With a crowd of 48,817 on hand, the first-place Tigers stood off the Red Sox, 7-5, in a battle for East division leadership. Jim Rice smashed a two-run homer for the Red Sox in the first inning, but the Tigers erupted for four runs in the third. Ron LeFlore singled, stole second and scored on a single by Lou Whitaker. Rusty Staub followed with a homer to put the Tigers ahead, 3-2. Jason Thompson then walked and raced home when a bunt single by Steve Kemp was misplayed by both Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans.

The Tigers, however, did not put the game away until the eighth when they added their final three runs on a walk to Kemp, singles by Milt May and Tim Corcoran and double by Alan Trammell. The Red Sox rallied in the ninth, chasing Bob Sykes when Evans hit a two-run homer. Bob Bailey greeted John Hiller with another homer but the reliever then retired the side to save Sykes' third straight victory. [The Sporting News]

Detroit Tigers 7, Boston Red Sox 5

Game Played on Friday, May 19, 1978 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium

Red Sox 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 5 13 3 Tigers 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 3 x - 7 10 0 Red Sox AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Tigers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Burleson ss 3 1 1 0 2 0 .197 LeFlore cf 5 1 1 0 0 0 .286 Remy 2b 5 0 2 0 0 2 .296 Whitaker 2b 3 1 2 1 1 0 .361 Rice lf 5 1 1 2 0 2 .355 Staub dh 3 1 1 2 1 0 .289 Yastrzemski 1b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .291 Thompson 1b 3 1 0 0 1 1 .313 Fisk c 3 0 2 0 1 0 .258 Kemp lf 2 1 1 0 2 1 .303 Lynn cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .320 May c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .343 Hobson 3b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .276 Corcoran rf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .229 Evans rf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .267 Mankowski 3b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .283 Bailey dh 4 1 3 1 0 0 .200 Rodriguez 3b 1 1 0 0 0 0 .324 Torrez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Trammell ss 4 0 2 2 0 0 .322 Burgmeier p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Sykes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Stanley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hiller p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 36 5 13 5 4 7 Totals 31 7 10 6 6 4 Time of Game: 2:30 Attendance: 48,817 Left on Base: Red Sox 8, Tigers 6 DP: Red Sox 2, Tigers 4 Errors: Lynn, Hobson, Evans Doubles: Fisk (7), Mankowski (1), Trammell (3) Home Runs: Rice (12), Evans (4), Bailey (1), Staub (4) Stolen Bases: LeFlore (16) GIDP: Burleson (6), Evans (1), Remy (4), LeFlore (1), Staub (7) Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Torrez L(5-2) 7.1 8 6 5 6 4 1 33 4.30 Burgmeier 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 4.97 Stanley 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3.69 Totals 8 10 7 6 6 4 1 37 Tigers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Sykes W(3-0) 8 12 4 4 3 5 2 35 1.38 Hiller SV(4) 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 5 2.51 Totals 9 13 5 5 4 7 3 40 Umpires: HP - Joe Brinkman, 1B - Dale Ford, 2B - Nick Bremigan, 3B - Russ Goetz RED SOX 1ST: Burleson singled to center; Remy struck out; Rice homered [Burleson scored]; Yastrzemski flied out to center; Fisk walked; Lynn flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 0. TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore flied out to left; Whitaker walked; Staub flied to right in foul territory; Thompson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 0. RED SOX 2ND: Hobson grounded out (third to first); Evans singled to left; Bailey singled to center [Evans to third]; Burleson grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Bailey out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 0. TIGERS 2ND: Kemp walked; May flied out to center [Kemp to second]; Corcoran flied out to right [Kemp to third]; Mankowski flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 0. RED SOX 3RD: Remy singled to right; Rice lined into a double play (right to first) [Remy out at first]; Yastrzemski struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 0. TIGERS 3RD: Trammell grounded out (first unassisted); LeFlore singled to right; LeFlore stole second; Whitaker singled to center [LeFlore scored (RBI), Whitaker to second (error by Lynn)]; Staub homered [Whitaker scored]; Thompson walked; On a bunt Kemp singled to third [Thompson scored (error by Hobson) (unearned) (no RBI), Kemp to third (error by Evans)]; May struck out; Corcoran flied out to right; 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 3 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. RED SOX 4TH: Fisk doubled to left; Lynn singled to center [Fisk to third]; Hobson struck out; Evans grounded into a double play (second to first) [Lynn out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. TIGERS 4TH: Mankowski walked; On a bunt Trammell forced Mankowski (catcher to shortstop); LeFlore grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Trammell out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. RED SOX 5TH: Bailey singled to center; Burleson flied out to right; Remy singled to left [Bailey to second]; Rice struck out; Yastrzemski flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. TIGERS 5TH: Whitaker grounded out (second to first); Staub walked; Thompson forced Staub (first to shortstop); Kemp struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. RED SOX 6TH: Fisk flied out to center; Lynn struck out; Hobson singled to center; Evans flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. TIGERS 6TH: May struck out; Corcoran flied out to center; Mankowski doubled to left; Trammell singled to left [Mankowski out at home (left to catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. RED SOX 7TH: RODRIGUEZ REPLACED MANKOWSKI (PLAYING 3B); Bailey grounded out (pitcher to first); Burleson walked; Remy grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Burleson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. TIGERS 7TH: LeFlore grounded out (third to first); Whitaker singled to center; Staub grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Whitaker out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. RED SOX 8TH: Rice grounded out (second to first); Yastrzemski grounded out (first unassisted); Fisk singled to center; Lynn lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 4. TIGERS 8TH: Thompson flied out to center; Kemp walked; May singled to right [Kemp to third]; BURGMEIER REPLACED TORREZ (PITCHING); Corcoran singled to right [Kemp scored, May to second]; STANLEY REPLACED BURGMEIER (PITCHING); Rodriguez forced May (shortstop to third) [Corcoran to second]; Trammell doubled to right [Corcoran scored, Rodriguez scored, Trammell to third (on throw to home)]; LeFlore flied to right in foul territory; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 2, Tigers 7. RED SOX 9TH: Hobson walked; Evans homered [Hobson scored]; HILLER REPLACED SYKES (PITCHING); Bailey homered; Burleson walked; Remy struck out; Rice struck out; Yastrzemski grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 5, Tigers 7.

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