Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 8-2-11
--RHP Justin Verlander's eight-inning, one-hit outing Sunday marked the fourth time this season he has allowed two or fewer hits in a game. "I always think he's going to throw a no-hitter every time he pitches," 2B Carlos Guillen said. "He's nasty." A two-base throwing error by Verlander and a botched rundown at the plate when Verlander dropped the ball allowed 2B Maicer Izturis to come to the plate with two out in the eighth inning. He lined a single to left to drive in the second run of the inning for the Angels. "Facing Izturis in the ninth with nobody on, I might have pitched him a little differently," Verlander said. "That's the game of baseball. So many things have to go your way for (a no-hitter) to happen, so you can never expect it. "Obviously, the stars weren't aligned just right; pretty close, though."
--RHP Jose Valverde pitched a four-batter ninth Sunday to record his 28th save in 28 chances. Valverde walked the leadoff hitter and allowed a stolen base following a forceout, allowing the Angels two shots at driving the tying run home. However Valverde got a flyout to left and popup to third to end the game. He threw a few more split-finger fastballs than he has in recent games, perhaps to keep hitters from keying in on his season-long trend of throwing mostly fastballs.
--RHP Al Alburquerque has been held out of action for a week but Detroit will have to decide soon whether to place him on the disabled list or continue to pitch short-handed in the bullpen. "It's kind of a wait-and-see thing, but at some point you've got to quit waiting," manager Jim Leyland said. "There's no structural problems or anything like that according to what I'm hearing, so this is a weird one." Alburquerque has soreness in his elbow. Earlier in the season he spent two weeks on the disabled list with a sore forearm.
--RHP Doug Fister will make his debut as a Tiger on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. He will start at Comerica Park, which has a spacious outfield like his former home in Seattle. Fister has a road ERA about a run higher than his ERA at home this season. "One of the things that made him so tough on us is how tall he is," said his new C Alex Avila. "He's got a good angle, a lot of deception, and throws strikes. I'm excited to get to work with him." CF Austin Jackson played with Fister in the Arizona Fall League. "He's especially tough on righties," Jackson said. "Every time we've played him against him, he's really pitched well. And he's smart. He'll pitch you up in the zone, too. Last time he pitched here he was getting a lot of people out with that fastball up in the zone."
--RHP David Pauley, acquired from Seattle, will join Detroit on Tuesday for the start of its series against the Texas Rangers. "Pauley would have rushed to get here by Sunday, but he would have taken the red-eye and have been exhausted," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We told him take his time." Another reason: Detroit will have to make a roster move to create a spot for one after already deleting LHP Charlie Furbush, sent to Seattle as part of the deal, from its roster.
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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