Game 145: Guillen walkoff HR rains on Rangers
posted in Texas Rangers, The Stretch Run |After Magglio Ordonez grounded into a double play in the eighth inning, Carlos Guillen took matters into his own hands to break a 2-2 tie in the ninth. He took a full-count pitch into the left-field seats to give Detroit a 3-2 win. MUCH NEEDED! Will it help the Tigers get consistent for their final 17 games? I don’t know. I sure hope so. But for another day, no one gained any ground. Guillen homered earlier in the game, as did Marcus Thames. Six hits, three dingers.
Helped by three outfield assists by Craig Monroe, Kenny Rogers allowed two runs over seven innings. Fernando Rodney cleaned up the next two innings to get the win.
Kevin Millwood takes on Justin Verlander at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
MLB.com has a Rookie of the Year previews for the AL.
Justin Verlander, RHP, Tigers: One reason the Tigers went from a team that lost 109 games three years ago to one that could win 100 this season is this lanky right-hander who has been among the elite AL hurlers since early May. He rattled off an 11-1 record from May 4 to Aug. 9 and helped lead the Tigers’ unexpected pursuit of the AL Central title.
Joel Zumaya, RHP, Tigers: He has been one of the most reliable setup men in the Majors this season, striking out more than one batter an inning and surrendering about one hit every two innings he pitches. Zumaya has been a rock-solid bridge to closer Todd Jones.
Jason Beck has a recap of the tiebreakers. If the Tigers and Twins are tied for the wildcard, they play in Detroit. If the Tigers and White Sox are tied for the wildcard, they play in Chicago. If the Tigers are tied for the division and both teams have qualified for the playoffs, the team with the best head-to-head record wins; the other is the wildcard. So Detroit beats Minnesota, but Chicago beats Detroit.
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