A six-run explosion in the opening inning triggered the Tigers to a 6-1 victory over the Indians. Dave Freisleben, making his A. L. debut, failed to retire a batter. Ron LeFlore opened the game with a single and stole second. Lou Whitaker drew a walk and LeFlore scored on a wild pitch. Rusty Staub then belted a home run. The assault continued with a single by Jason Thompson, an error by Duane Kuiper on a grounder by Steve Kemp and a run-scoring single by Milt May that sent Freisleben to the showers.

Paul Reuschel, who joined the Tribe from the Cubs just prior to the game, took over and served up a single to Tim Corcoran that filled the bases. Phil Mankowski followed with a two-run single. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 6, Cleveland Indians 1
Game Played on Tuesday, June      27, 1978 (Night game) at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers       6  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 11  0
Indians      0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  1


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
LeFlore cf            5   1   2   0     0   1   .261      Dade rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .289
Whitaker 2b           3   1   1   0     2   0   .306      Manning cf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .257
Staub dh              5   1   1   2     0   0   .287      Grubb lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .239
Thompson 1b           5   1   1   0     0   0   .307      Thornton 1b           4   1   0   0     0   0   .270
Kemp lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .276      Carbo dh              4   0   2   1     0   0   .278
May c                 4   1   2   1     0   0   .270      Alexander c           4   0   1   0     0   0   .227
Corcoran rf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .257      Cox 3b                3   0   0   0     0   0   .214
Mankowski 3b          3   0   1   2     1   0   .303        Norris ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Rodriguez 3b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .272      Kuiper 2b             3   0   2   0     0   0   .261
Wagner ss             3   0   0   0     0   1   .250      Veryzer ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .248
Rozema p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Freisleben p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Reuschel p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kern p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Monge p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   6  11   5     3   2             Totals               34   1   9   1     0   2

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 12,214
Left on Base: Tigers 7, Indians 6
DP: Tigers 1, Indians 1
Errors: Kuiper
Home Runs: Staub (10)
Stolen Bases: LeFlore (25), Corcoran (2)
Caught Stealing: LeFlore (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Wagner (1)
GIDP: Thornton (7)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rozema W(3-4)           9     9   1   1   0   2   0  34   2.30
Totals                  9     9   1   1   0   2   0  34

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Freisleben L(0-1)       0     4   6   5   1   0   1   6   7.76
Reuschel                6     7   0   0   1   0   0  25   4.24
Kern                    2     0   0   0   0   2   0   6   4.10
Monge                   1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.33
Totals                  9    11   6   5   3   2   1  40

Wild Pitches: Freisleben (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Evans, 1B - Durwood Merrill, 2B - Marty Springstead, 3B - Larry Barnett


TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore singled to center; LeFlore stole second;
Whitaker walked; Freisleben threw a wild pitch [LeFlore scored,
Whitaker to second]; Staub homered [Whitaker scored]; Thompson
singled; Kemp reached on an error by Kuiper [Thompson to third];
May singled to right [Thompson scored, Kemp to second]; REUSCHEL
REPLACED FREISLEBEN (PITCHING); Corcoran singled to left [Kemp
to third, May to second]; Mankowski singled to left [Kemp scored
(unearned), May scored, Corcoran to second]; Wagner out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Corcoran to third, Mankowski
to second]; LeFlore grounded out (shortstop to first); Whitaker
lined to shortstop; 6 R (5 ER), 6 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 6,
Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: On a bunt Dade singled; Manning grounded out
(second to first) [Dade to second]; Grubb grounded out (second
to first) [Dade to third]; Thornton grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Staub flied out to right; Thompson made an out to
shortstop; Kemp singled to center; May singled to center [Kemp
to second]; Corcoran grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Carbo grounded out (second to first); Alexander
made an out to catcher; Cox grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Mankowski grounded out (pitcher to first); Wagner
grounded out (shortstop to first); LeFlore grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Kuiper flied out to left; Veryzer grounded out
(second to first); Dade grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Whitaker grounded out (second to first); Staub
grounded out (second to first); Thompson flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Manning singled to center; Grubb grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Manning to second]; Thornton reached on a
fielder's choice [Manning out at third (shortstop to third)];
Carbo singled to right [Thornton scored, Carbo out at second
(right to first to second)]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6,
Indians 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Kemp grounded out (shortstop to first); May made an
out to shortstop; Corcoran singled to left; Corcoran stole
second; Mankowski walked; Wagner forced Corcoran (third
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

INDIANS 5TH: Alexander flied out to left; Cox flied out to
right; Kuiper singled to left; Veryzer flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

TIGERS 6TH: LeFlore singled to right; LeFlore was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Whitaker singled to
left; Staub flied out to right; Thompson flied out to center; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

INDIANS 6TH: Dade struck out; Manning singled to center; Grubb
singled to pitcher [Manning to second]; Thornton grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Grubb out at second]; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

TIGERS 7TH: KERN REPLACED REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Kemp grounded out
(shortstop to first); May grounded out (second to first);
Corcoran grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 6, Indians 1.

INDIANS 7TH: Carbo singled to left; Alexander flied out to
right; Cox grounded out (shortstop to first) [Carbo to second];
Kuiper singled to left [Carbo to third]; Veryzer was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

TIGERS 8TH: Mankowski grounded out (second to first); Wagner
struck out; LeFlore struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6,
Indians 1.

INDIANS 8TH: RODRIGUEZ REPLACED MANKOWSKI (PLAYING 3B); Dade
grounded out (second to first); Manning flied out to center;
Grubb lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians
1.

TIGERS 9TH: MONGE REPLACED KERN (PITCHING); Whitaker walked;
Staub lined into a double play (first unassisted) [Whitaker out
at first]; Thompson made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 6, Indians 1.

INDIANS 9TH: Thornton grounded out (shortstop to first); Carbo
grounded out (shortstop to first); Alexander singled to left;
NORRIS BATTED FOR COX; Norris grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.