Game 3 Recap

Detroit Tigers 2, Minnesota Twins 8

WP: Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 0.00 ERA) LP: Rick Porcello (0-1, 5.06 ERA)

Summary:

     Again, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead in for the third time in three games.  Again, the did nothing from the dish after the third inning stranding six runners in scoring position on the day. The Tigers dropped the third game of the series, and the series overall as their bats have decided to stay back in Lakeland to catch a few extra rays.  One can only hope going forward that the bats decide they want to make their debut appearance tomorrow at Comerica against the New York Yankees.

     This game was rather uneventful. Rick Porcello went 5.1 innings giving up 3 runs on 2 home runs as he had trouble keeping his sinker down. He also didn't mix pitches at all virtually going with the fastball the whole second time through the lineup. Darin Downs and Octavio Dotel effectively ushered the team into the eighth inning where Brayan Villareal proceeded to implode recording two outs and giving up 5 runs. He took the Tigers out of the game and that was all she wrote.

3 Alpha Cats:

• Austin Jackson: AJax had a good day at the plate going 2 for 3 with a double, steal and a run scored. Unfortunately he was about the only person on the squad interested in swinging the bat. He set the table, and none of the big cats wanted to eat today so he was stranded on the base paths.

• Darin Downs: Downs is not a flashy guy, but more often than not he'll get the job done. He did get the job done again today with a perfect inning featuring two strikeouts. 

• Victor Martinez: I'll give Victor the third Alpha of the game as he went 2-4. Unfortunately he chose his spots poorly as his hits came with no one in scoring position. 

3 Kittens:

• The Offense: Small sample size of three games but this team is in an absolute offensive funk. They aren't taking good at bats, working from behind in the count, and saving their worst specifically for when runners are in scoring position

• Alex Avila: Alex simply is in a bad spot right now hitting, and we saw it today with his bat slam after popping up a good pitch. He looks totally lost at the plate. I understand that he likes to take walks, but his best year, which happened to be his rookie year, he would let fly on a first pitch fastball down the middle. Somewhere along the line he lost his aggressive nature and decided to work from an 0-1 count every at bat. He needs to change his approach at the plate. Most Tiger fans and certainly Jim Leyland would sacrifice some on base percentage points for the productive pop he had in his bat his rookie year. 

• Brayan Villareal: This one is self explanatory. 2 outs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 5 earned runs. Nuff said. 

     Going forward the Tigers head home to open a weekend set with the Yankees at Comerica Park tomorrow.  The atmosphere will be great and hopefully the baseball will be as well. Doug Fister will toe the slab for the Tigers and it will be Ivan Nova getting the start for New York.