Friday, August 31, 2012

Delmon Young's 3 Run Double is the Difference in a 7-4 Tigers Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox tonight 7-4.

After an Andy Dirks walk in the 1st inning, Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a 2-run home run; it's his 33rd of the season and the Tigers had an early 2-0 lead.

After the White Sox made it a 2-1 game in the 2nd inning, the Tigers responded in the bottom of the inning with a triple by Austin Jackson, then a double by Andy Dirks to score Jackson and the Tigers took a 3-1 lead.

The White Sox made it a 3-2 game after the top of the 3rd inning, and Omar Infante made 2 bad defensive plays. He forgot Paul Konerko is slow and that he had plenty of time to make a good throw, then forgot how many outs were left. Nice job, Omar!

Infante wasn't the only player struggling on defense tonight, though. Miguel Cabrera likely cost the Tigers a run in the 4th inning to make it a 3-3 game. Cabrera has been dealing with an ankle sprain, and was struggling tonight.

Jhonny Peralta responded in the 4th inning with a solo home run to put the Tigers back in the lead; it's his 11th of the season.

Doug Fister was not sharp today, making his first start after a groin injury forced him to miss his last scheduled start. He went 5 innings giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, walking 4 and striking out 2 batters.

Drew Smyly came in for relief, but put runners on 1st and 3rd while only getting 1 out before getting pulled. Octavio Dotel got the final 2 outs, but thanks to Smyly, a run scored in the process and it was a 4-4 game. Dotel came back out and pitched a scoreless 7th inning; he ended up getting the win.

The Tigers came back in the 7th inning after a walk by Andy Dirks, single by Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder was hit-by-the-pitch to load the bases with no outs for Delmon Young who hit a double to score all 3 runners and the Tigers took a 7-4 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning and Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 27th save of the season and got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers continue their series with the White Sox tommorrow as Max Scherzer (14-6 4.13 ERA) pitches against Francisco Liriano (5-10 5.09 ERA).

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Previewing: Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox



I've read a lot of people currently split on the Tigers. They were just swept on the road by the Kansas City Royals, but Detroit trails the Chicago White Sox in the Central division by just 3 games.

How important is this series?

I think it's very important to take atleast 2 of the 3 games. Losing 2 of 3 would put the Tigers 4 games behind the White Sox with a month left in the season, while they could make up those 4 games, it would be tough this late in the season.

What are the pitching matchups this weekend and who do I think has the advantage?

Friday - Doug Fister (7-8 3.67 ERA) vs Jake Peavy (9-9 3.09 ERA). Chicago hasn't faced Doug Fister with the Tigers yet, and the Tigers who have struggled in the past vs Peavy, have done well against him this season.

Advantage: Toss up. This could be the difference between a possible sweep for Detroit, or getting 2 of 3 at the most, in my opinion.

Saturday - Max Scherzer (14-6 4.13 ERA) vs Francisco Liriano (5-10 5.09 ERA, 2-0 4.26 ERA with the White Sox). Scherzer since April has pitched very well, and Liriano has done alright since joining the White Sox. Scherzer in 11 starts career vs Chicago has a 2.85 ERA, however, Liriano has struggled in his career against the Tigers. In 21 games (15 starts) he has a 5.69 ERA.

Advantage: Tigers

Sunday - Justin Verlander (12-7 2.80 ERA) vs Chris Sale (15-5 2.81 ERA). Verlander is the 2011 MVP and Cy Young winner, and Chris Sale is having a terrific season in his first season as a starting pitcher. Something to keep an eye on is in Sale's last start, his fastball velocity was the 2nd lowest average of the season for him, and he didn't pitch very well in that start. There are concerns he may have a tired arm. For me, that is the difference here, what Sale are people going to see?

Advantage: Tigers

Something else to keep on for this series is coming into tonight's game, but Detroit and Chicago have had their offenses in a bit of a slump.

I think the Tigers will take 2 of 3, and have a chance to sweep. Both teams are using their best pitchers though, so it'll be an exciting series.


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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Anibal Sanchez Pitches Well in a Tigers 1-0 Loss


The Detroit Tigers lost to the Kansas City Royals tonight 1-0.

The Tigers struggled to get much going and were down 1-0 heading to the top of the 7th inning, but Miguel Cabrera led the inning off with a double, then advanced to 3rd base on a fly ball from Prince Fielder. Delmon Young was next and was hit-by-the-pitch, then Jhonny Peralta came up with runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out, but struck out, and Jeff Baker (of course) failed to get a 2 out hit, and it remained a 1-0 game.

Anibal Sanchez pitched pretty well tonight. He threw 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 7 hits and had 1 strikeout.

Octavio Dotel came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Andy Dirks led the 9th inning off with a single, and Miguel Cabrera hit a line drive towards left-center field, but a diving catch most likely saved a run. Prince Fielder came up next and hit a single. Delmon Young was up next, and struck out on a hanging slider. Atleast it wasn't a slider away in the dirt this time I suppose? Jhonny Peralta was the last chance for the Tigers, but struck out to end the game.

The Tigers finish their series with the Royals tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-9 4.60 ERA) takes on Jeremy Guthrie (5-12 5.71 ERA).

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tigers Lose 9-8 in a Controversial Finish to the 9th Inning

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Kansas City Royals tonight 9-8.

Austin Jackson led the game off with a single, and scored on a double from Andy Dirks. Delmon Young came up and hit a 2-run home run and the Tigers took an early 3-0 lead; it's his 15th of the season.

Justin Verlander, however, with a combination of a few bad pitches, a few bad defensive plays, and no luck whatsoever couldn't hold the lead, and gave up 7 runs on 10 hits in the first 2 innings.

The Tigers offense responded in the 3rd inning though with singles by Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder came up and hit a 2-run double. A Delmon Young ground out advanced Fielder to 3rd base, then Alex Avila hit a single to score Fielder and it was a 7-6 game.

Justin Verlander allowed a run to score in the 6th inning and that finished his night. He pitched 5 and 2/3 innings giving up 8 runs on 12 hits, walking 3 (1 intentional) and striking out 6 batters.

Darin Downs came in for relief and got the last out of the 6th inning.

Detroit came back in the 7th inning after a single by Austin Jackson who advanced to 2nd base on a stolen base, then advanced to 3rd base after a wild pitch, and would score on a single from Miguel Cabrera to cut the lead to 8-7.

Brayan Villarreal came in and pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Jhonny Peralta tied the game 8-8 in the 8th inning with a solo home run; it's his 10th of the season.

Villarreal came back out for the 8th inning and got the first 2 outs of the inning, then Phil Coke came in and on cue gave up a run that was charged to Villarreal. Hey Jim Leyland, just because Phil Coke is left handed doesn't mean he needs to face left-handed hitting, considering he's not very good.

The Tigers didn't quit, though. Austin Jackson led off the 9th inning with a walk, advanced to 2nd base on a ground out by Andy Dirks, then advanced to 3rd base on a wild pitch, but with 1 out, Miguel Cabrera struck out. Prince Fielder was intentionally walked to set up runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 outs for Delmon Young who hit a ball on the 1st pitch that after replay, was ruled a foul ball, by inches. Young went on to hit a fly ball to end the game.

The Tigers continue their series with the Royals tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (7-10 4.38 ERA) pitches against Bruce Chen (9-10 5.41 ERA).

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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Alex Avila Hits a Walkoff Single to Get the Tigers a 3-2 Extra Innings Win


The Detroit Tigers swept the Toronto Blue Jays today with a 3-2 extra innings win.

The Blue Jays took an early 2-0 lead, and the Tigers offense struggled to do much of anything for most the game. They didn't even get a runner to 2nd base until the 8th inning. However, in the 8th, Alex Avila drew a walk, Austin Jackson hit a single, then Brennan Boesch hit a pinch hit single to drive in Avila and Jackson advanced to 3rd base on the hit. With Prince Fielder batting, Jackson scored on a wild pitch to make it a 2-2 game.

Justin Verlander was great today. He pitched 9 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 12 batters.

Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 10th inning (with assistance from an incredible defensive play by Austin Jackson).

Phil Coke came in aand got the first out of the 11th inning, then Joaquin Benoit got the last 2 outs of the inning; he went on to recieve the win.

Jhonny Peralta led the bottom of the 11th inning off with a single, then Delmon Young reached on a fielder's choice; Quintin Berry came in for Young to pinch run and stole 2nd base. Jeff Baker was up next and drew a walk, then Alex Avila hit a walkoff single to give the Tigers the win!

The Tigers open up a 3 game home series with the Angels tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-8 4.67 ERA) pitches against Zack Greinke (10-5 4.01 ERA).

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Anibal Sanchez Pitches Well in a 3-2 Tigers Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays tonight 3-2.

The Tigers scored first in the 4th inning after a triple by Omar Infante, then Infante scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers came back in the 5th inning with a single by Delmon Young who advanced to 2nd base on a hit-and-run play, then scored on a single from Jeff Baker to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

After the Blue Jays made it a 2-1 game, the Tigers responded in the 6th inning after Austin Jackson reached base on a fielding error, then Omar Infante had a sacrifice bunt to get Jackson to 2nd base. Miguel Cabrera was up next and was intentionally walked, then Prince Fielder came up and hit a single to score Jackson and the Tigers took a 3-1 lead.

Anibal Sanchez gave up a run to the Blue Jays in the 7th inning and his day was done. He went 6 and 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 6 batters; he earned his 7th win of the season.

Brayan Villarreal came in for relief and got the final out of the 7th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, then Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 25th save of the season which got the Tigers the win.

It was also Valverde's 100th save as a Tiger.

The Tigers finish their series with Toronto tommorrow as Justin Verlander (12-7 2.53 ERA) takes on J.A. Happ (9-10 4.88 ERA).

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Prince Fielder Bobblehead Night!


Last night was Prince Fielder bobble head night. The bobblehead was given to the first 10,000 fans. It was a night in which the Tigers won 5-3 and was led by a great pitching performance from Max Scherzer.

Prince Fielder ended up going 1-2 with a double and 2 walks. His bobblehead turned out pretty well in my opinion (and much better than Austin Jackson's bobblehead)

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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Doug Fister Blows a Large Lead in a 7-5 Tigers Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Baltimore Orioles today 7-5.

Omar Infante got the Tigers an early lead with a solo home run; it's his 11th of the season. Miguel Cabrera was next and drew a walk, Prince Fielder then hit a single. Jhonny Peralta was up next and hit a 3-run home run; it's his 9th of the season. Delmon Young was up next and hit a single, then Jeff Baker hit a double to score Young and the Tigers had a 5-0 lead.

Doug Fister however with some bad pitch selection, defensive mistakes, and help from the umpire (Yes JJ Hardy, you were out on strikes, be happy the umpire was blind for that pitch) gave up that 5 run lead and couldn't survive the 4th inning. He gave up 7 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6 batters.

Luke Putkonen came in for relief and got the final out of the 4th inning. Putkonen came back out and (somehow) pitched a scoreless 5th inning. Putkonen once again (somehow) managed to come out and pitch a scoreless 6th inning.

Brayan Villarreal came in and pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Darin Downs came in and pitched a scoreless 8th, then Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

The Tigers had their chances to win this game, but weren't able to come through.

The Tigers have an off day tommorrow, but open up a 3 hame home series on Tuesday with the Toronto Blue Jays as Max Scherzer (12-6 4.41 ERA) takes on Ricky Romero (8-10 5.47 ERA).

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Prince Fielder's 2 Home Runs Lead the Tigers to a 5-3 Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles tonight 5-3.

Miguel Cabrera got the Tigers an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the 1st inning; it's his 31st of the season.

The Orioles would go on to take a 3-1 lead and Justin Verlander was done after 6 innings. Verlander gave up 3 runs on 6 hits, walking 4 and striking out 6 strikeouts. He struggled with his control all night, but the results could've been worse.

The Tigers came back in the bottom of the 6th inning with a single by Miguel Cabrera, then a 2-run home run to tie the game 3-3; it's his 21st of the season. The home run by Fielder went 462 feet and can be seen here.

Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 7th inning, then Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning; Benoit would get the win tonight.

After Miguel Cabrera drew a walk in the 8th inning, Prince Fielder hit another 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead; it's his 2nd of the night and 22nd of the season.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 23rd save of the season and get the Tigers a win.

The Tigers continue their series with the Orioles tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-7 4.68 ERA) pitches against Steve Johnson (1-0 2.70 ERA).

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Max Scherzer Strikes Out 10 in a 5-1 Tigers Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins today 5-1.

Miguel Cabrera got the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead after a solo home run in the first inning; it's his 30th of the season.

According to Brian Britten Cabrera is the first Tiger to hit atleast 30 home runs in 5 straight seasons.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 4th inning after a single by Alex Avila, then Delmon Young hit a 2-run home run; it's his 13th of the season and gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Detroit added on in the 5th inning with a double by Andy Dirks, then Miguel Cabrera hit a single to drive in Dirks and extended the Tigers lead to 4-0.

Max Scherzer had trouble with his control early in the game, but settled down. He pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up only 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 10 batters; he earned his 12th win of the season.

The Tigers came back in the 8th inning with a double by Jhonny Peralta, then a single by Omar Infante to score Peralta and the Tigers took a 5-0 lead.

Octavio Dotel came in and gave up 1 run in the 8th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers have an off day tommorrow, but open up a 3 game home series Friday against the Orioles as Justin Verlander (12-7 2.46 ERA) takes the mound against Tommy Hunter (4-7 5.54 ERA).

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Miguel Cabrera Gets RBI #100 in a 8-4 Tigers Victory


The Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins tonight 8-4.

Austin Jackson led the game off with a walk, then Omar Infante hit a single to open the game. After a Prince Fielder ground out advanced both runners up one base, Jhonny Peralta hit a 2 run single to give the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

The Tigers came back in the 2nd inning after an infield single by Andy Dirks, then Gerald Laird hit a triple to drive in Dirks. Austin Jackson came up next and hit a double that drove in Laird to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

After 3 errors led to 4 unearned runs for the Twins to tie the game 4-4, Andy Dirks hit a solo home run in the 6th inning; it's his 5th of the season and gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead.

The Tigers added on in the 7th inning after a leadoff triple by Omar Infante, then a single by Miguel Cabrera to drive Infante in; it's his 100th RBI of the season and extended the Tigers lead to 6-4.

Doug Fister pitched well tonight going 8 innings, giving up 4 unearned runs (it's hard to try and get 5 outs in an inning) on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7 batters; he earned his 7th win of the season.

After Omar Infante reached base on an error in the 9th inning, he scored on a double by Miguel Cabrera. After Prince Fielder was intentionally walked, Jhonny Peralta hit a fly ball that advanced Cabrera to 3rd base. Delmon Young was up next and reached base on a fielding error that scored Cabrera and gave the Tigers a 8-4 lead.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to end the game and get the Tigers a win.

The Tigers finish their series with the Twins tommorrow as Max Scherzer (11-6 4.65 ERA) takes on Cole De Vries (2-3 4.77 ERA)

Picture credit: zimbio.com
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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Missed Chances Cost the Tigers in a 2-1 Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Texas Rangers tonight 2-1.

Austin Jackson led the game off with a solo home run to give the Tigers a quick 1-0 lead; it's his 13th of the season.

The Rangers would score a run in the 3rd inning to tie the game 1-1 (due to a few lucky hits), and Justin Verlander went on to pitch 7 innings. He gave up 1 run on 7 hits, walking 0 and striking out 8 batters.

Brayan Villarreal came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

After some overmanaging by Ron Washington, Miguel Cabrera & Prince Fielder each drew a walk, then Delmon Young hit a single to load the bases with 1 out for Brennan Boesch who was pinch hitting, but he grounded into a force out at home plate and didn't score a run.

Brayan Villarreal came back out for the 9th inning, but after walking the first 2 batters, he was pulled and Phil Coke was put in the game. After getting 2 strikeouts, Coke gave up the game ending hit.

The Tigers finish their 3 game series with the Rangers tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-6 4.62 ERA) pitches against Yu Darvish (11-8 4.57 ERA).

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Friday, August 10, 2012

Prince Fielder's 3 Run Homer Helps the Tigers to a 6-2 Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers tonight 6-2.

The Tigers were down 2-0 early in the game, but they got on the board in the 4th inning after a triple by Austin Jackson then a single by Miguel Cabrera to drive Jackson in and the Tigers cut the lead to 2-1.

The Tigers came back in the 6th inning with an infield single by Andy Dirks, single by Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder came up and hit a 3-run home run; it's his 20th of the season. After a Brennan Boesch walk, Delmon Young hit a double to drive Boesch in and the Tigers took a 5-2 lead.

Max Scherzer was wild early on, but managed to settle down and pitch a good game. He went 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 11th win of the season.

Austin Jackson added another run for the Tigers in the 7th inning with an inside-the-park home run; it's his 12th of the season and extended the Tigers lead to 6-2.

Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 7th and scoreless 8th inning.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers continue their series with Texas tommorrow as Justin Verlander (12-7 2.51 ERA) pitches against Derek Holland (7-6 5.18 ERA).

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Joaquin Benoit Costs the Tigers in a 4-3 Loss


The Detroit Tigers lost to the New York Yankees today 4-3.

The Tigers found themselves down 2-0 early on and struggling to get offense going, but in the 5th inning, after a double by Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila hit a 2-run home run; it's his 7th of the season. After an infield single by Ramon Santiago, Quintin Berry reached base on a fielder's choice, then he scored on a double from Andy Dirks and the Tigers took a 3-2 lead.

Doug Fister had a rough 2nd inning, but other than that inning, he pitched well. Fister went 6 and 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4 batters.

Octavio Dotel came in for relief and got the last 2 outs of the 7th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and gave up 2 home runs to give up the lead and the Tigers trailed 4-3 after the top of the 8th inning.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Alex Avila led the 9th inning off with a double. After Gerald Laird came in to pinch run for Avila, Omar Infante hit a single and Laird advanced to 3rd base on the hit, however, even with no outs, the Tigers somehow couldn't get the runner in from 3rd base and lost the game.

The Tigers open up a 3 game road series with the Texas Rangers tommorrow as Max Scherzer (10-6 4.72 ERA) pitches against Scott Feldman (6-6 4.52 ERA).

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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Jim Leyland's Bad Managing Leads the Tigers to a 12-8 Loss


The Detroit Tigers lost to the New York Yankees tonight 12-8.

Anibal Sanchez had a short outing where he wasn't effective. He only pitched 3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2 batters.

Duane Below came in after Sanchez couldn't get an out in the 4th inning for relief. I guess someone forgot to tell Leyland that Sanchez couldn't get anyone out. He allowed 1 run that was credited to Sanchez, but that's all he allowed in the 4th inning and the Tigers were down 7-0.

The Tigers would not get shut out though. In the 4th inning, Jeff Baker hit a double, and scored on a single from Brennan Boesch to make it a 7-1 game.

Duane Below stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless 5th and scoreless 6th inning.

In the 6th inning, the Tigers added a few more runs after an infield single by Prince Fielder, then a double by Delmon Young to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for Jeff Baker who hit a single to drive in both runners and it was a 7-3 game.

Duane Below gave up a leadoff double in the 7th inning before being pulled. You know, when a guy has thrown 50 pitches in 3 innings, it's best to bring someone else in, and not pull him right after he puts the leadoff guy on. Darin Downs came into the game and the runner would end up scoring and it gave the Yankees a 8-3 lead.

The Tigers responded in the 7th inning though with a single by Austin Jackson, then Miguel Cabrera reached base on a fielding error which advanced Jackson to 3rd base. Prince Fielder was up next and hit a ground ball to 1st base that scored Jackson. After an infield single by Delmon Young which got Cabrera to 3rd base, Andy Dirks hit a pinch hit single to score Cabrera and Young advanced to 3rd base on the hit. Brennan Boesch was up next and hit an infield single to drive in Young. Alex Avila was the next batter and had a pinch hit single to drive in Dirks and the Tigers cut the lead to 8-7.

Phil Coke came in and true to form, gave 2 runs right back to the Yankees. Hey Leyland, when your offense finally makes it a game again, don't put in the worst pitcher you have. The Yankees took a 10-7 lead to the bottom of the 8th inning.

What happens in the 8th inning? Of course, Omar Infante hits a solo home run, which would've tied the game, but instead, made it a 10-8 game; it's his 10th of the season.

Brayan Villarreal came in and gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning and it proved to me too much for the Tigers to come back from.

The Tigers finish up a 4 game series with the Yankees tommorrow as Doug Fister (6-7 3.52 ERA) pitches against Hiroki Kuroda (10-8 3.19 ERA).

Picture credit: zimbio.com
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Miguel Cabrera's 3 RBI Helps the Tigers to a 6-5 Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees tonight 6-5.

The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the 4th inning, but Miguel Cabrera responded in the bottom of the 4th inning with a solo home run; it's his 29th of the season. Brennan Boesch would go on to hit a single, and then scored on a Jhonny Peralta double and the Tigers tied the game 2-2.

The Tigers came back in the 5th inning with a single by Andy Dirks, then a single by Austin Jackson which advanced Dirks to 3rd base. Miguel Cabrera came up with 1 out and hit a double to score Dirks and Jackson and made it a 4-2 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 6th inning after a single by Alex Avila who scored on a double by Andy Dirks and it gave the Tigers a 5-2 lead.

Rick Porcello pitched a good game tonight, but was pulled after giving up a run in the 7th inning. Porcello went 6 and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and striking out 3 batters; he earned his 9th win of the season.

Brayan Villarreal came in for relief and got the final out of the 7th inning.

Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Tigers offense got going again in the 8th inning after a single by Delmon Young, walk to Alex Avila, then Andy Dirks hit a single to score Young and it gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead.

Jose Valverde came in and gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning, but got his 22nd save of the season, and was able to hold on to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers play the 3rd game of a 4 game series with the Yankees tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (6-8 3.99 ERA) takes on CC Sabathia (11-3 3.53 ERA).

Picture credit: zimbio.com
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Monday, August 6, 2012

Justin Verlander Strikes Out 14 Batters in a 7-2 Tigers Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees tonight 7-2.

Prince Fielder got the Tigers the lead in the 2nd inning with a solo home run; it's his 19th of the season.

Miguel Cabrera extended the lead to 2-0 in the 4th inning after a solo home run of his own; it's his 28th of the season.

After the Yankees scored 2 unearned runs to tie the game 2-2, the Tigers battled back with 3 runs in the 5th inning, and 2 runs in the 6th inning to take a 7-2 lead which they never gave back.

Justin Verlander pitched very well tonight going 8 innings, giving up 2 (unearned) runs on 8 hits, walking 1 and he tied a career high striking out 14 batters; he earned his 12th win of the season.

Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to secure a win for Detroit.

The Tigers continue their series with the Yankees tommorrow as Rick Porcello (8-6 4.65 ERA) takes on Phil Hughes (11-8 3.96 ERA).

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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Miguel Cabrera Hits a 2 Run Walkoff Homer to Lead an Incredible 10-8 Comeback Win


The Detroit Tigers swept the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings today 10-8.

The Indians took a quick 2-0 lead, but the Tigers came back in the bottom of 1st inning with singles from Austin Jackson and Omar Infante, then a ground out by Miguel Cabrera to move the runners up 1 base each, then Prince Fielder hit a single to score Jackson and cut the lead to 2-1.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Gerald Laird was called out at 1st base even though he was safe, and was ejected because umpire Sam Holbrook couldn't handle that he blew the call. Then, homeplate umpire Country Joe West ejected Jim Leyland because he thinks the game is about him.

After the Indians took a 3-1 lead, the Tigers quickly came back with a triple by Austin Jackson who scored on a ground ball from Miguel Cabrera to make it a 3-2 game.

Jhonny Peralta drew a walk in the 4th inning and would eventually score a run after a ground ball from Brennan Boesch advanced Peralta to 2nd base, then Peralta scored on a single from Alex Avila to tie the game 3-3.

The Indians went on to take the lead back 4-3, and Max Scherzer was done after 5 innings. He gave up 4 runs on 10 hits, walking 1 and striking out 9 batters.

Omar Infante tied the game back up in the 5th inning though with a solo home run; it's his 1st for the Tigers and 9th for the season.

Brayan Villarreal came in and got the first 2 outs of the 6th inning and Phil Coke got the last out of the inning. Phil Coke for some reason came back out to pitch the 7th inning and gave up the lead. After the top of the 7th inning the Indians had a 5-4 lead.

The Tigers didn't quit though and responded in the bottom of the 7th inning after a double by Omar Infante, then a single by Miguel Cabrera which set up runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs for Prince Fielder who had a sacrifice fly to tie the game 5-5.

Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Joaquin Benoit pitched next and had a scoreless 9th inning.

Austin Jackson led off the 9th inning with a leadoff triple, but after Omar Infante struck out, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder were both walked intentionally to load the bases with 1 out for Quintin Berry who hit into a double play to send the game to the 10th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came back out for the 10th inning and gave up 2 home runs and Darin Downs game up a run in the 10th which ended up costing the Tigers a win.

The Tigers tried to answer back in the bottom of the 10th inning after Alex Avila and Andy Dirks both walked with 2 outs, and Austin Jackson came to the plate and hit a double to drive in Avila. Omar Infante was next and hit a 2-run single to tie the game.

Miguel Cabrera came up next and what happened? a 2-run walkoff home run! His 27th of the season.

Darin Downs was the winning pitcher; it's his first career win.

The Tigers begin a 4 game series with the New York Yankees tommorrow as Justin Verlander (11-7 2.63 ERA) takes on Ivan Nova (10-5 4.53 ERA).

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Cubs Trade Jeff Baker to the Tigers

According to Brian Britten the Tigers have traded 2 players (to be named later) for utility man Jeff Baker from the Chicago Cubs. The players to be named later must be announced by 10/31/2012.

This season Jeff Baker is hitting .269 with a .306 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage. The more imporant thing for the Tigers though is he's a right handed hitter who hits left handed pitching well.

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Ryan Raburn to be Put on the DL


According to Brian Britten the Tigers have placed Ryan Raburn on the DL with a right thumb sprain. The move is retro active to August 1st.

Raburn has 198 ABs this season and is hitting .172 with a .225 on-base percentage and .258 slugging percentage; he also has only 1 home run.

Danny Worth has been recalled from Toledo to replace Raburn on the roster. He has 65 ABs this season and is hitting .215 with a .325 on-base percentage and .262 slugging percentage.

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Friday, August 3, 2012

Anibal Sanchez Pitches Well in a 10-2 Tigers Victory


The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians tonight 10-2.

The Tigers scored first today in the 2nd inning after an infield single by Brennan Boesch, then a double (which should've been an out) by Alex Avila to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.

After the Indians scored an unearned run to make it a 1-1 game, the Tigers came back in the 3rd inning with a walk to Austin Jackson, single by Quintin Berry, then Prince Fielder hit a 2-run double to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

A lead off walk by Ramon Santiago set up the Tigers in the 4th inning. He advanced to 2nd base on a hit-and-run play, then scored on a double by Quintin Berry. Miguel Cabrera was up next and hit a single to drive in Berry. Next Prince Fielder hit a 2-run home run; it's his 18th of the season and gave the Tigers a 7-1 lead.

Detroit added more runs to their lead in the 6th inning after singles by Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. They both advanced to 1 base on a ground out by Brennan Boesch, then Cabrera scored and Prince Fielder got to 3rd base on a single by Andy Dirks. Alex Avila was up next and hit a single to score Fielder and the hit advanced Dirks to 3rd base. After a walk by Ramon Santiago to load the bases with 1 out, Omar Infante hit a sacrifice fly and the Tigers extended their lead to 10-1.

Anibal Sanchez pitched well in his Tigers home debut. He pitched 6 innings giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 5 batters; he earned his first win as a Tiger and 6th win of the season.

Darin Downs came in for relief and pitched the 7th inning. Downs came back and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Brayan Villarreal came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to finish the game off and secure a Tigers win.

The Tigers continue their 3 game series with the Indians tommorrow as Doug Fister (5-7 3.77 ERA) takes on Ubaldo Jimenez (8-10 5.08 ERA)

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Tigers Designate Don Kelly for Assignment


According to Brian Britten Don Kelly has been designated for assignment and Andy Dirks has been activated from the DL.

Don Kelly had trouble getting any sort of consistent playing time this season and often was used in late innings as a defensive replacement for Brennan Boesch. In 103 ABs Kelly was hitting just .175 with a .267 on-base percentage, and .243 slugging percentage. The reason he was designated for assignment and not Ryan Raburn was most likely because Kelly is left handed and the Tigers have 3 left handed hitting outfielders already.

Dirks will play in right field tonight and bat 6th in his return from the DL.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Miguel Cabrera & Prince Fielder Hit Back-to-Back Homers in a 7-5 Tigers Win


The Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox tonight 7-5.

After the Red Sox took an early 1-0 lead, the Tigers responded in the 4th inning with a double by Prince Fielder, then Brennan Boesch hit a single to score Fielder and it tied the game 1-1.

The Tigers came back in the 5th inning with singles from Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta, then a sacrifice bunt from Austin Jackson to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for Austin Jackson who hit a single to score Avila and Peralta advanced to 3rd on the hit. Quintin Berry was up next and hit a ground ball to 2nd base which scored Peralta and Jackson advanced to 2nd base. Jackson got to 3rd base on a wild pitch, then Miguel Cabrera hit a 2-run home run; it's his 26th of the season. Prince Fielder was up next and hit a solo home run to give the Tigers back-to-back home runs; it's his 17th of the season and gave the Tigers a 6-1 lead.

Rick Porcello pitched very well through the first 5 innings, but ran into some trouble in the 6th inning. He went 5 and 2/3 innings, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 6 batters; he won his 8th game of the season.

Phil Coke came in for relief and struggled a bit, but got the last out of the 6th inning. Coke was brought out for the 7th inning, but after giving up a solo home run, he was pulled. Octavio Dotel came in and pitched the 7th inning.

Delmon Young added a run in the 8th inning for the Tigers with a solo home run; it's his 12th of the season and gave the Tigers a 7-5 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his 21st save of the season and he got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers have an off day tommorrow, but start a 3 game home series on Friday with the Cleveland Indians as Anibal Sanchez (5-8 4.11 ERA) pitches against Justin Masterson (7-9 4.47 ERA).

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