Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 7-7-11
--1B Miguel Cabrera got another big hit for Detroit, a two-run home run to left that capped a three-run seventh and gave the Tigers enough runs to hold of the Angels, 5-4. He got a 1-and-1 fastball and lined it over the fence in left center. "Yesterday was kind of a tough loss, 1-0," said Cabrera, who added he was trying to hit the gap with his home run. "Now we have a four-game series coming up in Kansas City. Hopefully we can win more series and try to be in first place."
--RHP Brad Penny changed his pitching plan after a three-run first inning. Penny, winning for the first time since June 5, was trying to establish his fastball in the first and gave up four straight one-out hits to find himself behind, 3-0. But he quickly went to throwing breaking balls on key counts and only allowed one more hit until 1B Mark Trumbo waited on a curve and hit it for his 14th home run with one out in the seventh. "Penny did a great job," manager Jim Leyland said. "He got kind of ambushed right off the start but he settled in and pitched great. He threw strikes, got ahead and used his breaking ball."
--CF Austin Jackson did something he's never done before in his major league career, he walked four times. Jackson was on base all five times he batted, as he reached first on an error in the third, a key error because it led to two unearned Detroit runs.
--RF Andy Dirks lined a key RBI single to right in the seventh, driving out starter RHP Tyler Chatwood and setting up 1B Miguel Cabrera for a game-deciding two-run home run. Dirks, playing in place of resting regular RF Magglio Ordonez, struck out his first two times up against Chatwood, but shortened up his bat to quicken his swing and it paid off with the single on an off-speed pitch.
--LF Brennan Boesch was out of Detroit's starting lineup after taking a foul ball off the inside of his right knee Tuesday night. He completed his at-bat, grounding back to the pitcher, but was hobbling on his way to first base and got replaced in the bottom of the third by OF Andy Dirks. Boesch's 10-game hitting streak, tying his career high, ended with an 0-for-2 night. He is officially day-to-day but seems iffy for Thursday night's game in Kansas City.
--DH Victor Martinez firmed up his bid to win the online voting for the last All-Star berth with a two-run single in the third. The two-out single to right cut a 3-0 deficit down to a more manageable one-run margin. Martinez stood second in the online voting entering play Wednesday.
--2B Ramon Santiago originally was going to bat ninth in the lineup manager Jim Leyland drew up that included RF Brennan Boesch. But when Boesch couldn't go because of a sore right knee, Leyland inserted LF Don Kelly, switched RF Andy Dirks over to right and moved Santiago up to second, behind CF Austin Jackson. Santiago singled twice and sacrificed twice, missing a third sacrifice when he popped his bunt up on the air and it was turned into a forceout at second. "Sometimes when you hit Santi second that's what you do," Leyland said. "He's probably not the ideal second hitter, but at the same time he can do some things to advance runners for you and let the big boys clean it up."
--RHP Jose Valverde made it 21-for-21 in saves with a perfect ninth inning, closing out Detroit's 5-4 win. Valverde relied mostly on his fastball again, which seems to be working for him this season as it usually comes in between 92-97 mph. He will be a candidate to pitch the last inning of the All-Star game next week.
BY THE NUMBERS
9 -- Consecutive series in which the Tigers have won the last game after beating the Angels, 5-4, before flying off to Kansas City. That streak includes a makeup game June 27 with Toronto.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"For some reason, it appears to me that the tension level is much more than it should be between managers, players, coaches and umpires. I know Joe Torre (Major League Baseball's executive vice-president of operations) is trying to get it resolved, but right now the tension seems worse. I'm not just talking about us. I'm talking throughout baseball. I'm not criticizing anybody in particular, but I'm making the point that we all have to work together to resolve this situation because it's getting out of hand." -- Manager Jim Leyland, speaking the morning after he and two Detroit pitchers were ejected from Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to the Angels. Leyland had been ejected from a game for the first time this season barely a week ago.
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