Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 7-27-11

--LF Brennan Boesch stunned the White Sox by beating out a bunt single to lead off the sixth inning, triggering a three-run rally. The 6-foot-6 Boesch isn't thought of as a small-ball guy and isn't asked to sacrifice because of his hitting ability and power, so to see him square and lay a bunt hard down the third base line, then beat it out, gave the Tigers a lift. It was the first of four straight singles followed by a sacrifice fly that gave Detroit a 4-2 lead. It was Boesch's only hit of the night.

"Brennan's a big guy, but he can really run," CF Austin Jackson said. "I think people sleep on him a little bit."

--CF Austin Jackson singled his first two times up, but the second was a bunt that led to Detroit's first run. Jackson bunted down the third base line leading off the fourth inning and beat it out. He scored on one-out singles by RF Magglio Ordonez and 1B Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers have been urging Jackson to bunt a little more often.

"I think bunting for a base hit is a total confidence thing," manager Jim Leyland said. "When guys don't get it down right and they get thrown out, they're mad because they think they were going to get a hit for sure. Sometimes you tell guys, 'It's part of your game.' I mean, to me, that should be part of Austin Jackson's game. And it is, and it'll get better. At some point, he's going to be able to bunt for a base hit, hit a double, hit a homer. That should be part of his game."

--RHP Jose Valverde picked up his league-leading 27th save in 27 chances. Valverde threw a couple of 'show-me' split-fingers but otherwise stuck to his mid-90s fastball. He got two flyballs and a groundout to preserve RHP Justin Verlander's 14th win.

--PR Andy Dirks has seen his playing time dwindle sharply in recent weeks with the return of RF Magglio Ordonez, the return of 2B Carlos Guillen and acquisition of 3B Wilson Betemit. Dirks was called on to pinch-run in the eighth inning after DH Victor Martinez walked leading off. Dirks stole second on a 2-0 breaking ball and scored on Betemit's two-out single up the middle. "That's a no-brainer really," manager Jim Leyland said of pinch-running Dirks. "He's also a guy who can steal a base. Any manager would have done that."

--3B Wilson Betemit got his first game-winning hit for Detroit, grounding an RBI single up the middle to score PR Andy Dirks from second and break a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning. He also doubled when the Tigers scored three times in the sixth. One of the reasons Detroit acquired him was his penchant for hitting with runners in scoring position. (He was hitting .358 with runners in scoring position for Kansas City). Betemit battled through eight pitches from LHP Matt Thornton, finally getting a fastball he could do something with.

"I was looking fastball," Betemit said. "He gave me a good pitch to hit."

RHP Justin Verlander said, ""Wilson came up with obviously a tremendous hit. That's why we got him. He's a game-time player. He hits well with men in scoring position."

--3B Brandon Inge cleared waivers, accepted an outright assignment and reported to Class AAA Toledo to begin what he hopes is a comeback that will bring him back to Detroit. Inge hit sixth in Toledo's lineup and went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI.

--RHP Justin Verlander gave up a pair of two-run home runs but worked through eight innings and earned his 14th win of the season. Verlander gave up a first-inning double to White Sox 1B Paul Konerko, and then slumping DH Adam Dunn fouled off a run of upper-90s fastballs before hitting one out to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. Verlander retired 14 of the next 15 until a single and a Konerko home run tied the score 4-4. Detroit broke the tie in the eighth, and Verlander came back to fan Konerko on a 100 mph fastball -- his 120th pitch -- and strike out Dunn on a 2-2 curve -- his 125th pitch. "I made two big mistakes, and they took advantage of them," Verlander said.

BY THE NUMBERS
100 -- Radar reading, in miles per hour, of the 120th pitch thrown by RHP Justin Verlander. It was to White Sox 1B Paul Konerko in the eighth inning.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm not a rookie, and I'm not a spring chicken, so you figure that one out. I'd be extremely disappointed if we don't." -- Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, when asked how badly he wants Detroit to make the playoffs. He was queried at a press conference announcing Kris Draper's retirement from Ilitch's Detroit Red Wings.

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