED HORTON (PLAYING CF); NORTHRUP
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Yastrzemski singled; Fryman
threw a wild pitch [Yastrzemski to second]; Smith flied out to
right; Petrocelli flied out to right; SEELBACH REPLACED FRYMAN
(PITCHING); Fisk lined to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox
1, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 8TH: Rodriguez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Brinkman grounded out (pitcher to first); Seelbach struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 3.

RED SOX 9TH: Evans struck out; COOPER BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Cooper
was called out on strikes; OGLIVIE BATTED FOR LEE; Oglivie flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 1, Tigers 3.