Ingenious Tigers VS Damonic Rays 8/22-8/25

[Tobywan]

On to the 7th still 2-1 Tigers.

Avila walks.
Peralta grounds to third, Longo throws to Zobrist to get Avila, throw to Kotch is high, tries to make the tag but safe is the call.
Betemit walks.

Mound huddle

Kelly pops out to third in foul territory.
Santiago called out on strikes.

[Tobywan]

Defensive change, Brandon Inge at third replacing Wilson Betemit.

Kotch pops out to short.
BJ pops out to second.
Fuld pops out to third.

[Tobywan]

Jackson flies out to center.
Boesch singles to right.
Young lifts one high and deep to center, BJ at the wall reaches and looks injured, Joyce retrieves the ball. Double for Young.

Injury delay.

[Tobywan]

Upton out of the game. Defensive moves.
Joyce to LF, Zobrist to RF, Fuld to CF, Brignac to SS and Srod to 2B.

IBB to Cabrera.

Now pitching Jake McGee.

Avila Ks looking.

Now pitching Juan Cruz.

Peralta lines one u the middle past the diving Brignac, Boesch scores, Young scores (charged to Niemann), Cabrera to third, Peralta in with a 2 run double.

Tigers lead 4-1.

Inge flies out to left.

[Tobywan]

Defensive change, Ryan Raburn replaces Brennan Boesch in RF.

Now pitching Joaquin Benoit.


Jaso grounds out to second.
Srod pops to first.
Joyce singles to left.
Damon pops out to second.

Injury update on BJ Upton a strained right shoulder from when he was reaching for that ball near the wall.


On to the 9th Tigers lead 4-1.

[Tobywan]

Kelly leads off the 9th with a homer to right.
Santiago grounds out to short.
Jackson flies out to right.
Raburn singles to right.

Call to the pen.

[Tobywan]

Now pitching Brandon Gomes.

Young flies out to left.

Rays last chance.

[Tobywan]

Now pitching Jose Valverde.

After pitching up and in to Longo , he belts one out to the left field stands.

5-2.

Zobrist flies out to center.
Kotch lines one into center for a base hit.
Jennings PH for Brignac Ks swinging.
Fuld walks.

Mound huddle.

Jaso grounds out to second.

Tigers take the first game 5-2.

[Tobywan]

Verlander was his usual self last night, Niemann hung in with him but giving up an early 2 run homer proved to be too costly when the Rays offense couldn’t breach Verlander again. They managed to inch a little closer in the 9th against flamboyant Valverde. He gave up a homer to Longo and the Rays got the tying run to the plate, but he muddled through to keep them from coming back.

Catcher Alex Avila is hitting .424 in August.

Johnny Damon's walk-off home run on Sunday made him just the second Ray with two walk-off homers in the same season. Carl Crawford also achieved the feat during the 2003 season.

Tonight’s Match ups

Brad Penny is 8-9 with a 4.97 ERA, gave up 3 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings last Wed. against the Twins. He is 0-3 lifetime at the Trop.

David Price is 11-10 with a 3.59 ERA, got his 11th win last Wednesday against the Red Sox going 8 scoreless innings allowing just three hits.

VMart who was scratched from last night’s game with back spasms will be back in the line up tonight.

BJ Upton is day to day after straining his right shoulder reaching for a ball at the wall.

[Tobywan]

Line ups

Tigers

Jackson CF
Ordonez RF
Young LF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Avila C
Peralta SS
Raburn 2B
Inge 3B

Rays

Jennings CF
Damon DH
Longoria 3B
Zobrist RF
Joyce LF
Kotchman 1B
Rodriguez 2B
Shoppach C
Brignac SS

[Tobywan]

Game delayed on account of lightning strike at the "Thunderdome"....power and lights need time to reset. Ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

[Tobywan]

Here we go…20 minute delay. Game would be a complete wash out if not for the dome.

Jackson Ks swinging.
Ordonez lines a hit into right.
Young pops out to center.
Cabrera grounds out to first.

[Tobywan]

Jennings singles into right.
Damon batting, DJ tries to steal second, throw is right on to get Jennings.
Damon grounds out to first.
Longoria grounds out to third.

[Tobywan]

VMart smacks a double into left, but he looks like he’s in pain.
Avila grounds out to first throw to Price covering the bag. Martinez to third.
Peralta grounds to short the throw to Kotch a little wide, but he pulls it in and tags JP going by.
Raburn Ks looking.

[Tobywan]

Zobrist sends a liner into right.
Joyce flies out to center.
Kotch caught looking.
SRod singles into left.
Shop chops one to third, Inge steps on the bag for the force on Zobrist.