KEY STAT
How's this for a stat? I'm 3-0 this season as your Bless You Boys recapper! OK, how about this? Alex Avila was 2-2 in throwing out base runners trying to steal, helping bail Max Scherzer out of a pair of jams. A refreshing stat after seeing teams seemingly run at will on the Tigers earlier in the season.
KEY PLAY
Jhonny Peralta mashing a based loaded triple to dead center in the 7th, crushing the Mariners' hopes and dreams...and any hope of a comeback victory.
KEY THOUGHTS
In the 1st inning, Ryan Raburn became the first player in the history of Safeco Field to hit a ball off the roof with a monstrously high foul popup. With those kind history making shots, and if games were played in a stovepipe, Raburn would win the home run title. Unfortunately, they don't, and he proceeded to strike out (three times total tonight), which has occurring been a far too often at the top of the order.
Austin Jackson was 0-4, dropping his average to .167. How much longer will the Tigers keep running a visibly struggling Jackson to plate, let alone as the leadoff man? His defense hasn't suffered, but it's physically painful to watch him swing the bat.
Thanks to FSD, we now know Victor Martinez owns and plays an accordion. That's way cool in my book. Not cool was his gimpy right groin taking a turn for the worse after singling in the 2nd, forcing him to leave the game (He was limping so badly, even Magglio Ordonez could outrun him). I think Martinez will have plenty of time to practice playing polkas over the next several days, as I doubt he'll be able play baseball on the rest of trip, if not longer.
Milton Bradley's 2 run home run in the 3rd off of Max Scherzer was the first allowed by Tigers pitching in 11 games. Impressive. The crazy one's home run was the only real mistake for Scherzer tonight, who turned in a solid performance with a 6 inning, 2 run, 7 K quality start. But Scherzer was, once again, inefficient with his pitches, tossing 112 in those six innings. Jim Leyland made sure to point out the inefficiency in the post game presser, saying a "pitcher with his stuff should get us into the 7th and 8th all the time." Are you listening, Max?
In the 7th, the man no one should ever pitch to, was pitched to, showing why you should never pitch to said man. With men on 1st and 2nd, and the Mariners trying to keep a tight 3-2 game from breaking open, reliever Chris Ray faced said man, the MAN, Miguel Cabrera. I'm already on record saying if I were managing the opposition, I'd channel my inner Sparky Anderson and walk Cabrera every at bat, no matter the situation. In this situation, Ray went to a 3-0 count...then made a mistake, throwing a pitch Cabrera could get his bat on, drilling it to center for an RBI single. That hit opened the floodgates, as the Tigers batted around, scoring 6 runs. It was pretty much fait accompli from then on, much in thanks to the MAN. But point again made. You pitch to Cabrera, you deal with the consequences.
Two more games are left in the west coast swing...and thankfully only one more post 10PM start. The Tigers are now 3-2 while on the left coast, and despite feeling they left a win or two on the table in Oakland, I'm relatively happy with the results of the trip. But I'd feel even better if they win the series with the Mariners.