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Snap Reaction: Whoops. My bad.
The Tigers were shut out July 16, 2011. That was 100 games ago. I know this because the Tigers' fantastic stats people decided to include that in the game notes.
As soon as I read the stat -- and shared it on Twitter -- I felt like the team was jinxed. You just can't unread a stat like that. Once you know it, you know it. The streak had to end at 100.
For most of the game, I was prepared to receive blame for the jinx. Fortunately Alex Avila drove in Delmon Young in the ninth inning to keep the streak alive.
That doesn't really feel all that good, does it?
Make no mistake, Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy is pretty good. After Saturday's game, his ERA is just 2.56. He was great against Detroit. Allowing four hits and walking no one while striking out 10, maybe he was better than great. The Tigers swung at balls and took strikes. They didn't know what was going on.
Meanwhile Tigers starter Doug Fister had another start spoiled from lack of run support. It must feel right. He's back on the west coast, and his team can't score any runs. Or as one BYB commenter put it: "Fister wants to go back to Seattle to get run support."
Fister allowed just a run in six innings, the blemish coming when Jonny Gomes drove in Jemile Weeks in the first. He struck out eight in five innings otherwise.
Reliever Phil Coke gave up a pair of runs in the seventh when a guy batting .218 tripled, driving in another batting .100, then later scoring when the guy batting .192 singled. No offense to Cliff Pennington, Collin Cowgill and Daric Barton, but that's what they're batting.
So Detroit may not be able to win two games in a row, but it just showed it can lose two -- and fall beneath .500 for the first time this season, the first time since May 29, 2011, actually, when they were 25-26.
This west coast stretch is a pain in the butt.
3 ROARS
Doug Fister - 6 strong innings
Delmon Young - Shutout averted!
Andy Dirks - Getting on base even when no one else wants to
3 HISSES
The offense.
The offense
The off-- er, bullpen
Game 32 Player of the Game
Miguel Cabrera earned the most votes by a Tiger. So he gets credit on the side bar. Inge won the most votes. Al gets credit in this post.