Detroit Tigers 2012 regular season review – Part 29
After receiving a hammering in first three games of the series, the Detroit Tigers were looking to turn things around in the finale to avoid another embarrassing series sweep. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer helped them do that as he worked six solid innings
to claim his fifth win of the season. Allowing just seven hits and three runs, he ensured the Tigers were in the driving seat for most part of the game.
Scherzer struck-out batters at regular intervals which helped the Tigers dictate terms against their American League rivals. Relief pitcher Phil Coke also had a decent time on the mound as he tossed up 1.1 scoreless innings. Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde
combined to pitch 1.2 shut-out innings to help the Tigers secure a much needed victory.
Red Sox’s starter Josh Beckett looked complete out of sorts. His fastballs and sliders were ineffective and the Tigers complete advantage of that to post a decent total on the board. Overall, Beckett gave up ten hits and four runs in seven way-ward innings
take his fifth loss of the season.
"We just let him off the hook," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of Scherzer. "Heck, we had his pitch count up in the 80s after four innings and we were having good at-bats. Just kind of let it slip away."
"I made some pitches when I needed to and I didn't make some other ones," Beckett said. "We kind of talk about this a lot, you're going to have five pitches in a game that you have to make, and I think I made three of them today. The other two it cost me
three runs in one inning."
Closer Rich Hill also paid the ultimate price for his errors on the mound as he conceded three hits and two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Scott Podsednik put Red Sox on the board in the second innings as he doubled to deep centre. Rookie Quintin Berry levelled score 1-1 for the Tigers as he earned an RBI single to centre in the third. Brenan Boesch and Prince Fielder displayed some top quality
hitting skills in the third inning as the Tigers came back from behind for a 3-2 lead.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to centre in the third for Boston as the match entered a very gripping phase. However, the Tigers were determined to put things back on the winning track. Third baseman Miguel Cabrera singled to centre in the fifth and Delmon
Young smacked a solo home-run in the eighth to give Tigers a vital 5-3 lead. Fielder and Young continued to put pressure on the Red Sox, adding two more runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Tags: