Detroit lefty Matt Boyd fired six scoreless innings for his first win of the season and second of his career, as the Tigers blanked the Minnesota Twins last night in the Motor City, 1-0.
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Another opportunity had come and gone for the Detroit Tigers.
“We’re in an offensive funk that started before this series, and there’s not really much you can do about that”, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. They took a lot of pressure off the guys that were pitching every day, because we had a stretch prior to the All-Star break where everybody was exhausted….
Max Kepler hit a towering blast over the right field wall off the recently unflappable Francisco Rodriguez, giving the Twins a 2-1 lead. Dozier blasted a two-run homer on Tuesday. It broke a 1-1 tie in a pitcher’s duel between Tigers starter Justin Verlander and Minnesota starter Ervin Santana.
Quite a stretch of baseball Francisco Rodriguez had stitched together entering Wednesday’s game: No runs in his last 10 appearances, and only five runs allowed in his last 29 games.
Rodriguez then made a throwing error and appeared to be shaken up, but after a conference at the mound he stayed in the game and allowed the two-run shot by Rosario. Milone (3-2) went 8 and 1/3 innings in the win. Verlander recorded a win in his last game, with seven innings, four hits and one earned.
In all, the Tigers scored only four runs in dropping two of three to the Twins, who allow a league-worst 5.2 runs per game.
Over on the Tigers’ side, Justin Verlander will be the Wednesday starter.
In improving to 9-6, Martinez walked one and struck out five, permitting just two singles after the game’s first two hitters. Ricky Nolasco (4-8) allowed one run and three hits in six innings.
“Definitely not (expected). I never want to wish that we are going to score one run, but it ended up being a big one, which is cool”, Upton said.
But that was it for the Tigers despite chances in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. But Cameron Maybin hit into a double play, and Mauer hustled into foul territory to run down Miguel Cabrera’s pop fly to end the inning.
Two outs shy of a complete game, Tommy Milone finally had to be pulled in the ninth inning.
Santana had to wriggle off the hook in the seventh as well after Mike Aviles’ two-out double put two runners in scoring position.
The lesson: don’t run on the field – or, if you do – never stop running.
Twins manager Paul Molitor was assured by owner Jim Pohlad that his job was safe the rest of the year and into next season despite the firing of GM Terry Ryan on Monday. Brandon Kintzler collected his sixth save.
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“I think I made myself look real athletic and then five seconds later made myself look like a dunce”. OF Tyler Collins was scratched before the game because of neck spasms…. Norris made a rehab start Monday night, but there may not be any rush to bring him back after Sanchez’s solid outing. Minnesota RHP Tyler Duffey, who has won three of his last four starts, will start the first contest of a four-game series at Boston on Thursday. Steven Wright (11-5) starts for the Red Sox.
