Player of the Game
With his third straight solid start, Ubaldo Jimenez gets the award for tonight. Even when he did not hit his spots, his fastball had so much movement that it fooled the hitters anyway. Six strong innings is all the offense needed to effectively win the game. It could not have come at a better time as the Indians inch closer to the top spot in the A.L. Central.
Feathers Up
To steal a term from former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge, this game was truly a "grind." It has been tough for the Indians to win in Comerica Park since the ballpark was built so any victory is special.
The Indians scored seven runs without hitting a home run, something that has not been all that common this year. The offense was patient with Justin Verlander as he walked five in five innings of work. He also faced 26 batters; a very ineffective start.
Chris Perez worked out of a jam in the bottom of the 9th, as he got reigning triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera to hit a weak ground ball to third with two runners on.
A close second in my player of the game ranking was the other Cabrera, the good guy Cabrera, Adsrubal. Three hits and two RBI's; all coming at high leverage opportunities in the game. His "The Will To Win" score tonight was pretty decent: 94.
Feathers Down
When is Vinnie coming back? Cody Allen and Nick Hagadone struggled in their role of bridging the gap between the starter and Joe Smith tonight. While Allen earned a hold, he did not keep the Tigers from scoring in the 7th, allowing two all of the inherited base-runners from Hagadone to score. Both pitchers entered the inning with the Indians ahead 6-1 and left it ahead by only one.
Final Score: Cleveland Indians 7 – Detroit Tigers 6
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