The offensively-challenged Tigers spotted the New York Yankees an 8-0 lead, then exploded for 16 runs from the third thru seventh innings to beat the Yanks 16-11 tonight at Tiger Stadium.
Yes, that's right. The Tigers scored 16 runs, a total that sometimes takes them a week to achieve.
"Who can explain it?" manager Ralph Houk said. "That's baseball."
What's even more amazing is that the outburst began against the Yankees' much-ballyhooed free agent signee, Jim "Catfish" Hunter.
Hunter had an 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the third. The Tigers nicked him for two runs in the third, then poured it on in the fourth with eight runs (seven charged to Hunter) to go ahead 10-9, the last two coming on Willie Horton's mammoth home run into the left field upper deck. It was Horton's second at-bat of the inning.
The eight-run fourth included seven hits, highlighted by Horton's homer and Danny Meyer's two-run triple.
The Tigers extended the lead to 14-9 with four runs in the sixth. Horton knocked in two more with a double.
Horton had four RBI to lead the Tigers to an unexpected victory
Ron Blomberg clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh to bring the Yankees to within 14-11, but the Tigers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame on Leon Roberts' two-out, two-run single.
The Tigers banged out 20 hits as everyone except shortstop Tom Veryzer had at least one hit. Ron LeFlore (three hits) and Gary Sutherland (4-for-4) stayed hot. Combined with Meyer's three hits, the Tigers' 1-2-3 hitters went 10-for-14 and had seven RBI.
Quite a change from a team that normally scores runs like it's pulling teeth.
"It was a lot of fun out there tonight," Horton said. "Maybe this will get us going. Lots of smiles in the dugout, man."
LeFlore (.307), Sutherland (.322) and Horton (.318), three of the Tigers' first four hitters in Houk's lineup, are all hitting above .300. So why hasn't the team scored more runs this season?
"We've been streaky," LeFlore said. "I'm going good now but I wasn't for awhile. Suds (Sutherland) is hot again. And Willie has been the most consistent. But a lot of us have hit in streaks."
The offense made everyone forget the bad start of Ray Bare, who went just 1.2 innings and surrendered 9 hits and seven runs (five earned). Dave Lemanczyk (4-0) picked up the win with 3.2 innings of relief (two runs, none earned).
The game started ominously, as the first five Yankees scored, culminating with Chris Chambliss's three-run home run. When the Yankees went ahead 8-0 in the third, the booes could be heard loud and clear.
"It didn't look good, that's for sure," Houk said. "But baseball is nine innings, 27 outs."
The Tigers (24-35) get the Yankees three more times this weekend. It's doubtful any of those games will be as exhilirating as tonight's.
But you never know.
Notes: The 16 runs tied a season high, set exactly one month ago (May 19) in Minnesota...Chambliss had four hits for New York...The fourth inning knockout was Hunter's earliest since 1972...The Tigers team BA went from .264 to .268 during tonight's game...LeFlore is 17 for his last 34, raising his average 30 points (.277 to .307).
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Tigers record: 24-35 (actual (25-34)
Home: 11-22
Away: 13-13
Last 10: 4-6
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