Rapid Reactions: Tigers Beat Rangers, Clinch Third Straight Series

Tigers 8, Rangers 1 (box)

• The win brings the Tigers’ road record to .500, it gives them three consecutive series wins, and it makes 11 wins in the last 15 games. Their current record puts them on pace for 89 wins.
• Not too much to say about the offense except that they simply hit, constantly, for the second straight day. Seven Tigers came away with a multi-hit game. They’ve put up 38 hits (and 21 runs) in the first two games of this series.

• Ryan Raburn had two hits tonight to extend his hit streak to seven game. His OPS (.580) is now nearly even with Miguel Cabrera‘s slugging percentage (.583).
• Rick Porcello‘s strikeout numbers have fallen off a bit lately, but he can get away with that occasionally so long as he’s stingy with the walks (he allowed only one base on balls tonight). His ERA was at 9.00 after his first two starts, but he’s posted a 2.61 ERA in the games since then to bring his season total down to 3.58.
• Jim Leyland yanked Porcello after only six innings and 87 pitches. Rick probably could have gone out there for another inning, but I’m not complaining. It was a 6-1 game at the time, and David Purcey probably needed to get some work in after returning from a few days of paternity leave. I also don’t mind saving Rick’s arm for August and September.
• The Indians and Red Sox also won, so Detroit remains 1.5 games back in the division, and 1.0 game back of the wild card.

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