Tigers 3
Orioles 1
WP: Robertson (2-0)
LP: Wright (0-2)
S: Jones (4)
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The credit for tonight's Tigers win could be given to a throwing error by the O's Brian Roberts when trying to complete an inning-ending double play in the sixth. The errant throw by the second-baseman on a Magglio Ordonez groundball allowed Neifi Perez and Curtis Granderson to score, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead at the time.
Outside of the two-run mistake by Roberts, the Tigers brought home only one run -- a sacrifice fly by Placido Polanco in the eighth inning to score Granderson. So again, this game could warrant a little heat on the offensive production of this team; Particularly guys like Gary Sheffield, who went 0-4 with 2 Ks, or Sean Casey, who did likewise. Our favorite Perez also struck out twice on the evening.
But let's be positive for one second, shall we? Nate pitched one heck of a game tonight against the O's lineup. He only gave up four hits while striking out five in 7.1 innings. He made it possible for a team with a lackluster performance at the plate to win, and that is why he was the most important guy out there this evening.
Todd Jones has saved every single Tigers win. And tonight he wasn't nearly as scary out there as he usually is. Outside of the one bad pitch Zoom threw to Patterson on the homer, I'd say this was an excellent night for our guys out on the mound.
While some of these guys are concerning us at the plate early on, let's put this into perspective; The Tigers could win their second of two series tomorrow (they split the first one) in the rubber match between these teams. If they keep winning these three-game sets, I have a suspicious feeling that everything will be fine in Motown.