Saturday Detroit pounded Cleveland 10-1. Brandon Inge triumphantly hit his 2nd home run of the season in his first Tiger at-bat since his designation to Toledo. He hit a 400 foot ground rule double in his second at-bat, missing a 3-run homer by a few feet, and a 3rd RBI of the game due to the bounce over the wall. Still he was 2-4 with his home run and a double, and 2 RBIs. Ironically the last time Inge had 2 extra base hits in a game was August 20, 2010, exactly one year to the day.
Ramon Santiago was 2-3 with 2 RBIs. Victor Martinez was 2-4 with an RBI. Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson, and Don Kelly also drove in runs.
Doug Fister was the recipient of all that support. Fister came to Detroit from Seattle having the lowest run support of any starting pitcher in all of baseball. He got plenty Saturday, though he didn't need it. Fister allowed 1 run on 6 hits, with 7 Ks in 7 innings pitched. He improved to 5-13 on the season, 2-1 as a Tiger.
The box score for the season finale will say that Jose Valverde secured his 37th straight save in Detroit's 8-7 win. That's what the box score will say. But it was Austin Jackson who earned the save. He threw a perfect strike to the plate to gun down the tying run, completing a game ending fly out double play to get Valverde out of a runners on second and third with 2 outs jam. Valverde wasn't sharp. He walked a batter and hit a batter to set the dramatic stage.
As fine a game ending walk-off play as I've ever seen. Jackson also did it with his bat. He was 2-4 with an RBI and also stole his 17th base of the season. Delmon Young atoned for being the only Tiger without a hit in the 10-1 rout on Saturday. Young was 2-4 with a 3-run home run and a double - 4 RBIs total. It was Young's second home run as a Tiger.
Victor Martinez hit a 2 run homer, his 8th of the season. Ramon Santiago also drove in a run.
Detroit smacked around Ubaldo Jimenez to the tune of 8 runs on 9 hits in 3.1 innings pitched. There's a little bit of satisfaction in taking it to the big trade deadline acquisition of the Indians, who could have also been a Tiger. That of course is not Jimenez's fault at all. Colorado wanted more than Detroit wanted to give up, and Detroit is right to be pleased with what they got in Doug Fister instead.
Rick Porcello wasn't any better than Jimenez, giving back the lead that Detroit gave him in a 7 run 3rd inning. Porcello. Porcello allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 innings pitched. After his 5-0 July, Porcello has been hammered in 3 starts since. His ERA has ballooned over 5 on the year.
Phil Coke was the 5th of 7 Tiger pitchers and got the win with 1.1 innings of relief. He improved to 2-8 on the season, earning his first win since his lone win as a starter early in the season.
Detroit extended a 1.5 game lead in the Central to 4.5 games with one very good weekend of play. It's been a good while since they've swept a series.
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