Miguel Cabrera Wins The AL Batting Crown
--RHP Rick Porcello had one shaky inning out of six in his tuneup for the playoffs. Porcello, the unannounced starter for the fourth playoff game, gave up five hits in six innings. He gave up two runs in the fourth but didn't let the inning spiral out of control after giving up two hits and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. He was keeping his sinker low in the strike zone and showing a good slider and changeup. Porcello, hounded by left-handed batters all year long, held southpaws to 5-for-20.
--1B Miguel Cabrera nailed down his first batting title with a single and double, boosting his average to .344. "I get to watch him every day so I know how good he is," C Alex Avila said. "Now maybe other people will recognize how good he is." "He's a star," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's going to be good until Father Time catches up with him."
--RHP Al Alburquerque is a rarity in today's game of specialized relief pitchers. Alburquerque is a pitcher who can be brought into an inning with men on base yet have a high likelihood of extracting his team with no runs scoring. His wipeout slider gives him a chance for a strikeout with runners on third. He was brought in after RHP Rick Porcello gave up a leadoff double in the seventh and saw the runner take third on a groundout to third. Alburquerque put his slider to work, striking out Ezequiel Carrerra on a 1-2 pitch for the second out and, after hitting RF Kosuke Fukudome, ending the threat by getting 2B Jason Kipnis to ground out to first on a 3-2 pitch. In the playoffs, he'll likely be used in the sixth and seventh, maybe even the fifth.
--SS Jhonny Peralta drilled the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning for a tie-breaking and game-winning home run, his 21st of the season. Peralta has faltered a little over the last couple weeks but some of that has to be attributed to the fact he no longer has C Alex Avila hitting behind hm. Peralta also had a sacrifice fly in the two-run sixth, tying the score 3-3.
--DH Victor Martinez was removed for a pinch-hitter in seventh inning. "In his first at-bat, he fouled a ball off his big toe," manager Jim Leyland said. "Eventually it filled with blood and they had to drain it. So I took him out for a pinch-hitter. He'll be OK." Martinez had grounded a single to right in that second-inning at-bat, then grounded another single to right in the fourth and lined a single to left in the sixth.
--RHP Ryan Perry got his second win of the season -- but only after giving up the tying run in the top of the eighth. Perry got the first out of the eighth easily enough but then surrendered a double. Two walks later, he was looking at the bases loaded and one out. He gave up a sacrifice fly but got out of the inning with a force-out at second. He shows a better slider than earlier in the year and is doing a better job with his fastball -- except once in awhile.
--RHP Justin Verlander won the Triple Crown for pitchers following the news that Los Angeles Angels RHP Jered Weaver wouldn't pitch again this season. Verlander finished with a 2.40 ERA, .01 ahead of Weaver. Verlander allowed five runs in his last start but did not give up any in the last four innings he worked. Verlander led the league in wins, 24, and strikeouts, 250. He is the first AL pitching Triple Crown winner since LHP Johan Santana did so for Minnesota in 2006. He's the first Detroit pitcher to do it since LHP Hal Newhouser in 1945.
--3B Wilson Betemit doubled and tripled to go with a walk in his final tuneup for the playoffs. Betemit came out for a pinch-runner after his triple and manager Jim Leyland explained that he wanted fresh legs in there. IF Danny Worth pinch ran for Betemit and stayed in the game at third.
--RHP Jose Valverde converted his 49th save in as many chances, allowing a two-out double before ending the game with his second strikeout. Valverde's fastball was 94-96 mph and he used a couple of split-fingers as well. Manager Jim Leyland expressed some reluctance to use him after Valverde got his 48th save the night before. "He was pumped," Leyland said. "He was going to take the ball whether we gave it to him or not."
BY THE NUMBERS
10 -- Consecutive Detroit victories over Cleveland dating back to Aug. 11 this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I wish all of them didn't do so well. It makes it look like anybody can manage this team." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on his key players steering Detroit to a 95-win season.
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