Tigers 7, Angels 1: Heaven is a place on earth

When it works, boy does it work. All the cogs of the Tigers’ machine were well-oiled tonight and working in perfect harmony. The defense turned tight double plays (welcome back, Ian Kinsler), but the offense was the real star of the show. The Tigers smacked 11 hits, and racked up seven runs.

The duo of Kinsler and Jose Iglesias were unstoppable in the infield, making sensational plays right out of a baseball how-to guide. The team is certainly feeling happy to have Kinsler back on the field, and he seems just as happy to be there.

Considering the Tigers are 5-19 in Anaheim since 2010, the win was a huge relief, especially when added to the context of their already shaky west coast tour.

Fulmer was precisely what the Tigers desperately needed in their starter. He tossed a career-high 114 pitches, struck out seven, and allowed only three hits. More importantly he lasted through seven innings giving a taxed bullpen a much-needed break.

ROARS:

Hit parade: Ian Kinsler—fresh off the disabled list—and James McCann, both had three-hit games. In fact, the entire offense was slap happy at the plate, walking all over JC Ramirez in the first three innings. By the fifth the Angels’ pitcher had found his groove, but the Tigers damage had already been done.

Michael Fulmer: Obviously. He didn’t give up a walk until the fourth inning and held the Angels runless until the fifth. It might not have been a repeat of the near no-hitter he pitched in Los Angeles last season, but it was more of the quality stuff he exhibited during his last start in Oakland. Michael Fulmer is on fire.

Jose Iglesias: He deserves a roar for some absolutely top-notch work at shortstop, both with Kinsler and on his own. Iglesias absolutely shines in the field.

HISSES:

Tyler Collins - a missed play in right field allowed the first Angels RBI of the night, off a double from Yunel Escobar. No guarantee the run wouldn’t have scored anyway, but it would have been close if Collins had mad the play. For Collins, who hasn’t been delivering at the plate, a fumble in the outfield is a definite black mark.

Cameron Maybin - oh wait, he doesn’t play for us anymore. He did miss a centerfield fly ball that allowed Victor Martinez to collect a double. Maybe he deserves a roar for that. We saw this coming.

STREAKS AND INFO:

The one asterisk on Fulmer’s night was an unfortunate hit on the hand of Martin Maldonado in the seventh. This was Fulmer’s fourth hit batter of the season, leading the team for hitting opponents.

Mike Trout’s 17-game hitting streak ended with a flyout off Shane Greene in the bottom of the eighth. Trout when 0-for-4 on the night.