DETROIT (AP) ” Victor Martinez homered and Detroit ace Justin Verlander limited NY to four hits in six innings to help the Tigers to their ninth victory in their last 10 games.
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Logan Verrett was knocked out in the fourth inning, and the Detroit Tigers held on to beat the Mets 6-5 on Saturday at Comerica Park.
Stalking the hallway outside the manager’s office about 30 minutes after the final play, Alderson issued a “no comment” when asked if the Mets should have challenged plate umpire Tony Randazzo’s ruling that Bruce was out on J.D. Martinez’s throw home and perhaps whether catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was blocking the plate without the ball.
Miguel Cabrera’s two-run single in the fourth gave him 996 RBI with Detroit, and his two hits gives him 463 multi-hit games with the Tigers.
“I feel like this past month has been a good learning experience for me”, Syndergaard told ESPN’s Adam Rubin after yesterday’s loss. We’re looking really at some point in early September we hope to get him back.
Syndergaard (9-6) is 0-3 in his last five starts, and hasn’t made it past the sixth inning in any of them. “I know I have the stuff to go out there and be dominant, but I’ve got to let myself do it. I think he’s trying to do that; I don’t think he knows how to do that just yet”. The two hits he allowed were a solo homer by Angel Pagan in the fourth and a single by Denard Span in the sixth.
If you were to see how Noah Syndergaard started the season you wouldn’t think that he would be 1-4 with a 3.99 ERA in his last seven starts.
Verrett is slated to make his next start, but it is not set in stone, and the Mets (56-54) finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position while losing the first two of this three-game set.
“Obviously, being in the race adds some excitement”, Verlander said.
Jay Bruce followed two singles with a sharp grounder to first, but Cabrera’s try for a force at second hit the runner in the back, allowing one run to score.
CL Francisco Rodriguez gave up a run in the ninth but earned his 31st save of the season.
Former Ray James Loney drove in a ninth-inning run with a groundout, and Rodriguez retired another former Ray, Kelly Johnson, to end the game. Johnson had been 0-for-15 with seven strikeouts against Verlander before that at-bat. “Verlander’s one of those guys that can get himself out of just about any jam, so you have to get him fast”. He pitched well in low-leverage bullpen outings and was returned to the rotation when injuries struck other Detroit starters.
Kinsler led off the bottom of the first inning with a hard single. Opposing base stealers have been successful 32 of 36 times this season against the right-hander, and 47 of 52 times in his brief career.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he reviews scouting reports with first base coach and baserunning coach Omar Vizquel before every series.
Kinsler got a huge jump on the steal of second, and the Mets didn’t even bother with a throw when he swiped third.
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Verlander was cruising until he walked Jay Bruce on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth.
