Last night: You know it was a good game when there is something positive to say about every Tiger who played in it. But, after the great start with Kinsler’s solo shot (sly wave to Rangers dugout), it settled into the feeling of one of those should have won but didn’t games, where you start to take mental notes on all the little things that might have cost ‘em the game. An uncharacteristic bad send call by Dave Clark with VMart DOA; Smyly hurrying his throw on a sure DP and contributing to Suarez’s muff; SB attempts which were good ideas that didn’t work and were no less costly for being worth trying in a 1-1 game. The Tigers again were not solving Colby Lewis; it took Mr. Cabrera three tries, and then Daniel Robertson robbed him of his just reward (we see this from opposing CF’s quite regularly). Smyly frustrated me a bit, getting knocked off his game too easily early and requiring what seemed like an unusual amount of babysitting from Avila, and also making a couple bad plays that cost a DP each time (the aforementioned hurry and throw, odd failure to get over and find 1B bag later). Ultimately, Drew was quite good without being very efficient about it, until he retired 9 of his last 10. When the Tigers did start to get to Lewis, they kept it up against submariner Ben Rowen, who was throwing submarine BP. 11 Tigers came to the plate in the 7th, and it would take a long paragraph to go over everything that went so right. The catalyst, the game-winner, was presented right away by Martinez Bros., Inc.. When J.D. came to bat for the 2nd time in the inning, we all hungered for another grand slam and a blowout, but alas, Golden Boy would strike out his last two times up. The Tigers bullpen emerged unscathed through 3 but for a consolation run off Smith, who is having difficulties getting that 3rd out. 16-hit attack for Detroit despite an 0 for 9 from Miggy and Castellanos. Avila was stroking it, and implausibly, considering the first 2 PA, so was Davis. 3-RBI Kinsler got some instant karma with a bad strikeout and a rare error, but hey. They should have won and did. Convincingly.

Tip of the cap: Elvis Andrus is fun to watch even when he goofs. Good play by Smyly & Co. to pick him off, but the best part was Andrus lunging at Cabrera in the rundown in an attempt at drawing “interference.” Comical. Adrian Beltre is unstoppable. Colby Lewis has the Tigers’ number to some degree, I’d say.

Now it’s Anibal Sanchez, our true ace, against Joe Saunders. Torii is back, and with a vengeance, we hope.

Tonight’s Hint Taken Lineup:

CF Davis
2B Kinsler
3B Cabrera
DH V. Martinez
LF J.D. Martinez
RF Hunter
3B Castellanos
C Holaday
SS Suarez

P Sanchez