Ugly.

White Sox 11, Tigers 4

Anibal Sanchez (19 GS, 113.1 IP, 3.57 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 2.9 fWAR) had a very Sanchez-y night. He was very solid through the first five or six innings but as he approached the 7th inning and 100 pitches he started to tire and the Sox started to get to him. The bats had worked the Sox to a 2-2 draw to that point courtesy of a Hunter single, JDMart triple, and Holaday sac fly in the 2nd. The 7th inning was a disaster, as Ausmus let Sanchez allow three baserunners before going to Soria, whom he let pitch well after he put the game out of reach, likely burning him for tomorrow. The Sox tacked on two in the 8th and the Tigers mini-rally wasn’t nearly enough to make up for poor defense and Soria’s metldown. They will turn to Max Scherzer (21 GS, 139 IP, 3.37 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 3.2 fWAR) Wednesday to end the skid.

The Moment: Martinez slices a triple into the corner.

Poorly ended.

Angels 2, Tigers 1

No jury would convict Rick Porcello (20 GS, 133 IP, 3.25 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 2.0 fWAR) after this one. Allow me to paint a picture. Porcello dominated the Angels through 7 innings of work. His offense scored him one run during the game. He allowed five baserunners and struck out six batters. The only run he allowed came on a botched pickoff play, for which he deserves some penalty for the poor throw, but the runner scored because Austin Jackson simply didn’t return the ball to the infield and the runner just kept going. Then at 99 pitches, he got pulled for Joba because it was the 8th inning and that’s who Brad Ausmus uses in the 8th inning. Joba’s been good this year, but he allowed a go ahead blast to left center field and the Tigers lost. This is mostly a story about an offense that didn’t score, but it’s also about lazy defense, a bad bullpen moment, and a manager who probably should have let his starter continue given how sharp he was on this day. Anibal Sanchez (18 GS, 107 IP, 3.45 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 2.7 fWAR) on Tuesday.

The Moment: Porcello shines.

Bleh?

Angels 4, Tigers 0

If you like losing, this one kind of had everything. Justin Verlander (22 GS, 142.2 IP, 4.79 ERA, 4.13 FIP, 1.9 fWAR) was actually pretty good across seven innings, but couldn’t slam the door in the 6th and allowed some add on runs to give the Angels a cushion. Then of course there was the pickoff of Suarez, which the umpires allowed the Angels to challenge later than they should have, which led to Ausmus getting ejected without issuing a protest (Which he should have). Also, the umpires called Suarez out on a bunt play when the ball hit him in the batter’s box. Also, Hunter made a really bad error which led to a run in the 8th while Soria got BABIP’d to death in his debut. No offense, bad umpiring, Hunter defense. It wasn’t the sharpest of nights, but the Tigers have Rick Porcello (19 GS, 126.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.8 fWAR) going Sunday for a split.

The Moment: Ausmus gets worked up when the umpires allow the Angels to challenge late.

Late.

Angels 2, Tigers 1

Considering that it’s very late and because it is also very late, let’s do this in choppy unconnected sentences! Drew Smyly (17 GS, 100.1 IP, 3.77 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 1.1 fWAR) was awesome. He retired the first 13 batters he faced with nine strikeouts and ended the day with 11 punchouts to go along with one intentional walk and two runs allowed, both of which came in the 6th as the Angels started to lock in. The Tigers got their only run on a Cabrera solo shot and neither bullpen factored into the scoring. Justin Verlander (21 GS, 135.2 IP, 4.84 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.8 fWAR) goes Saturday in game three.

The Moment: Smyly retires the first 13 he faces.

Angelic? /logs off

Tigers 6, Angels 4

Max Scherzer (21 GS, 139 IP, 3.37 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 3.3 fWAR) managed to squeeze one shaky inning into an otherwise phenomenal start on Thursday. He went seven innings, allowed six hits and a walk to go with three runs, but he punched out eleven Angels (including Trout twice!) and was dominant outside the 5th inning. The Tigers manufactured a quick run in the 3rd inning, but really unleashed the attack in the 6th when they got four straight hits and three runs to start the inning. They tacked on insurance runs in the 7th and 8th and you’re happy they did. Joba allowed a run in the 8th and Nathan somehow did totally fine in the 9th to lock it down. It’s late, so go to sleep and get ready for Drew Smyly (16 GS, 94.2 IP, 3.80 ERA, 4.44 FIP, 0.8 fWAR) on Friday.

The Moment: Castellanos gives the Tigers the lead with a big double in the 6th.

Diverse.

Tigers 11, Dbacks 5

This game was essentially a three act play. The first act featured a good Anibal Sanchez (18 GS, 107 IP, 3.45 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 2.7 fWAR) and very potent Tigers bats. Before you knew it, the Tigers were in control of a 7-0 game, largely thanks to basically everyone in the lineup. Act two featured Anibal Sanchez allowing baserunners and runs, to the tune of 11 hits and a walk, totaling five runs of damage across 6.1 innings. Job came in to bail him out, which was great, but then Ausmus didn’t utilize the double switch, meaning that he had to hit for himself in the 8th inning. Fortunately, the Tigers added on four runs anyway, largely on a Cabrera home run, and Joba became superfluous in Act Three. So while Tuesday night was very disappointing, Wednesday was very appointing(?). The team will head further west to face the Angels and Mike Trout on Thursday with Max Scherzer (20 GS, 132 IP, 3.34 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 2.8 fWAR) taking the ball in game one.

The Moment: Joba Chamberlain batted.

A giveaway. 

Dbacks 5, Tigers 4

Rick Porcello (19 GS, 126.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.8 fWAR) gave up three runs on Tuesday night, but they were isolated events. For most of his seven innings, he was in complete control, allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out five. The Tigers got a run in the first and a run in the third to set up the 8th inning of joy and doom. The Tigers teed off on the Dbacks bullpen, culminating in a bases loaded single by Torii Hunter that gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Ausmus wanted to add on and he pulled Porcello for a pinch hitter with two outs and the bases loaded (at 77 pitches and a tired Joba). On average, the value of pinch hitting is something like 0.15 runs or a touch more, but the drop off to the Tigers terrible bullpen is likely more significant. Naturally, Coke walked two lefties, Alburquerque walked another, and then Krol allowed a single to give the Dbacks the lead and the win. Once again, the Tigers were thwarted by having bad relievers and a manager who isn’t a great tactician. They’ll try to take the series anyway on Wednesday behind Anibal Sanchez (17 GS, 100.2 IP, 3.22 ERA, 2.87 FIP, 2.6 fWAR).

The Moment: Torii Hunter singles up the middle to plate the tying and go-ahead run in the 8th.

Late, but successful.

Tigers 4, Dbacks 3

Justin Verlander (21 GS, 135.2 IP, 4.84 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.9 fWAR) came out of the gate looking much better than he did during the first half of the season, but even good Verlander allows three runs and nine baserunners across 6.2 innings in 2014. It wasn’t vintage Verlander, but it was plenty good enough Verlander. The Tigers got their runs on a two run blast from Hunter in the 2nd and a solo shot from Jackson in the third, but after the Dbacks rallied back it was Miguel Cabrera who singled off the wall in center to plate another, even though he was thrown out on what should have been a sure double. Alburquerque escaped the 7th, Joba handled the 8th, and Joe Nathan pitched a reasonably uneventful inning, by his standards, to nail it down. Rick Porcello (18 GS, 119.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.7 fWAR) will get the ball for game two.

The Moment: Holaday picks off Inciarte in the 7th.

All Smyles.

Tigers 5, Indians 1

Drew Smyly (16 GS, 94.2 IP, 3.80 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 0.8 fWAR) hadn’t exactly been cruising through recent starts, but he definitely found a groove today, twirling seven innings of one run baseball, allowing six runners and striking out six with the only run coming on a solo shot.  The breaking ball was as good as it’s been in some time and his offense backed him with four reasonably early runs and one late courtesy of leadoff hits by Jackson and Kinsler paired with two fly outs and then a two runs shot from Hunter in the 4th. Castellanos scored Hunter in the 8th with a double way up the RCF gap to make it a 5-1 game. Nathan came on in the 9th and didn’t even allow a baserunner! The Tigers will head west having salvaged one with Justin Verlander (20 GS, 129 IP, 4.88 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.8 fWAR) meeting the Dbacks on Monday.

The Moment: Hunter gives the Tigers some insurance with a two run blast.

Predictable.

Indians 5, Tigers 2

Max Scherzer (20 GS, 132 IP, 3.34 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 2.9 fWAR) was supposed to calm things down, save the bullpen, and get the Tigers back on track in the nightcap, and he only sort of did that. Max managed to allow just two runs (both solo HR to Chris Dickerson, what?!), but he walked four and only struck out four and labored through 5.2 innings in almost 120 pitches. The offense was good enough to even the score, capped off by a huge triple from Jackson in the 7th, but the Tigers gave Joe Nathan a tie game and you can’t give Joe Nathan anything resembling a close game at this point. He allowed two runners and was asked to IBB Brantley before allowing a bases clearing ball up the gap from Santana to make it 5-2. Torii ripped a double in the 9th, but the Tigers were unable to rally back as they lost the DH, the first three in the series and their fourth in a row. They will try to salvage one with Drew Smyly (15 GS, 87.2 IP, 4.00 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 0.7 fWAR) going Sunday.

The Moment: Jackson swats a game-tying triple in the 7th.