Tigers Waste Chance to Gain Ground

Chicago 6, Detroit 2 (box)

There weren’t a lot of highlights for the Tigers in today’s loss to visiting Chicago. Rick Porcello got himself into deep trouble in the first, allowing the first four batters to reach before wiggling out of additional trouble, trailing 1-0.

After the Tigers took the lead with single runs in the first and second, Porcello worked himself into another jam in the fourth, but this time the White Sox made him pay, opening up a 4-2 lead by the time the inning was through.

After that, Porcello (3-4) settled down, retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. But the effort was too little, too late.

The reason for that was the Tigers complete lack of ability to bring runners home from third. Three times in the first five innings, Detroit had a runner at third with one out. Three times they failed to score that run.

Freddy Garcia (3-2) improved to 49-20 in day games in his career. Who would have thought that last night’s rain out could have hurt so badly?

The Tigers had a golden opportunity to get back into the game when it was still 4-2 in the seventh, but Miguel Cabrera lined out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Cheers and Jeers to follow.

*******************

Cheers for

• Brennan Boesch– Boesch doubled and singled in his first two at bats and also stole his first career base. He was the only Tiger with more than one hit.
• Magglio Ordonez– Maggs didn’t get a hit, but walked three times to extend innings for Cabrera. Never mind that Cabrera didn’t do anything with those chances, we’ll get to him.
• The Toronto Blue Jays– Who beat Minnesota 11-2 today. At least the Tigers didn’t drop a game in the standings.

Jeers for

• Gerald Laird/Alex Avila– Tigers catchers are now hitting .293 on the season. If you add their averages together, that is. This is disgusting.
• Miguel Cabrera– The way he played today, you would have wondered if he wasn’t out partying with his buddies from Chicago last night. Let’s hope not. His 0-for-4 included a strikeout and six runners left on base.

What’s on tap?

The Tigers head West for the second time already this year, starting with a game tomorrow night in Oakland. Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.88) is scheduled to take the hill for Detroit, opposite Dallas Braden.

Verlander is 3-0 in May, averaging seven innings per start. He has allowed just 11 hits while striking out 20 during that span. Braden (4-3, 3.50) was perfect in his last home start and followed that up with an eight inning, four run effort at Los Angeles in his last outing.