Horrible, then awesome, then nerve-wracking, but successful

Tigers 5, Blue Jays 4

Anibal Sanchez (21 GS, 125 IP, 3.53 ERA, 2.71 FIP, 3.5 fWAR) did not have a very good night. He gave up 10 hits and walked a batter en route to four runs, but he only made it through 4.2 innings and came out with an injury that looked quite uncomfortable. The Tigers were in a hole, but they grabbed two back in the 3rd when Kinsler knocked in Suarez and Davis. Unfortunately, the bats went quiet right after. They didn’t mount any sort of rally for much of the middle innings and allowed the Blue Jays to coast until the 9th inning. JD Martinez led off the 9th with a double and one batter later Nick Castellanos bailed everybody out with a game tying home run. Moments later, Suarez untied it with a solo shot of his own to turn this one around in a hurry. Joe Nathan nathan’d, but survived and the Tigers will turn to Max Scherzer (23 GS, 153 IP, 3.24 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 3.7 fWAR) on Saturday.

The Moment: Nick and Suarez go back to back to tie it and take the lead in the 9th.

Punchless.

Yankees 1, Tigers 0

Rick Porcello (22 GS, 148.1 IP, 3.09 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 2.7 fWAR) did Rick Porcello things on Thursday afternoon, holding the Yankees to a single run across seven innings of work in which he allowed nine hits, walked none, and punched out five while finding a way to get out of the only the jams he invented with some very timely ground balls. It wasn’t his most impressive day of the season, but the was quite good and gave his team every chance to win. The bats, um, did not. They sent more than five men to the plate in just one inning and hit their way out of any real threats before the ninth when they put the first two men on, called on Miggy to pinch hit, and then watched him bounce into a double play. Kelly was the Tigers’ last hope but couldn’t deliver, leaving the Tigers to lose three of four to the Yanks. Anibal Sanchez (20 GS, 120.1 IP, 3.37 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 3.4 fWAR) takes on the team from north of the border on Friday.

The Moment: Porcello escapes a 7th inning jam.

Disappointing.

Yankees 5, Tigers 1

Justin Verlander (24 GS, 157.2 IP, 4.57 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 2.1 fWAR) came into Yankees Stadium looking to build on some positive momentum from his last start against the helpless Rockies and but for two solo home runs, he was quite good across seven innings. He allowed five hits and a walk to go along with five strikeouts and wasn’t in much trouble at any point. Verlander’s pitches looked better too and induced some more Verlanderian reactions from the batter’s box. Unfortunately, the bats couldn’t do much to back him up. They scored courtesy of a Jeter error to start the game that was followed by a wild pitch, ground out, and sac fly. The rest of the night they were silent, save perhaps for a Martinez double that Ellsbury took away and a bad defense induced threat in the 8th. And then of course, the wheels fell off when Hardy struggled and then failed to cover first during a double play that made everything worse. The Tigers will still have a shot to split the series with Rick Porcello (21 GS, 141.1 IP, 3.18 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 2.4 fWAR) on the hill Thursday afternoon.

The Moment: Cabrera and Romine start a nice doub….aw forget it.

Unexpected.

Tigers 4, Yankees 3

In David Price’s (24 GS, 179,1 IP, 3.11 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 4.0 fWAR) first start, you got an excellent look at exactly who Price is as a pitcher. He went 8.2 innings, struck out ten, walked nobody, and gave up three runs on two solo shots. He was around the strikezone and was extremely efficient, essentially as advertised for his first start for the Tigers. Of course, most of the Tigers offense came from Andrew Romine and Alex Avila, which makes all kinds of sense, and of course the Tigers flubbed a run down, Kinsler spiked a double play ball, and Castellanos and Romine combined for some sort of strange infield double. The game was tied into the 9th and Price allowed a single and got two more outs before Ausmus went to the pen and Joba completed the inning. We also got to witness a VMart stolen base. In the top of the 12th, Nick put a good swing on the ball to no avail and then Alex Avila untied it with a big time go-ahead blast to deep right center. Nathan held serve and the Tigers evened the series with Justin Verlander (23 GS, 150.2 IP, 4.66 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 2.1 fWAR) set to go on Wednesday.

The Moment: Alex Avila launches a go-ahead homer in the 12th.

Very strange.

Yankees 2, Tigers 1

In this game, there were no home runs. The Tigers also played good defense behind a shaky Max Scherzer (23 GS, 153 IP, 3.24 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 3.7 fWAR). So this was pretty much exactly what you expected out of a Yankees-Tigers game in the Bronx. Max got into trouble, but was bailed out by a nice catch by Carrera in center and some nifty work by Kinsler at second to preserve his seven inning, two run outing. Coke pitched well in relief but the bats could only muster a single run against Brandon McCarthy and the Yankees’ bullpen, leaving them to drop game one of the series 2-1. We’ll get to play with out shiny new toy on Tuesday as David Price (23 GS, 170.2 IP, 3.11 ERA, 2.94 FIP, 3.9 fWAR) takes the hill for game two.

The Moment: Carrera saves a whole bunch of runs diving in center.

Dominant.

Tigers 4, Rockies 0

The Tigers bats got their runs and then got out of Anibal Sanchez’s (20 GS, 120.1 IP, 3.37 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 3.4 fWAR) way. They collected four runs in the 3rd inning courtesy of a Davis double, Kinlser HBP, Cabrera single, and then a 3-run homer from VMart. Sanchez would do the rest. He was vintage Sanchez, going seven innings while allowing just two hits, no walks, and no runs as he punched out 12 batters and induced 23 swinging strikes. There was basically no stopping him. He allowed a single in the 3rd and a single in the 7th and a ROE in the 6th. He could do no wrong and helped the Tigers coast comfortably to a three games sweep of the hapless Rockies. They’ll ride to New York for four with the Yankees, handing it to Max Scherzer (22 GS, 146 IP, 3.27 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 3.5 fWAR) on Monday.

The Moment: Sanchez leaves to a standing ovation after 7 innings.

Asombroso!

Tigers 11, Rockies 5

There’s a reasonable case to be made that the offense was the star tonight considering that they scored in all eight innings. There’s a case to be made that Pudge Rodriguez’ return stole the show. Maybe it was even David Price’s first day in the dugout. Sorry, you’re at New English D so we’re going to talk about Rick Porcello (21 GS, 141.1 IP, 3.18 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 2.4 fWAR). Sure Cabrera, Martinez, and Martinez homered. Sure Avila had a nice night. Sure Castellanos launched a triple, but Porcello went 8 innings, struck out 10, got 16 swinging strikes, and allowed just seven baserunners and two runs. He looked like he might labor early but he locked in and punished the Rockies as the game wore on, retiring 17 of his final 19. Porcello is now pitching deeper into games than any of the four Tigers starters who aren’t Price and it’s looking like the best season of his career is in reach. Heck, he even leads the team in ERA! The Tigers will build on this and look to sweep on Sunday with Anibal Sanchez (19 GS, 113.1 IP, 3.57 ERA, 2.90 FIP, 2.9 fWAR) on the hill.

The Moment: Porcello leaves to a standing ovation after 8 marvelous innings.

How you remembered it.

I’m not sure you could say it was just like the old days, with just five strikeouts and eight hits allowed, but no walks and two runs over eight innings for  Justin Verlander (23 GS, 150.2 IP, 4.66 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 2.2 fWAR) had to feel good. He didn’t feel dominant, but he also never lost it like he has during so many innings over the course of this forgettable season. The Tigers grabbed three runs in the fifth inning thanks to four straight hits by Holaday, Suarez, Davis, and Kinsler. Martinez knocked in Davis in the 7th to add some insurance but magically the bullpen, all one inning of it, didn’t need the help. The Tigers scored some runs, Verlander looked pretty good and Nathan didn’t do anything terribly wrong. You could get used to this. The team will look to take the series tomorrow with Rick Porcello (20 GS, 133.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 2.1 fWAR) toeing the rubber.

The Moment: Verlander K’s Barnes to end a very solid night.

Background noise.

White Sox 7, Tigers 4

Drew Smyly (18 GS, 105.1 IP, 3.93 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.3 fWAR) threw his final innings as a Tiger. Five innings, four runs, no walks, 11 hits, and two strikeouts. Two innings later he was traded. The game was tied at four and they slowly started to give it away as Jackson was pulled mid-inning to head out in the same trade. Hunter and Martinez had back to back home runs, the bullpen wasn’t great, but it’s hard to think of this game as anything but as a farewell to Smyly and Jackson. David Price is now a Tiger and the Tigers happened to lose today. Justin Verlander (22 GS, 142.2 IP, 4.79 ERA, 4.11 FIP, 1.8 fWAR) will now pitch for his postseason spot starting tomorrow night.

The Moment: Jackson gets pulled mid-inning to an ovation as he’s dealt in the David Price deal.

Quickly decided.

Tigers 7, White Sox 2

Max Scherzer (22 GS 145.2 IP, 3.27 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 3.5 fWAR) faced three batters in the first inning, then Austin Jackson made an out, and then the next eight Tigers reached base and produced six runs. Everyone did something, but Castellanos delivered the big hit with a three run homer, and then basically nothing happened for a very long time. The Tigers coasted through at bats and let Noesi pitch six innings before they woke up against the pen leading to another run. Scherzer walked one and allowed five hits while striking out six and allowing a run over seven innings before the bullpen took over and guided this one to a smooth landing…well, for them. They’ll look to take the series behind Drew Smyly (17 GS, 100.1 IP, 3.77 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.1 fWAR) on Thursday.

The Moment: Nick Castellanos puts it out of reach with a 3-run blast in the 1st.