Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers were battling the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East when they claimed Fryman off waivers on August 2, 1972. Fryman turned his season around with the Tigers, and was 9-3 with a 2.21 ERA when the Red Sox came to Detroit for a three game set to end the season a half game up on the Tigers.
Manager Billy Martin handed the ball to Mickey Lolich for the first game of the set. Lolich pitched a complete game victory to put the Tigers up a half game on the Red Sox as Fryman took the mound for the second game of the set.
The Red Sox scored an unearned run in the first, and held onto a 1-0 lead until the Tigers clawed out a run off Luis Tiant in the sixth. They followed that up with two more runs in the seventh. Fryman, meanwhile, only allowed two hits after the first inning. After giving up a lead-off single in the eighth, he retired the next two batters he faced before turning the game over to Chuck Seelbach. Seelbach struck out two of the four batters he faced as Detroit beat the Red Sox 3-1 to clinch the division.
Fryman's .769 win percentage was tops in the American League in 1972, and his ERA+ of 154 is one of the highest in Detroit franchise history.
Read more about this topic: Woodie Fryman
Famous quotes containing the word tigers:
“Even tigers sometimes take naps.”
—Chinese proverb.