Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 9-14-11
--RHP Justin Verlander wasn't at his sharpest, but he still pitched seven innings of shutout ball against the White Sox to win his 11th consecutive start and earn 23rd victory of the season. He may have been invigorated by the cool September evening air because he came out throwing mostly fastballs, and by the second inning, he was throwing pitches that registered 100 and 101 mph on the radar gun. He needed a double play to strand a runner at third in the first inning, left two on in the second and stranded three runners in the fourth.
"He had to tune it up earlier a couple times, so we were kind of watching that," manager Jim Leyland said.
Verlander protected a 1-0 lead until DH Victor Martinez hit a three-run home run in the sixth, and the ace retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. The last Tigers pitcher to win 11 straight starts was Hal Newhouser in 1945, but there was a relief loss thrown in there.
"He's the best pitcher I've ever had," Leyland said, "so I'll leave it at that. That's good enough for me."
Verlander said, "There were positives and negatives. The positive was there weren't any runs on the board. The negative was I was just a hair off. It was probably the best I've felt the last five or six starts. I really felt like I was starting to get back in that rhythm I've been trying to find for a while."
--DH Victor Martinez drilled a three-run home run in the eighth inning, pushing his RBI total to 94 this season. He followed an intentional walk to 1B Miguel Cabrera with his 11th home run. Martinez is now hitting .403 following any kind of walk to Cabrera (31-for-77) and is on track to reach 100 RBI for the fourth time in his career and the second time in three seasons.
"I still gotta go out there and put up good at-bats," Martinez said of his success after Cabrera's walks.
Martinez was behind 0-2 but battled back to 3-2 through the course of a nine-pitch at-bat before ripping a fastball for the homer.
"That was a terrific at-bat," manager Jim Leyland said. "He got one and didn't miss it."
--1B Miguel Cabrera inched closer to his eighth straight 100 RBI season with two doubles, one driving in his 97th run of the season. Cabrera has 41 doubles this year, his second straight season of 40 or better, making him the first Tiger since Hank Greenberg in 1939-40 to hit 40 doubles in back-to-back years. Cabrera's strength lets him hit with power to all fields. His first double was a shot to the gap in right center, while his second was whistled down the third base line into the left field corner.
--C Alex Avila did his job to bring in the first run for Detroit during the second inning. The textbook move with a man on third and one out is to get something to the right side, on the ground or in the air, to score the runner. Avila hit a slow roller to second, and 1B Miguel Cabrera rushed in from third with the first run of the game. Avila went hitless on the night.
--RHP Joaquin Benoit turned what looked to be a low-pressure eighth inning into a managerial nail-biter, allowing two walks and a single after retiring the first two Chicago batters on a strikeout and a groundout. Benoit appeared to lose his command after that, issuing a walk on a 3-2 pitch, giving up a single and then walking the bases loaded. However he got C Tyler Flowers on a 97 mph, 2-2 fastball to leave Detroit ahead 5-0. "It was one of those days when you get two outs quick, then find yourself in a hole and don't quite know how to get out of it," Benoit said.
--RHP Jose Valverde got an inning of work in a non-save situation to finish out Detroit's 5-0 win at Chicago. Valverde was aware he didn't have a save situation when he was warming up during the top of the ninth but was brought in to stay sharp for the stretch run and a possible postseason. Valverde retired all three batters he faced.
--LF Delmon Young was back in the starting lineup Tuesday after leaving Monday's game with what manager Jim Leyland said was a sore hip. Young went 0-for-4 with a walk.
BY THE NUMBERS
40 -- Doubles in consecutive seasons by 1B Miguel Cabrera, who reached 41 this season with a pair of two-base hits at Chicago. The last Detroit player to get 40 doubles in back-to-back seasons was Hank Greenberg in 1939-40.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I think they're ready, and they know that potentially there's something there down the road for them, potentially. And I think they've had a good approach about it. They've had a good attitude about it and good approach about it. I think they've come ready to play. They smell it a little bit, and hopefully they'll keep after it." -- Manager Jim Leyland, noting Detroit's 11-game winning streak that has put the Tigers on the verge of clinching the AL Central title.
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