Willie Horton smashed a two-run homer to spark the Tigers to a 3-1 verdict over the Indians before 58,478 excited fans in the season opener for both teams. The decisive blow followed Dan Meyer's one-out double in the third inning. Joe Coleman pitched six shutout innings to receive credit for the victory. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 3, Cleveland Indians 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     10, 1976 (Day game) at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers       1  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0
Indians      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  6  1


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Oglivie cf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Manning cf            3   0   1   1     2   0   .333
  Stanley cf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Kuiper 2b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Meyer 1b              3   2   2   0     1   0   .667      Bell 3b               3   0   2   0     1   0   .667
Horton dh             3   1   2   2     1   0   .667      Powell 1b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .333
Staub rf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Hendrick rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Johnson lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Carty dh              4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
May c                 4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Spikes lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Rodriguez 3b          4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Ashby c               2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Veryzer ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .333        Fosse ph,c          1   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Sutherland 2b         3   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Duffy ss              3   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Coleman p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Blanks ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hiller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Eckersley p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Buskey p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   3   7   2     4   5             Totals               32   1   6   1     6   3

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 58,478
Left on Base: Tigers 6, Indians 10
DP: Tigers 1, Indians 1
Errors: Bell
Doubles: Meyer (1)
Home Runs: Horton (1)
Stolen Bases: Meyer (1), Duffy (1)
Caught Stealing: Sutherland (1)
GIDP: Staub (1)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Coleman W(1-0)          6     4   1   1   4   1   0  25   1.50
Hiller SV(1)            3     2   0   0   2   2   0  13   0.00
Totals                  9     6   1   1   6   3   0  38

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Eckersley L(0-1)        2.2   6   3   2   1   3   1  15   6.75
Kern                    4.1   1   0   0   2   1   0  14   0.00
Buskey                  0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
LaRoche                 1.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   5   0.00
Totals                  9     7   3   2   4   5   1  36

Wild Pitches: Hiller (1)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Jim Evans, 2B - Joe Brinkman, 3B - Greg Kosc


TIGERS 1ST: Oglivie struck out; Meyer walked; Meyer stole
second; Horton singled to left [Meyer scored (error by Bell)
(unearned) (no RBI), Horton to second (on throw to home)]; Staub
was called out on strikes; Johnson struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Manning flied out to center; Kuiper grounded out
(first unassisted); Bell singled to center; Powell flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Indians 0.

TIGERS 2ND: May popped to second; Rodriguez popped to first;
Veryzer singled to right; Sutherland lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 1, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Hendrick flied out to left; Carty was called out on
strikes; Spikes flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 1, Indians 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Oglivie grounded out (second to first); Meyer
doubled to center; Horton homered [Meyer scored]; Staub singled
to right; Johnson flied out to right; May singled to center
[Staub to second]; KERN REPLACED ECKERSLEY (PITCHING); Rodriguez
struck out; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Ashby flied out to right; Duffy singled to right;
Duffy stole second; Manning walked; Kuiper lined into a double
play (second to shortstop) [Duffy out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Veryzer grounded out (third to first); Sutherland
grounded out (third to first); Oglivie grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Bell grounded out (first unassisted); Powell
singled to right; Hendrick grounded out (third to first) [Powell
to second]; Carty grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Meyer singled to right; Horton walked [Meyer to
second]; Staub grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Meyer to third, Horton out at second]; Johnson flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 5TH: Spikes flied out to center; Ashby grounded out
(first to pitcher); Duffy popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 6TH: May grounded out (second to first); Rodriguez
grounded out (third to first); Veryzer grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 6TH: Manning grounded out (second to first); Kuiper
flied out to center; Bell walked; Powell walked [Bell to
second]; Hendrick flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 7TH: Sutherland walked; Sutherland was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Oglivie popped to third; Meyer
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 7TH: STANLEY REPLACED OGLIVIE (PLAYING CF); Carty
singled to center; Spikes walked [Carty to second]; HILLER
REPLACED COLEMAN (PITCHING); FOSSE BATTED FOR ASHBY; Fosse
struck out; Duffy popped to catcher in foul territory; Manning
singled to center [Carty scored, Spikes to second]; Kuiper
grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers
3, Indians 1.

TIGERS 8TH: FOSSE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); BUSKEY REPLACED
KERN (PITCHING); Horton popped to shortstop; Staub grounded out
(second to first); LAROCHE REPLACED BUSKEY (PITCHING); Johnson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers
3, Indians 1.

INDIANS 8TH: Bell singled to left; Hiller threw a wild pitch
[Bell to second]; Powell flied out to center; Hendrick struck
out; Carty popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3,
Indians 1.

TIGERS 9TH: May grounded out (first unassisted); Rodriguez
struck out; Veryzer walked; Sutherland flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 1.

INDIANS 9TH: Spikes grounded out (third to first); Fosse walked;
BLANKS BATTED FOR DUFFY; Blanks flied out to center; Manning
walked [Fosse to second]; Kuiper grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 1.