A pair of home runs by Graig Nettles lifted the Yankees to a 4-2 triumph over the Tigers and extended their lead in the East division to 1½ games over the Red Sox. The Yankees got a run in the opening frame when Mickey Rivers doubled, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a groundout by Lou Piniella. Nettles' first round-tripper of the game came in the second inning and followed a single by Chris Chambliss. His second homer came on a 3-0 pitch with one out in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



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


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rivers cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .274      LeFlore cf            4   1   2   0     0   0   .293
  Blair pr,cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .175      Whitaker 2b           3   0   1   2     1   0   .292
Randolph 2b           2   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Staub dh              3   0   1   0     1   0   .283
  Spencer ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .232      Thompson 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .293
  Stanley 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .227      Kemp lf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .274
Piniella lf           4   0   0   1     0   0   .319      May c                 3   0   1   0     0   0   .259
Jackson rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .281        Wockenfuss ph       1   0   0   0     0   1   .275
Chambliss 1b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .282      Corcoran rf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .262
Nettles 3b            4   2   3   3     0   0   .280        Stanley ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .273
White dh              3   0   0   0     1   0   .265      Mankowski 3b          2   1   0   0     1   0   .294
Dent ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .255        Rodriguez ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
Heath c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .236      Trammell ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .266
Figueroa p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Slaton p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hiller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   4   7   4     1   1             Totals               31   2   7   2     4   1

Time of Game: 1:57   Attendance: 17,118
Left on Base: Yankees 5, Tigers 6
DP: Yankees 3, Tigers 0
Errors: Dent
Doubles: Rivers (20), Nettles (21), LeFlore (25), Whitaker (10)
Home Runs: Nettles 2 (25)
GIDP: Mankowski (7), Corcoran (9), Thompson (11)
Hit by Pitch: Randolph (3,by Slaton)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Figueroa W(17-9)        7     4   0   0   2   0   0  25   3.01
Gossage                 0.1   2   2   2   1   0   0   4   2.07
Lyle SV(9)              1.2   1   0   0   1   1   0   6   3.17
Totals                  9     7   2   2   4   1   0  35

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Slaton L(15-11)         8     5   4   4   0   1   2  30   4.19
Hiller                  1     2   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.68
Totals                  9     7   4   4   1   1   2  36

Hit by Pitch: Slaton (8)

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


YANKEES 1ST: Rivers doubled to right; Randolph flied out to
right [Rivers to third]; Piniella grounded out (second to first)
[Rivers scored]; Jackson flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore popped to first in foul territory; Whitaker
grounded out (second to first); Staub singled to left; Thompson
walked [Staub to second]; Kemp grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Chambliss singled to left; Nettles homered
[Chambliss scored]; White grounded out (first unassisted); Dent
flied out to right; Heath grounded out (shortstop to first); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: May singled to right; Corcoran flied out to left;
Mankowski grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [May out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3,
Tigers 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Rivers grounded out (first unassisted); Randolph
flied out to center; Piniella flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Trammell grounded out (pitcher to first); LeFlore
doubled to left; Whitaker grounded out (second to first)
[LeFlore to third]; Staub flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 4TH: Jackson grounded out (pitcher to first); Chambliss
flied out to center; Nettles grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Thompson flied out to center; Kemp grounded out
(shortstop to first); May grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 5TH: White popped to third in foul territory; Dent
grounded out (pitcher to first); Heath grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Corcoran grounded out (shortstop to first);
Mankowski flied out to center; Trammell grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 6TH: Rivers grounded out (second to first); Randolph was
hit by a pitch; Piniella grounded out (catcher to first)
[Randolph to second]; Jackson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 6TH: LeFlore grounded out (shortstop to first); Whitaker
walked; Staub forced Whitaker (first to shortstop) [Staub to
second (error by Dent)]; Thompson grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 7TH: Chambliss flied out to left; Nettles homered; White
grounded out (first unassisted); Dent grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 7TH: Kemp singled to left; May popped to third in foul
territory; Corcoran grounded into a double play (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Kemp out at second]; 43 minute rain
delay; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 8TH: Heath grounded out (second to first); Rivers
singled to center; BLAIR RAN FOR RIVERS; SPENCER BATTED FOR
RANDOLPH; Spencer flied out to center; Piniella flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 8TH: BLAIR STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); STANLEY REPLACED
SPENCER (PLAYING 2B); GOSSAGE REPLACED FIGUEROA (PITCHING);
Mankowski walked; Trammell popped to catcher in foul territory;
LeFlore singled to center [Mankowski to second]; Whitaker
doubled to left [Mankowski scored, LeFlore scored]; LYLE
REPLACED GOSSAGE (PITCHING); Staub walked; Thompson grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Staub out at
second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 9TH: HILLER REPLACED SLATON (PITCHING); Jackson singled
to left; Chambliss forced Jackson (second to shortstop); Nettles
doubled to right [Chambliss to third]; White was walked
intentionally; Dent made an out to shortstop; Heath made an out
to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Yankees 4, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 9TH: Kemp grounded out (second to first); WOCKENFUSS
BATTED FOR MAY; Wockenfuss struck out; STANLEY BATTED FOR
CORCORAN; Stanley singled to center; RODRIGUEZ BATTED FOR
MANKOWSKI; Rodriguez flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 4, Tigers 2.