Detroit Tigers avoid early exit from postseason as club pulls off a 7 – 5 win over the Texas Rangers
Justin Verlander proved himself with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, October 13, when he restricted the Texas Rangers through the majority of Game 5 in the American League Championship Series at the Comerica Park in Detroit. The Tigers clinched a 7 – 5 victory
despite not having the full bullpen roster at their disposal. Verlander proved to be the hero of the game with a straining 133-pitch stint.
The Tigers however did not only have Verlander to thank for their victory. Much of their win was owed to the third base bag that assisted the club in the sixth inning. The bag allowed the Tigers to break a 2 – 2 tie and pressurize Texas pitcher C. J. Wilson,
who conceded a total of four runs in the sixth inning.
Verlander ended the game on 7.1 innings, pitching 133 balls and allowing just four runs off eight hits. Phil Coke was the only other Detroit pitcher to feature on the mound and he completed the remaining innings, giving just one run up from two hits.
Wilson, on the other hand, conceded six runs off eight hits in six innings of pitching. Koji Uehara was the other Texas player to pick up the run as he conceded a home run in 0.2 innings of pitching.
The Rangers looked like a strong competitor early on as Josh Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly to put Ian Kinsler through the last plate for a 1 – 0 score line. Alex Avila however pulled one back for the Tigers as he smashed a homer, early, against Wilson in
the third inning. Delmon Young then made it 2 – 1 in the fourth when he also slammed a home run against the Texas pitcher.
It was Josh Hamilton again who provided a run as he drove in Ian Kinsler for the equalizing run with a single to the centre. The score had turned to 2 – 2.
The Tigers however rebounded in the sixth when Ryan Raburn managed a single to first base. Miguel Cabrera drove him in for the third Detroit run when he smashed a double to the left. The ball hit the third base bag on the way and it allowed the club to avoid
a double play. Wilson was called off his focus and he allowed Victor Martinez an RBI triple. The club had gone up to 4 – 2 and Delmon Young made it 6 – 2 in the same inning when he smashed a two-run homer.
When it looked like the damage was done, Raburn returned in the seventh inning to feed Uehara a homer. The score line had now changed to 7 – 2.
The Rangers however did not quit as Nelson Cruz smashed a two run homer off Verlander in the eighth. He put the Rangers on 4 – 7 and called for a rally. The club however could only pull off another run and that came in the ninth against Coke as Michael Young
drove in Hamilton with a single to the right.
The night concluded with a 7 – 5 score line and the Detroit Tigers forced a Game 6 at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
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