Tigers 13, Rays 4: Baseball is fun!

Daniel Norris pitched six strong innings and the Tigers’ bats were out in full force as the Tigers drubbed the Rays in a laugher, 13-4.

Ian Kinsler got the party started with a leadoff home run, and it was delightfully pointed out in the gamethread that the Tigers technically got back-to-back dingers, about 20 hours apart, in two separate games. However, Erasmo Ramirez set down the next nine Tigers in order.

Daniel Norris started hot, with four whiffs in the first two innings and six in the first three. His slider nicely complemented his fastball — both he and Jordan Zimmermann have rediscovered the slider of late, it seems.

Fun play in the fourth: The speedy Mallex Smith was on third and tried to steal home on a pickoff to first, but a great throw from Alex Avila to James McCann gunned-out Smith (which was upheld after review). You know, the ol’ 1-3-2 caught-stealing. Oldest play in the book.

Avila, naturally, tied it in the bottom of the fourth, going leadoff-oppo-taco over the bullpens. Miguel Cabrera walked, J.D. Martinez singled, and Justin Upton smoked a double to center to score Cabrera. Nicholas Castellanos cleared the bases with a double down the left-field line, was pushed-over to third on an Alex Presley infield single, and was cashed-in by McCann on a sac fly.

Norris then put the Rays down in order the next inning, with the help of two stellar plays by Jose Iglesias and one by Justin Upton... and, of course, Upton followed it up in the next half-inning with a two-run single. The rout was clearly afoot.

Norris lasted two batters into the seventh; a leadoff triple and a single scored Smith and ended his night. Warwick Saupold came on to retire the side — he snuffed-out the Rays in order in the eighth, too. Has Daniel Norris finally righted the ship? I certainly hope so.

Roars

Justin Upton: Stole a home run and scored three times. Pretty good night at the office.

Daniel Norris: Went six-plus strong innings, giving up three runs, striking out eight and walking one.

Jose Iglesias: Made two stupendous plays of his own, and scored a run.

Hisses

Take off, eh?

Stats & Info

• Kinsler’s leadoff home run was the 43rd of his career.
• Iglesias ran 88 ft (27 m) to snag a soft fly ball in shallow left-center.
• Miguel Cabrera has now had six extra-base hits in his past four games. In his previous 19 games, he had five extra-base hits.