A four-run outburst in the fourth inning propelled the Yankees to a 7-3 triumph over the Tigers and sole possession of first place in the East division for the first time this season. The Yankees began their fourth-inning cannonade when Graig Nettles singled and Lou Piniella tripled off the wall in right-center. A single by Roy White scored Piniella and, one out later, a triple by Mickey Rivers plated White. A sacrifice fly by Willie Randolph capped the inning. [The Sporting News]



New York Yankees 7, Detroit Tigers 3
Game Played on Wednesday, September 13, 1978 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Yankees      0  0  0    4  1  2    0  0  0  -   7 14  0
Tigers       0  1  0    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   3  4  0


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             4   2   3   1     0   0   .272      LeFlore cf            3   0   0   0     2   0   .292
  Blair ph,cf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .175      Whitaker 2b           3   0   0   1     2   1   .292
Randolph 2b           4   0   2   2     0   0   .279      Staub dh              5   0   1   0     0   2   .283
Munson c              1   0   0   0     0   0   .296      Thompson 1b           5   1   1   0     0   2   .295
  Heath c             4   0   1   1     0   0   .247      Kemp lf               4   1   0   1     1   1   .274
Jackson rf            4   1   1   0     1   2   .281      May c                 4   0   0   0     0   0   .258
  Thomasson rf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .230      Corcoran rf           1   1   0   0     3   0   .265
Chambliss 1b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .282      Mankowski 3b          4   0   1   1     0   1   .297
Nettles 3b            4   1   1   1     0   1   .277      Trammell ss           2   0   1   0     1   0   .268
Piniella lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .322      Billingham p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
White dh              4   1   3   1     0   0   .268        Glynn p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Dent ss               4   1   0   0     0   0   .258        Morris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Beattie p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Burnside p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               39   7  14   7     1   3             Totals               31   3   4   3     9   7

Time of Game: 2:54   Attendance: 16,841
Left on Base: Yankees 8, Tigers 11
DP: Yankees 0, Tigers 0
Triples: Piniella (5), Rivers (7), Thompson (3)
Stolen Bases: Randolph (32), White (10)
Sacrifice Flies: Randolph (5), Nettles (8)
Hit by Pitch: Trammell (2,by Beattie)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Beattie W(5-7)          6.1   3   2   2   4   4   0  27   3.65
Gossage                 2.2   1   1   1   5   3   0  14   1.92
Totals                  9     4   3   3   9   7   0  41

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(15-8)      4     9   4   4   0   0   0  21   3.82
Glynn                   1     0   1   1   1   0   0   4   3.21
Morris                  0.1   4   2   2   0   0   0   5   4.35
Burnside                3.2   1   0   0   0   3   0  12   9.00
Totals                  9    14   7   7   1   3   0  42

Hit by Pitch: Beattie (7)

Umpires: HP - Jim McKean, 1B - Vic Voltaggio, 2B - Lou DiMuro, 3B - Larry Barnett


YANKEES 1ST: 38 minute rain delay before start of game;
Rivers grounded out (first unassisted); Randolph singled to
shortstop; Randolph stole second; Munson grounded out (third to
first); Jackson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: HEATH REPLACED MUNSON (PLAYING C ); LeFlore grounded
out (third to first); Thurmon Munson left game with headache
and dizzyness; taken to hospital for observation; Whitaker
struck out; Staub grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Chambliss grounded out (second to first); Nettles
grounded out (second to first); Piniella singled to left; White
singled to right [Piniella to second]; Dent flied out to right;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Thompson tripled to left; Kemp grounded out (pitcher
unassisted) [Thompson scored]; May grounded out (first to
pitcher); Corcoran grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 3RD: Rivers singled to center; Randolph grounded out
(third to first) [Rivers to second]; Heath reached on a
fielder's choice [Rivers out at third (shortstop to third)];
Jackson singled to center [Heath to second]; Chambliss grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 0, Tigers
1.

TIGERS 3RD: Mankowski flied out to right; Trammell walked;
LeFlore grounded out (third to first) [Trammell to second];
Whitaker grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 0, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 4TH: Nettles singled to right; Piniella tripled to right
[Nettles scored]; White singled to right [Piniella scored];
White stole second; Dent grounded out (third to first); Rivers
tripled to right [White scored]; Randolph hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Rivers scored]; Heath grounded out (shortstop to first); 4
R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Staub singled to center; Thompson forced Staub
(second to shortstop); Kemp forced Thompson (second to
shortstop); May flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 4, Tigers 1.

YANKEES 5TH: GLYNN REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Jackson
walked; Chambliss grounded out (first to second to first)
[Jackson to third]; Nettles hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Jackson scored]; Piniella flied out to right; 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 5TH: Corcoran walked; Mankowski was called out on
strikes; Trammell was hit by a pitch [Corcoran to second];
LeFlore walked [Corcoran to third, Trammell to second]; Whitaker
forced LeFlore (second to shortstop) [Corcoran scored, Trammell
to third]; Staub struck out; 1 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5,
Tigers 2.

YANKEES 6TH: MORRIS REPLACED GLYNN (PITCHING); White singled to
right; Dent forced White (third to second); Rivers singled to
right [Dent to second]; Randolph singled to right [Dent scored,
Rivers to third]; Heath singled to right [Rivers scored,
Randolph to second]; BURNSIDE REPLACED MORRIS (PITCHING);
Jackson was called out on strikes; Chambliss flied out to right;
2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 7, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 6TH: Thompson struck out; Kemp made an out to second; May
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees
7, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 7TH: Nettles struck out (catcher to first); Piniella
flied out to center; White made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Yankees 7, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 7TH: Corcoran walked; Mankowski made an out to second;
Trammell singled to center [Corcoran to second]; GOSSAGE
REPLACED BEATTIE (PITCHING); LeFlore popped to first in foul
territory; Whitaker walked [Corcoran to third, Trammell to
second]; Staub made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Yankees 7, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 8TH: Dent made an out to third; BLAIR BATTED FOR RIVERS;
Blair flied out to center; Randolph grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 7, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 8TH: BLAIR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Thompson was
called out on strikes; Kemp walked; May grounded out (second to
first) [Kemp to second]; Corcoran walked; Mankowski singled to
right [Kemp scored, Corcoran to second]; Trammell flied out to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 7, Tigers 3.

YANKEES 9TH: Heath grounded out (third to first); Jackson struck
out; Chambliss singled to center; Nettles flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 7, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 9TH: THOMASSON REPLACED JACKSON (PLAYING RF); LeFlore
walked; Whitaker walked [LeFlore to second]; Staub struck out;
Thompson forced Whitaker (shortstop unassisted) [LeFlore to
third]; Kemp struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 7,
Tigers 3.