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Friday, August 18, 2017

ALCS - Detroit Topples California 3-2

ALCS Game 1
California 4 Detroit 3
Mike Witt took the mound against Jack Morris. Witt handcuffed the Tigers for 7 innings,
while Morris was in trouble most of the game. The Angels pushed across 2 in the 2nd on two-out singles by Tim Foli and Rod Carew followed by a long double by Fred Lynn. In the 4th, Bobby Grich walked, Foli singled again, Carew moved the runners up, and Lynn came through again with a 2-out single to make it 4-0. In the 8th, Witt faltered and gave up singles to Chet Lemon and Lou Whitaker, so Bruce Kison came on. He immediately gave up an RBI single to Larry Herndon, then made things interesting with 3 straight walks. With the score 4-3 and the bases loaded, Kison got Glenn Wilson to hit into an inning-ending double play. He put down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the 9th to finish off a very shaky save. Fred Lynn was the star, driving in all 4 runs.

ALCS Game 2
Detroit 7 California 0
Dan Petry vs. Geoff Zahn in this one. It was very tight through 6, with the only run provided by a Chet Lemon homerun. In the 7th, Doug Decinces committed an error to open the inning, and then the floodgates opened. Lemon singled, Wilson singled, Trammell doubled, and Tom Brookens doubled. When the dust settled it was 5-0 Detroit. The Tigers added 2 more in the 9th, and Petry easily finished off a 5-hit shutout.

ALCS Game 3
The action shifted to Detroit with Milt Wilcox vs. Ken Forsch. This was a back-and-forth game. The Tigers struck first on a Lemon double and a Herndon single. DeCinces tied it with a homer in the 2nd, then he put them ahead in the 4th with a double after an error by Trammell. Detroit grabbed the lead back with 3 in three 5th on a double, 4 singles and a sac fly. Unfortunately, Wilcox couldn't hold the lead as California scored 2 in the 6th on 2 singles and 2 walks. It could have been much worse as the 2nd run scored on a double play with the bases loaded before Wilcox got out of the inning. The Angels got 2 more in the 7th on a single, double (Lynn again!), 3 walks (2 intentional), and a wild pitch. Again it could have been much worse as they left the bases loaded. Forsch then retired 6 straight before Luis Sanchez came on for a 1-2-3 save. That put the Angels one game away from the World Series.

ALCS Game 4
Jack Morris came back on 3 days rest to face Bruce Kison. It was a pitchers' duel with no score through 3. Morris weakened in the 4th, allowing 2 runs on 3 singles and a sac fly. The Tigers came back in the 4th to make it 2-1 on 2 singles, a walk, and a sac fly, but they left runners on 2nd and 3rd. In the 5th, the Tigers tied it when Herndon singled, went to 2nd on an error, and scored on a single by John Wockenfuss. Dave Goltz came on in the 6th and let the Tigers take the lead on a single by Jerry Turner and a double by Chet Lemon. And that was it as Morris got stronger, allowing only two baserunners the rest of the game. Series tied 2-2!!

ALCS Game 5
This winner-take-all game started with controversy when the Tigers passed up game 2 star Dan Petry on 3 days rest in favor of journeyman Jerry Ujdur. Game 1 star Bobby Witt took the hill for California. That decision looked horrible right away for Detroit as the Angels scored 2 in the 1st on a double, single, 2 walks, and a sac fly. They once again left the bases loaded however....that would come back to haunt them. Ujdur walked Tim Foli to start the 2nd, and Captain Hook went to Dave Rucker...that immediately stabilized the game for Detroit. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Tigers tied it when Witt walked in one run with 2 outs, then Tim Foli fumbled an easy grounder to let in the tying run. That's the way it stayed until the 6th when Lance Parrish, who was having an awful series at the plate up to that point, wrapped a long homerun just barely around the left field foul pole to make it 4-2 Detroit. The Angels got 2 on to start the 7th, but Dave Tobik came on to end the threat. The Tigers added an insurance run in the 7th, and had another potential run thrown out at the plate in the 8th. Tobik weakened in the 9th, allowing a run on a triple and a ground out, before finishing off the 3 inning save to send Detroit to the World Series.

Chet Lemon was named the series MVP, hitting .353 with a homer, 3 doubles, 6 runs scored and 3 RBI. The Tigers outhit the Angels .299 to .222, but their 22-15 advantage in runs could have been a lot better if it weren't for the fact that they hit into TEN double plays.

Congrats to Bill on a great season and a great playoff series!

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