Mark Fidrych, who is a cinch to win A. L. Rookie Pitcher of Year honors, and Dennis Eckersley, last year's winner, turned in outstanding performances as the Tigers and the Indians divided a twi-night doubleheader. Fidrych pitched the Tigers to a 4-0 victory in the opener, posting his fourth shutout of the season to bring his record to 18-9 and lower his earned run average to 2.39. Willie Horton knocked in two of the Tigers' runs with a homer and double.

Eckersley struck out 12 and picked up his 13th victory, winning the nightcap for the Indians, 6-1. Rico Carty and Joe Lis each batted in a pair of runs in support of Eckersley. Phil Mankowski hit his first major league homer to save the Tigers from being shut out. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 4, Cleveland Indians 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Tuesday, September 28, 1976 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers       0  0  0    2  2  0    0  0  0  -   4  9  1
Indians      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  1


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mankowski 3b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Kuiper 2b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .262
Meyer lf              4   1   2   0     0   0   .248      Manning cf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .288
Staub rf              4   1   1   1     0   1   .299      Blanks ss             4   0   2   0     0   0   .282
Horton dh             4   1   2   2     0   0   .264      Carty dh              4   0   1   0     0   0   .306
Thompson 1b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .224      Powell 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .219
Stanley cf            3   0   0   0     1   1   .266      Hendrick lf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .265
Kimm c                4   0   1   1     0   0   .255      Bell 3b               3   0   0   0     0   0   .281
Scrivener 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .222      Smith rf              3   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Wagner ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   0   .234
Fidrych p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bibby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   4   9   4     2   2             Totals               32   0   5   0     1   3

Time of Game: 1:48
Left on Base: Tigers 6, Indians 6
DP: Tigers 1, Indians 0
Errors: Wagner, Manning
Doubles: Horton (14)
Home Runs: Horton (14)
Stolen Bases: Meyer (10)
GIDP: Carty (18)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fidrych W(18-9)         9     5   0   0   1   3   0  33   2.39
Totals                  9     5   0   0   1   3   0  33

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bibby L(13-7)           9     9   4   3   2   2   1  37   3.10
Totals                  9     9   4   3   2   2   1  37

Umpires: HP - Jim McKean, 1B - Nick Bremigan, 3B - George Maloney


TIGERS 1ST: Mankowski flied out to left; Meyer grounded out
(second to first); Staub struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Kuiper struck out; Manning grounded out (shortstop
to first); Blanks singled to left; Carty singled to left [Blanks
to second]; Powell forced Carty (third to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Horton popped to catcher in foul territory; Thompson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Stanley walked; Kimm grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians
0.

INDIANS 2ND: Hendrick struck out; Bell grounded out (pitcher to
first); Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Scrivener flied out to center; Wagner grounded out
(first unassisted); Mankowski singled to center; Meyer singled
to left [Mankowski out at third (left to second)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Ashby walked; Kuiper popped to catcher in foul
territory; Manning flied out to left; Blanks grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Staub flied out to left; Horton homered; Thompson
singled to center [Thompson to second (error by Manning)];
Stanley struck out; Kimm singled to center [Thompson scored
(unearned), Kimm to second (on throw to home)]; Scrivener
grounded out (third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Tigers 2, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Carty grounded out (second to first); Powell flied
out to center; Hendrick popped to third in foul territory; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 2, Indians 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Wagner grounded out (shortstop to first); Mankowski
grounded out (shortstop to first); Meyer singled to left; Meyer
stole second; Staub singled to left [Meyer scored]; Horton
doubled to center [Staub scored]; Thompson was walked
intentionally; Stanley forced Thompson (shortstop to second); 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 5TH: Bell flied out to center; Smith reached on an error
by Wagner [Smith to second]; Ashby lined to third; Kuiper
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers
4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 6TH: Kimm flied out to left; Scrivener flied out to
right; Wagner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 6TH: Manning singled; Blanks singled to right [Manning
to second]; Carty grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Manning to third, Blanks out at second];
Powell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Tigers 4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 7TH: Mankowski grounded out (shortstop to first); Meyer
grounded out (shortstop to first); Staub flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 7TH: Hendrick grounded out (shortstop to first); Bell
flied out to center; Smith grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 8TH: Horton grounded out (third to first); Thompson flied
out to center; Stanley grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 8TH: Ashby grounded out (second to pitcher); Kuiper
grounded out (third to first); Manning singled to center; Blanks
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 4,
Indians 0.

TIGERS 9TH: Kimm grounded out (third to first); Scrivener
singled to right; Wagner forced Scrivener (shortstop to second);
Mankowski forced Wagner (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 9TH: Carty grounded out (pitcher to first); Powell
grounded out (pitcher to first); Hendrick struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.