Detroit Tigers: Spring Training Results – MLB 2011
The Spring Training season turned out to be quite a decent one for the Detroit Tigers as they emerged victorious in 21 out of 35 games. Making a strong start to their campaign, they demolished Fla Southern in their first game 17-5 on February 25.
In their next two games against Toronto Blue Jays, they outplayed their rivals in almost all departments of the game. Brad Penny kept the score down with some excellent pitching to give his side a narrow 1-0 victory in Game 2.
"I was just throwing a nice, easy sinker," Penny said after tossing the first two innings of the Tigers' second straight shut-out. "I got three ground-ball outs (in the second), and I don't know if I've ever gotten three ground-ball outs because I usually
don't throw a sinker."
Tigers displayed some high quality baseball in their match against New York Yankees to make it four wins in four appearances in the spring season. Experiencing their first defeat in the month of March, the Tigers went down to the Houston Astros 3-6 on March
2. Struggling to get back on track, the Tigers were defeated in four straight games, with the last one being a 4-7 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fighting back and showing great determination, the Tigers thrashed the Houston Astros in their next game 5-0. Adopting a very aggressive approach, they won seven out their next nine games. Crushing Baltimore Orioles 9-1 on March 13, they looked on top of
their game. Miguel Cabrera batted brilliantly with two RBIs and three hits as he helped his side secure a comfortable victory. Team Manager Jim Leyland expressed his delight at his squad’s effort.
"Those kids did a good job. It's still spring training. I'm not getting carried away -- by any means," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.
The Tigers continued their impressive form throughout the spring season as the earned impressive victories against other quality teams such as Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. Although they had disappointing
losses against New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the overall quality of their work was quite satisfactory.
The confidence they gained during the spring session helped them overcome difficult situations during the entire regular season as they stayed at a very healthy position in the Wild Card standings. Detroit’s manager Tim Leyland aimed to continue their impressive
run and give even better results during the regular season.
Detroit managed to gain valuable game time during Spring Training to try out their different options on the team roster. The experience that most of the players were able to get during the training sessions provided invaluable game time to those that may
not get to play in the regular season. The Tigers made full use of Spring Training as they were ready to roar in the once the regular season started.
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