GDT: 9/16/11 - DET (87-63) AT OAK (68-82) - 10:05 p.m. ET ---
AT ---
Detroit Tigers AT Oakland AthleticsFriday, September 16, 2011
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Game Time - 10:05 p.m. EDT REMEMBERING SPARKYThe Tigers are wearing a patch on their right
sleeves this season in the shape of a home
plate emblazoned with the name SPARKY, to
honor Hall of Fame manager Sparky
Anderson who passed away on November 4,
2010. Anderson’s number 11 was retired
in a pre-game ceremony on June 26.
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Preview Magic number at one for Tigers in OaklandBy Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 9/16/2011 2:30 AM ET
The Tigers have been playing so well lately that they have found a way to walk away feeling victorious even after a defeat.
On Thursday, the A's topped the Tigers, 6-1, to snap Detroit's 12-game winning streak. However, thanks to the Rangers' 7-4 victory over the Indians, Detroit clinched at least a share of the American League Central title and reduced its magic number to one.
Detroit can win the division on Friday with either a win over the A's or an Indians loss at Minnesota.
That's how good the Tigers have been lately. That's also where Detroit starter Doug Fister steps in. Not only has Fister gone 5-1 since joining Detroit from Seattle in a July 30 trade, he has allowed just three earned runs on 22 hits over 36 2/3 innings in his past five starts.
Fister will look to continue his winning ways Friday. The A's will counter with Trevor Cahill.
"[Fister] was a guy that we targeted that we really thought would help our club," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "And so far, knock on wood, we've been right."
Call Leyland a master of the understatement. Fister has 41 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings with the Tigers, which is noteworthy when considering he struck out just 89 hitters in 146 innings this season while with the Mariners.
"It's a world of emotions this year. Gone through a lot of ups and downs," Fister said. "Really just trying to stay as consistent as possible and enjoy it. Take it one thing at a time and really just focus in on the task at hand today.
"That's been my focus is, 'Hey, let's do the job we need to do right now and worry about whatever comes up later.'"
As for Cahill, the right-hander has won two straight, but he has just one quality start in his last six tries.
Cahill was spectacular in his only other start against Detroit this season, allowing just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks in eight innings.
Tigers: V-Mart swinging hot stick in SeptemberVictor Martinez went 0-for-4 on Thursday, but the veteran backstop is nonetheless in the midst of a September to remember. V-Mart is hitting .321 with four doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs in 13 games this month.
• Jose Valverde's 44 consecutive saves to start the season is the longest such streak in club history.
• The Tigers have won 22 of their last 27 games dating back to Aug. 19.
A's: Defensive lapses proving costlyThe A's have committed nine errors in their last eight games, and 119 errors for the season. The errors are the most by an A's team since 2001, when the club had 125 miscues.
• Oakland is 29-29 since the All-Star break after going 39-53 before the break.
Worth noting•
The Tigers have won 24 of their last 34 games on the road, dating back to July 6.
• The A's are 18-24 in one-run games this season. They have not finished with a losing record in one-run games in the last 12 years.
• Oakland leads the all-time series against Detroit, 344-310. The A's lead the season series, 4-3.
• Detroit's 12-game winning streak was its longest since 1934, when the club matched a team record with 14 consecutive victories.
Tigers: RHP Doug Fister (5-1, 2.28 ERA)Not only has Fister gone 5-1 since joining the Tigers from Seattle in a July 30 trade, he has lowered his ERA by a quarter of a run. He has allowed just three earned runs on 22 hits over 36 2/3 innings in his past five starts.
Athletics: RHP Trevor Cahill (11-13, 4.32 ERA)Cahill has won two straight, but has just one quality start in his last six tries. The righty was spectacular in his only other start against Detroit this season, allowing just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks in eight innings.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
Game Information
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers suffered a 6-1 loss to the Athletics last night, snapping the club’s 12-game winning streak. Max Scherzer (14-9) took the loss for Detroit after allowing five runs in five innings of work. Delmon Young provided the Tigers lone run of the game with a solo home run. The Tigers continue a nine-game road trip this evening with the second game of a four-game series at Oakland. Following an off day on Monday, the trip concludes with a two-game series at Kansas City beginning on Tuesday.
SEEKING A DIVISION TITLE: With a win this evening at Oakland, the Tigers will clinch the American League’s Central Division and advance to the playoffs for the 13th time in franchise history. It would mark Detroit’s first division title since the club captured the American League’s East Division in 1987 and it would be the club’s fourth division title since divisional play began during the 1969 season.
PICKING UP WINS: The Tigers enter tonight’s game at Oakland having won 22 of the club’s last 27 games dating back to August 19, an .815 winning percentage. Detroit is tops among all major league clubs with an .815 winning percentage during that stretch.
RECENT ROAD SUCCESS: The Tigers enter tonight’s game at Oakland having won 24 of the club’s last 35 games on the road dating back to July 6. Detroit is tops among all American League clubs with a .686 winning percentage on the road during that stretch.ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Tigers enter tonight’s game hitting .312 (224x719) with 134 runs scored, 46 doubles, seven triples and 26 home runs over the club’s last 20 games dating back to August 26. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with a .312 batting average, .370 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage during the stretch.VICTOR’S DRIVING THEM IN DURING SEPTEMBER: Victor Martinez is hitting .321 (18x56) with four doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI in 14 games during September. He is tops among all American League players with 17 RBI during the month.CABRERA HEADED TOWARDS RARE TERRITORY: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game at Oakland with 102 runs scored, 97 RBI and 100 walks as he looks to become just the fifth player in Tigers history to reach a total of 100-or-more in all three categories during a single season. He would join Hank Greenberg (1937, 1938), Charlie Gehringer (1938), Rocky Colavito (1961) and Norm Cash (1961) in accomplishing the feat.
VALVERDE’S CONVERTING SAVES: Jose Valverde converted his 44th consecutive save to begin the season on Wednesday at Chicago. His 44 straight saves converted is the longest such streak during a single season in Tigers history. His streak surpasses Guillermo Hernandez who converted 32 straight save opportunities April 6-September 23, 1984.
BULLISH BEHAVIOR: Tigers relievers have compiled a 1.99 ERA (122.0IP/27ER) and 115 strikeouts over the club’s last 40 games dating back to August 4. During the 40-game stretch, club relievers have limited opponents to a .197 batting average (84x427).
BENOIT ON THE BALL: Joaquin Benoit enters tonight’s game with a 3-0 record, 1.47 ERA (43.0IP/7ER), two saves and 45 strikeouts over his last 46 outings dating back to May 20. He has limited opponents to a .179 batting average (26x145) during the stretch.
MIGGY’S THE MAN WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION: Miguel Cabrera is hitting .475 (19x40) with runners in scoring position for the Tigers dating back to August 3. He enters tonight’s game against the Athletics tops in the American League with a .397 batting average with runners in scoring position.PLAYING LONGBALL: Delmon Young belted a home run for the Tigers last night at Oakland and the club has now hit at least one home run in 12 of the team’s 14 games in September, belting a total of 23 home runs. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with 23 home runs during September.
NOTES ON THE SKIPPER: Jim Leyland is in his sixth season as the manager of the Tigers, compiling a 511-450 record (.532).
- Leyland registered the 1,500th win of his major league career on April 15 at Oakland, becoming just the 19th manager in major league history to accomplish the feat. He is second among all active major league managers with 1,579 wins.
- Tonight’s game marks the 3,164th game Leyland has managed during his career, placing him in 15th place all-time in major league history.
- He registered the 500th victory of his Tigers career on September 2 versus Chicago, becoming the fifth manager in Tigers history to register 500 victories with the club.
TWO PLAYERS NAMED TO GCL POST-SEASON ALL-STAR SQUAD: Gulf Coast League Tigers first baseman Juaner Aguasvivas and outfielder Brandon Eckerle were selected to the league’s post-season all-star squad.INJURY UPDATE: •
OF Brennan Boesch (right thumb surgery,
15-day disabled list on September 9).
•
RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow olecranon fracture surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 30).
•
LHP Brad Thomas (left elbow inflammation,
60-day DL on May 11)
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To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/On the Internet MLB.TV Gameday Audio•
Gameday•
Official Press Pass game notesOn television•
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Direct TV Extra Innings ScheduleOn radio•
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XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) • Saturday, September 17: Tigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (14-8, 4.83 ERA))
AT Athletics (LHP
Gio Gonzalez (13-12, 3.41 ERA)),
4:05 p.m. ET (FOX / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Sunday, September 18: Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (23-5, 2.36 ERA))
AT Athletics (RHP
Guillermo Moscoso (8-8, 3.44 ERA)),
4:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)