4/18/84: Motley's Crew stuns an imploding Tiger team, 5-2

We know the history, the no-hitter, the 35-5 start, the "He don't want to walk you!" It's just that C&D tells its' own unpredictable story. Enter Darryl Motley, the Kansas City Royals and a Detroit Tiger team that picked the wrong time to implode.

It started with Bud Black and Jack Morris trading zeroes on the scoreboard through 5 innings. Then in the top of the 6th, Greg Pryor singled to center and stood there with 2 outs when Pat Sheridan hit a Morris pitch to center for a double. Dick Howser took a chance and sent Pryor from 1st, Chet Lemon's throw a little off-line, Royals had the lead, 1-0 after 5-1/2.

Bud Black nursed the lead heading into bottom of the 8th when the dormant Tiger bats came to life. Marty Castillo led off with a double, then Kirk Gibson dropped a single in front of Pat Sheridan in center scoring Castillo with the tying run. Gibson swiped 2nd, then Tom Brookens ripped a double to center scoring Gibby and giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Dick Howser replaced a tiring Black with Joe Beckwith, who proceeded to retire Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell and PH Darrell Evans in order.

All Jack Morris had to do was close the deal. Trouble was, they just plain booted it away. After Sheridan led off with a strikeout, Jorge Orta lifted a routine fly to left, Larry Herndon tried for a basket catch, but the basket had a hole and Orta reached 2nd. Hal McRae bounced one to Lou Whitaker, but Whitaker's throw to Dave Bergman at 1st was a little wide, Orta advancing to 3rd on the E-4. With the infield in DP depth, Steve Balboni tried to be a hero, but just missed for a swinging strike 3, strikeout #9 for Morris.

Buddy Biancalana PH for Frank White, whose card was filled with "reverse clutches." Buddy dribbled one to Lance Parrish, who just had to throw to Bergman to end it. The only thing that ended was the at-bat, as Parrish fired a weak throw to Bergman, scoring Orta with the tying run. 3 outs needed. Instead, it was 3 errors. And the inning wasn't over.

Darryl Motley pinch-hit for Butch Davis and well, the implosion was complete. 3-run shot to left, a disbelieving Larry Herndon waving goodbye to that ball and the ballgame, though Herndon would hit a solo shot off Beckwith in the bottom of the 9th to make it 5-3. Dan Quisenberry then came in and retired Chet Lemon and Johnny Grubb to end maybe the most disappointing game of the Sparky Era. The only was this was "historic" was in the way the Tigers gave it away, something they rarely did in 1984.

-Whitaker, Trammell: A combined 0-8

-Jack Morris: 9 IP, 9 K, 4 hits allowed, one the game-winning homer.

KCR 5-4-0 DET 3-8-4 WP-Beckwith LP-Morris SV-Quisenberry HR-Motley, Herndon. GWRBI-Motley KCR 8-3 DET 5-4 

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