Angels 5, Tigers 0: Zeroing in on the issue

A day after the ump show, Sunday the only show came came from the Angels. The Tigers’ offense was shut down again, while Anibal Sanchez started well before being lit up. Final score: Angels 5, Tigers 0, Disappointment: A positive integer.

The Angels took the final two games of the weekend series.

It started well for Anibal Sanchez, who erased the only two baserunners he allowed by starting a double play on a comebacker in the second inning and picking off a runner in the third. A two-run homer by former Tiger Jefry Marte in the fifth is really all the Angels needed to claim the victory, but for good measure they poured in three more in the sixth inning.

Sanchez allowed all five runs on eight hits while striking out two.

Meanwhile Tyler Skaggs and three relievers combined to allow four hits and walked three while striking out eight. J.D. Martinez and James McCann combined to strike out in all six of seven at bats.

Roars

Please hit repeat as necessary

... OK, and Mark Lowe — Struck out four batters of the five he faced

Hisses

Anibal Sanchez -- I guess? The score was 2-0 in the sixth inning when Cameron Maybin couldn’t close the glove for a diving catch. But things unrivaled after that and soon it was 5-0 with a relief pitcher trotting in from left field. Sanchez’s line in 5-2/3: Eight hits, two strikes, no walks, five runs allowed.

Tigers offense — Angels starter Tyler Skaggs entered the game with a 5.70 ERA. Skaggs struck out six and allowed two hits in six shutout innings.

Stats and stuff

• Miguel Cabrera’s double in the fourth inning was his 972nd career extra base hit, tying him with Al Kaline on the all-time list at 44th. (Vladimir Guerrero is also tied for 44th.) (h/t Tigers PR)
• Thanks to a double play and a pickoff, Sanchez faced the minimum number of batter through 3-2/3 innings.
• This was the Angels’ ninth shutout of the year.

WPA graph