(Not So) Rapid Reactions: Tigers Win See-Saw Affair To Sweep Twins

Tigers 9, Twins 7 (box)

• Move Phil Coke to the bullpen. He’s only 1-5 on the year, and he wasn’t good enough to earn the win today. I kid, of course. He hasn’t been particularly sharp as a starter, but his FIP (3.65, second in the rotation), xFIP (4.27, fourth in the rotation), and tERA (4.12, second in the rotation) all say that he’s pitched a bit better than his ERA (4.54, fourth in the rotation) indicates. Not mind-blowingly better, but probably good enough for a fourth or fifth starter.
• How about this offense? The Tigers have scored nine or more runs in four of the last five games (and five runs in the other game). That’s an 8.6 runs per game average. I can live with that.
• I mentioned that Jhonny Peralta‘s glove appears to be improved earlier in the week, but his already decent bat has been looking better of late as well. He’s hit safely in his last eight games (with power), and has put up a slash line of .417/.455/.793 over that period.
• It’s nice to win a back-and-forth game, even though it didn’t have to be that way today (looking in the direction of the bullpen). Seems like the Tigers usually end up on the short end in these type of affairs, but they were not to be denied this afternoon. Peralta’s pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the eighth gave the good guys the lead back after the bullpen refused to get outs in the previous half inning.
• Brandon Inge has been taking some crap for his lackluster hitting this year (and he’s deserved most of it), but he came through with one of the hits of the day today. His triple in the top of the ninth drove in the winning run, and put himself in position to add one for insurance. Well done.

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