April 9, 1972. Boston 1, Detroit 0

The wind was blowing in today in Fenway Park, which just made today's starters, Luis Tiant for Boston and Bill Slayback for Detroit, even more effective. The Tigers and Red Sox were trying to test the theory that you have to score to win because through 8, both teams were scoreless and neither had put up much of a threat with only 2 hits each.  

The Red Sox had a mini-threat going in the 8th with Aparicio on first with one out, so they pinch hit for Tiant, who had economically gone 8 scoreless on only 81 pitches. But pinch-hitter Dwight Evans flied to left and then Aparicio was caught stealing to end the threat.

A walk and a wild pitch got a runner to 2nd with one out for the Tigers in the 9th, but Bill Lee set down Jim Northrup and Dick McAuliffe to end it.  In the Red Sox half, Tommy Harper walked and took second on a grounder. Billy Martin wanted the platoon advantage, so he brought in lefty Fred Scherman to face Carl Yastrzemski and to turn switch-hitter Reggie Smith around to hit right handed.  Unfortunately Scherman walked both to load the bases with one out.  With the infield and outfield having to play in, Carlton Fisk hit a fly ball to shallow center field.  Tommy Harper raced home and Jim Northrup's throw wasn't close, so the Red Sox walked off with a 1-0 win over the Tigers to avoid the sweep.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DETROIT TIGERS AT BOSTON RED SOX GAME ID: 28 - SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH , 1972 - GAME LOG   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Detroit Tigers (2-1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Boston Red Sox (1-2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0

Red Sox Win Thriller, 1-0 Boston turned a good effort from starter Luis Tiant into a win over the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park 1970-1975. The final score was 1-0. Boston reliever Bill Lee picked up the win, upping his record to 1-0. Chuck Seelbach absorbed the loss. The loss drops the Tigers to 2-1. A defensive lapse proved costly in the contest. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, an error by the Tigers allowed the Red Sox to score the winning run. "We didn't score," said losing manager Billy Martin. "That was the problem."

DETROIT BATTING LINESCORE BOSTON BATTING LINESCORE

Player AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI J. Northrup CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .154 0 0 D. McAuliffe 2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .400 0 4 A. Kaline RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 1 1 N. Cash 1B 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .385 0 0 B. Freehan C 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .308 0 2 A. Rodriguez 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 .231 0 0 W. Horton LF 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 .000 0 0    b-C. Seelbach P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0    d-F. Scherman P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 E. Brinkman SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .273 0 2 B. Slayback P 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 0 0    a-G. Brown LF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .500 1 3    c-W. Comer PR, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Totals 26 0 2 0 2 4 6       a - G. Brown substituted for B. Slayback in the 8th b - C. Seelbach substituted for W. Horton in the 8th c - W. Comer pinch ran for G. Brown in the 9th d - F. Scherman substituted for C. Seelbach in the 9th BATTING Total Bases: D. McAuliffe , N. Cash Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: J. Northrup , D. McAuliffe GIDP: A. Kaline , B. Freehan Sac Bunt: B. Slayback Team LOB: 2 FIELDING Errors: J. Northrup (2) , W. Horton (1) Player AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI T. Harper CF 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 .000 0 0 D. Griffin 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 .222 0 0 C. Yastrzemski 1B 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .400 0 1 R. Smith RF 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 .167 1 2 C. Fisk C 3 0 0 1 0 1 3 .200 0 1 R. Petrocelli 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 .100 0 0 B. Oglivie LF 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 0 0 L. Aparicio SS 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .125 0 0 L. Tiant P 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 0 0    a-D. Evans PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .167 0 0    B. Lee P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Totals 25 1 2 1 6 5 9       a - D. Evans pinch hit for L. Tiant in the 8th BATTING Total Bases: C. Yastrzemski , L. Tiant Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: D. Griffin , R. Petrocelli Sac Fly: C. Fisk Team LOB: 5 BASERUNNING CS: T. Harper (1) , L. Aparicio (1) FIELDING Double Plays: 2 (Aparicio-Griffin-Yastrzemski, Aparicio-Griffin-Yastrzemski)

DETROIT PITCHING LINESCORE BOSTON PITCHING LINESCORE

Player IP H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    B. Slayback 7.1 2 0 0 3 5 0 96 0.00    C. Seelbach L (0-1) 1.0 0 1 1 1 0 0 16 5.40    F. Scherman 0.1 0 0 0 2 0 0 17 0.00    PITCHING Game Score: B. Slayback 76 Batters Faced: B. Slayback 26, C. Seelbach 3, F. Scherman 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: B. Slayback 7-8, C. Seelbach 1-1, F. Scherman 0-1 Pitches - Strikes: B. Slayback 96-61, C. Seelbach 16-8, F. Scherman 17-7 Inherited Runners - Scored: C. Seelbach 1-0 , F. Scherman 1-1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR PI ERA    L. Tiant 8.0 2 0 0 1 4 0 81 0.00    B. Lee W (1-0) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 20 10.80    PITCHING Game Score: L. Tiant 81 Batters Faced: L. Tiant 25, B. Lee 4 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: L. Tiant 6-12, B. Lee 1-2 Pitches - Strikes: L. Tiant 81-52, B. Lee 20-10 WP: B. Lee

GAME NOTES

Player of the Game: Luis Tiant Ballpark: Fenway Park 1970-1975 Weather: Clear skies (55 degrees), wind blowing in from center at 13 mph Start Time: 2:05 PM ET Time: 2:37 Attendance: 17806

TOP OF THE 1ST
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Pitching: RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: LHB Jim Northrup	0-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6MD, EV 108.1 MPH)
Batting: LHB Dick McAuliffe	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8LXD, EV 91.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Al Kaline	0-0: Ball 1-0: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RD, EV 103.1 MPH)
Top of the 1st over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 1ST
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Pitching: RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: RHB Tommy Harper	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Reached on error, E7 (Flyball, 7S, EV 93.1 MPH)
Batting: RHB Doug Griffin	Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-0: Ball Tommy Harper is caught stealing 2nd base 2-4 1-0: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34, EV 91.2 MPH)
Batting: LHB Carl Yastrzemski	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 89M, EV 81.2 MPH)
Bottom of the 1st over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 2ND
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: LHB Norm Cash	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 5DF 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Fly out, F1 (Popup, P, EV 70.0 MPH)
Batting: RHB Bill Freehan	0-0: Ball 1-0: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 89XD, EV 86.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Aurelio Rodriguez	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Top of the 2nd over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 2ND
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: SHB Reggie Smith	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9S, EV 83.8 MPH)
Batting: RHB Carlton Fisk	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ball 3-2: Ground out 5-3 (Groundball, 56, EV 103.1 MPH)
Batting: RHB Rico Petrocelli	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 9LDF 0-2: Strikes out swinging
Bottom of the 2nd over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 3RD
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: RHB Willie Horton	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 3SF 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Ed Brinkman	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 34, EV 103.1 MPH)
Batting: RHB Bill Slayback	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Swinging Strike 2-1: Foul Ball, location: 7LDF 2-2: Ball 3-2: Strikes out swinging
Top of the 3rd over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 3RD
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: LHB Ben Oglivie	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34, EV 100.6 MPH)
Batting: RHB Luis Aparicio	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Fly out, F8 (Line Drive, 8RD, EV 106.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Luis Tiant	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9, EV 91.2 MPH)
Bottom of the 3rd over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 4TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: LHB Jim Northrup	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Fly out, F6 (Popup, 6MD, EV 58.1 MPH)
Batting: LHB Dick McAuliffe	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: SINGLE (Groundball, 56D, EV 104.4 MPH)
Batting: RHB Al Kaline	0-0: Ball 1-0: Grounds into double play, 6-4-3 (Groundball, 6, EV 107.5 MPH)
Top of the 4th over - 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 4TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: RHB Tommy Harper	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: Called Strike 2-2: Ball 3-2: Fly out, F7 (Flyball, 78S, EV 94.4 MPH)
Batting: RHB Doug Griffin	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ground out 5-3 (Groundball, 56, EV 101.2 MPH)
Batting: LHB Carl Yastrzemski	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: Ground out 2-3 (Groundball, 15S, EV 72.5 MPH)
Bottom of the 4th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 5TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: LHB Norm Cash	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Swinging Strike 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ball 3-2: SINGLE (Groundball, 25, EV 70.6 MPH) (infield hit)
Batting: RHB Bill Freehan	0-0: Ball 1-0: Grounds into double play, 6-4-3 (Groundball, 6D, EV 101.9 MPH)
Batting: RHB Aurelio Rodriguez	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Top of the 5th over - 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 5TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: SHB Reggie Smith	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Carlton Fisk	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Rico Petrocelli	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Ball 2-1: Fly out, F7 (Flyball, 7, EV 90.6 MPH)
Bottom of the 5th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 6TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: RHB Willie Horton	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Swinging Strike 2-1: Ball 3-1: Base on Balls
Batting: RHB Ed Brinkman	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 3F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Fielders Choice at 2nd, 1-6 (Groundball, 23, EV 71.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Bill Slayback	0-0: Bunt missed! 0-1: Sac Bunt to 2L - play at first, batter OUT! 2-3 Ed Brinkman to second
Batting: LHB Jim Northrup	0-0: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9, EV 95.6 MPH)
Top of the 6th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 6TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: LHB Ben Oglivie	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34, EV 91.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Luis Aparicio	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Fly out, F3 (Line Drive, 3L, EV 69.4 MPH)
Batting: RHB Luis Tiant	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: SINGLE (Groundball, 6MD, EV 98.8 MPH)
Batting: RHB Tommy Harper	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ball 3-0: Called Strike 3-1: Swinging Strike 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 9LMF 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Base on Balls Luis Tiant to second
Batting: RHB Doug Griffin	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Strikes out looking
Bottom of the 6th over - 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 7TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: LHB Dick McAuliffe	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Fly out, F5 (Popup, 5F, EV 78.1 MPH)
Batting: RHB Al Kaline	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Ball 2-1: Called Strike 2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: Ball 3-2: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9, EV 86.2 MPH)
Batting: LHB Norm Cash	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RS, EV 91.2 MPH)
Top of the 7th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 7TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: LHB Carl Yastrzemski	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Ball 2-1: SINGLE (Line Drive, 34D, EV 99.4 MPH)
Batting: SHB Reggie Smith	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RXD, EV 91.2 MPH) Runner from 1st tags up, SAFE at 2nd
Batting: RHB Carlton Fisk	0-0: Ground out U3 (Groundball, 3, EV 95.0 MPH) Carl Yastrzemski to third
Batting: RHB Rico Petrocelli	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Ball 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 9LDF 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Bottom of the 7th over - 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 8TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Batting: RHB Bill Freehan	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Fly out, F6 (Popup, P, EV 77.5 MPH)
Batting: RHB Aurelio Rodriguez	0-0: Fly out, F3 (Line Drive, 3L, EV 66.2 MPH)
Batting: RHB Willie Horton	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9, EV 88.8 MPH)
Top of the 8th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 8TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Bill Slayback
Batting: LHB Ben Oglivie	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ball 3-0: Base on Balls
Batting: RHB Luis Aparicio	0-0: Bunted foul Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-1: Bunted foul Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ball Pickoff Throw to First - Out! 1-3 3-2: Base on Balls
Pitching: RHP Chuck Seelbach
Now in LF: Gates Brown
Pinch Hitting: RHB Dwight Evans	Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-0: Ball Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 1-0: Called Strike Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 3F Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 2-2: Fly out, F7 (Flyball, 7, EV 91.9 MPH)
Batting: RHB Tommy Harper	Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-0: Ball Luis Aparicio is caught stealing 2nd base 2-4
Bottom of the 8th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

TOP OF THE 9TH
Detroit Tigers batting - Pitching for Boston Red Sox : RHP Luis Tiant
Pitching: LHP Bill Lee
Batting: RHB Ed Brinkman	0-0: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RD, EV 103.1 MPH)
Batting: LHB Gates Brown	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Called Strike 0-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ball 3-2: Base on Balls
Batting: LHB Jim Northrup	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball Wild Pitch! Gates Brown to second
Pinch Runner at 2nd Wayne Comer:	2-2: Ball 3-2: Fly out, F5 (Popup, 56S, EV 81.9 MPH)
Batting: LHB Dick McAuliffe	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: Ball 3-1: Ground out U3 (Groundball, 34S, EV 83.1 MPH)
Top of the 9th over - 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 0

BOTTOM OF THE 9TH
Boston Red Sox batting - Pitching for Detroit Tigers : RHP Chuck Seelbach
Now in LF: Wayne Comer
Batting: RHB Tommy Harper	0-0: Ball 1-0: Swinging Strike 1-1: Ball 2-1: Called Strike 2-2: Ball 3-2: Base on Balls
Batting: RHB Doug Griffin	Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 0-0: Ball Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 1-0: Bunted foul Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. Pickoff Throw to First - No movement. 1-1: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6, EV 84.4 MPH) Tommy Harper to second
Pitching: LHP Fred Scherman
Batting: LHB Carl Yastrzemski	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ball 3-0: Called Strike 3-1: Called Strike 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Base on Balls
Batting: SHB Reggie Smith	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: Foul Ball, location: 9LSF 2-2: Ball 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Base on Balls Tommy Harper to third Carl Yastrzemski to second
Batting: RHB Carlton Fisk	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RM, EV 90.6 MPH) Throwing error, E8 Tommy Harper scores
Bottom of the 9th over - 1 run, 0 hits, 1 error, 2 left on base; Detroit 0 - Boston 1