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The Los Angeles Angels scored eight runs off three Tigers pitchers in a huge fifth inning, turning a close game into a blowout. The Angels would ultimately top the Detroit Tigers 14-8 in a four hour slugfest played in driving rain.
The main recipient of all the run support was C.J. Wilson (7-5). Wilson wasn't at his sharpest, allowing five runs and seven hits while pitching just five innings, but he could afford to be given the double digit run support.
Tigers starting pitcher Rick Porcello (4-5) wasn't as bad against the Angels as he was back in April when he was torched for nine runs in less than an inning. Tonight, Porcello still wasn't very good. This time around, the Angels battered Porcello for seven runs and ten hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Miguel Cabrera homered for the Tigers, upping his league leading RBI total to 77. Torii Hunter had three hits, Victor Martinez chipped in with two RBI.
The Angels offense had 16 hits, but spread the wealth. J.B. Schuck led te way with three hits and four RBI, Mike Trout, Hank Conger and Erick Aybar drove in two runs each. Slumping bat tosser Josh Hamilton broke out with three hits and an RBI.
What started as a tight, back and forth game ended up a brutally sloppy Tigers loss. Porcello had been battered and the bullpen shredded. In other words, it was just another game with the Angels.
Porcello's first inning was vastly different than the last time he faced the Angels, the infamous "Death by paper cuts" game. This time around, the ground balls didn't find holes. Porcello retired the Angels in order.
Zero runs and zero hits on nine pitches >>>>>> nine runs and nine hits on 47 pitches.
Wilson allowed the first two Tigers to reach before pitching out of trouble. Austin Jackson worked a full count before drawing a walk. Hunter followed by drilling a wicked two-hopper which ate up third baseman Alberto Callaspo, ruled an infield single. Runners on first and second, Wilson struck out Miguel Cabrera. Prince Fielder then hit a fly ball which looked to be headed out of the park when it left the bat, but he was just underneath it. The ball died short of the right field warning track for the second out, Jackson tagging up and advancing to third. Martinez flew out to center, ending the inning.
Porcello got the first two outs of the second, including a Hamilton bat toss, then allowed a single to the bat tosser and walked Callaspo, before retiring Conger on a ground ball to Fielder. In a tale of extremes, after a nine pitch first, Porcello threw 30 pitches in the second.
A fair of fine defensive plays helped keep the Tigers off the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Callaspo completely laid out to rob Jhonny Perlata of a lead off base hit. Two out and Omar Infante on second after a double, Wilson knocked down Bryan Holaday's line shot, turning an RBI single into an inning ending 1-3 out.
The Angels would be the first to break through, helped by a paper cut.
With one out, Shuck doubled into right the right field corner. He would score when Trout's one-hopper actually bounced over the head of Cabrera for an RBI single. Trout's ground ball took off as if a trampoline was installed in front of home plate.Trout would steal second and take third on a fly out before Porcello ended the inning on a Mark Trumbo fly ball.
Wilson would give back both the run and the lead in the bottom of the third.
Hunter singled for the second straight at bat, dropping a flair in short right. He would advance to third on a God awful pick off attempt by Conger and a wild pitch. Hunter would get to trot home when Cabrera's fly ball down the right field line managed to stay fair, clearing the wall at the 330 mark (MLB.com video). The two run homer run was number 21 on the season for the leading hitter in the AL, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Of course, Porcello would give a run back in the top of the fourth. Instead of tossing his bat, Hamilton singled with one out, advancing to second on a ground out. Conger would drive in the tying run with a single to center, knotting the game at 1-all.
Angels' ground balls started to find holes on Porcello in the fifth. But the inning which would end the game started downhill when Albert Pujols lined a double to left with one out. Then came the paper cuts.
Trumbo hit a high chopper through the right side which would have scored 99% of major leaguers, but Pujols, who can barely move at this point, trotted to third. Howie Kendrick bounced a single up the middle, allowing Pujols scoring to give the Angels a 3-2 lead.
Porcello's inning quickly got worse. Hamilton lined a single to right to plate Hendrick. Hunter made a bid to throw out Kendrick at the plate, and might have had him ... but Holaday was unable to handle the short hop, which allowed Hamilton to take second. Hunter was charged with an error on the play.
Callaspo was given a free pass to lead the bases, which was also the last batter Porcello would face. The bases now loaded, Jim Leyland made the call for Darin Downs out of the pen to face Conger.
Unfortunately, Downs channeled his inner Al Alburquerque, allowing all the inherited runners to score.
Downs walked Conger to drive in the third run of the inning. Aybar hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Hamiton. Schuck bounced a single through the right side, Callaspo scoring to make it 7-2.
The inning would just get worse from there, as Downs started allowing his own base runners to score. Trout singled to plate Conger. Up for the second time in the inning, Pujols also reached for the second time, Shuck crossing the plate on his single.
The score now 9-2 and the fan base asking "Where the HELL is Bruce Rondon?", an ineffective Downs was given the hook by Leyland. Downs had retired just one batter, allowing three inherited base runners and two of his own to score.
Evan Reed then did something (I'll be kind and just say) dumb, trying to pick off Pujols, despite his having been a threat to run since, well, NEVER. Compounding matters, Reed threw his ridiculous pick off attempt into right field for the second error of the inning, allowing the eighth run of a train wreck inning to score.
By the time Reed got out of the inning on Trumbo's ground ball, the Angels led 10-2, having scored eight runs on seven hits (only one for extra bases), two errors, a sacrifice fly, and an intentional walk off three Tigers pitchers.
To the Tigers' credit, they didn't roll over and play dead after one of their worst half innings of the season (amazingly, only their second worst against the Angels), putting three on the board in the bottom of the fifth.
Wilson still on the mound, Jackson walked with one down. Hunter singled for the third time, moving Jackson to second. After Cabrera struck out, Fielder doubled home one run. Martinez drove in two more with a single to make it a slightly more respectable 10-5 game.
In the seventh inning, it was more of the same. Reed walked the lead off man, Aybar. He would steal second, advancing to third when Holaday's throw bounced into center. Aybar would score on Schuck's sacrifice fly, the Angels pushing their lead to 11-5.
Another inning, another Tigers error. Top of eight, Reed still on the mound as the sacrificial arm, Trumbo led off by reaching second on Cabrera's throwing error. The E-5 was the fifth Tigers' error of what turned into a wet, miserable evening at Comerica Park. The error would lead to Reed loading the bases with one out, finally getting the hook after 2 2/3 innings.
Luke Putkonen came on to get out of the inning. He would, but not before a bad loss got worse. Putkonen stuck out Conger for the second out. But he poured salt in a gaping wound, as Aybar's RBI single to right upped the Angels' lead to seven runs at 12-5. Shuck bounced a single up the middle to drive in two more runs. Cabrera took what should have been an inning ending ground ball off the bat of Trout, and turned it into the sixth error of the night when he threw it into the dirt.
Putkonen would end the inning without further damage, the score now 14-5. Luckily for Putkonen's ERA, all three runs were unearned.
Phil Coke took over in the ninth, the fifth Tigers pitcher of the evening. He was also the best, the only one to not allow a run. Yay?
A slog of a game now pushing four hours, Comerica Park mostly empty as a steady rain fell, a loss long in the bag, the Tigers had already packed theirs. The Angels retired 11 straight batters from the last out of the fifth through one down in the ninth. The comatose for three plus innings Tigers awoke, kicking up their heels in the ninth as lightning cracked in the distance (But to be honest, as nice as it is to see the Tigers not give up despite the big deficit, I was well past ready for the game to come to an end)
Jackson drove in the Tigers' sixth run with a one out single. The bases now loaded, Ramon Santiago walked in another run, making it 14-7 Angels. Don Kelly's sacrifice fly pulled the Tigers a little closer at 14-8. But six runs was as close as the Tigers would get, 14-8 would be you final score.
The Angels finally finished off the Tigers a sloppy game in worse weather in a far too long 4:03. May Rick Porcello never face the Anaheim California Los Angeles Angels again.
In the silver lining department, the Baltimore Orioles did the the Tigers a solid in coming from behind to beat the Cleavland Indians, allowing the Central standings to remain the status quo. The loss drops the Tigers' record to 42-33, while their lead over the Tribe holds steady at 3 1/2 games.
Game of two of the three game series features Angels right-hander Tommy Hanson (4-2, 5.10 ERA) taking on Tigers rookie Jose Alverez (1-0, 2.45 ERA). Hanson is coming off by far his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs and six hits in just two innings, lucky to receive a no-decision against the Mariners. Having taken injured Anibal Sanchez's spot in the rotation, the Tigers have won both of Alvarez's starts. Wednesday's first pitch is 7:08 PM.
WIN PROBABILITY GRAPH:
Source: FanGraphs
BULLETS:
Posted this tweet, because forewarned is forearmed:
Jered Weaver still remembers & is still miffed about incident 2 years ago w/ Maggs, Avila and Guillen. Check out @971theticketxyt tomorrow
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) June 25, 2013
Makes mental note to stay far, far away from sports talk radio tomrrow.
The Rod Allen quote of the game is all all about Wonderboy, Mike Trout:
"That Trout's well put together. Look at his neeeeck."
Yes, Rod. We know it's thiiiiick.
You can be sure of three things in life - Death , taxes and Josh Hamilton losing his bat. The first "Hamilton flings his bat into the stands on a swing and miss" happened in the second inning.
I'd give that #JoshHamiltonBatThrow an 8.5. Great lift and distance on that one. Maybe 10 rows up.
— SB Nation MLB (@SBNationMLB) June 25, 2013
Surprisingly, it was the only one. Those of you who bet the under on the Hamilton bat toss, please collect your winnings.
The bad throw of the game belong to Angels catcher Hank Conger. Tryng to pick off Torii Hunter from first while on his knees, Conger's throw was in the right side hole, allowing Hunter to advance to second. The bad throw didn't really cost the Angels, as Hunter would score on Miguel Cabrera's home run, but it was a spectacularly awful pick off attempt. But who was to know there would a challenger for the more ill-advised pick off attempt a few innings later?
There's an assist to be given on the Cabrera homer:
Unsung hero of Miggy at bat was fan knocking the ball away from Hamilton down the RF line allowing next pitch HR. @TigersGIFs @BigAlBYB
— Jay (@JayPolger7) June 26, 2013
E10 on the fan
texastigerfan
Error...or RBI?
GhostOfBigRed
Changed to RBI after instant replay review
texastigerfanInterfering Fan on that foul ball should be a nominee for Player of the Game.
Scarsdale_VibeHANK YOU INTERFERING FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lukas MHIRE STEVE BARTMAN
Alex Baker
Many players don't have 80 home runs for their career. Cabrera has that many to the opposite field.
Miguel Cabrera now has 80 career home runs to right or right-center — seven this year. #Tigers
— Matthew B. Mowery (@matthewbmowery) June 26, 2013
Hamilton singled in the fourth, ticking off the man I call the "Id of the Tigers fan base."
OR LETS NOT HAVE AN EFFICIENT INNING YOU SON OF A BITCH
— Tokarz (@tokarzontigers) June 26, 2013
Of course, Hamilton would score, resulting in a tweet which is not printable in polite company.
Victor Martinez looks like a track star compared to Albert Puljols. Pujols can barely move, let alone run. Yet, for some reason, Evan Reed tried to pick him off first.
At this point, Albert Pujols couldn't even beat a Molina in a footrace.
— SB Nation MLB (@SBNationMLB) June 26, 2013
Throwing the pick off attempt away was just icing on a pile of .... Hell, just use your imagination.
In the sixth, Reed's shenanigans continued unabated. He covered the bag on Howie Kendrick's ground ball to first. Fielder gave him a good throw, Reed was there in plenty of time ... and he badly missed on two attempts to touch the bag, Kendrick safe at first, Reed charged with his second error of the game. The look on Fielder's face was priceless as circus music was cued up around the web.
A steady rain fell in the late innings as the game drug on past the three hour mark ... then the four hour mark:
@Detroit4lyfeRob If there is a rain delay, I'm heading to Comerica Park and dragging the umpires back on the damn field.
— Al Beaton (@BigAlBYB) June 26, 2013
The Tigers last five error game was July 8, 2007 in a 6-5 victory over the Red Sox. The culprits were Mike Rabelo, Jose Capellan, Carlos Guillen, and two by FSD's own Craig Monroe. Tonight's culprits were Torii Hunter and Evan Reed with two, and Bryan Holaday.
Of course, after doing all that research on five errors, the Tigers had to go and commit number six.
Last 6-error game was by PIT, on 9/7/12 vs. CHC. Pirates actually made 7 that day. (They lost)
— Noah Trister (@noahtrister) June 26, 2013
But there is a silver lining:
But at least it might get Rod to shut up about fielding percentage.
— BYB Rob (@Detroit4lyfeRob) June 26, 2013
Jim Leyland summed up a miserable game during his presser:
"We're all guilty of not doing real good tonight."
THREE ROARS:
Torii Hunter: The only Tiger with more than one hit. Hunter was 3-for-4 with two runs scored
Miguel Cabrera: A home run when the game was still in question is worth a ROAR.
Anyone who stuck out this game to the bitter end: The game was essentially over after five and the rain increased over the final four innings. But there were still diehards in the stands watching baseball. Not good baseball, but baseball all the same, God love 'em. Same goes for those who stuck out the FSD broadcast and watched this hot mess until the bitter end. Serious Kudos to you too.
BONUS ROARS:
Phil Coke: Pitched in garbage time, but was the only reliever who did not allow a run. Good enough for a ROAR.
Unidentified fan in stands: Good job, good effort on interfering with Hamilton on Cabrera's foul fly!
THREE HISSES:
Rick Porcello: Whenever the Angels turn up on the Tigers' schedule, Porcello should be scratched from the rotation. Otherwise, bad things happen.
Rick Porcello vs. LAA this year: 5.0 IP, 130 pitches, 16 ER, 19 hits, 2 Ks, 3 BBs. #Tigers
— Matthew B. Mowery (@matthewbmowery) June 26, 2013
Porcello's ERA up to 5.27. Take away the two starts vs. the Angels and it's 3.70. #Tigers
— Noah Trister (@noahtrister) June 26, 2013
Darin Downs: Brought into the game to be a fireman, but turned out to be an arsonist. Downs only retired one batter while allowing five runs to score, three charged to Porcello.
Evan Reed: Gets a HISS on general principle for trying to pick off the slowest runner in baseball, and a bonus HISS for throwing the pick off attempt into right field, allowing the Angels' tenth run to score. Oh, yeah. Reed was nicked up for four runs and committed two errors. That deserves a HISS, too.
BONUS HISSES:
Luke Putkonen: Entered the game with one out and the bases loaded. He allowed all three inherited runners to score.
The bullpen as a whole: Allowed seven runs, plus the three which were charged to Porcello. The pen also walked four, committed two errors and in general made a case for calling up Bruce Rondon the minute the game ended. Not exactly a confidence building pitching display by the middle-long relief guys.
Drew Smyly: Stop needing days off!
ROLL CALL:
TOP TEN COMMENTERS:
| # | Commenter | # Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | texastigerfan | 218 |
| 2 | BadCompany22 | 138 |
| 3 | MSUDersh | 110 |
| 4 | Jacob30 | 100 |
| 5 | frisbeepilot | 94 |
| 6 | SabreRoseTiger | 82 |
| 7 | stevenyc | 60 |
| 8 | GhostOfBigRed | 53 |
| 9 | Tigerdog1 | 46 |
| 10 | Alex Baker | 44 |
TOP RECS:
| # Recs | Commenter | Comment Link |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | frisbeepilot | KOHHHNNNNNN!!! |
| 2 | Jacob30 | Big Bang Theory sucks |
| 2 | stevenyc | Downs is supposed to be the invincible reliever, who should always be used instead of Coke |
Austin Jackson has been playing at an elite level since his return for the DL and Sunday's win was no exception. Jackson triggered the Tigers' offense by reaching base in all five at bats and scoring two runs in a 7-5 win. Ajax was rewarded with BYB PotG, carrying 41% of the vote.
