Tigers sweep sets up run for playoffs
detnews.com
BOB WOJNOWSKI
COLUMNIST
THE DETROIT NEWS
AUGUST 22, 2011
Detroit — In case you forgot, this is what it's like. One pitch here, one catch there, a booming start, a dramatic finish. This is what post-season baseball is like, and why it's so, so, so important for the Tigers to get there.
This was the day the fantastic tension officially arrived, when the manager was ejected and the pitchers struggled and the game ended on a stunning defensive turn. The Tigers nearly took a cleat in the mouth but didn't budge, and completed their biggest series sweep of the season.
Look at the standings to see how much this meant. With an 8-7 victory over the Indians on Sunday, the Tigers won three straight and stretched their division lead to 4 1/2 games. When it got wobbly at the end, they stood their ground. Actually, it was catcher Alex Avila standing strong, taking a perfect throw from centerfielder Austin Jackson and tagging out Cleveland's Kosuke Fukudome at the plate .
The sellout crowd of 43,388 went nuts. Closer Jose Valverde leaped in exultation, but more in relief. The Tigers now have their biggest lead and best record (68-58) of the season. They drew 132,239 fans against the Indians, the largest three-day attendance in Comerica Park's 12-year history.
Obviously, people are beginning to realize what's happening, from the packed stands to the manager's office to the clubhouse.
"I've never been in the playoffs at this level," Jackson said. "But I'm pretty sure that's as close as it gets to the excitement."
Jim Leyland had to watch the ending on TV because he was ejected for arguing a call in the sixth inning. This is big-boy baseball now and everyone's scrappin', including the 66-year-old manager who sprinted out of the dugout as fast as I've ever seen.
"It's a great win, not because of the pennant race, but because it could've been disastrous," Leyland said. "My heart was pumping just as much in here as it was out on the field. I can't tell a lie — I thought we were in trouble, and we were."
The Tigers nearly blew a 7-0 lead because Rick Porcello, for the third straight outing, was poor. That's a major concern. Starting pitching remains the dominant worry, as the Tigers used six relievers to hang on. If this one had slipped away, it would have been crushing.
The Indians had runners at second and third with two outs in the eighth, and reliever Joaquin Benoit struck out Carlos Santana. In the ninth, Valverde was wild and suddenly the Indians had a supreme chance, runners at second and third with one out. Matt LaPorta then lofted a fly ball to short center and Jackson came charging in.
The crowd stood as the throw was uncorked and the collision occurred — and the ball stayed firmly in Avila's glove.
"I said thank God and thank Jackson for that play," said Valverde, 37-for-37 in save situations. "I think this is the hardest save I have my whole career."
The game sure wasn't easy, but the series actually was. The Tigers outscored the Indians 14-2 in the first two victories, and seemed on their way again with seven runs in the third inning. The highlight: Tigers' trade acquisition Delmon Young blasted a three-run homer off Indians' trade acquisition Ubaldo Jimenez.
The Tigers are trying to do everyone a favor and put the A.L. Central out of its misery, and it's a tedious process. But this right here — this should be a mercy killing. The young, injured Indians have no business contending for a playoff spot, but they are. They had no business being in this game, but they were. Every play and every decision is scrutinized now, and Leyland won an interesting gamble.
He held star Justin Verlander out of the series to give him an extra day's rest for a Monday start in Tampa.
I won't quibble because Tampa Bay is a tougher team and Verlander probably could use a little help.
But squeezing your closest competitor is what this weekend was about, and the Tigers did it. They have 36 games left, but only 10 against teams with winning records (four versus Tampa Bay; six versus Cleveland).
With a favorable schedule, there's no reason to give away anything, as the Tigers chase their first post-season appearance since 2006, and only their second in 24 years.
"In a lot of ways, we tried to lose this game — pitching, base-running errors," Avila said. "What helped us is, we did just enough hitting and played some really good defense."
For a team that has struggled in that category, the Tigers played fine defense, from second baseman Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera to the All-Star catcher.
Avila has become the Tigers' Irrepressible Ironman, starting 15 straight games because Victor Martinez has a sore knee. All Avila did was boost his batting average to .302, then stand in the way of the Indians' tying run.
"Being tired in the middle of a pennant race is not really a good excuse," Avila said. "Everybody's getting to the ballpark early, everybody wants to be here and wants to win, and that feeling is very contagious."
That feeling is catching, from the centerfielder to the catcher and points in between. The race isn't over, but the Tigers just dodged danger and took three gigantic steps forward.
bob.wojnowski@detnews.com
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