Doug Fister will fight for a much-needed win for the Detroit Tigers – MLB Preview
An eleventh inning defeat in the second outing of the National League Championship Series has made the Detroit Tigers’ pitching depth little conscious about the abilities of the Texas Rangers. Having an eye on the third and crucial outing of the series at
Comerica Park in Detroit, on Tuesday, October 11 the Tigers have shown confidence in Doug Fister.
Facing Colby Lewis, a dangerous pitcher, known for his perfect changeups and swinging sliders, Doug will have to display more than his usual performance. Fister did not have a brilliant season, as instead he was in a struggling position the entire season.
Fister has an 11-13 record with a 2.83 ERA in 31 starts in the 2011 regular season. However, his performance against the Rangers needs little improvement. He was 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in two starts against Texas.
Along with some strong pressure from his management, Fister will also act as per the expectations of the Tigers’ fans. All eyes of an expectedly packed stadium will be on Fister, as the club is in dire need of an exceptional performance.
"Obviously, there's a huge fan base in Detroit, which is terrific to play in front of," said Fister, "It's been very prevalent. It's something that gives you chills."
The right-hander has won four of his last five games at home and holds a 4-0 record with an exceptional 0.98 ERA. It gave the Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland some confidence, so he has provided Fister a strong batting line-up for back up.
MLB leader in batting average, Miguel Cabrera has pressure from the spectators. Delmon Young, who went 0-for-4 in last outing, will have to gain his impetus back in order to bring his club back in the series. Don Kelly and Ryan Raburn, who is among the top
RBI scorers in this season, need little support from their team-mates to take the Tigers to the top.
In opposition are some chart leaders, including Adrian Beltre Nelson Cruz, who launched a grand slam in the bottom of the eleventh inning to take the Rangers to a 7-3 win and Josh Hamilton. After adding valuable runs for the Rangers, these batters now are
in the mood to give the Tigers a series shut-out scenario. Only David Murphy and Ian Kinsler have to reassemble their hitting momentum to add the must win performance.
Colby Lewis will feel comfortable in the presence of a strong batting back-up. The right-hander gave away only a solo home-run and struck-out six in his previous post-season start against the Tampa Bay Rays, which the club defeated 4-3. Lewis now has a great
4-0 post-season record with a 1.67 ERA in five starts this season.
"It's the comfort ability aspect of things," Lewis said. "Basically the more you do it, the more you go out there, the more you understand what it takes to perform and be on that stage."
After losing a 9-0 game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series opener, the Rangers now have got an incredible five consecutive wins. The club is now looking to improve their winning streak to six, overpowering the rivals in the third straight
night.
It will be interesting to see how the Tigers manage to put in a dominating performance and try for a victory to save their post-season play.
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