V-Mart For MVP

Add Shelley Duncan's name to the roll call of names to be written down and remembered. 

This afternoon, he did something only two other hitters have done in almost six seasons: homer twice in one game off Justin Verlander. 

Two two-run bombs, in fact; in the second giving the Indians a 4-2 lead.

But that's okay; Shelley Duncan is a favorite here in the second floor baseball bunker. He's the only major league player in my era named Shelley. His full name is David Shelley Duncan, but his dad is already Dave Duncan, and I remember him as a rookie catcher for the Kansas City Athletics way way back in the day.

And, the way the Tigers have been playing, one knew they'd eventually take the lead. 

That they did, on a seventh inning grand slam by Victor Martinez. They then held off the Indians to post an 8-6 win, and a sweep of the series the Tribe needed to sweep to have any shot at the division title.

JV's name has been mentioned when possible American League MVPs are discussed. The case can also be made for V-Mart. He's hit .300 from each side of the plate, driven in many a run with many a clutch hit, stayed relatively injury-free (one trip to the DL), and one wonders where the Tigers would be without him in the middle of the order.

Game Over Early

Fausto Carmona allowed seven runs on eight hits, while retiring four batters. Six of the hits, all singles, came with two out in the Tigers' five run first inning. 

With the Tigers up 8-0 after two and playing their best ball of the season, the game was pretty much over. 

Even with that big lead and the game in hand, Rick Porcello came out in the seventh after allowing a home run to Kosuke Fukudome, and then a single and walk.

With a bigger lead, 10-1 in the ninth, and one out to go, Skipper Leyland called for a new pitcher when Al Alburquerque issued two walks. 

Which is how the game should be managed. Throw strikes, get 'em out; they aren't the 1927 Yankees, and if you can't, we'll bring in someone else. Let's win the game. 

They did, and the lead is now 8 1-2 games heading into tomorrow afternoon's Battle Of The Justins (Verlander vs. Masterson). 

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Curtis Granderson has been named the American League Player Of The Month for August. 

Alex Avila meant more to the Tigers -- catching almost every day and boosting his average over .300 -- than Graderson did to the Yankees at the top of their powerpacked batting order. 

But Avila doesn't play for the Yankees. 

September Song

The days grow short when you reach September. And they dwindle down to a precious few for teams fighting to stay in their respective division races.

The Indians, barring a complete and total Tiger collapse, may have run out of days.

In game one of a series they had to sweep to have any serious thoughts of post-season, Doug Fister silenced their bats. 

Fister pitched the best game of his career, holding the Tribe to two runs and four hits through eight innings while striking out 13.

Ubaldo Jiminez also pitched well -- three runs and two hits in seven innings -- but made one mistake, that Victor Martinez hit for a three run homer in the fourth.

The win puts the Indians 7 1-2 out with 24 to play, and a ten game road trip to Chicago, Texas, and Minnesota coming up once the Tigers series is over.

Lions 18, Bears 2

Mark Buehrle was too surly, and they knocked him out way too early. In the fourth inning, with one out and seven runs in.  

With an 8 PM start time dictated by the ESPN television godz, and a day-night doubleheader tomorrow in Minneapolis, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had to save his pen. Rookie Shane Lindsay thus stayed in, allowing all seven sixth inning Tiger runs.

By that time, with the score 16-0 and two at-bats left, and MLB having no mercy rule, the baseball fan hung around to see if they would get to twenty.  

Three of the most dramatic, memorable games in recent Tiger history have been played in the last two weeks. The walkoff double play at the plate game in Cleveland, yesterday's comeback storm game, and tonight's. 

Broadcasters and local writers are speculating re who the Tigers will play in the Division Series, and Skipper Leyland's roster, Ryan Raburn is hitting .307 since the All-Star break, Hinge is almost over the Mendoza Line, the rain has finally stopped, brown cows are giving chocolate milk, and all seems right with the world. 

The fan also remembers that, two years ago tomorrow, the Tigers had a seven game lead in the American League Central race; a lead they lost to the Twins who clinched the title in Game 163. 

This season, there are no Fighting Ferrets nipping at the Tigers' heels. The White Sox are sinking. The Indians have been starting five guys who played most of the season at Columbus. For much of the summer, it appeared that the streaky Tigers would finish first by default. 

Mo Mentum is now on the Tigers' side, and Jim Price's elusive friend Mojo is a regular member of the Tiger traveling party. They've got him working. And he's getting the job done.

It Was The Third Of September

The day I'll always remember. Yes, I will.

Brad Penny didn't have it. After four and a half innings, the Tigers were down 8-1. 

They began to peck away at the deficit. In the fifth, Austin Jackson tripled in Carlos Guillen. Delmon Young homered to score Jackson. 

Then the rains came, and did it pour, with thunder and lightning added for effect. Many of the 40,000 who came to Comerica in 95 degree heat went home. It rained hard here as well. Lightning bolts flashed in the front yard. Thunder shook the second floor baseball bunker, and the power went off.

Wilson Betemit homered in the seventh. Peralta singled in V-Mart in the eighth to make it 8-6 and, even though the Tigers were down to their last three outs, the fan had a feeling that something special might happen in the ninth.

With one out, Austin Jackson hit his second triple of the game. Ryan Raburn curled one around the pole in left. Score tied at eight. (Almost all is forgiven.)

Miguel Cabrera, on the first pitch White Sox closer Sergio Santos threw him, hit a high fly into the stands. He rounded third and headed for home, having won the game, that brown-eyed handsome man!

Those who braved the nasty weather were pleasantly rewarded. Those of us watching the Fox Saturday telecast were delighted that the Tigers went from chumps to heroes on national TV.

David Pauley and Luis Marte were as vital as Raburn and Cabrera to the win. Pauley pitched a scoreless sixth, seventh, and eighth, and Marte blanked the Sox in the ninth to post his first major league victory.

The fan also gets the feeling that this loss finished off the Sox for 2011. Not that they ever were a serious threat to the Tigers. They're 7 1-2 out, and struggled all season just to get over the .500 mark.

The Indians are still hanging around, having won tonight in KC to stay five and a half out, with Big Series #4 starting on the Monday Labor Day holiday in Cleveland.

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Austin Jackson, who is the man, had four hits today, is 13 for his last 19, and has brought his average up to .259. That's hard to do late in the season, after you were under .200 in May with a demotion to Toledo still very possible.

Tigers Win With Speed

In the first inning of Big Series #3 Game One, Delmon Young tripled in Austin Jackson. Miguel Cabrera singled in Young. 

Then, Cabrera took off for second; a blur on the base path, sliding in with his second stolen base of the year for a team last in the league in steals.

V-Mart singled him in, an indicator that it would be that kind of night for John Danks and the White Sox.

Cabrera's blazing speed turned the game around early and put Mo Mentum on the Tigers' side. 

Three runs were all Justin Verlander really needed, but a five-run fifth -- featuring a two-run homer by Jackson and a three-run double by Jhonny Peralta -- put the Sox away for the night. 

Final: Tigers 8 Sox 1. JV wins number 21; the Pale Hose are now 6 1-2 out and back in third place, one game behind the Indians who won 5-4 in Kansas City.

Get It Out Of Your Systems NOW

If you must lose 11-8 to the Kansas City Royals, today was the day to do it.

The White Sox were off, and the Indians lost. Both are thus tied for second, five and a half games back.

It was indeed an ugly game of Base Ball played this afternoon at Comerica.

At whom can we point fingers?

Jacob Turner, up from Toledo with the rosters expanded. Seven runs, six hits in four-plus innings. 

Losing pitcher Phil Coke, who's been good lately, but in the seventh: walk, double, single, a winnable 8-6 game becomes a tie game. 

Luis Marte, who allowed two of Coke's runs to score. Today was his major league debut, but that's no excuse.

The law firm of Betemit, Jackson, and Kelly, who made three outs on six pitches in the eighth.

The law firm of Young, Cabrera, and Martinez, who went down in order on eleven pitches in the ninth.

Wasted was Magglio's best day at the plate this season: two doubles and a solo homer, three RBIs. 

Big Series #3 won't be, as expected, against the Indians. It starts tomorrow night at Comerica, with the White Sox in town and JV starting, and clean, fresh air to replace the foul odors left behind by today's game.