Detroit, MI- Spot starter John Hiller threw seven shutout innings, and the Tigers survived a ninth inning scare in defeating the Cleveland Indians, 3-2, at Tiger Stadium.
Hiller (5-6) was making his first start in over a month, and he was brilliant. The Indians managed just two hits off him in seven innings. Manager Billy Martin decided to lift Hiller rather than extending him too far.
Chuck Seelbach earned the save with two innings of relief, though he did give up a two-run homer to Tigers nemesis Graig Nettles in the ninth inning to make the score dicey. Frank Duffy then walked with two outs and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, but Seelbach struck out pinch-hitter Tom McCraw as the crowd roared.
The Tigers (66-41) got their sixth straight victory, built on two solo homers (Mickey Stanley and pinch-hitter Jim Northrup) and a Bill Freehan single. The Tigers scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh inning.
With Boston's loss Friday, the Tigers moved 8.5 games ahead of the second place Red Sox.
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CLE 000 000 002 2-5-0
DET 000 011 10x 3-7-0
WP: Hiller (5-6)
SV: Seelbach (5)
LP: Dunning
HR: Stanley (DET; 10); Northrup (DET; 9)
Tigers overall: 66-41
Home: 31-20
Away: 35-21
Last 10: 7-3
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