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KEY STAT
Rick Porcello, 8 IP, 2 runs allowed
KEY PLAY
Ramon Santiago doubles in Alex Avila in the fifth inning. OK this probably wasn't the key play but Santiago's RBI did tie the game at 2-2. Both innings the Angels scored, Detroit answered in the bottom half. So I wanted to highlight it. (MLB.com video)
Key entertaining play was Miguel Cabrera scoring from third base on Carlos Guillen's "sacrifice." In reality, Torii Hunter made a nice falling basket catch as he converged with the first and second baseman, and Cabrera decided to tag up and score at home. Hunter seemed to be in disbelief and eventually threw the ball in to the cutoff man. He sent it home, but Cabrera kicked out the catcher's leg out as he slid and scored. (MLB.com video)
Note three: Carlos Guillen hit a triple and nobody was injured. (MLB.com video). This may have actually been the key play.
KEY THOUGHTS
If you turned off the game after Rick Porcello gave up a lead-off home run in the first inning, you made a bad choice! Porcello pitched one of his best two games of the year and the Tigers' lineup top to bottom woke up in a big way. It was pretty fun. Just the kind of game fans needed after a couple of bad ones. The team hasn't lost more than two in a row since May.
Porcello struck out six, walked none and gave up five hits. After allowing a one-out single in the first, he got 11 consecutive batters out before allowing a leadoff double in the fifth.
Needless to say, this is why the Tigers don't want to trade Porcello for Ubaldo Jimenez. Prospects, sure. Starters like Porcello? No.
Back to the game: The left-handed batters for Detroit proved to be key, as they dominated the Angels starter until driving him out of the game.
Detroit now has its biggest division lead of the season after Cleveland got smoked by Kansas City. It's 2.5 games. Of course, Chicago is currently winning and will remain 3 games out of first with a win. So keep rooting for them to inexplicably decide to sell their studs over the weekend because they're not going anywhere.