Detroit Tigers Beat Cleveland Like A Drum

Doug Fister is now 11-13 for the season. That doesn't sound all that impressive unless you consider that he was 3-12 with Seattle before being traded to the Tigers. Fister got no help offensively when he pitched for the Mariners. That wasn't a problem tonight. While Fister was putting up zeros, the Tigers were boosting their batting averages. Detroit pounded out 18 hits and blew the game wide open with an 8-run 8th inning to clobber Cleveland 14-0.
Fister is 8-1 as a Tiger and pitched 8 shutout innings, giving up only 3 hits and striking out 9. Fister didn't walk anybody. In fact, Fister has only issued 4 walks since coming to Detroit. If you're going to reach base on Mr. Fister, you're going to have to hit your way on.
The Tiger hitters had no problems with Cleveland ace Ubaldo Jimenez. They chased Ubaldo after 5 innings and had a 6-0 lead. Every Tiger starter had at least one hit. Three Tigers had 3 RBI's, Delmon Young hit a 3-run homer in the 8th innning uprising, Alex Avila and Andy Dirks also knocked home 3. Miguel Cabrera was 3 for 5 tonight to boost his league-leading batting average to .343.

Detroit is chasing the Texas Rangers for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Texas was a game ahead of the Tigers going into tonight's action. The Rangers play at Los Angeles tonight against the Angels. Whichever team gains home field will play the Wild Card team in the first round and will start at home. The other team will start on the road at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers would win a tie-breaker with Texas if they finish with the same win/loss totals. Detroit won more of their head-to-head games with Texas this season. So the Tigers have something to play for in the two remaining regular season games.

The Tigers will send Max Scherzer to the mound against Cleveland's Jeanmar Gomez tomorrow night. 7:05 first pitch.