DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers were due for a game like this.
Cabrera homered twice and drove in five runs, and Anibal Sanchez pitched eight sharp innings to lift the Tigers to a 13-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Detroit scored seven runs in its previous four games before nearly doubling that total in the series finale against Twins.
"We've been kind of waiting for this, I think everybody has," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Players, coaching staff, fans, I think everyone was kind of waiting for the offense to kind of break out a little bit."
Nick Castellanos and Bryan Holaday also went deep for the Tigers, and Anthony Gose added a career-high four hits. It was Cabrera's third multihomer game of the season and 33rd of his career. He has a team-high eight home runs in 2015.
Sanchez (3-4) allowed a run and five hits after entering the day with a 5.44 ERA. He struck out nine and walked one.
Mike Pelfrey (3-1) allowed four earned runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"I'll take the blame for it -- that's fine," Pelfrey said. "That guy on the other side was pretty dominant today, so I needed to be better, and obviously wasn't good enough."
The Tigers already led 5-1 when Cabrera hit a two-run homer to left in the sixth. He added another two-run shot an inning later.
Detroit's 13 runs and 20 hits were both season highs.
Minnesota was trying for its fourth consecutive series win, but the Tigers took the finale of this three-game set in emphatic fashion.
Cabrera was 2 for 17 on Detroit's homestand coming into the game, but he opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first and then came home on a sacrifice fly by Yoenis Cespedes.
Rajai Davis added a run-scoring double later that inning.
Castellanos made it 5-1 with his homer in the fifth, and the Tigers scored three runs in the sixth. After Cabrera's home run, Holaday hit an RBI double to put Detroit ahead 8-1.
Gose and Ian Kinsler hit consecutive triples to start the bottom of the seventh, and Cabrera followed with a drive that barely cleared the wall in right to make it 11-1. Holaday added a two-run shot in the eighth -- his first homer of the year and second of his career.
Detroit's three highest-scoring games this year have all been against the Twins. The Tigers beat Minnesota 11-0 on April 8 and 10-7 on April 29.
Detroit began Thursday's game with a terrific double play on a grounder up the middle by Kurt Suzuki. Shortstop Jose Iglesias ranged well to his left and shoveled the ball with his glove to Kinsler at second, who barehanded it and threw to first.
"The adjustment I have to make with Jose isn't how many balls he can reach, it is how many ways he has of delivering them to me," Kinsler said. "He still surprises me with some of his flips. For one thing, he can throw the ball as hard with his glove as most people can with their arm."
ALMOST
Kinsler is still homerless this season, although his leadoff double in the sixth nearly cleared the fence. Kinsler actually appeared to slow into a trot as he neared first base coach Omar Vizquel before realizing the ball was still in play.
"Omar was about to give me a high five, so I thought it had gone out," Kinsler said. "Then I had to start running."
SOUR FINISH
The Twins have won 10 of 14, and that includes a 3-3 mark on this road swing to Cleveland and Detroit, but Thursday's game was a rough way to end the trip.
"We're trying to hold our own the best that we can when we're on the road," manager Paul Molitor said. "A chance to come back and win this series, and they kind of dominated today."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Minnesota RP Brian Duensing allowed Cabrera's first homer -- he had not given up a run since returning May 2 from a right intercostal strain.
Tigers: Victor Martinez, who is off to a slow start after offseason knee surgery, had the day off.
UP NEXT
Detroit heads to St. Louis for a three-game series. The Tigers will send RHP Shane Greene (3-2) to the mound against RHP Carlos Martinez (3-1) on Friday night.
Minnesota returns home to face Tampa Bay for three games. Twins RHP Phil Hughes (2-4) takes on RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-2) on Friday night.
Cabrera homered twice and drove in five runs, and Anibal Sanchez pitched eight sharp innings to lift the Tigers to a 13-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Detroit scored seven runs in its previous four games before nearly doubling that total in the series finale against Twins.
"We've been kind of waiting for this, I think everybody has," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Players, coaching staff, fans, I think everyone was kind of waiting for the offense to kind of break out a little bit."
Nick Castellanos and Bryan Holaday also went deep for the Tigers, and Anthony Gose added a career-high four hits. It was Cabrera's third multihomer game of the season and 33rd of his career. He has a team-high eight home runs in 2015.
Sanchez (3-4) allowed a run and five hits after entering the day with a 5.44 ERA. He struck out nine and walked one.
Mike Pelfrey (3-1) allowed four earned runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"I'll take the blame for it -- that's fine," Pelfrey said. "That guy on the other side was pretty dominant today, so I needed to be better, and obviously wasn't good enough."
The Tigers already led 5-1 when Cabrera hit a two-run homer to left in the sixth. He added another two-run shot an inning later.
Detroit's 13 runs and 20 hits were both season highs.
Minnesota was trying for its fourth consecutive series win, but the Tigers took the finale of this three-game set in emphatic fashion.
Cabrera was 2 for 17 on Detroit's homestand coming into the game, but he opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first and then came home on a sacrifice fly by Yoenis Cespedes.
Rajai Davis added a run-scoring double later that inning.
Castellanos made it 5-1 with his homer in the fifth, and the Tigers scored three runs in the sixth. After Cabrera's home run, Holaday hit an RBI double to put Detroit ahead 8-1.
Gose and Ian Kinsler hit consecutive triples to start the bottom of the seventh, and Cabrera followed with a drive that barely cleared the wall in right to make it 11-1. Holaday added a two-run shot in the eighth -- his first homer of the year and second of his career.
Detroit's three highest-scoring games this year have all been against the Twins. The Tigers beat Minnesota 11-0 on April 8 and 10-7 on April 29.
Detroit began Thursday's game with a terrific double play on a grounder up the middle by Kurt Suzuki. Shortstop Jose Iglesias ranged well to his left and shoveled the ball with his glove to Kinsler at second, who barehanded it and threw to first.
"The adjustment I have to make with Jose isn't how many balls he can reach, it is how many ways he has of delivering them to me," Kinsler said. "He still surprises me with some of his flips. For one thing, he can throw the ball as hard with his glove as most people can with their arm."
ALMOST
Kinsler is still homerless this season, although his leadoff double in the sixth nearly cleared the fence. Kinsler actually appeared to slow into a trot as he neared first base coach Omar Vizquel before realizing the ball was still in play.
"Omar was about to give me a high five, so I thought it had gone out," Kinsler said. "Then I had to start running."
SOUR FINISH
The Twins have won 10 of 14, and that includes a 3-3 mark on this road swing to Cleveland and Detroit, but Thursday's game was a rough way to end the trip.
"We're trying to hold our own the best that we can when we're on the road," manager Paul Molitor said. "A chance to come back and win this series, and they kind of dominated today."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Minnesota RP Brian Duensing allowed Cabrera's first homer -- he had not given up a run since returning May 2 from a right intercostal strain.
Tigers: Victor Martinez, who is off to a slow start after offseason knee surgery, had the day off.
UP NEXT
Detroit heads to St. Louis for a three-game series. The Tigers will send RHP Shane Greene (3-2) to the mound against RHP Carlos Martinez (3-1) on Friday night.
Minnesota returns home to face Tampa Bay for three games. Twins RHP Phil Hughes (2-4) takes on RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-2) on Friday night.
1:08PM,EDT,May 14,2015
Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Minnesota - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Dozier singled to left. | 0 | 0 |
| Suzuki grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Dozier out at second. | 0 | 0 |
| Mauer grounded out to pitcher. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Mike Pelfrey pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Gose singled to center. | 0 | 0 |
| Kinsler grounded out to pitcher, Gose to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Cabrera singled to center, Gose scored. | 0 | 1 |
| J.D. Martinez singled to center, Cabrera to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Céspedes hit sacrifice fly to center, Cabrera scored. | 0 | 2 |
| Castellanos walked, J.D. Martinez to second. | 0 | 2 |
| Davis doubled to left, J.D. Martinez scored, Castellanos to third. | 0 | 3 |
| Holaday flied out to center. | 0 | 3 |
| 3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Plouffe struck out swinging. | 0 | 3 |
| Escobar flied out to left. | 0 | 3 |
| Vargas struck out looking. | 0 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Mike Pelfrey pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Iglesias singled to left center. | 0 | 3 |
| Gose flied out to left. | 0 | 3 |
| Kinsler safe at first on error by third baseman Plouffe, Iglesias to second. | 0 | 3 |
| Cabrera lined out to center. | 0 | 3 |
| J.D. Martinez singled to left, Iglesias to third, Kinsler to second. | 0 | 3 |
| Céspedes grounded out to third. | 0 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Rosario struck out swinging. | 0 | 3 |
| Hicks struck out swinging. | 0 | 3 |
| Santana reached on infield single to shortstop. | 0 | 3 |
| Santana stole second. | 0 | 3 |
| Dozier fouled out to catcher. | 0 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Mike Pelfrey pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Castellanos singled to center. | 0 | 3 |
| Davis reached on bunt single to third, Castellanos to second, Castellanos to third on throwing error by third baseman Plouffe. | 0 | 3 |
| Holaday lined out to second. | 0 | 3 |
| Iglesias grounded out to pitcher, Castellanos scored, Davis to second. | 0 | 4 |
| Gose walked. | 0 | 4 |
| Kinsler flied out to right. | 0 | 4 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Suzuki walked. | 0 | 4 |
| Mauer struck out looking. | 0 | 4 |
| Plouffe singled to left center, Suzuki to second. | 0 | 4 |
| Escobar singled to right, Suzuki scored, Plouffe to third. | 1 | 4 |
| Vargas grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Escobar out at second. | 1 | 4 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Mike Pelfrey pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Cabrera grounded out to shortstop. | 1 | 4 |
| J.D. Martinez struck out swinging. | 1 | 4 |
| Céspedes grounded out to shortstop. | 1 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Rosario struck out swinging. | 1 | 4 |
| Hicks grounded out to second. | 1 | 4 |
| Santana lined out to left. | 1 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Mike Pelfrey pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Castellanos homered to right. | 1 | 5 |
| Davis grounded out to second. | 1 | 5 |
| Holaday singled to left center. | 1 | 5 |
| Iglesias grounded into fielder's choice to third, Holaday out at second. | 1 | 5 |
| Duensing relieved Pelfrey. | 1 | 5 |
| Gose singled to left, Iglesias thrown out at third. | 1 | 5 |
| 1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Dozier grounded out to shortstop. | 1 | 5 |
| Suzuki grounded out to third. | 1 | 5 |
| Mauer struck out looking. | 1 | 5 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Brian Duensing pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Kinsler doubled to deep left center. | 1 | 5 |
| Cabrera homered to left, Kinsler scored. | 1 | 7 |
| J.D. Martinez walked. | 1 | 7 |
| Céspedes grounded into fielder's choice to third, J.D. Martinez out at second. | 1 | 7 |
| Pressly relieved Duensing. | 1 | 7 |
| Castellanos walked, Céspedes to second. | 1 | 7 |
| Davis struck out looking. | 1 | 7 |
| Holaday hit a ground rule double to deep left, Céspedes scored, Castellanos to third. | 1 | 8 |
| Iglesias grounded out to second. | 1 | 8 |
| 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Plouffe flied out to right. | 1 | 8 |
| Escobar flied out to center. | 1 | 8 |
| Vargas flied out to right. | 1 | 8 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| J.R. Graham pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Graham relieved Pressly. | 1 | 8 |
| Gose tripled to deep left center. | 1 | 8 |
| Kinsler tripled to deep left center, Gose scored. | 1 | 9 |
| Cabrera homered to right, Kinsler scored. | 1 | 11 |
| J.D. Martinez flied out to center. | 1 | 11 |
| Céspedes struck out looking. | 1 | 11 |
| Castellanos struck out looking. | 1 | 11 |
| 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Anibal Sanchez pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Rosario struck out swinging. | 1 | 11 |
| Hicks singled to center. | 1 | 11 |
| Santana struck out swinging. | 1 | 11 |
| Bernier hit for Dozier. | 1 | 11 |
| Bernier flied out to right. | 1 | 11 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| J.R. Graham pitching for Minnesota | MIN | DET |
| Bernier at second base. | 1 | 11 |
| Davis singled to right center. | 1 | 11 |
| Holaday homered to left, Davis scored. | 1 | 13 |
| Iglesias struck out swinging. | 1 | 13 |
| Gose reached on infield single to shortstop. | 1 | 13 |
| Pérez hit for Kinsler. | 1 | 13 |
| Pérez grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Gose out at second. | 1 | 13 |
| 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Al Alburquerque pitching for Detroit | MIN | DET |
| Pérez at second base. | 1 | 13 |
| Romine at first base. | 1 | 13 |
| Alburquerque relieved Sánchez. | 1 | 13 |
| Suzuki flied out to center. | 1 | 13 |
| Mauer struck out swinging. | 1 | 13 |
| Plouffe lined out to left. | 1 | 13 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Minnesota Twins | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Dozier 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | .257 | .331 | .449 |
a-Bernier PH-2B
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | .200 | .000 |
| Suzuki C | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | .240 | .315 | .344 |
| Mauer DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | .274 | .336 | .363 |
| Plouffe 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .261 | .348 | .445 |
| Escobar LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .239 | .268 | .359 |
| Vargas 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .250 | .299 | .360 |
| Rosario RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | .192 | .185 | .308 |
| Hicks CF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .364 | .364 | .455 |
| Santana SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .250 | .268 | .331 |
| Totals | 30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 123 | |||
| a-flied out to right for B Dozier in the 8th | ||||||||||
| BATTING RBI: Escobar (15) GIDP: Suzuki, Vargas Twins RISP: 1-3 (Dozier 0-1, Vargas 0-1, Escobar 1-1) Team LOB: 3 | ||||||||||
| BASERUNNING SB: Santana (3, 2nd base off Sánchez/Holaday) | ||||||||||
| FIELDING E: Plouffe 2 (3, throw, ground ball) DP: 1 (Bernier-Santana-Vargas). Outfield Assist: Escobar (Iglesias at 3rd base). | ||||||||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Comerica Park, Detroit, MI |
| Attendance | 31,785 (77% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:03 |
| Weather | 56 degrees, partly cloudy |
| Wind | 7 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - James Hoye, First Base - Bill Welke, Second Base - John Tumpane, Third Base - Chris Guccione |
No comments:
Post a Comment