The Tigers are still neck-and-neck with Texas for the 2nd-best AL record, and tonight send out their presumed playoff #4 guy Rick Porcello to try to cool down the hot Baltimore Orioles.
Not-so-hot is today’s Orioles starter Alfredo Simon (4-9, 4.96), who is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA for the month of September.
Hidden in last night’s loss was a gem of encouragement: Al Alburquerque returned, and promptly struck out 2 of 3 batters he faced. A healthy Alburquerque has the potential to make a huge difference in the playoffs. Leyland said he will rest today, then pitch one inning each on Saturday and Sunday.
As far as that clarified playoff rotation goes (Verlander Game 1 and 5, Fister Game 2), Jason Beck tweets that Verlander went into Leyland’s office today and said, hey, I can pitch game 4, and got a thanks-but-no-thanks.
Player of the Pre-Game: Don Kelly
This really should be Raburn again. Raburn’s September numbers are now up to .412 BA, 1.224 OPS. Really. But he isn’t in the lineup. So we’ll go with the Donkey, who is hitting .324 in September and has had 2 home runs in his last 4 starts.
Today’s Raising-Bail-For-Denny-McLain Lineup:
- Austin Jackson, CF
- Don Kelly, 3B
- Delmon Young, LF
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B
- Victor Martinez, DH
- Alex Avila, C
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Andy Dirks, RF
- Ramon Santiago, 2B
That ball was a good 6 inches inside and Cabrera still hit it 418 feet. Rod says that’s COUNTRY STRONG
Cabrera now joins the 100 club (100 runs, 100 walks, 100 RBI). Last Tigers to do it? Rocky Colavito and Norm Cash in 1961.
That was some team.
He also won’t K 100 times this year. His K rate has been on the decline over the course of his career.
Can someone explain why that runner was out at first on that wild throw to first?
He turned towards 2nd (slightly) after running through 1st, which kept the ball in play.
Hard to watch Perry after Benoit and Valverde.
Wow. He got out of it. Go Perry!
He pitched to him like Babe Ruth or Ted Williams but in the end walked the great Brandon Inge.
PS: The great Binge get pulled for a pinch runner to not scare off any future pitchers of his greatness.
Looks like Kelly is now the regular 3B, and this is probably the lineup we go into the playoffs with.