KEY STAT
8: Consecutive hits by Tigers batters in the 8th inning.
14 runs, 18 hits: Game totals.
KEY PLAY
Doug Fister took the mound in the first. And stayed there until the end of the 7th.
KEY THOUGHTS
Well, that helps the run differential look a little better anyway, doesn't it? The Tigers are up to +72, most of that seemingly in the past month.
So anyway, Doug Fister. What more really has to be said when Fister starts a game? He starts, he mows, he wins. He finished the month of September with two runs allowed in 26 innings. He has five consecutive winning decisions, and the Tigers have won in eight consecutive games he started. He has allowed 1 run or less in all of those games. I mean, wow.
In addition to that, he's been getting insane run support. The Tigers scored 14 runs today. They've scored 20 runs in his past two starts.
Lee Panas on twitter (@Tiger337, follow him) pointed out several facts: Fister's K/BB ratio is 52/4 in the past 55 2/3 innings. Today, the Tigers scored more runs behind Fister than the Mariners did during entire months: May (12), June (10), July (7). The three month total was 29. His September total is 29.
By the way, Fister again beat the trading deadline's biggest name, Ubaldo Jimenez.
Without 14 shutouts, the Tigers are tied for second in the AL with the White Sox.
Well, when it's going good, it's going good. What can I really say? Everyone who stepped to the plate seemed to find an empty place to put the baseball. Delmon Young homered. Miguel Cabrera was 3-for-5 to pad his AL-leading batting average. All but one Tigers starter had two hits.
AROUND THE AL
Texas is playing in LA tonight, currently leading 1-0 in the second). Go Angels!
Meanwhile Boston lost and Tampa won, putting the two teams in a tie for the wild card. A month ago, Tampa Bay was 10.5 games behind the Sox.