Red Sox 7, Tigers 3: A series of down notes

If you’d been told a month ago that the Tigers would go into Boston — the reigning World Series champions — and split a four-game series, you would have been happy with that, right?

After sweeping a doubleheader on Tuesday, though, this felt like a bit of a let-down as the Tigers dropped the final game of the series, 7-3.

Michael Chavis got the Red Sox on the board in the second by taking a tumbling slider over the Monster to put Boston ahead 2-0 with two out. Jackie Bradley Jr. narrowly missed going back-to-back with a long drive a scant few feet foul; Jordan Zimmermann’s night featured several long, loud strikes, and a pitch count that climbed precipitously, and early.

Detroit got those runs right back, though. JaCoby Jones rocketed a double to center to lead off the third and advanced on an error by Bradley, and was promptly driven in by Jeimer Candelario. Nick Castellanos got off the homer-schneid by clanking one off the Pesky Pole, cashing in Candelario and putting the Tigers up 3-2.

A double, wild pitch and walk preceded J.D. Martinez’s single in the third to even the score. Zimmermann nearly made it out of the inning with a double play, but Xander Bogaerts beat the relay to keep the inning alive. Rafael Devers doubled to left to drive in two, and Zimmermann’s night came to an early conclusion soon after.

Buck Farmer’s immediate luck wasn’t a whole lot better, as two-out doubles from Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts notched another run in the fourth. Victor Alcántara had a relatively uneventful fifth, and since the Tigers are in the middle of a stretch of 14 games in 13 days, he stuck around for the sixth.

In the sixth, the Tigers mounted a minor threat with a Niko Goodrum leadoff single and a one-out Gordon Beckham walk. Alas, Josh Harrison whiffed and John Hicks grounded into a forceout, and the threat flickered out.

The sixth wasn’t quite as kind to Alcántara, as a pair of one-out doubles from Sandy Leon and Benintendi plated another run. Perhaps manager Ron Gardenhire waved the ol’ white flag by bringing out Joe Jiménez for the seventh, but I’ll be darned if he didn’t strike out a pair in a 1-2-3 inning through the heart of the Boston order. To quote Mel Allen: how about that.

Daniel Stumpf brought up the rear in the Reliever Parade by quietly putting down the Red Sox in the eighth, including a pair of strikeouts. It’s early yet, but I like what I’m seeing from Stumpf so far: if you Porcello out his lousy outing on April 19, he hasn’t given up a run save for one inherited runner he allowed to score.

Stats and Other Miscellanies

• Apparently the NFL draft was tonight. I am always amazed that many grown human beings will watch hours and hours of this on TV. Then again, I’m also puzzled by the continuing popularity of Ariana Grande.
• Miguel Cabrera finished the day 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. His OPS coming into the game today was .689. Not great, Bob.
• The Detroit Tigers turned 118 today. Alas, no epic comeback win for the Tabbies today. Love the sweaters.