a19: Congrats to your Red Sox...They played well...I wish Jim Leyland had pulled his young pitcher earlier...;-)
BOSTON 6, DETROIT 4: Out of control
Free passes off Verlander help Sox snag finale
BY JOHN LOWE
DETROIT FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES
August 17, 2006
BOSTON -- Manager Jim Leyland said Justin Verlander was a one-pitch pitcher Wednesday night against the Red Sox.
"He tried to beat a real good team with one pitch," Leyland said. "He didn't have command of his change-up or curve."
Verlander walked seven -- three more than his previous career high -- yet came within a batter of leaving with the lead and in line for the win.
Leadoff hitter Coco Crisp was the out he needed, with two outs in the sixth and the bases loaded. Crisp hit a two-out, two-run, opposite-field double off Fenway's 37-ft. leftfield Green Monster. That lead-changing hit put the Red Sox in front to stay in a 6-4 victory.
The Tigers missed a chance to become the first visiting team in four years to sweep a series of at least three games in Boston. They finished with a losing record (2-4) on a trip for the first time this year.
Verlander allowed a tiebreaking two-run homer to David Ortiz in the fifth. It was Ortiz's American League-high 42nd, and rightfielder Magglio Ordonez just missed it as it cleared the five-foot wall in right.
Ordonez led off the sixth with a homer over the Green Monster to left-center, ending his career-long homerless streak at 119 at-bats.
Later in the inning, rookie Brent Clevlen hit a David Wells pitch way over the Monster, putting the Tigers ahead, 4-3.
But Wells, 43, again showed his typically precise control. He walked one. In his 20-year career, the former Tiger never has walked as many in a game as Verlander did Wednesday.
Those seven walks gave Verlander, 23, a lesson in how valuable control is. In the sixth, he issued his second walk of the inning to No. 9 hitter Alex Cora. That loaded the bases with two outs for the switch-hitting Crisp. Jason Grilli and Wil Ledezma were warming up, but Leyland stayed with Verlander. "He's one of our horses," Leyland said. "I've got to give him a chance to get that out."
Verlander has had two outings (and losses) of contrasting roughness since he skipped a start to rest his shoulder. In Chicago last Friday, he didn't walk anyone -- but allowed a career-high 13 hits. He suspects he was tipping his pitches.
He gave up six hits Wednesday, and he was still zooming his fastball as high as 98 m.p.h., but his control wasn't there. "My arm feels OK," he said. He added that an outing like this -- "I beat myself" -- was more frustrating than one in which he gave up a lot of hits.
"There are some things I need to work on," Verlander said, looking ahead to Monday's start against Chicago. "I think tonight was one of those nights where it didn't come together. My timing wasn't there, and it didn't feel comfortable."
The Tigers stayed 6 1/2 games ahead of the second-place White Sox, who lost their second straight to visiting Kansas City on Wednesday night.
NICE PLAY: In his first game at second base in place of injured Placido Polanco, Omar Infante capped his flawless evening afield with a spectacular play. He went into short rightfield for catcher Javy Lopez's eight-inning grounder, whirled and threw him out. "Tremendous," Leyland said.
Contact JOHN LOWE at 313-223-4053 or jlowe@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc. |
