Arizona Diamondbacks defeat Detroit Tigers 7-6 – MLB Update
The Arizona Diamondbacks overpowered the Detroit Tigers 7-6 at the Comercia Park in Detroit on Friday, June 24.
With almost a capacity crowd in the stands, the game was a nerve-racking encounter with both teams scoring at equal pace. Unforced errors were the only manner in which either team could be separated.
The Detroit crowd broke into cheers as the home side added two runs in the very first inning. Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera added one run each in a night which was a nightmare for the pitchers. Ordonez enjoyed his outing and scored a second in the third
inning before Casper Wells joined in the festive night to take the score to 4-0 and three innings played.
The fourth inning set the tempo right for the game as the Diamondbacks struck back strongly. Kelly Johnson, Justin Upton and Chris Young bettered their career records, adding one run each to take the score to 4-3 at the top of the fourth inning.
Wells followed the scoring suit for the night and bettered his third inning feat as he lashed a 406-feet home-run to take this season’s tally to four with a slugging percentage of .483. Austin Jackson contributed for the Tigers with his one-run, establishing
a solid three-run lead. The fourth inning was the most productive of the game.
The visitors sensed pressure with their starting pitcher Zach Duke leaking six runs in the four innings pitched. His ERA of 5.73 summarises his account. Upton and Young rose to the challenge, adding their second-runs for the Diamondbacks before Stephen Drew
added one to level things as soon as the fifth inning.
The pressure was back on the home team as they struggled to contain hits and runs. The pressure rose at the Comercia Park as the sixth and seventh innings went scoreless. Wily Mo Pena, whom the Diamondbacks called up this week from the Minors, finally broke
the ice and won it for the Arizona Diamondbacks. With a slugging percentage of .667, it could have been expected of him. He unleashed a monstrous hit landing at almost 454-feet, the third longest hit since Comercia Park’s inauguration in 2000.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew that ball was out," Pena said.
It was his second homer in his 15 at-bats. With his tantalizing entry into the Majors, Pena needs to be patient now and wait for pitches to hit them rather than hitting wildly.
It was a not-so-good night for the pitchers but it is worth mentioning the relief pitchers of the Diamondbacks who recorded a clean sheet. Esmerling Vasquez won his first game of the season as David Hernandez held his 11th and J.J. Putz recorded
his 21st save.
The Diamondbacks, at 43-34 now, need to continue with the team work and yield more such results barring pitching.
The Tigers aren’t expected to last long in their cages. They will be roaring for Saturday’s second game and will be all-out to improve their 40-36 record.
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