Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 8-1-11
--RHP Justin Verlander has no-hit stuff in many of his starts and looked the part through seven innings against the Angels. Verlander didn't give up his first hit until an RBI single to left by 2B Maircer Izturis with two out in the eighth. He was removed after completing the inning, having allowed two unearned runs, the result of his two-base throwing error on a bunt attempt by SS Erick Aybar. Verlander called the bunt try for a base hit "bush league." Verlander threw a no-hitter earlier this year and took another no-no into the late innings shortly after that.
--RF Magglio Ordonez slammed a two-run home run in the third inning to give RHP Justin Verlander some breathing room in his bid for a third no-hitter in his career. Ordonez angered Angels RHP Jered Weaver when he stood at home plate to see if the ball was fair or foul down the left-field line.
--2B Carlos Guillen hit a solo home run in the seventh inning that turned out to be the margin of victory for RHP Justin Verlander, but Guillen provoked Angels RHP Jered Weaver with his actions after hitting the 3-2 fastball into the right-field seats. Guillen stood at home plate watching the ball, flipped his bat, took a couple of sideways steps and then began his home run trot to initiate a tirade by Weaver. Guillen was sending Weaver a message for the pitcher getting angry after RF Magglio Ordonez stood at home plate to see if his third-inning home run was going to be fair or foul. Guillen made a fine defensive play in the second, going backhand to throw out 3B Alberto Callaspo. It could have been the play of the game had Verlander gone on to pitch his second no-hitter this season.
--3B Don Kelly had a key at-bat for Detroit in its 3-2 win over the Angels. Kelly went through 10 pitches before drawing a leadoff walk in the third inning. Two outs later he scored on a home run by RF Magglio Ordonez.
--RHP Doug Fister will join the Detroit rotation starting Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. Fister, 27, was traded from Seattle to Detroit as part of a six-player deal. The Tigers' No. 5 starters have a 4-17 record and haven't won since June 13. Fister started 21 games for the lowly Mariners this season and was only 3-12, but he had a 3.33 ERA with 89 strikeouts. He is stingy with walks and should be successful pitching in Detroit because Comerica Park has a big outfield, just like the one in Seattle. In three seasons with the Mariners, Fister has compiled a 3.81 ERA in 60 appearances, all starts except one. He is third among all American League pitchers since the start of the 2009 season with 1.88 walks per nine innings. He will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2015 season. "I think this ballclub has a legitimate chance to win, and I think our players do, too," GM Dave Dombrowski said in announcing the Saturday deal. "This improves where we are now. To get better we needed a fifth starter. We just haven't had a consistent guy there." "We really liked him," manager Jim Leyland said of Fister, a 6-foot-8 native Californian who pitched at Fresno State. "I knew there were some other quote-unquote bigger names out there, but this is a guy we liked all along."
--RHP David Pauley was acquired with starting RHP Doug Fister from Seattle in an effort to give Detroit's bullpen more strength at the back end. Pauley, 28, pitched in 39 games for Seattle, going 5-4 with a 2.15 ERA. He has limited opponents to a .200 batting average while fanning 34 and walking 16. Pauley is tied for the lead among all American League relievers with five wins. In four seasons with Boston (2006, 2008) and Seattle (2010-11), Pauley has a 4.36 ERA in 67 outings, 20 of them starts. Detroit envisions him shoring up the sixth and seventh innings, with occasional forays into later innings. "The starter was our main objective," said GM Dave Dombrowski, "but Pauley can fill a bunch of roles."
--RHP Jacob Turner looked every bit as impressive as a No. 1 draft choice in 2009 could be expected to look. Turner turned in 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball Saturday with only one run scoring while he was on the mound. "Some of you (media) guys will be gone and I'll be gone and he'll still be pitching here for a long time," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's that good." Turner got a standing ovation when he left the game. "To make my debut at home, in front of fans who showed unbelievable support all day, was awesome," Turner said. "Once they started cheering -- I don't know how to describe it -- my body felt like it went numb. That was probably the highlight of my day." Turner was optioned back to Class AAA Toledo after the game. The Tigers needed a roster spot after their trade with the Mariners.
--CF Austin Jackson is taking the bombardment of bunting suggestions he has heard since joining the Tigers and beginning to put them into practice. "Most players have some kind of weapon that they might use to help them become a better player," manager Jim Leyland said. "The bunt is a weapon Austin Jackson should use." In his last eight games Jackson had bunted three times for hits -- doubling his total for the season. "I'm a believer that some guys who bunt have a tendency to start looking at the ball a little bit better," Leyland said. "It's a concentrating thing."
BY THE NUMBERS
4 -- Victories from starting pitchers this season outside of Detroit's top four. All four belong to LHP Phil Coke, no longer in the rotation, and the starters collectively have absorbed 17 losses.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Some of you (media) guys will be gone and I'll be gone and he'll still be pitching here for a long time. He's that good." -- Manager Jim Leyland on RHP Jacob Turner after the rookie's major league debut was an impressive 5 1/3 innings, three hits, two runs and six strikeouts.
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