Overview
The A's won the first two games of the series at home. One of the Series' most memorable moments came in the seventh inning of Game 2. Bert Campaneris came to bat, having had three hits, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in his first three at-bats in the game. Lerrin LaGrow's first pitch hit Campaneris in the ankle. Campaneris staggered for a moment, glared at LaGrow and then flung his bat toward the mound. The bat spiraled at LaGrow five feet off the ground, but LaGrow ducked, and the bat narrowly missed LaGrow, landing a few feet behind the mound. A bench-clearing brawl ensued, and Tigers manager Billy Martin had to be restrained by umpires and teammates to prevent him from going after Campaneris. Both LaGrow and Campaneris were suspended for the rest of the ALCS.
After Game 2, the Series moved to Detroit, where the Tigers would fight back, winning the next two. Game 4 was one of the more historic playoff games, going 10 innings, with the Tigers pulling out the victory. After it was 1–1 at the end of nine innings, the A's scored two runs in the top of the 10th, and it looked as if the series was over. But amazingly the Tigers scored three in the bottom of the 10th to win it when Jim Northrup singled off Joe Horlen.
In Game 5, Blue Moon Odom of the A's would be facing Woodie Fryman of the Tigers. After two innings, the game was 1–1. But by the fourth, it was clear runs wouldn't come easy, so when George Hendrick scored on a Gene Tenace RBI single, the Tigers knew they were in trouble. By the ninth inning, Odom and Vida Blue had combined to pitch seven scoreless innings. With the A's up 2–1, it all came down to the Tigers ninth when they would still face Vida Blue. Norm Cash would single, but that would be it as Tony Taylor would fly to center for the final out. Odom got the win, Blue got the save, and the A's were a World Series team for the first of three straight years.
Read more about this topic: 1972 American League Championship Series