Series Thread: Angels vs Tigers

[Porter]

Los Angeles Angels vs. Detroit Tigers



May 3rd:
Jeff Weaver (1-3, 7.48) vs. Nate Robertson (3-2, 3.77)

May 4th:
Kevin Gregg (1-0, 0.84) vs Justin Verlander (3-2, 3.52)

The Tigers continue to impress this season under Jim Leyland who just makes any team into gold for some magical reason. The Angels are still fighting the A's and this should turn out to be a very intriguing 2 game set with the Angels.

[DirtyKash]

wtf? Kevin Gregg is a starter now?

[Porter]

Colon went to 15 day DL.

[Porter]

Game 1 prediction:

Tigers 6, Angels 3
WP- Robertson
LP- Weaver
SV- Jones
HR- Monroe, Inge, Vlad

[DirtyKash]

Nate Robertson = real deal

[Porter]

Nate Robertson = Will probably implode like last season.

[Porter]

Nice play by Beltre end of 5th

still 1-0 M's

[Porter]

Tigers 2, Angels 1

[Porter]

Detroit 2, LA Angels 1

DETROIT (AP) -- Alexis Gomez has tried to make the most of his infrequent opportunities this season.

"When you don't play every day, when you get the chance you can try to do too much," he said. "You just have to take the at-bat slowly, see the ball and put the ball in play."

Gomez did just that in the eighth inning Wednesday night, hitting a go-ahead single that led Detroit Tigers over the slumping Los Angeles Angels 2-1 and extended the Tigers' winning streak to six.

Brandon Inge homered to tie the score in the sixth, then walked with one out in the eighth against former Tiger Jeff Weaver (1-4). Inge advanced to second when he beat the throw on Ramon Santiago grounder to second baseman Adam Kennedy.

"He runs well," Kennedy said. "I was over in the hole. I could have rushed it a little bit, but I wanted to make sure I made the play."

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Scot Shields relieved and, with two outs, Gomez singled to center.

"It was a fastball away that didn't get the movement I usually get," Shields said. "He went down and got it."

It was the first hit by a left-handed hitter in 20 at-bats this year against the right-handed Shields.

Joel Zumaya (1-0) got his first major league win, throwing six pitches and retiring Orlando Cabrera and Garret Anderson on flyouts. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his fifth save, completing a four-hitter.

Tigers starter Nate Robertson allowed four hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking two. He has allowed one run in his last three starts, a span of 21 1-3 innings.

"He kept the ball down and used all his pitches," Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez said. "Our whole pitching staff is doing an excellent job."

Detroit has the best ERA in the AL at 3.01, and the Tigers have allowed just five runs in their past six games. At 19-9, the Tigers are off to their best start since going 24-4 in 1984 en route to their last World Series title.

The Angels have lost six straight games for the first time since April 8-13, 2002 -- they rebounded from a 3-8 start that year to win their only World Series championship.

Weaver dropped to 1-2 against the Tigers, giving up five hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out four and walking two. He pitched for Detroit from 1999 to 2002.

"He was outstanding," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "He had his breaking ball going good. He pitched a whale of a game, and so did Nate."

Vladimir Guerrero hit a first-inning sacrifice fly for the Angels following singles by Chone Figgins and Cabrera.

After Inge's sixth homer, Santiago tripled and Curtis Granderson walked, but Weaver got out of the inning when Gomez popped out and Ivan Rodriguez grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Notes

Mike Scioscia managed his 1,000th game (532-468), all with the Angels. ... Tigers DH Dmitri Young began a rehab assignment at Double-A Erie. He has been on the DL since April 15 with a right quadriceps strain. ... Following the game, the Angels optioned C Jeff Mathis to Triple-A Salt Lake and recalled C Mike Napoli from Salt Lake.

Source

Robertson might actually begin to shut up some of the Tigers fans with his play as of late.

[Porter]

LA Angels 7, Detroit 2

DETROIT (AP) -- Mike Napoli and Tommy Murphy gave the Los Angeles Angels a lift in their major league debuts.

Napoli homered in his first major league at-bat, and Murphy hit a run-scoring single in a two-run fifth inning as the Angels stopped their longest losing streak since 2002 at six games with a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Vladimir Guerrero had four hits, including a three-run homer, and Casey Kotchman hit a tiebreaking homer for the Angels.

Napoli, a 24-year-old catcher brought up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday night, became the 92nd player to homer in his first major league at-bat, connecting off Justin Verlander (3-3) leading off the third inning.

"Just trying to put a good swing on a pitch in the zone," Napoli said. "I couldn't ask for anything more."

Napoli, who went 1-for-4, became the third Angels player to accomplish the feat, joining Don Rose on (May 24, 1972, at Oakland) and Dave Machemer (June 21, 1978, at Minnesota).

"Mike did a good job behind the plate and got us going with a big hit," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Murphy, brought up before the game from Salt Lake, was 2-for-4 and made a sliding catch on Vance Wilson's drive in the eighth.

"Murph in center field played great defense and gave us a couple of hits," Scioscia said.

Kevin Gregg (2-0) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, stopping Detroit's six-game winning streak, the Tigers' longest since June 24-30, 2004. Detroit, which entered with a major league-best 3.01 ERA, allowed just five runs during the streak.

"I just wanted to come out and challenge them, really, and not fall behind in the count," Gregg said.

Verlander gave up four runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in six innings.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Mike Napoli hits a solo home run off Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander in the third inning of their Major League Baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, May 4, 2006. Napoli, who was brought up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday night, became the 92nd player to homer in his first major league at-bat.
AP - May 4, 4:05 pm EDT
More Photos
"I didn't have the control I normally have, but I don't know why," said Verlander, who walked just one.

The Angels, who outhit Detroit 15-4, had not lost six straight since April 8-13, 2002.

"Justin didn't have his good stuff," Tigers' manager Jim Leyland said. "And we didn't do anything offensively."

Detroit tied it in the fourth when Magglio Ordonez hit a sacrifice fly following Alexis Gomez's one-out triple, but Kotchman led off the fifth with his first homer since Sept. 4, and Murphy lined a one-out single through the left side of a drawn-in infield.

Howie Kendrick, who also started the season at Salt Lake, hit an RBI single in the sixth. Guerrero homered in the seventh off Jordan Tata.

Curtis Granderson had a sacrifice fly for Detroit in the eighth against Brendan Donnelly

from sports.yahoo.com

The Angels were efficent in all aspects to day and Verlander had trouble early and led to this 7-2 loss. Gregg would be a 5th starter for most teams and he really impressed me to day.