Grieve, the Texas Rangers outfielder, crushed a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the eighth inning, and the Tigers lost a heartbreaker, 6-4, here today.
The home run came off John Hiller (0-2), who has thrown four gopher balls in 16 innings this season.
Grieve was told by Texas manager Billy Martin before the game that he'd have the day off to rest a sore shoulder, which caused Grieve to miss yesterday's game, too.
But when Martin saw the lefty-lefty matchup before him (Hiller and Mike Hargrove), and that Grieve could play Hargrove's position in left field, Grieve was told to grab a bat.
"I was smart today," Martin quipped. "Sometimes you're smart, sometimes you're not. Today I was smart."
Grieve sure made Martin look that way as he drove Hiller's second pitch deep into the left field grandstand, scoring Cesar Tovar and Jeff Burroughs ahead of him.
The Tigers (13-17) had just taken the lead in the top of the eighth, thanks to a bases loaded, two-run single by Leon Roberts.
The late innings saw the game become a see-saw affair. The Rangers moved ahead 3-2 in the seventh; the Tigers scored twice in the eighth to lead 4-3; then Grieve put the Rangers ahead to stay.
Tigers starter Lerrin LaGrow, who entered the game with a 5.56 ERA, cruised through the first five innings before the Rangers got to him in the sixth with two runs to tie the game, 2-2.
Grieve went from benchwarmer to hero for Texas
Tovar had three singles and scored twice for Texas. Toby Harrah homered in the seventh to put the Rangers ahead, 3-2.
The Tigers lost the series after winning the opener Friday night.
It was the second time this week that Hiller gave up an eighth inning home run that lost the game. It happened last Monday in Detroit against Kansas City's Harmon Killebrew. Hiller called that pitch bad, but not today's against Grieve.
"Give (Grieve) credit," Hiller said. "He hit a slider down and away."
"Just have to shake it off," said manager Ralph Houk. "What can you do? You take a left turn and head for the airport."
The Tigers start a three-game series in Minnesota tomorrow.
Notes: Bill Freehan got a rare day off and was replaced behind the plate by farmhand Gene Lamont, who was called up after backup Terry Humphrey complained of a sore back yesterday. Lamont had a double and scored a run...The Detroit News reported that the Tigers are contemplating cutting 1B Nate Colbert, which would be a stunning move this early in the season. But Colbert, acquired from San Diego last winter, is hitting .101 and showing no signs of improving...Gene Michael started a fifth straight game at shortstop and is 6-for-19 in that stretch.
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Tigers record: 13-17 (actual 14-16)
Home: 7-11
Away: 6-6
Last 10: 5-5
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