In a free-swinging contest, the Tigers outslugged the Yankees, 8-5. The Yanks took a 2-0 lead on a first-inning RBI single by Reggie Jackson and a third-inning solo homer by Lou Piniella, but the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the third on a two-run homer by Al Cowens.

Bob Watson put N.Y. ahead with a solo homer in the fourth, but the Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI triple by Richie Hebner and a sacrifice fly by Stan Papi. The Tigers added two more tallies in the fifth on a pinch-hit run-scoring single by Kirk Gibson and RBI infield out by Lance Parrish. [The Sporting News]

Detroit Tigers 8, New York Yankees 5

Game Played on Saturday, August 15, 1981 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium

Yankees      1  0  1    1  0  2    0  0  0  -   5  9  0
Tigers       0  0  2    2  2  0    0  2  x  -   8  9  1


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Randolph 2b           5   0   1   0     0   0   .235      Cowens cf             4   3   2   2     1   1   .272
Mumphrey cf           4   1   1   0     1   0   .306      Trammell ss           4   1   2   1     1   1   .295
Piniella dh           2   1   2   1     1   0   .293      Kemp lf               5   0   0   1     0   0   .291
  Gamble ph,dh        2   0   0   0     0   0   .293        Peters pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .252
Winfield lf           4   0   0   0     1   1   .303      Wockenfuss dh         2   0   0   0     0   0   .202
Jackson rf            5   0   2   1     0   1   .203        Summers ph,dh       2   0   0   0     1   0   .276
Watson 1b             4   2   2   2     0   0   .208      Jones rf              2   1   1   0     0   0   .313
Nettles 3b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .238        Gibson ph,rf        2   0   2   1     0   0   .248
Cerone c              4   1   1   0     0   0   .236      Parrish c             3   0   0   1     1   0   .217
Dent ss               3   0   0   0     1   0   .236      Hebner 1b             2   1   1   1     1   0   .205
LaRoche p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Leach 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .229
  Wehrmeister p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Papi 3b               3   0   0   1     0   1   .235
  Frazier p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kelleher 3b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .238
  Guidry p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Whitaker 2b           2   2   1   0     2   1   .275
                                                          Schatzeder p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Cappuzzello p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Tobik p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Saucier p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5   9   4     4   4             Totals               31   8   9   8     7   4

Time of Game: 3:01   Attendance: 26,848
Left on Base: Yankees 9, Tigers 8
DP: Yankees 0, Tigers 0
Errors: Trammell
Doubles: Cerone (6), Trammell (11)
Triples: Hebner (2)
Home Runs: Piniella (3), Watson 2 (2), Cowens (1)
Caught Stealing: Whitaker (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Papi (2)
Hit by Pitch: Hebner (2,by LaRoche)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
LaRoche L(4-1)          3.2   4   4   4   2   0   1  18   1.65
Wehrmeister             3.2   4   4   4   5   4   0  19   9.00
Frazier                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Guidry                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.45
Totals                  8     9   8   8   7   4   1  40

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Schatzeder W(4-5)       5.1   5   4   4   3   2   3  24   6.86
Cappuzzello             0.1   1   1   0   0   1   0   2   4.32
Tobik                   1     2   0   0   1   0   0   7   1.99
Saucier SV(9)           2.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   8   1.13
Totals                  9     9   5   4   4   4   3  41

Hit by Pitch: LaRoche (1)

Umpires: HP - Dan Morrison, 1B - Ken Kaiser, 2B - Mark Johnson, 3B - Bill Haller


YANKEES 1ST: Randolph flied to center; Mumphrey walked; Piniella
walked [Mumphrey to second]; Winfield flied to left [Mumphrey to
third]; Jackson singled to right [Mumphrey scored, Piniella to
second]; Watson flied to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees
1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: Cowens flied to center; Trammell walked; Kemp
grounded out (second to first) [Trammell to second]; Wockenfuss
flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 2ND: Nettles struck out; Cerone flied to left; Dent
flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Jones grounded out (second to first); Parrish flied
to right; Hebner was hit by a pitch; Papi flied to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 1, Tigers 0.

YANKEES 3RD: Randolph popped to second; Mumphrey popped to
shortstop; Piniella homered; Winfield walked; Jackson grounded
out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers
0.

TIGERS 3RD: Whitaker walked; Cowens homered [Whitaker scored];
Trammell flied to center; Kemp flied to center; Wockenfuss
popped to second; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 2, Tigers 2.

YANKEES 4TH: Watson homered; Nettles flied to center; Cerone
popped to shortstop; Dent grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 4TH: Jones singled to center; Parrish popped to first;
Hebner tripled to right [Jones scored]; Papi hit a sacrifice fly
to right [Hebner scored]; Whitaker singled to pitcher;
WEHRMEISTER REPLACED LAROCHE (PITCHING); Whitaker was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 3, Tigers 4.

YANKEES 5TH: Randolph popped to catcher in foul territory;
Mumphrey popped to first in foul territory; Piniella singled to
center; Winfield struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3,
Tigers 4.

TIGERS 5TH: Cowens walked; Trammell doubled to left [Cowens to
third]; Kemp popped to third in foul territory; SUMMERS BATTED
FOR WOCKENFUSS; Summers was walked intentionally; GIBSON BATTED
FOR JONES; Gibson singled to center [Cowens scored, Trammell to
third, Summers to second]; Parrish grounded out (third to first)
[Trammell scored, Summers to third, Gibson to second]; Hebner
was walked intentionally; Papi flied to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Yankees 3, Tigers 6.

YANKEES 6TH: SUMMERS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); GIBSON STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Jackson grounded out (second to first);
Watson homered; CAPPUZZELLO REPLACED SCHATZEDER (PITCHING);
Nettles struck out; Cerone doubled to center; TOBIK REPLACED
CAPPUZZELLO (PITCHING); Dent walked; Randolph singled to third
[Cerone to third, Dent to second]; Mumphrey reached on an error
by Trammell [Cerone scored (unearned) (no RBI), Dent to third,
Randolph to second]; GAMBLE BATTED FOR PINIELLA; Gamble flied to
center; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 6TH: GAMBLE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Whitaker was
called out on strikes; Cowens struck out; Trammell struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

YANKEES 7TH: Winfield flied to left; Jackson singled to right;
Watson lined to shortstop; SAUCIER REPLACED TOBIK (PITCHING);
Nettles flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 7TH: Kemp flied to center; Summers popped to first in
foul territory; Gibson singled to second; Parrish walked [Gibson
to second]; Hebner grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

YANKEES 8TH: LEACH REPLACED HEBNER (PLAYING 1B); Cerone popped
to pitcher; Dent flied to right; Randolph grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 6.

TIGERS 8TH: Papi was called out on strikes; Whitaker walked;
Cowens singled to left [Whitaker to second]; FRAZIER REPLACED
WEHRMEISTER (PITCHING); Trammell singled to left [Whitaker
scored, Cowens to third]; Kemp forced Trammell (first to
shortstop) [Cowens scored]; GUIDRY REPLACED FRAZIER (PITCHING);
PETERS RAN FOR KEMP; Summers grounded out (first unassisted); 2
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 8.

YANKEES 9TH: PETERS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); KELLEHER
REPLACED PAPI (PLAYING 3B); Mumphrey singled to right; Gamble
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Mumphrey to second]; Winfield
grounded out (second to first) [Mumphrey to third]; Jackson
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 5, Tigers 8.

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