Tigers & Anibal Sanchez Agree to a 5 Year Deal

The Detroit Tigers did what most people expected them to do, according to Bob Nightengale the Tigers and Anibal Sanchez have agreed to a 5 year $80 million dollar contract.

Sanchez is a beneficiary of inflation on the free agent market this winter. He is slated to be the #4 in the Tigers rotation behind Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister. With this move, it's also expected the Tigers will now look to trade Rick Porcello, and Drew Smyly will be their #5 starter.

Last season, Sanchez was 9-13 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with the Tigers he was 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.29 WHIP and in the postseason, Sanchez went 1-2 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

Given the inflation in player salaries now, I'm ok with the deal as long as money is still on the table for Justin Verlander to sign an extension.

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Tigers Sign Brayan Pena to a 1 Year Deal

According to Brian Britten, the Tigers have agreed to sign Brayan Pena to a 1 year contract. Pena is a catcher who should end up being the backup catcher in 2013 for the Tigers.

Pena is a switch hitter who has a career line of .248/.286/.350 (for a .635 OPS). Last season, Pena hit .236/.262/.321 with a .583 OPS.

I'm not a fan of the move, and think based on Pena's track record, it would be more beneficial to give Bryan Holaday a shot at backing up Alex Avila at catcher.

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Tigers Release Ryan Raburn, Other Roster Moves Made

Brian Britten has reported several roster moves for the Detroit Tigers today. First, Right handed pitchers Melvin Mercedes & Bruce Rondon have been added to the 40-man roster, and infield Dixon Machado has been added to the 40-man as well. Britten also reports that right handed pitcher Tyler Stohr has been outrighted to Triple-A Toledo (meaning he has been taken off the 40-man roster) and utility player Ryan Raburn has been released.

Of note, Rondon has a chance to make the Tigers opening day roster out of Spring Training, and GM Dave Dombrowski has stated he will compete to be the teams closer.

Ryan Raburn being released is great news for Tigers fans everywhere. Raburn had a terrible season in 2012 with only 1 home run, while hitting .171/.226/.254 in 205 ABs.

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Miguel Cabrera Wins the AL MVP Award

Miguel Cabrera has been named MVP for the first time in his career, winning the AL MVP award tonight.

Mike Trout of the Angels finished 2nd and Adrian Beltre of the Rangers finished 3rd. Cabrera ended up getting 22 of the 28 first place votes.

Cabrera as most know by now won the Triple Crown this past season by hitting .330 with 44 Home Runs and 139 RBI. He also ranked 2nd in runs scored (109), 1st in slugging percentage (.606), and 1st in OPS (.999).

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Tigers & Torii Hunter Agree to a 2 Year Deal

According to Ken Rosenthal the Tigers and Torii Hunter have agreed on a 2 year contract. Bob Nightengale reports Hunter will get $26 million.

Torii Hunter had one of the best seasons in his career last year hitting .313 with 16 Home Runs and 92 RBI. He had a .362 on-base percentage, .451 slugging percentage and still plays very good defense in right field.

Hunter is likely to bat 2nd for the Tigers, behind Austin Jackson and in front of Miguel Cabrera.

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Miguel Cabrera & Prince Fielder Named Silver Slugger Winners

Tonight, MLB Network announced that Miguel Cabrera won the Silver Slugger award for AL 3rd basemen and Prince Fielder won the Silver Slugger award for AL 1st basemen.

Cabrera hit .330 this season, hitting 44 Home Runs and had 139 RBI. He had a .606 slugging percentage and .999 OPS. It's his 4th career Silver Slugger award.

Fielder hit .313, hitting 30 Home Runs and had 108 RBI. He had a .528 slugging percentage and .940 OPS. It's his 3rd career Silver Slugger award.

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Miguel Cabrera Wins Multiple Players Choice Awards

Miguel Cabrera won the players choice award for the American League's most outstanding player and MLB's player of the year.

Cabrera won the Triple Crown this season after hitting .330 with 44 Home Runs and 139 RBI. He also led the AL in slugging percentage (.606) and OPS (.999), and he also finished 2nd in runs scored (109).

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Tigers Pick Up Octavio Dotel's Club Option for 2013

Octavio Dotel will be back with the Detroit Tigers for 2013, according to Brian Britten. Dotel signed with the Tigers before the 2012 season and had a 3.57 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 57 games pitched. He also threw 58 innings. As a right handed specialist, Dotel did a great job holding right handers to a split line of .197/.217/.307.

In the postseason, Dotel pitched in 6 games (5 innings) and had a 0.00 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP.

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Tigers Pick Up Jhonny Peralta's Club Option for 2013

According to Brian Britten, the Detroit Tigers have picked up Jhonny Peralta's club option for the 2013 season.

Peralta hit .239 with a .305 on-base percentage and slugged .384. He had 13 Home Runs and 63 RBI.

In the postseason Peralta hit .260 with a .288 on-base percentage and slugged .460. He had 3 Home Runs and 5 RBI; Peralta will make $6 million in 2013.

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Tigers & Jim Leyland Agree to a 1 Year Contract Extension

Jim Leyland will be back managing the Detroit Tigers in 2013, according to Brian Britten. The Tigers and Leyland agreed to a 1 year extension today.

Leyland managed the team to a 2nd Central Division Championship in as many years, and the team went to the World Series before being swept by the San Francisco Giants.

All of Leyland's coaches have been invited back for the 2013 season.

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Max Scherzer's 10 Strikeouts Helps the Tigers Advance to the World Series!

The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees tonight 8-1 to sweep them in the ALCS and are headed to the World Series!

The Tigers scored in the 1st inning today after an infield single by Omar Infante, single by Prince Fielder, then a single by Delmon Young to drive in Infante and the Tigers took a quick 1-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 3rd inning after a Prince Fielder single (which should've been a fielding error), walk by Delmon Young (seriously), and Andy Dirks reached on a fielding error to load the bases for Avisail Garcia who hit an infield single which scored Fielder and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers extended their lead in the 4th inning after a single by Omar Infante, then Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a 2-run home run; it's his first of the postseason. Delmon Young was next and hit a single, then Jhonny Peralta hit a 2-run home run; it's his first of the postseason and the Tigers took a 6-0 lead.

Max Scherzer was great today. He didn't allow a hit till the 6th inning and ended up pitching 5 and 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 10 batters; he earned his 1st win of the postseason.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and got the last out of the 6th inning, then Octavio Dotel came in and pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Austin Jackson led off the 7th inning with a solo home run; it's his 1st of the postseason and gave the Tigers a 7-1 lead.

Phil Coke came in and pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning.

Jhonny Peralta hit a solo home run in the 8th inning to give the Tigers a 8-1 lead; it's his 2nd of the night and 2nd of the postseason.

Phil Coke came back out and pitche a 1-2-3 9th inning to clinch a trip to the World Series for the Tigers!

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Anibal Sanchez Throws 7 Shutout Innings in a 3-0 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees tonight 3-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the ALCS.

After 6 innings, it was a 0-0 game, but the Tigers scored in the 7th inning after a leadoff double by Quintin Berry and single by Miguel Cabrera to set up runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out for Delmon Young who hit into a fielder's choice at 2nd base, but Berry scored and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead.

Anibal Sanchez was great today, he pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up 3 hits, walking 3 and striking out 7 batters; he earned his 1st win of the postseason.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 8th inning after singles by Omar Infante and Austin Jackson, and after a blown call by the 2nd base umpire which let the inning continue, Avisail Garcia who was pinch hitting hit a bloop single to drive in Infante. Miguel Cabrera came up next and hit a single to drive in Jackson and it was a 3-0 lead for Detroit.

Phil Coke came in for relief and pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning. Coke came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his first save of the postseason and he secured a Tigers victory.

Game 3 of the ALCS takes place in Detroit on Tuesday as the Tigers send Justin Verlander (2-0 0.56 ERA) to the mound against Phil Hughes (0-0 1.35 ERA) of the Yankees.

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Delmon Young Helps Save the Tigers in a 6-4 Extra Innings Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees tonight 6-4 in 12 innings to take a 1-0 lead in the ALCS.

After 5 innings it was 0-0 game, but the Tigers scored in the 6th inning after a triple by Austin Jackson; Miguel Cabrera would be intentionally walked, then Prince Fielder hit a single to drive in Jackson. Delmon Young was up next and hit a bloop single to drive in Cabrera and the Tigers took a 2-0 lead.

Doug Fister looked like he may have a short outing, but settled into the game and did his job. He pitched 6 and 1/3 shutout innings, giving up 6 hits, walking 4 and striking out 5 batters.

Phil Coke came in for relief (and shockingly) got the last two outs of the 7th inning.

Delmon Young added to the Tigers lead in the 8th inning with a solo home run; it's his 1st of the postseason. Rich Thompson reported that Delmon Young is now the Tigers franchise leader in postseason Home Runs with 6. Jhonny Peralta was up next and hit a double, advanced to 3rd base on a ground ball from Andy Dirks, then scored on an Avisail Garcia single which gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Phil Coke came back out and got the first out of the 8th inning, then Joaquin Benoit came in and got the final two outs of the inning.

Jose Valverde came in and gave up the lead while only getting 2 outs in the 9th inning before finally being pulled. Hey Leyland, thanks for costing this team the series. Hey Jose, please go home and never pitch for the Detroit Tigers again.

Octavio Dotel got the final out of the 9th inning and the game went into extra innings. Dotel came back out and pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

Drew Smyly came in and pitched a scoreless 11th inning; he won the game.

Miguel Cabrera led off the 12th inning with a walk, advanced to 2nd base on a ground out by Prince Fielder, then scored on a double from Delmon Young. After Jhonny Peralta reached base on an infield single, Don Kelly scored (pinch running for Young) on an infield single from Andy Dirks and the Tigers took a 6-4 lead.

Drew Smyly came back out and pitched a 1-2-3 12th inning to secure a Tigers win, and helped bail out Jose Valverde.

Anibal Sanchez (0-1 2.84 ERA) pitches game 2 for the Tigers tommorrow against Hiroki Kuroda (0-0 2.16 ERA) of the Yankees.

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Justin Verlander Throws Complete Game Shutout as the Tigers Advance to the ALCS

After a performance like this one, I think it's time to say: welcome to the postseason, Justin Verlander!

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics tonight 6-0 to win their ALDS series in 5 games.

The Tigers scored first tonight in the 3rd inning after a single by Omar Infante who advanced to 2nd base on a wild pitch, then scored on an Austin Jackson double. Quintin Berry came up next and had a sacrifice bunt to get Jackson to 3rd base, then Jackson scored on a wild pitch and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 7th inning after a single by Jhonny Peralta, who stole 2nd base (no, he really did), then Omar Infante hit a single to set up runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out for Austin Jackson who hit a single to drive in Peralta. Quintin Berry came up next and drew a walk, then with the bases loaded, Miguel Cabrera was hit-by-the-pitch which scored Infante. Prince Fielder was next and hit a bloop single to drive in Jackson, then Delmon Young reached on an error, but it was enough to score Berry and the Tigers had a 6-0 lead.

Justin Verlander was amazing tonight. He threw a 4 hit complete game shutout, walking 1 and striking out 11 batters; it's his 2nd win of the postseason.

Doug Fister (0-0 2.57 ERA) will pitch game 1 of the ALCS against either the Orioles or Yankees.

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Don Kelly Hits a Walkoff Sacrifice Fly in a 5-4 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics today 5-4 to give the Tigers a 2-0 ALDS lead.

The Athletics took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning, but the Tigers responded in the bottom of the 3rd inning with a double by Miguel Cabrera, single by Prince Fielder, then Delmon Young hit a slow ground ball to score Cabrera and it was a 1-1 game.

Doug Fister allowed a run in the 7th inning which gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead and his day was done. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 8 batters.

The Tigers responded in the 7th inning though with singles from Austin Jackson and Omar Infante, then Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a fly ball, but Coco Crisp dropped the ball and it allowed Jackson and Infante to score which gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in for relief and allowed 2 runs in the 8th inning to give the Athletics a 4-3 lead.

The Tigers didn't give up, though. They came back in the 8th inning with singles from Delmon Young and Jhonny Peralta (then Don Kelly and Danny Worth pinch ran for them). Andy Dirks then had a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for a pinch-hitting Quintin Berry who struck out on 3 pitches. With Alex Avila pinch-hitting and 2 outs, a wild pitch scored Don Kelly and it was a 4-4 game.

Phil Coke came in and got the first 2 outs of the 9th inning, but after allowing runners on 1st and 3rd, he was pulled. Al Alburquerque came in and got the final out of the 9th inning to keep it a 4-4 game; he ended up winning the game.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Omar Infante and Miguel Cabrera hit singles, then Prince Fielder was intentionally walked to load the bases with 1 out for Don Kelly who hit a sacrifice fly which drove in Infante and the Tigers won.

The Tigers head to Oakland for game 3 of the ALDS as Anibal Sanchez pitches against Brett Anderson.

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Justin Verlander Strikes Out 11 Batters in a 3-1 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics tonight 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the ALDS.

The Tigers were down 1-0 after the top of the 1st inning, but responded in the bottom of the 1st with a leadoff double from Austin Jackson, then an infield single from Quintin Berry to give the Tigers runners at 1st and 3rd with no outs for Miguel Cabrera who grounded into a double play, but Jackson scored and it was a 1-1 game.

The Tigers took the lead in the 3rd inning after a double by Omar Infante, then Quintin Berry hit an infield single that allowed Omar Infante to score after a fielding error and the Tigers led 2-1.

Alex Avila added to the Tigers lead in the 5th inning with a solo home run; it's his first of the postseason and the Tigers had a 3-1 lead.

Justin Verlander pitched great tonight. He went 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, walking 4 and striking out 11 batters; he earned his first win of the postseason.

Joaquin Benoit came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his 1st save of the postseason and it secured a Tigers win.

Game 2 of the ALDS is tommorrow and Doug Fister takes the mound for Detroit as he takes on Tommy Milone of the Athletics.

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Miguel Cabrera Clinches the AL Triple Crown!

It's official, Miguel Cabrera has clinched the 2012 American League Triple Crown! The last time this happened was in 1967 by Carl Yastrzemski

Cabrera finishes the season with a .330 Batting Average, 44 Home Runs, and 139 RBI, and maybe his first MVP award?

Congrats to Miguel Cabrera, the best hitter in the game!

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Justin Verlander Named AL Pitcher of the Month

According to Brian Britten, Justin Verlander has been named the American League pitcher of the month for September.

Verlander in 6 starts went 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings pitched.

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Miguel Cabrera's 44th Home Run Helps Clinch the AL Central in a 6-3 Tigers Win

The 2012 American League Central Champion Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals tonight 6-3.

Miguel Cabrera hit a single in the 4th inning, it was his 200th hit of the season, the first time he's done that in his career.

It was a 0-0 game headed to the 5th inning, then Jhonny Peralta put the Tigers on the board with a solo home run; it's his 13th of the season and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead.

Miguel Cabrera added to the Tigers lead in the 6th inning with a solo home run; it's his 44th of the season. Prince Fielder came up next and hit a double and scored on an error after the center fielder dropped a fly ball, Jhonny Peralta advanced to 2nd base on the error. Andy Dirks then hit a single, he advanced to 2nd base on the hit, Avisail Garcia was next and was walked intentionally, then Gerald Laird came up with the bases loaded and hit a 3 run double and the Tigers had a 6-0 lead.

Rick Porcello pitched 5 innings tonight, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3 batters; he won his 10th game of the season.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and gave up 1 run in the 6th inning.

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

Joaquin Benoit gave up 1 run in the 8th inning.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 35th save of the season, and the Tigers clinched the Central Division for the 2nd season in a row.

The Tigers continue their series with the Royals tommorrow as Doug Fister (10-9 3.38 ERA) takes on Jeremy Guthrie (7-12 4.82 ERA).

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Justin Verlander Named AL Player of the Week

Brian Britten reported that for the week of September 24th to September 30th, Justin Verlander was named co-player of the week for the American League.

Verlander made 2 starts in that span and went 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He pitched 15 innings and had 16 strikeouts while only walking 2 batters.

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Prince Fielder's 30th Home Run Leads the Tigers to a 2-1 Win

The first place Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins today 2-1.

After the top of the 7th innings it was a 0-0 game, and Anibal Sanchez's outing was over after he allowed a run in the bottom of the inning (because he was left out there too long). He pitched 6 and 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4 batters.

Phil Coke came in for relief and got the final 2 outs of the inning; he ended up getting the win.

Austin Jackson led the 8th inning off with a single, and with 2 outs, Prince Fielder hit a 2-run home run that just got over the wall and the Tigers took a 2-1 lead; it's his 30th of the season.

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

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to get his 34th save of the season and it secured a Tigers win.

Tigers Magic Number: 1

The Tigers open up a 3 game road series against the Royals tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-12 4.68 ERA) goes up against Bruce Chen (11-13 5.13 ERA). It's the last regular season series for the Tigers.

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Miguel Cabrera's 43rd Home Run Helps the Tigers to a 6-4 Win

The first place Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins today 6-4.

Prince Fielder got Detroit the lead today in the 2nd inning with a solo home run; it's his 29th of the season. After Andy Dirks had an infield single, Jhonny Peralta hit a double to drive Dirks in and the Tigers had an early 2-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 8th inning after a single by Austin Jackson, Quintin Berry drew a walk after Jackson stole 2nd base, then Miguel Cabrera hit a 3-run home run; it's his 43rd of the season. Andy Dirks added a solo home run to give the Tigers a 6-0 lead; it's his 8th of the season.

Justin Verlander's outing ended after an error by Jhonny Peralta to lead off the 8th inning. He pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 unearned run on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 17th win of the season.

Joaquin Benoit came in for relief and gave up a grand slam after getting only one out. Why Leyland continues to use Benoit and Valverde in games that aren't close is a mystery.

Al Alburquerque replaced Benoit and got the last 2 outs of the inning.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 33rd save of the season and it got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers finish their series with the Twins tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (9-13 3.95 ERA) takes on Liam Hendriks (1-8 6.09 ERA).

Tigers Magic Number: 3

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Doug Fister Sets an AL Record in a 5-4 Tigers Extra Innings Win

The first place Detroit Tigers swept the Kansas City Royals today with a 5-4 extra innings win.

The Tigers scored in the 1st inning today after Quintin Berry reached based on a fielding error, then advanced to 2nd base on a throwing error, after a single by Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder hit a single to drive in Berry; a fielding error allowed Fielder to 2nd base and Cabrera to 3rd. Delmon Young came up next and had a sacrifice fly to score Cabrera and the Tigers had an early 2-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after a 2 out infield single from Omar Infante who reached 2nd base on a throwing error, Austin Jackson drew a walk, then Quintin Berry came up and hit a 2 run triple and the Tigers took a 4-0 lead.

Douf Fister set an American League record today with 9 straight strikeouts today according to Brian Britten.

Fister pitched very well today, although he did allow 3 runs in the 8th inning. He pitched 7 and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, and striking out 10 batters.

Phil Coke came in for relief and got the last out of the 8th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in to go for the save, but allowed a home run to tie the game 4-4; he ended up winning the game.

Prince Fielder led off the 9th inning with an infield double (no, it really happened), then Delmon Young was walked intentionally (no, that also really happened). Ramon Santiago (for some reason) pinch-hit for Andy Dirks to lay down a sacrifice bunt, however, the Royals got the force out at 3rd base. Jhonny Peralta was up next and hit a likely double-play ball, but reached safely on a fielding error, and the bases were loaded with 1 out for Alex Avila. What did he do? He grounded into a force play, but the fielder had to dive for the out and the Tigers scored the winning run!

The Tigers open up a 3 game road series in Minnesota tommorrow as Drew Smyly (4-3 4.24 ERA) makes a spot start and goes up against Scott Diamond (12-8 3.64 ERA).

Tigers Magic Number: 6

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Anibal Sanchez Throws a Complete Game Shutout in a 2-0 Tigers Win

The first place Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals tonight 2-0.

The Tigers scored in the 1st inning tonight after singles by Austin Jackson and Omar Infante, then Prince Fielder hit a single to drive in Jackson. Delmon Young came up next with runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out and he hit a single to drive in Infante and the Tigers had an early 2-0 lead, and that would be enough to win tonight.

Anibal Sanchez pitched his best game as a member of the Tigers tonight. He had a complete game shutout. He gave up only 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 10 batters; he earned his 9th win of the season.

The Tigers finish their series with the Royals tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-12 4.57 ERA) goes up against Jeremy Guthrie (7-12 4.80 ERA).

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Justin Verlander Pitches Well in a 6-2 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals tonight 6-2.

Prince Fielder got the Tigers an early lead after a solo home run in the 2nd inning; it's his 28th of the season. After Jhonny Peralta reached base on a fielder's choice, Alex Avila drove him in with a double and they had a 2-0 lead.

The Royals made it a 2-1 game, but in the 4th inning the Tigers responded after Alex Avila drew a walk, Omar Infante hit a single, then Austin Jackson hit a double to drive in Avila, and Infante scored on a throwing error which gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 6th inning after singles by Miguel Cabrera and Delmon Young to set up runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out for Andy Dirks who had a sacrifice fly to drive in Cabrera and it was a 5-1 game.

Justin Verlander pitched well tonight going 8 innings, giving up 2 runs on 9 hits, and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 16th win of the season.

Detroit extended their lead in the 8th inning after singles by Prince Fielder and Delmon Young, then Andy Dirks hit a single to drive in Fielder and the Tigers took a 6-2 lead.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to secure a Tigers win.

The Tigers continue their series with the Royals tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (8-13 4.14 ERA) pitches against Bruce Chen (11-12 5.22 ERA).

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Jose Valverde's Bad Pitching Continues in a 2-1 Tigers Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings tonight 2-1.

The Tigers took a quick lead in the 1st inning after a single by Austin Jackson, then Miguel Cabrera hit a double to drive in Jackson and the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.

Brian Britten reported that after Cabrera's double, he became only the 2nd player in Tigers history to have 40 doubles and 40 home runs in a season.

Drew Smyly's day was done after loading the bases. He pitched 4 and 1/3 innings, giving up 1 (unearned) run on 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2 batters.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and got the final 2 outs of the 5th inning, but a run scored on an error, so it was a 1-1 game. Alburquerque came back out and pitched a scoreless 6th inning. Alburquerque also pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Benoit came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Jose Valverde came in and gave up a run in the 10th inning. At this point Valverde is a platoon pitcher being used as a closer, and that isn't right.

The Tigers open up a 4 game home series with the Royals tommorrow as Justin Verlander (15-8 2.74 ERA) takes on Luke Hochevar (8-14 5.40 ERA).

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Andy Dirks' Poor Defense Costs the Tigers in a 10-4 Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins today 10-4.

The Tigers scored first today in the 4th inning after a single by Omar Infante, then Miguel Cabrera hit a double to score Infante. Delmon Young eventually came up and hit a single to drive in Cabrera and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead.

Thanks to an error by Andy Dirks (which was somehow called a triple), and then a bad defensive play by Omar Infante (shocker), which led to the end of the day for Max Scherzer. He pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 due to bad defense) on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4 batters.

Phil Coke came in for relief and the first batter hit a bloop single thanks to more bad defense from Andy Dirks. After walking the next batter, Coke was pulled without getting an out; he was charged with allowing 2 runs. Brayan Villarreal came in to replace Coke. A mental mistake led to a 4th run scoring; Villarreal eventually got through the 6th inning, but the Twins had a 5-2 lead.

Villarreal came back out and got the first 2 outs of the 7th inning. He gave up an unearned run in the process. Darin Downs came in and got the final out of the 6th inning. Down came back out for the 8th inning and got the first 2 outs, but gave up a 2 runs. Luke Putkonen came in and got the final out of the inning, but allowed 2 runs to score in the process (of course).

Putkonen came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Thanks to the bullpen imploding, and Dirks' awful defense, the offense never had a chance to make a comeback. Two runs scored in the 9th inning thanks to a single from Avisail Garcia, but it obviously wasn't enough, and the Tigers lost.

The Tigers play the 2nd game of a double header against the Twins tonight as Drew Smyly (4-3 4.45 ERA) makes a spot start against P.J. Walters (2-4 6.39 ERA).

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Justin Verlander Earns his 15th Win of the Season in a 6-2 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics tonight 6-2.

The Tigers scored in the 3rd inning after bunt singles by Andy Dirks and Gerald Laird, then they eached advanced a base on a ground out from Austin Jackson, then Omar Infante came up and hit a double to drive in Dirks and Laird. An intentional walk was given to Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder drew a walk to load the bases with 1 out for Delmon Young who had a sacrifice fly to drive in Infante and the Tigers had a 3-0 lead.

Detroit added to their lead in the 5th inning after a double by Delmon Young, then a single by Jhonny Peralta to drive Young in and the Tigers had a 4-0 lead.

Justin Verlander struggled with his pitch count, but was very good today. He pitched 6 shutout innings on 5 hits, walking 3 and striking out 5 batters; he earned his 15th win of the season.

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

Miguel Cabrera added to the Tigers lead in the 7th inning with a solo home run; it's his 41st of the season, and the Tigers had a 5-0 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Tigers scored again in the 8th inning after singles by Avisail Garcia and Andy Dirks, then Austin Jackson drew a walk to load the bases with 1 out for Omar Infante who hit into a force out to drive in Garcia and the Tigers had a 6-0 lead.

Jose Valverde came in and gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning, but the Tigers won anyways.

The Tigers finish up their series with the Athletics tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (8-12 4.02 ERA) takes on Tommy Milone (13-10 3.81 ERA).

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Miguel Cabrera Hits 2 Home Runs in a 12-2 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics tonight 12-2.

The Athletics took a 1-0 lead, but the Tigers quickly responded in the bottom of the 1st inning with singles from Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry to set up runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs for Miguel Cabrera who hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jackson and it was a 1-1 game after an inning.

The Tigers took the lead in the 2nd inning after a solo home run from Jhonny Peralta; it's his 12th of the season and gave Detroit a 2-1 lead.

Max Scherzer started the game, but left after 2 innings due to injury. In the 2 innings, he gave up 1 run on 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4 batters.

James Schmehl reported Scherzer's MRI showed no structural damage.

Miguel Cabrera added to the Tigers lead in the 3rd inning with a solo home run to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead; it's his 39th of the season which is a career high.

Darin Downs came in for relief for the injured Scherzer. He pitched 2 and 2/3 innings allowing no runs on 2 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1 batter; Downs ended up getting the win tonight.

Brayan Villarreal came in and got the last out of the 5th inning.

Detroit scored again in the 5th inning after a double by Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder hit a 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 5-1 lead; it's his 27th of the season, and it was RBI #100 for Fielder.

Villarreal came back out and got the first out of the 6th inning, then Phil Coke came in and got the last two outs of the inning.

The Tigers continued to score in the 6th inning after a walk by Jhonny Peralta, then Omar Infante reached base on a fielder's choice, and advanced to 2nd base on a throwing error. Gerald Laird drew a walk, then Austin Jackson hit a double to drive in Infante; Quintin Berry came up next and hit a double to score Laird and Jackson which gave the Tigers a 8-1 lead.

Phil Coke came back out and gave up 1 run in the 7th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Detroit continued their scroing in the 8th inning after singles by Gerald Laird, Austin Jackson, and Avisail Garcia to load the bases with no outs for Miguel Cabrera who hit a grand slam; it's his 40th of the season, 2nd of the night, and gave the Tigers a 12-2 lead.

Luis Marte came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to secure the win for the Tigers.

The Tigers continue their series with the Athletics tommorrow as Justin Verlander (14-8 2.82 ERA goes up against Brett Anderson (4-1 1.93 ERA).

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Omar Infante's Defense Costs the Tigers in a 5-4 Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Chicago White Sox today 5-4.

The Tigers scored first today in the 3rd inning after singles by Avisail Garcia and Gerald Laird, then Austin Jackson hit a single to drive in Garcia. After a sacrifice bunt by Omar Infante, Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally to load the bases. Delmon Young eventually came up and hit a double to drive in Laird and Jackson which gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Country Joe West had to be bigger than the game, as usual, though. On a 3-2 count a pitch was called ball 4, despite being down the middle of the plate, the White Sox went on to score 3 runs because they were essentially given 4 outs, so after 4 innings it was a 3-3 game.

The Tigers came back quickly in the 5th inning though with a double from Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder reached base on an infield single, which was actually a blown call by the 1st base umpire. Funny how that works, right? Delmon Young came up next and hit a single to drive in Cabrera, and the Tigers were back on top 4-3.

Doug Fister was not good today. He pitched 4 innings, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2 batters.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief with runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs, and no runs would've scored, but Omar Infante again showed some awful defense and it let 2 runs score instead of zero. Alburquerque came back out for the 6th inning, but only got 1 out, and was pulled after walking 2 batters.

Phil Coke came in to get the 2nd out of the inning, then Octavio Dotel got the final out of the inning. Dotel came back out and pitched a scoreless 7th inning. For some reason, Dotel came out to start the 8th inning, but only got 1 out before being pulled after allowing runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Brayan Villarreal came in and got the last 2 outs of the inning without giving up a run due to bad baserunning.

The Tigers weren't able to get anything, and because of Omar Infante's poor defense, lost the game, and are now 3 games back of the White Sox.

The Tigers begin a 3 game home series with the Oakland Athletics tommorrow as Max Scherzer (16-6 3.77 ERA) takes on A.J. Griffin (6-0 1.94 ERA).

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Miguel Cabrera Named AL Player of the Week

According to Brian Britten, Miguel Cabrera has been named AL player of the week for September 10th-September 16th.

In the week, Cabrera hit .407, with 3 Home Runs, 7 RBI, 7 runs scored and he drew 1 walk.

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Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox: Monday Preview

The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox play each other for the final time on Monday, a game being made up due to a rain out on Thursday. The Tigers enter the game 2 games behind Chicago.

Doug Fister (9-8 3.49 ERA) will be pitching for the Tigers against Jose Quintana (6-4 3.52 ERA) of the White Sox.

The Tigers have had their struggles against left handed pitching this year, but Chicago, a mainly right handed hitting lineup will take on a very good right handed pitcher.

Douf Fister missed much of the first half of the season due to injury, but has only missed 1 start in the 2nd half, and has pitched well. Since the All-Star break, Fister is 7-2 with a 2.49 ERA.

Quintana, on the other hand, came out of no where and pitched well for the White Sox early on, but since the All-Star break, he is 2-3 with a 4.82 ERA. Perhaps he is getting tired? Maybe the league has figured him out?

These two pitchers both pitched last week in the Tigers/White Sox series, and both had success. In Fister's start he went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 6 batters. In Quintana's start, he went 7 and 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7 batters (and he was almost pulled in the 2nd inning).

The difference in this series may be the managers. While I'm not a fan of Jim Leyland, I must say Robin Ventura has been less than impressive lately. He seems determined to overmanage to the best of his ability, which includes making a ton of pitching changes, that generally don't make much sense.

My prediction: the Tigers pitch well and score just enough to win the game 4-2. Robin Ventura will find another way to overmanage and cost his team a win.

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Anibal Sanchez Pitches Well in a 5-3 Tigers Victory

The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians today 5-3.

The Tigers scored in the 1st inning after walks to Andy Dirks and Prince Fielder, then Brennan Boesch reached base on a fielding error and Dirks scored; Fielder reached 3rd base on the error. Alex Avila came up next and hit a single to drive in Fielder which gave the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 4th inning after singles by Quintin Berry and Omar Infante to give Detroit runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs for Austin Jackson who hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Berry and the Tigers took a 3-0 lead.

Detroit came back in the 5th inning to score again after Brennan Boesch drew a walk, then Alex Avila hit a double to drive Boesch in and the Tigers took a 4-0 lead. A 5th run would've scored, but Alex Avila didn't touch 3rd base, and even though there was no appeal, he was called out (for some reason).

Miguel Cabrera added to the Tigers lead in the 7th inning with a solo home run; it's his 37th of the season and the Tigers had a 5-0 lead.

Anibal Sanchez was great tonight. He took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, and his first hit came with 2 outs in the inning. He pitched 6 and 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 7 batters; he earned his 8th win of the season and 3rd as a Tiger.

Phil Coke came in for relief and got the last out of the 7th inning.

Joaquin Benoit gave up 1 run in the 8th inning, then Jose Valverde pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his 31st save of the season to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers finish their 3 game series with the Indians tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-12 4.59 ERA) goes up against Ubaldo Jimenez (9-16 5.52 ERA).

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Justin Verlander Throws 7 Shutout Innings in a 4-0 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians tonight 4-0.

The Tigers scored in the 1st inning after singles by Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, which set up runners on 1st and 3rd for Delmon Young who hit a single to drive in Cabrera. Brennan Boesch was up next and hit a single to drive in Fielder and the Tigers took an early 2-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after a walk from Alex Avila, who reached 2nd base on a hit-and-run play, then scored on a double from Austin Jackson. Miguel Cabrera eventually came up and hit a single to drive in Jackson which gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Justin Verlander did well tonight. He pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6 batters; he earned his 14th win of the season.

Joaquin Benoit came in for relief and pitched a 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 the Indians tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (7-12 4.07 ERA) pitches against Justin Masterson (11-13 4.96 ERA).

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Prince Fielder's 3 Run Homer Helps the Tigers to a 8-6 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox tonight 8-6.

The game was scoreless till the bottom of the 4th inning when the White Sox took a 1-0 lead, however, the Tigers responded in the top of the 5th inning with a single by Brennan Boesch, walk to Jhonny Peralta, then a sacrifice bunt by Alex Avila to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for Omar Infante who hit a ground ball that scored Boesch. With 2 outs, Austin Jackson hit a single to score Peralta. Andy Dirks was up next and drew a walk, then Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a single to score Jackson and it was a 3-1 Tigers lead.

Max Scherzer was great again tonight. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, and striking out 7 batters; he earned his 16th win of the season.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 7th inning after singles from Andy Dirks and Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder came up and hit a 3-run home run to extend the Tigers lead to 6-1; it's his 26th of the season.

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

Jhonny Peralta led off the 8th inning with a single, then scored on a double from Alex Avila. Austin Jackson came up next and hit a double of his own which scored Avila and the Tigers took a 8-1 lead.

Villarreal came back out and got the first out of the 8th inning, but after walking 2 batters, he was pulled. Why in a 7 run game does Villarreal throw a 2nd inning, though, Leyland? Then for some reason, Leyland brought in Joaquin Benoit who gave up 4 runs, but got the last 2 outs of the inning. However, because of the poor use of the bullpen by Leyland, it was a 8-5 game.

Jose Valverde came in and gave up 1 run in the 9th inning but got his 30th save of the season, which got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers finish up their series with the White Sox tommorrow as Justin Verlander (13-8 2.91 ERA) pitches (again) against Chris Sale (16-6 2.88 ERA).

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Detroit Tigers 2013 Schedule Released

Parts of the Tigers 2013 schedule has been released, and according to Matt Dery of 971theticket, the Tigers will open the season at the Minnesota Twins (April 1st-4th), and their home opener will be against the New York Yankees (April 5th-7th).

You can also find the rest of the schedule on the Detroit Tigers website.

Some of the highlights include:

Atlanta Braves (April 26th-28th at home)
Washington Nationals (May 7th-8th on the road and July 30th-31st at home)
Pittsburgh Pirates (of course) (May 27th-28th at home, and May 29th-30th on the road)
Boston Red Sox (June 20th-23rd at home)
Philadelphia Phillies (July 26th-28th at home)
New York Mets (August 23rd-25th on the road)
Miami Marlins (September 27th-29th on the road)
Chicago White Sox (July 9th-11th at home; first home series against them of the season)


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Austin Jackson's 14th Home Run Helps the Tigers to a 5-3 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox tonight 5-3.

The White Sox took an early 2-0 lead tonight, but the Tigers responded in the 5th inning after a single by Omar Infante, then a 2-run home run from Austin Jackson; it's his 14th of the season. Miguel Cabrera eventually came up and hit a solo home run to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead; it's his 36th of the season.

The Tigers tried to add to their lead in the 7th inning with walks to Omar Infante (yes, he really drew a walk) and Austin Jackson, then Andy Dirks bunted the runners to 2nd and 3rd which led to Miguel Cabrera being intentionally walked to load the bases with 1 out for Prince Fielder who had a hard line out, then Delmon Young ended the inning without a run being scored. Hey Leyland, has anyone ever told you to not take the bat out of your best hitters hands?

Doug Fister did well tonight. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 6 batters; he earned his 9th win of the season.

Detroit added to their lead in the 8th inning after Avisail Garcia was hit-by-the-pitch to leadoff the inning, then Jhonny Peralta hit a single, and Garcia got to 3rd base on the hit, then Alex Avila hit a single to drive in Garcia. Omar Infante was up next and tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but beat it out for an infield single. With the bases loaded, Andy Dirks hit a single to drive in Peralta and the Tigers took a 5-2 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in and gave up 1 run (on 3 cheap hits) in the 8th inning.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 29th save of the season.

The Tigers continue their series against the White Sox tommorrow as Max Scherzer (15-6 3.85 ERA) takes on Gavin Floyd (9-9 4.55 ERA).

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Miguel Cabrera's 35th Home Run Helps the Tigers to a 7-1 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians tonight 7-1.

Austin Jackson led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a single, got to 2nd base on a hit-and-run play, then Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a 2-run home run; it's his 35th of the season and it gave the Tigers a quick 2-0 lead.

Doug Fister pitched well tonight, going 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6 batters; he earned his 8th win of the season.

Joaquin Benoit came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 8th inning after a walk to Austin Jackson, then a triple by Andy Dirks to score Jackson. Miguel Cabrera came up next and hit a sacrifice fly to score Dirks. Prince Fielder was up next and hit a solo home run; it's his 24th of the season. Delmon Young and Avisail Garcia each hit a single, then Jhonny Peralta hit a double to score both runners and the Tigers took a 7-1 lead to the 9th inning.

Jose Valverde 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 road series with the Angels on Friday as Max Scherzer (15-6 3.93 ERA) pitches against Ervin Santana (8-11 5.32 ERA).

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Miguel Cabrera's 34th Home Run Isn't Enough in a 3-2 Tigers Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Cleveland Indians tonight 3-2.

The Tigers found themselves down 3-0 early in the game, and it stayed that way for a while.

Rick Porcello pitched 5 and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 2 batters.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and got the last out of the 6th inning.

After a walk to Austin Jackson in the 6th inning, Andy Dirks reached base on a fielder's choice, then Miguel Cabrera hit a 2-run home run to make it a 3-2 game; it's his 34th of the season.

Smyly came back out and got the first 2 outs of the 7th inning, but was pulled after walking 2 batters. Al Alburquerque replaced Smyly and got the last out of the inning in his season debut. Alburquerque came back out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning

The Tigers finish up their series with the Indians tommorrow as Doug Fister (7-8 3.67 ERA) pitches against Ubaldo Jimenez (9-14 5.61 ERA)

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Miguel Cabrera Named AL Player of the Month

According to Brian Britten, Miguel Cabrera was named AL player of the month for August.

Cabrera hit .357 with a .429 on-base and a .663 slugging percentage (1.092 OPS). Cabrera hit 8 home runs, had 24 RBI and scored 19 runs. The impressive thing is Cabrera has been playing on a sprained ankle for several weeks now and has still hit the ball very well.

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Tigers Offense Struggles in a 3-2 Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Cleveland Indians today 3-2.

The Indians took a quick 1-0 lead thanks to an passed ball in the 1st inning, but the Tigers responded in the bottom of the 1st with a leadoff single by Quintin Berry, who stole 2nd base, Miguel Cabrera drew a walk, then Prince Fielder was hit-by-the-pitch to load the bases with 1 out for Delmon Young who hit a single to score Berry and it was a 1-1 game.

The Indians went on to take a 2-1 lead, but the Tigers responded in the 4th inning after a double by Delmon Young, then a single by Brennan Boesch to set up runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs for Jhonny Peralta who hit a single to drive in Young and the Tigers made it a 2-2 game.

Anibal Sanchez did his job today. He pitched 6 innings giving up 2 (unearned) runs on 8 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2 batters.

Darin Downs came in for relief and got the first out of the 7th inning, but was pulled after loading the bases. Hey Jim, is it too much to ask to use your best relievers to start an inning when it's late in a game?

Brayan Villarreal came in and got the final 2 outs, but allowed a run to score in the process and the Tigers were down 3-2. Villarreal came back out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Octavio Dotel came in and got the first out of the 9th inning, but with a runner on 3rd and one out, for some reason, Phil Coke was put in the game, but thanks to a great defensive play by Prince Fielder, Coke got the last 2 outs of the inning.

The Tigers needed a rally in the 9th inning and Prince Fielder led the inning off with a double. Delmon Young of course had an unproductive bad AB, then Brennan Boesch came up and was hit-by-the-pitch after being down 0-2 in the count. Jhonny Peralta came up with runners on 1st and 2nd, but swung at ball 4, then Avila ended the game after a great defensive play by Jason Kipnis.

The Tigers continue their series with the Indians tommorrow as Rick Porcello (9-10 4.57 ERA) goes up against Justin Masterson (10-12 4.91 ERA).

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Delmon Young's 3 Run Homer Gets the Tigers a 4-2 Victory

The first place Detroit Tigers swept the Chicago White Sox with a 4-2 win.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, but it became a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 5th inning after a Brennan Boesch solo home run; it's his 12th of the season.

The Tigers took the lead in the 6th inning after a single by Omar Infante, walk to Miguel Cabrera, then Delmon Young hit a 3-run home run and the Tigers took a 4-1 lead; it's his 17th of the season.

Justin Verlander was great tonight. He pitched 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 11 batters; he earned his 13th win of the season.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched the 9th inning (and gave up 1 run) to get his 28th save of the season and the win put the Tigers into a first place tie with the White Sox.

The Tigers open a 3 game home series with the Indians tommorrow as Anibal Sanchez (7-11 4.24 ERA) takes on Corey Kluber (0-3 5.16 ERA).

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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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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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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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