Ringo bracket: Rangers (87) defeat Tigers (87) in six games

Game One: Detroit 12, Texas 1
WP: Morris (1-0)
LP: Hough (0-1)
HR: Da. Evans (1), Trammell (1), Lemon (1), Buechele (1)

Game Two: Texas 2, Detroit 1
WP: Guzman (1-0)
LP: Tanana (0-1)
HR: Browne (1), Madlock (1)

Game Three: Texas 17, Detroit 2
WP: B. Witt (1-0)
LP: Terrell (0-1)
HR: Parrish (1), Buechele (2)

Game Four: Detroit 8, Texas 4
WP: Alexander (1-0)
LP: Hough (0-2)
HR: K. Gibson (1), Petralli (1), McDowell (1)

Game Five: Texas 5, Detroit 2
WP: Kilgus (1-0)
LP: Morris (1-1)
S; Williams (1)
HR: McDowell (2), Sierra (1)

Game Six: Texas 7, Detroit 2
WP: Guzman (2-0)
LP: Tanana (0-2)
HR: Stanley (1), Fletcher (1), Trammell (2), Bergman (1)

The 40-Years Tourney opened with a significant upset, as the 1987 team with the most wins got clobbered in six games.

Remarkably, the Texas Rangers pulled off the upset over the Detroit Tigers without any help from ace starter Charlie Hough, who allowed 17 runs (all earned) in 10.6 innings over two starts.

Jose Guzman stepped up for Texas, however, holding the powerful Tigers to three runs in his two starts, going 16.6 innings and yielding just eight hits.

Detroit jumped on Hough early in Game One, getting a three-run bomb from Darrell Evans in the first inning. The knuckleballer kept the score at 3-0 until the fifth, when the Tigers bombed him for seven runs, including a three-run blast from Alan Trammell and a two-run dinger by Chet Lemon.

Jack Morris threw a complete-game three-hitter, with Steve Buechele touching him for a solo shot in the ninth. Morris fanned nine and walked two,

Guzman evened the series by outdueling Frank Tanana in Game Two. Guzman threw a three-hitter of his own, with seven strikeouts. Jerry Browne hit a two run homer off Tanana in the third inning. The Rangers didn't get another runner until the ninth, but the two runs stood up.

Game Three was a total Texas rout. Walt Terrell and Bobby Witt matched zeros for three innings, but the Rangers celebrated their first home game with three runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth, which drove Terrell from the mound, The Rangers stung Dan Petry for seven more in the seventh.

The only Ranger in the lineup without an RBI was Pete O'Brien, and he scored a run; the only Ranger who didn't score was Oddibe McDowell, and he had three hits and two RBIs. Pete Incavigila was 4-for-6 with three runs, three RBIs, a double and an improbable triple.

Witt walked nine men in his seven innings, but the Tigers couldn't come up with hits behind those walks. Jeff Russell finished in relief.

Detroit evened the series behind Doyle Alexander in Game Four. The Tigers again jumped on Hough early with a pair of runs in the first, taking advantage of a bit of overmanaging by the Rangers, who walked Evans intentionally. Hough never really settled in.

Lou Whitaker walked four times against Hough and scored twice. Kirk Gibson had four RBIs.

Alexander went eight innings, allowing three runs on six hits, including a pair of homers. Eric King mopped up and allowed an unearned run.

Pivotal Game Five went to Texas as Paul Kilgus kept the ball in the park for seven innings. McDowell led off against Morris with a home run. The score was 2-2 after six, but after Kilgus pitched around a two out single in the seventh, the Rangers broke the tie as McDowell plated pinch-runner Curtis Wilkerson with a double. Sierra added a homer off Morris in the eighth. Lefties Steve Howe and Mitch Williams choked off the Tigers in the final two frames..

Texas completed the series win in Game Six, peppering Tanana for five runs in the first four innings. Bob Brower capped a three-run second with a nifty squeeze bunt, and Mike Stanley hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Tanana held the Rangers at bay until the ninth, when Scott Fletcher hit a two-out, two-run shot.

Guzman took a no-hitter into the fifth. He did allow solo homers to Trammell (sixth inning) and pinch-hitter Dave Bergman (eighth). Howe entered to get Evans to finish the eighth, and Russell wrapped things up with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Player of the series: Jose Guzman.

Pitcher availability for Round 2: Kilgus needs a game off; Guzman needs one, two without penalty, All other pitchers immediately available.

Projected rotation: Hough-Witt-Guzman-Hough -(Kilgus)-(Witt)-(Hough)