Whew. That was a rollercoaster unlike any we've seen for awhile.
- New Tiger Jhonny Peralta instantly earns himself the support of the fans when he homers on the second pitch he sees as a Tiger. Then homers again.
- ... But Armando Galarraga gets knocked to the ground when Kevin Youkalis hits a line drive off his lower leg. Galarraga appeared to be in a lot of pain but seems to be OK. Diagnosed with a contusion. But he left the game with an out to go in the fifth, making him ineligible for the win.
- The Tigers went up 6-1 in the eighth inning, and Robbie Weinhardt did a great job pitching. The official scorer would give him the win for it.
- ... But that win almost didn't come to fruition. Closer Jose Valverde came in during the eighth inning to kill a Red Sox threat, but they got revenge in the ninth. It was topped by a David Ortiz grand slam, bringing the game to 6-5. A double and intentional walk later, Valverde finally ended the game with a strikeout.
- ... On his 60th pitch of the night. SIXTY! PITCHES! From a closer. What's wrong with that picture? It was Valverde's career high, Dan Dickerson reported on Twitter.
- And how many pitches did Ryan Perry throw in the bullpen warming up, in case Leyland ever decided to call on him? After a grand slam and a double, you might have expected to see him come trotting out to the mound. But if he's not coming into the game after all that, I guess we know how he ranks on Leyland's list.
- But a win is a win. Getting one at Fenway Park is a great start, but the Tigers need to get a series win there tomorrow to really wash that Tropical Field taste out of our mouths. Valverde won't be available, but we'll worry about that when the Tigers get to the ninth inning with a lead.