Alright, I’ve put this off long enough…
Even though the Tigers came away with a game five win, it was evident that the boys were limping towards elimination. Through the entire series, the Tiger offense just wasn’t itself, depending on home runs and the elusive big inning.
Twelve pitches into game five, Texas would manufacture their first run… but Verlander would settle in (economically), for an “unavailable” Detroit bullpen. After scattering a couple solo shots, the Tigers stumbled upon a rally, stringing together a big sixth, which consisted of a natural cycle from their 2-5 slots. “Mr. Momentum” looked to be showing his face. And following a Ryan Raburn insurance dinger in the seventh, our long lost friend, “Hope”, was looking to join in. A determined Verlander did his thing, fending off the hungry bunch for as long as he could. With one out in the top of the eighth, Nelson Cruz crushed a triple digit fastball over the left field wall… bringing us all back to reality, as we watched “Momentum” and “Hope” start their ride into the sunset. Coke would close it out, allowing another run in the ninth… for an all-to-close 7-5 Tiger victory.
As it turned out, “Hope” would linger, up until the first couple of innings of game 6… but that sonofabitch, “Mr. Momentum”, would end up in the arms of Texas... I could have sworn I spotted him after the game, gettin’ a champagne shower in the Ranger clubhouse… all hugged up with Cruz’s caterpillar eyebrows and Ogando’s facial obtrusion.
In his first postseason, Raburn batted .286, with 5 RBI’s, and 15 total bases in 9 games.
No doubt, injury and fatigue caught up with Tigers… it was uncomfortable to watch at times. Utility guys like Santiago, Kelly and Raburn stepped it up. Stars like Cabrera and Verlander didn’t disappoint. Martinez and Avila gritted through the pain. The front office moves of bringing in Fister and Young, proved to be genius. And Leyland and his staff stuck to their guns, going with what worked all year. In the end, I’m proud of the heart this team showed, throughout the season and into playoffs. Bless you boys!
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