Tigers Notes And Quotes: Leyland Says Verlander Is 'Awful Good'
--RHP Justin Verlander won his 19th game and his seventh straight start. Whether he benefited or was hampered by an extra day of rest is a matter of perspective. Verlander struggled with his control, especially early, and had thrown 116 pitches through seven innings with three walks. But the ace of Detroit's staff gave up a leadoff home run and a one-out single in the first -- but only two hits thereafter. "He's awful good," manager Jim Leyland said. "You can't expect him to continue the roll he's been on." "We mixed it up a lot, threw more off-speed stuff," C Alex Avila said. "He struggled with his command a little. He wasn't as sharp with his fastball." He is one of a handful of pitchers who have won seven straight starts with seven or fewer hits allowed and seven or more strikeouts.
--C Alex Avila guided RHP Justin Verlander safely to his 19th victory, supplied the ace with a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run in the second and threw out a runner trying to steal second. Avila also took a foul ball on the side of the mask in the second, sending him spinning to the ground and raising the question of what Detroit would do if he had to come out of the game. "I have been lucky, though," Avila said, "no serious injuries have come from that."
--RF Brennan Boesch will get a day off Tuesday. "I think Boesch's thumb is still bothering him," manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm going to give him a day off. Magglio (Ordonez) will play right."
--3B Brandon Inge has supplanted UT Don Kelly both as an alternate third baseman and as the backup catcher. "He's not going to start a game catching," manager Jim Leyland said of Inge. "But that gives us more flexibility and less worries." Inge is an experienced major-league catcher, having switched to the position after he got drafted by Detroit and who played his first few seasons as the Tigers' backstop, whereas Kelly just learned the position this year and his only real game experience consists of a half-dozen innings in a blowout.
--DH Victor Martinez was scratched from Detroit's starting lineup about a half-hour before game time due to spasms in his lower back. Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez was a late scratch from the starting lineup Monday due to lower back spasms. 1B Miguel Cabrera was switched to designated hitter with UT Don Kelly inserted into the lineup to play first base. "Hopefully (Tuesday) I'll be able to come back and play," he said after the game.
--UT Ryan Raburn will start at second base Tuesday. He will start in place of IF Ramon Santiago, who has started recently at second. Manager Jim Leyland said Santiago might start in place of SS Jhonny Peralta against LHP David Price. He noted Peralta is 0-for-9 lifetime against Price.
--RHP Joaquin Benoit has pitched in five of Detroit's last seven games and will not be allowed to pitch Tuesday, according to manager Jim Leyland. Benoit faced four batters in the eighth, allowing a solitary single, of Detroit's 5-2 win at Tampa Bay.
--RHP Jose Valverde was denied a save when 1B Don Kelly opened the ninth inning with a home run to give Detroit a 5-1 lead. Valverde promptly gave the run back and was in danger of blowing his first save of the season until he got an easy grounder to second to end the game. Manager Jim Leyland said Valverde, who has just four non-save appearances in 25 games since June 26, will not be used Tuesday.
--LF Delmon Young has made a nice impression on his new manager, Jim Leyland, since coming to Detroit in a trade with Minnesota on Aug. 15. "A very professional player, very polite, and a very interesting guy," Leyland said Young, 25, who began his big-league career with the Rays. "I've been very impressed. (Twins manager Ron) Gardenhire told me he would be like that. He was telling me how well-liked (Young) was.
"He's a good guy. I really like him as a person. And when he hits it, something happens. I think this guy's a real talent. There's no telling what he might do. This guy's a run-producer. He's a baseball player, he' smart, he's got an idea what he wants to do (at the plate), he knows what's going on. We're tickled to have him.
"He's a player. When he hits it, something happens, as you can see. This guy's a real talent. He got a little bigger this year, probably hurt him a little bit. I think if he gets toned down just a little bit at some point, there's no telling what this guy can do. This guy's a real talent. This guy's a run producer. I really like what I've seen. I like him a lot."
--SS Jhonny Peralta drove in two big runs for Detroit with a single with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth. It increased Detroit's lead over Tampa Bay to 4-1. Peralta is 8-for-15 with the bases loaded this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
8 -- Victories by RHP Justin Verlander with an extra day of rest this season. He has not been beaten this year when pitching with five days between starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I caught six innings in one game and couldn't even walk the next day. He continues to catch and get big hits at the same time." -- UT Don Kelly, recently deposed as the chief backup for C Alex Avila, marveling at Detroit's catcher playing every day while leading the majors by hitting .431 for the month of August.
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