Game 1: White Sox 5, Tigers 1.
Max Scherzer was looking for win number twenty but the Tigers did not get off to the kind of start they wanted to by any means. Miguel Cabrera, for the second time this season, was tossed during the middle of an at bat in the first inning. Cabrera was hit on the back knee by a slider thrown by White Sox starter Chris Sale, the problem being that Cabrera seemed to offer at the pitch and home plate umpire Brian Gorman called it a strike. I actually agree with the call, but Cabrera wanted Gorman to ask the first base ump for a second opinion, but there was no appeal. We don't know what was said but after the next pitch Cabrera was ejected and, to no one's surprise, Jim Leyland was ejected shortly after. This incident seemed to take the sails (no pun intended) out of the Tigers offense. The Tigers managed just four hits and their lone run came courtesy of an 8th inning homer by Victor Martinez, who added to his torrid post all star game pace. Mean while, Scherzer struggled to control his fast ball early in the game and left a couple pitches up in the zone as Konerko singled in two runs off an elevated fastball in Max's 31 pitch first inning. After settling down for a couple of innings, Scherzer was his own worst enemy in the 4th as he threw a ball wide of first trying to throw out Phegley after he tapped the ball just onto the grass. That put the White Sox up 5-0 and that was more then enough for Chris Sale. It was Max's shortest outing of the year and Sale struck out eight over eight innings with Martinez's home run the only real threat of offense allowed all night.
Game 2: Tigers 9, White Sox 1.
In a now pivotal game for the Tigers to get back on the winning track, as the Indians were now just 4.5 game back in the central, the Tigers offense showed signs of life off the young Chicago starter Eric Johnson. The story of the game can be told through just four players, Prince Fielder, Alex Avila, Conor Gillaspie and Rick Porcello. Porcello was solid early and outstanding late, at one point retiring 14 consecutive Chicago hitters in recoding his first ever complete game. He needed just 105 pitches, 77 for strikes and walked just one while scattering seven hits. Meanwhile, Fielder and Avila combined for eight of the Tigers fifteen hits, and they either drove in or scored six of the Tigers nine runs. Fielder hit an absolute rocket of a line drive over the right field wall for his 23rd home run of the year and he is now just 1 RBI away from 100 on the year. Conor Gillaspie on the other hand had a night to forget. The Chicago rookie was charged with three errors but I personally would have charged him for the error ultimately charged to Konerko. It's not easy to beat any team giving up 5 unearned runs, let alone the best offensive team in all of baseball.
Game 3: Tigers 1, White Sox 0.
Anibal Sanchez stayed around just long enough to see the offense push a single run across to help him pick up his career high 14th win of the season. I remember thinking around the 6th inning that Sanchez hadn't really been sharp but had still thrown six shutout innings to that point. He got better as the game went on and was down right filthy in the six, seventh and for his lone out in the eighth as five of his last seven outs were strikeouts. Sanchez finished with 10 k's and lowered his AL best ERA down to 2.50. Quintana was the hard luck loser again, he has gotten very little help all year. He has 17 no decisions, is getting less then four runs a game of support from his offense, and his closer has blown four saves that would have been wins for him. I was impressed with his cutter and how he mixed location inside and outside and spotted his curve enough to keep the Tigers off balance most of the night. The Tigers clawed their run off Matt Lindstrom in the 8th after back to back singles by Prince and Martinez, Omar Infante dribbled a slider between third and short slowly enough to allow prince to get home without a throw. Jose Veras and Drew Smiley came in and struck out Konerko and Dunn respectively before Beniot pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his 18th save.
The Tigers ended what felt like an awful trip just under .500, going 4-5. The Tigers played two of the hottest teams in the AL, as the Red Sox are 14-4 and the Royals are 13-5 in their respective last 18 games and Chicago is a .500 team at home. All things considered, they salvaged the road trip by taking two of three from Chicago and if Perez doesn't take Verlander deep in Kansas City, we might be talking about winning the trip right now. The Tigers saw five left handed starters and were just 1-4 in those game. I'd say Lester had the best start, followed very closely by Sale, then Quintana, Chen and Duffy. Max Scherzer was unfortunate to be the opposing starter against both Lester and Sale. Detroit heads back to Comerica with a 6.5 game lead over Cleveland with only 16 to play. Magic number is 11 and counting. The biggest issues to get squared away over this home stand are getting JV, Fister, and Cabrera back on track heading into the postseason.
Series notes:
- Iglesias saved a run in the 5th inning of game 3 by keeping Luery Garcia's tapper up the middle in the infield, even if he didn't get the out it was a huge play. I saw him rush a play for the first time in a Tigers uniform though, as he had time to gather and throw Garcia out in the first inning of game 3.
- We knew Iglesias wouldn't keep up the offensive pace he set while with the red sox earlier this year but in a Tigers uniform he has been better then expected with 33 hits in 113 at bats, for a .292 average.
- Both Jackson and Iglesias hid hitting streaks ended in Chicago.
- Castellanos had two hits this series and just missed a grand slam off Quintana. He just looks like a big time big league hitter.
- Jose Alveraz pitched well in three innings in relief of Scherzer in game 1, striking out the side in the 5th.
- Santiago made a great play to dive and pick the ball at third and throw out the speedy Viciedo.
- Nate jones has closer stuff for the white sox out of their bullpen. He was nasty finishing off game 1.
- Porcello caught a line drive that almost took his head off and saved two runs in the second inning of game 2.
- Larry Vanover was very inconsistent calling his strike zone all game long. It took me a eight posts to complain about the officiating, that's pretty good, lets keep track if there are any longer streaks. Doubt it.
The Tigers now head home for a ten game home stand to face the Royals, Mariners, and White Sox.
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