1983 Detroit Tigers Replay

7/29/83 Game Suspended Due to Curfew Detroit leads Kansas City 5-4 after 8 inn

In real life, this game was delayed by rain. At the time, a local curfew was in place which said games had to stop at 1 am. I kept the curfew in the replay, and the Tigers were leading the Royals, 5-4, after 8 full innings. Here’s how the game shook out up to that point:

Kansas City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, thanks to a couple base hits, and errors by Lou Whitaker and Allen Trammell. Yet another miscue would lead to a Royals run in the top of the fourth. Glenn Wilson committed a two base error with Pat Sheridan batting, and later that inning, Willie Wilson doubled him in. Detroit starter Matt Wilcox surrendered the fourth K.C. run in the top of the fifth, courtesy of a George Brett solo blast.

With Larry Gura on the slab for Kansas City, and a 4-0 lead, things looked bleak for the Tigers. John Wockenfuss spoiled Gura’s shutout bid with a solo homer in the fifth. It was Wocky’s sixth of the year.

The teams traded zeros for the next couple innings, but then Gura began to crack in the eighth. He began the inning by hitting Chet Lemon, then singles by Tom Brookens and Trammell, loaded the bases. Gura was relieved by Mike Armstrong, who promptly walked Whitaker, forcing in Detroit’s second run of the day. Enos Cabell then hit into a double play, and another run crossed the plate, making it Kansas City 4 Detroit 3.

Armstrong then hit Larry Herndon and walked Lance Parrish, loading the bases yet again. With two out, the Royals decided to stick with Armstrong in the hopes he could get the final out of the inning.(Bear in mind that with 20 player rosters, the bullpens are very limited) However, it was not to be, as Wockenfuss laced a two run double, plating Trammell and Herndon, and putting Detroit up, 5-4, for their first lead of the game. Kansas City brought Dan Quisenberry in, and he fanned Glenn Wilson for the last out of the eighth inning.

At that point, the game was suspended, and it will be completed on 7/30/83, before the Tigers and Royals regularly scheduled game.

Here are the rest of the A.L. East scores: Balt 8 Tex 7; Milwaukee 11 Boston 5; Chicago 7 N.Y. 2; Toronto 4 Cleveland 2

Here are the standings at the end of play on 7/29/83.

TEAM GM# WON LOST PCT GB

Baltimore 97 58 39 .598 –

New York 96 55 41 .573 2.5

Detroit 97 55 42 .567 3

Milwaukee 97 54 43 .557 4

Toronto 98 54 44 .551 4.5

Boston 99 53 46 .535 6

Cleveland 99 42 57 .424 17