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KEY STAT
Max Scherzers innings 1-2: 5 runs, 4 hits. (actually all that came in the 2nd inning.)
Max Scherzer's innings 3 through 7: 0 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks
Scherzer had a season-high 10 strikeouts
KEY PLAY
Ryan Raburn's 2-out, 2-run single up the middle gave the Tigers at 6-5 lead. (video)
KEY THOUGHTS
Well, that was certainly a pleasant surprise. When Max Scherzer gave up a 3-run bomb in the second inning to make the score 5-0, you could be forgiven for finding some other Saturday-night activity. But a couple of innings later, the Tigers took advantage of Jeremy Guthrie's inability to stop the bleeding and took a 6-5 lead. Improbable, yes. Magical, maybe. But this is certain a Tigers team that knows every game counts -- not just because of a certain ad slogan.
How good was Scherzer? He sruck out 8 of the final 20 batters he saw, and retired 17 of them. (h/t Dan Dickerson on twitter.)That's why a lot of people still see a lot of potential in him. As pointed out to me by Joe Galea, the 3-run home run allowed by Scherzer would have been caught on the warning track at Comerica Park. (Here's the video of Andy Dirks' attempt to snare it.) So I mean, it's hard to laud a start where the pitcher allows five runs. But it's impossible not to give credit to Scherzer for how he kept his team in the game so they could mount a comeback.
Of course, you have to credit the Tigers batters for battling with their backs to the wall. All five runs in the sixth inning came after the Tigers had two outs. Detroit had six consecutive hits, including a double by Magglio Ordonez, a home run by Miguel Cabrera, a single by both Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta, a ground-rule double by Alex Avila and a single by Ryan Raburn.
Detroit is 8-4 in its last 12 games, with all 8 wins coming in one-run games. (Two of the losses were of the one-run variety as well.)
Phil Coke had a perfect inning with two strikeouts. Corner turned? Jose Valverde had another save. After all those games in a row I'd expect him to unavailable Sunday, but Joaquin Benoit had tonight's game off.
Quickly have to applaud the Tigers fans who made the trip to Camden Yards. Their "Let's Go Tigers!" chants were loud and clear on the TV.
OTHER NEWS
Cleveland won, so Detroit's comeback managed to thwart the Indians' attempt to get back within two games of the division lead. Pesky, those Clevelanders are.
Chicago is still playing, but down by a run.
The Oriole honored before the game -- Mike Bordick -- was born in Marquette, apparently a military kid who actually grew up in Maine.