Not too shabby.  Tiger pitchers, led by Justin Verlander, held the Orioles to a single run on six hits through twelve innings.  Verlander threw seven shutout frames and he struck out five while Fernando Rodney and Wil Ledezma each pitched two scoreless innings.  It wasn’t until the bottom of the twelth, when the Tigers had a comfortable lead, that Bobby Seay gave up a run and got into a jam in the bottom of the twelth.  Todd Jones was there though and he picked up the final out to pick up his fifth save of the season.

The Tigers scored all four of their runs in the twelth and they were all on a Craig Monroe grand slam.  He finished the game three for six and he also picked up a double.  Carlos Guillen was two for four with two walks and he was one of the guys on base when Monroe went yard.

The Twins won so the Tigers sit atop the Central tied with Minnesota.  I know it’s early, but it’s better then trying to play catchup.  Now the Tigers head to Toronto to play four.  Mike Maroth pitches tonight and tomorrow we’ll get a rematch between Jeremy Bonderman and Roy Halladay.

Permalink | Posted in 2007 Tigers