Wilcox, Hernandez Propel Tigers To 1-0, Pennant-Clinching Triumph

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers, with Milt Wilcox and Willie Hernandez teaming for a three-hitter, completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals last night.

The Tigers' 1-0 victory gives them the right to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1968.

The Tigers, baseball's most dominant team during the regular season, were heavy favorites in the American League Championship Series and coolly eliminated the Royals on a cool, crisp October night.

They will now open the World Series on Tuesday night against either the Chicago Cubs of the San Diego Padres. Chicago leads the National League playoffs 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for this afternoon in San Diego.

Wilcox symbolized the Tigers' efficiency, allowing just a fourth-inning single to George Brett and an eight-inning single to Don Slaught. Wilcox who did not complete any of his 33 starts this year, got a second-inning run on an RBI-forceout by Marty Castillo and made it stand up, walking two and striking out eight in eight innings. Hernandez allowed the final hit, an infield single by pinch hitter Hal McRae with two out in the ninth.

The Tigers finished with just three hits off Royals starter Charlie Leibrandt, who walked four and struck out six.

A capacity crowd of 52,168 jammed Tiger Stadium, chanting louder and louder as each Royals batter fell. A cadre of policeman emerged on the field at the start of the eighth inning and ringed the field.

Officials were determined not to see a recurrence of the night the Tigers clinched the AI. East crown, when legions of fans stormed the field and savaged the surface, resulting in two dozen arrests.

The Game

The closest Kansas City came to scoring was in the second, and it would have been a tainted run. With two out, Steve Balboni walked and was running on a full-count pitch that Frank White popped into short left field. Shortstop Alan Trammell and center fielder Chet Lemon both called for the ball and each backed off before Lemon caught it in the tip of his glove.

Leibrandt didn't allow a hit after third inning. But two of those hits came in the second, and it was the left-hander's downfall.

Barbaro Garbey led off with a shot up the middle that Liebrandt deflected for a single. Lemon forced Garbey at second, before Darrell Evans singled to put runners at the corners.

Castillo then hit a bouncer to shortstop Onix Conception, who threw to second baseman White to force Evans at second. But White's relay to first was a shade late as Lemon scored the game's only run

Detroit right fielder Kirk Gibson who went 5-for-12 with one home fun in the series was unamimously selected. Most Valuable Player.

Again, the Tigers did what they had to do -- they shut down leadoff batter Whillie Wilson and Brett, the No. 3 hitter.

Wilson went 0-for-4. making him 2 for 13 in the series, while Brett went 1. For 4 and finished at 3-for-13.