The Twins will try to continue their hot hitting against the struggling Alfredo Simon, who opposes Minnesota’s Phil Hughes. Simon was roughed up once again, allowing seven runs – five earned – on 10 hits as the Tigers were railed by the Twins, 9-5, at Target Field. “You’ve got a few innings left”, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. The 34-year-old was fortunate to have a 12-run outburst behind him in his last outing, giving him his first win since June 14 despite yielding five runs in 5 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old was dominant in his first three starts of the season but was hit hard before being sent to the minors, posting a 12.27 ERA while losing each of his last four big-league starts. “We obviously need him to get past this, sooner than later”.
Advertisement
After last night’s ninth inning debacle, the Tigers desperately needed a solid start to lift them up. Trevor Plouffe and Eddie Rosario each had three hits and scored twice, and Aaron Hicks brought in two runs on a triple in the third inning, the Associated Press reports. Kurt Suzuki and Danny Santana each drove in two runs, and rookie Miguel Sano mixed an RBI double in with three strikeouts.
“I was executing my pitches much better throughout the course of the game, including the stretch, which is where I kind of lost it in my previous start”, Verlander said.
RANGERS 4, PADRES 3 Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back home runs, and host Texas beat San Diego, snapping a five-game skid. “After the leadoff home run, he settled in fairly well”.
But they didn’t. Ian Kinsler hit a home run-except it apparently was ruled a ground rule double, but it still scored Gose to put the Tigers ahead.
After Joe Mauer reached on an error, Migue Sano was about a foot away from hitting his second career home run in the fourth inning.
“””(I) feel badly because Verlander threw a nice game and I blew it. It’s part of baseball and sometimes the ball goes like that”, said Soria. Or maybe it was just Simon’s ragged pitching – the seven-run, 10-hit battering the Twins gave the right-hander marked the fifth straight start he’s allowed five runs or more.
Detroit’s bullpen is awful, but the team seems to have discovered a new power trio in Yoenis Cespedes, J.D.
Kinsler hit the second pitch of the game into the left-field seats, his 32nd career leadoff homer.
“You’ve got to have kids in college to do that”, Hunter said, as his son and Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver, Torii Hunter Jr. “The wind was blowing today”.
Molitor called it “a really big home run for us after they had narrowed the gap on us”.
Advertisement
Getting the ball for Detroit tonight will be David Price, who is 8-2 with a 2.54 ERA overall for the year, while on the road he has gone 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA. Feliz was available for duty Saturday…. Tigers RHP Jeff Ferrell was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. Chin-hui Tsao picked up his first major league win in eight years and Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances. Farmer was optioned to Toledo make room for Greene. Dozier will replace Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, who will miss the game with a shoulder injury….
