Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 8-31-11

--RHP Doug Fister was perfect through six innings but also ran into something he was all too familiar with during his time with the Mariners -- no run support. Fister retired the first 18 batters he faced before giving up a first-pitch fastball double to Royals LF Alex Gordon in the seventh. Gordon scored on a bunt and sacrifice fly. Detroit did not score while Fister, who went 7 2/3 innings, was on the mound. "Fister was fantastic," manager Jim Leyland said.

Fister said, "It'd be foolish of me not to get them back out there as soon as possible. That's part of working fast."

Fister was throwing first-pitch curves and fastballs for strikes and then working the Kansas City hitters from ahead.

--RF Magglio Ordonez may be on the downside as a major-leaguer, but he's still capable of doing some damage. Ordonez no longer has power, but he's still a threat with men on base, which he showed with an RBI single up the middle with two out in the eighth to create a 1-1 tie and give his replacement, PR Ramon Santiago, a chance to win the game in the 10th with a walk-off home run. Ordonez is essentially a platoon player now, removed in late innings for defense or pinch runners.

--2B Ramon Santiago ripped a 95 mph 1-2 fastball into the right field seats with one out in the 10th inning to enable Detroit to stop a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Kansas City. "He ran into a fastball, he jumped on it," manager Jim Leyland said. "He hit it out good. It wasn't like it was a paint-scraper."

Santiago's reward? A shaving cream pie in the face, courtesy of RHP Jose Valverde.

"I'll take it any time," Santiago said. "Hopefully they'll do it more often."

Santiago entered the game as a pinch runner for RF Magglio Ordonez, who had singled home the tying run in the eighth.

"You like to see somebody like Santi having the cameras talking to him," Leyland said. "It's nice to see people like that getting attention, kind of the underdog."

--RHP Joaquin Benoit turned in an infrequent two-inning appearance and picked up a victory when 2B Ramon Santiago blasted a game-ending home run in the bottom of the 10th. He faced seven batters, one of whom reached base, on a single. Benoit has worked as long as two innings just once before this season, and only three times has he pitched more than an inning. Benoit showed a very effective changeup to get two of his three strikeouts. "They're a young team, very aggressive," he said. "I was trying to use that to my advantage. I was trying to keep them off balance, slow them down a little bit."

--DH Victor Martinez could catch in a pinch, manager Jim Leyland said. "I think if I had to, I probably could (use him behind the plate)," Leyland said, "but I'd prefer not to." Martinez has not caught since Aug. 4 due to a knee injury he suffered Aug. 6 in a play at the plate at Kansas City. Leyland wasn't sure about whether Martinez would catch again this season. "I don't know about that," he said. "I don't think I'd go as far as to say that right now, but I don't know the answer to that."

--RHP Jacob Turner will remain with Detroit following his second career start Thursday. Manager Jim Leyland said Turner would provide rotation protection in case a rainout forces a doubleheader. "Plus," Leyland said, "I think it will be good for him to see what it's like amongst this stuff. Hopefully, we won't have to use him after Thursday, but in case we would, we would at least have the option."

--LHP Phil Coke was called upon to get just one batter out, which he did via strikeout. Coke hasn't been scored upon in a month. He has been throwing a 95 mph fastball and throwing it just where he wants. He was brought in to get out LF Alex Gordon with two outs and runners on second and third in the seventh. He struck Gordon out, effectively mixing his fastball with a sweeping curve.

--UT Ryan Raburn, who sat out the previous two games because of a jammed left ring finger, returned to the lineup Tuesday. He played both second base and right field, and he went 1-for-3 with a walk.

BY THE NUMBERS
22 -- One-run victories by Detroit this season. The Tigers have played 37 one-run games.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"He might not light up the radar gun, but he's got good stuff. You're seeing what we liked about him; he's got pitchability. And he moves right along." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on Detroit RHP Doug Fister, who did not get a decision but who did give the Tigers a chance to win a game they eventually did win, 2-1 in the 10th on a walk-off home run. Fister, acquired from Seattle at the July trade deadline, retired the first 18 batters he faced and allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings.

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