After winning the first game with ease, 9-1, the Tigers built up a 5-1 lead in the second game and had to hold on to gain a a 5-4 victory in a sweep of a doubleheader with the Indians. Pedro Garcia, John Wockenfuss and Aurelio Rodriguez each drove in two runs for the Tigers in the opener. Wockenfuss and Garcia rapped homers.

In the nightcap, the Tigers scored three runs in the third inning and added a pair in the fifth when Willie Horton and Rodriguez singled and Garcia tripled. Dave Lemanczyk retired the first 13 Indians' batters in a row before being chased in the seventh. John Hiller, who had pitched in the opener, relieved again and gave up a run-scoring bunt by Duane Kuiper and bases-loaded walk to Frank Robinson before bearing down to save the Tigers' decision. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 9, Cleveland Indians 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, July      25, 1976 (Day game) at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers       0  3  0    1  0  0    2  0  3  -   9 17  1
Indians      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  9  2


Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Veryzer ss            6   0   2   1     0   0   .222      Kuiper 2b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .243
Meyer lf              5   0   2   0     0   0   .258      Duffy ss              4   1   2   0     0   0   .228
Staub rf              5   1   4   0     0   0   .312      Manning cf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .285
Horton dh             5   1   1   0     0   1   .288      Carty dh              4   0   2   0     0   0   .319
Thompson 1b           3   2   2   0     2   0   .234      xHendrick lf          3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Oglivie cf            2   1   1   1     1   0   .250      Powell 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .194
  Stanley ph,cf       2   1   1   1     0   1   .284      Bell 3b               4   0   3   1     0   0   .285
Rodriguez 3b          4   1   1   2     0   0   .239      Spikes rf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .249
Wockenfuss c          5   1   2   2     0   0   .293      Fosse c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .288
Garcia 2b             5   1   1   2     0   0   .207      Dobson p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ruhle p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Eckersley p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hiller p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        LaRoche p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Hood p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               42   9  17   9     3   2             Totals               35   1   9   1     1   3

Time of Game: 2:44
Left on Base: Tigers 10, Indians 9
DP: Tigers 0, Indians 2
Errors: Wockenfuss, Hendrick, Dobson
Doubles: Thompson 2 (11), Oglivie (7), Stanley (6), Duffy (6)
Home Runs: Wockenfuss (3), Garcia (4)
Stolen Bases: Meyer (2), Oglivie (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Rodriguez (6)
GIDP: Staub (16), Meyer (6)


Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle W(6-7)            7.1   8   1   0   1   3   0  32   3.50
Hiller                  1.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   2.77
Totals                  9     9   1   0   1   3   0  37

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dobson L(11-8)          1.1   6   3   2   0   0   0  10   3.42
Eckersley               4.2   6   3   3   2   1   1  21   4.85
LaRoche                 2     2   0   0   1   1   0   9   2.66
Hood                    1     3   3   3   0   0   1   6   4.76
Totals                  9    17   9   8   3   2   2  46

Umpires: HP - Larry Barnett, 1B - Ron Luciano, 2B - Marty Springstead, 3B - Don Denkinger


TIGERS 1ST: Veryzer singled to right; Meyer singled [Veryzer to
second]; Staub grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Veryzer to third, Meyer out at second]; Horton
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 0,
Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Kuiper flied out to center; Duffy flied out to
left; Manning grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Tigers 0, Indians 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Thompson doubled to left; Oglivie doubled to left
[Thompson scored]; Rodriguez reached on an error by Dobson on a
sacrifice bunt [Oglivie to third]; Wockenfuss singled to center
[Oglivie scored, Rodriguez to second]; Garcia popped to catcher
in foul territory; Veryzer singled to left [Rodriguez scored
(unearned), Wockenfuss to second]; ECKERSLEY REPLACED DOBSON
(PITCHING); Meyer grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Veryzer out at second]; 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 2ND: Carty lined to right; Hendrick grounded out
(shortstop to first); Powell grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Staub singled to right; Horton popped to first in
foul territory; Thompson walked [Staub to second]; Oglivie
popped to first in foul territory; Rodriguez flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 3, Indians 0.

INDIANS 3RD: Bell singled to left; Spikes flied out to center;
Fosse forced Bell (second to shortstop); Kuiper walked [Fosse to
second]; Duffy singled [Fosse to third, Kuiper to second];
Manning grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Tigers 3, Indians 0.

TIGERS 4TH: Wockenfuss homered; Garcia flied out to left;
Veryzer flied to right in foul territory; Meyer singled to
center; Meyer stole second; Staub singled [Meyer to third];
Horton struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 4TH: Carty made an out to second; Hendrick grounded out
(pitcher to first); Powell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Tigers 4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 5TH: Thompson flied to left in foul territory; Oglivie
walked; Oglivie stole second; Rodriguez flied out to right
[Oglivie to third]; Wockenfuss grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

INDIANS 5TH: Bell singled to left; Spikes was called out on
strikes; Fosse singled to center [Bell to second]; Kuiper
singled to center [Bell to third, Fosse to second]; Duffy flied
out to center; Manning struck out; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Tigers
4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 6TH: Garcia flied out to left; Veryzer flied out to left;
Meyer flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 4,
Indians 0.

INDIANS 6TH: Carty singled to center; Hendrick made an out to
third; Powell flied out to center; Bell flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 4, Indians 0.

TIGERS 7TH: Staub singled; Horton singled to left [Staub to
third (error by Hendrick)]; LAROCHE REPLACED ECKERSLEY
(PITCHING); Thompson walked [Horton to second]; STANLEY BATTED
FOR OGLIVIE; Stanley struck out; Rodriguez singled to center
[Staub scored, Horton scored, Thompson to second]; Wockenfuss
flied out to center; Garcia flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

INDIANS 7TH: STANLEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Spikes made an
out to second; Fosse grounded out (shortstop to first); Kuiper
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

TIGERS 8TH: Veryzer grounded out (shortstop to first); Meyer
flied out to center; Staub singled to left; Horton grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 0.

INDIANS 8TH: Duffy doubled to left; Manning popped to third in
foul territory; Carty singled [Duffy to third]; Hendrick reached
on catcher's interference by Wockenfuss [Carty to second];
HILLER REPLACED RUHLE (PITCHING); Powell made an out to second;
Bell singled to left [Duffy scored (unearned), Carty out at home
(left to catcher), Hendrick to second]; 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Tigers 6, Indians 1.

TIGERS 9TH: HOOD REPLACED LAROCHE (PITCHING); Thompson doubled
to right; Stanley doubled to right [Thompson scored]; Rodriguez
grounded out (catcher to first); Wockenfuss grounded out (third
to first); Garcia homered [Stanley scored]; Veryzer grounded out
(shortstop to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 9, Indians 1.

INDIANS 9TH: Spikes lined to shortstop; Fosse popped to third in
foul territory; Kuiper grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Tigers 9, Indians 1.