Detroit 5, Baltimore 3
When: 7:05 PM ET, Friday, August 17, 2012
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Temperature:
76°
Umpires:
Home -
Tim Timmons, 1B -
Jeffrey Kellogg, 2B -
Victor Carapazza, 3B -
Marty Foster
Attendance:
41620
By SportsDirect Inc.
Tigers 5, Orioles 3: Prince Fielder hit a pair of two-run homers, the
second breaking a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning as host Detroit moved
into a tie with Baltimore for the second American League wild-card spot.
With two outs, Miguel Cabrera walked before J.C. Romero relieved Darren
O'Day (6-1). Fielder crushed Romero's 1-2 pitch high into the right
field seats for his 22nd of the season as the Tigers improved to a major
league-best 28-16 since June 28.
Cabrera hit a solo shot in the first
inning, his 31st of the season.
Matt Wieters delivered a two-run homer and Nick Markakis had an RBI
double for the Orioles, who lost for only the fourth time in their last
13 games.
Joaquin Benoit (2-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Jose Valverde worked
around a leadoff double in the ninth to earn his 23rd save in 27
chances and help Detroit to its third straight victory.
Detroit's Justin Verlander allowed three runs, four hits, walked four
and struck out six in six innings. He remained 7-0 lifetime against
Baltimore, the only AL team against which he has not lost.
Baltimore's Tommy Hunter, who had lost his last three starts, yielded
three runs and four hits in six innings and remained winless in five
outings.
Wieters gave Baltimore a 3-1 lead in the fifth when he deposited
Verlander's 3-2 high fastball halfway up the seats in right field for
his 17th of the season.
Fielder tied it 3-3 in the sixth when he connected with Hunter's first
offering - a high fastball - for a mammoth two-run blast to right-center
that traveled an estimated 462 feet.
Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds and manager Buck Showalter were
ejected in the fifth inning by first base umpire Jeff Kellogg after home
plate umpire Tim Timmons reversed Kellogg's out call. Replays appeared
to indicate Reynolds kept his toe on the bag to retire Jhonny Peralta
after taking a wide throw from third baseman Manny Machado.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Verlander moved ahead of teammate Max Scherzer for the
major league lead in strikeouts with 179. Scherzer has 178 ... Verlander is 2-3 in eight
starts with five days' rest this season. ... Hunter leads the majors
with 29 home runs allowed and has allowed at least one in 13 of his last
14 outings. ... Cabrera is 10-for-20 with two homers and eight RBIs in
his last five games and increased his major league-leading RBI total to
104. ... Baltimore outhit Detroit 7-5.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Baltimore |
|
Detroit |
Tommy Hunter |
Player |
Justin Verlander
|
No Decision |
W/L |
No Decision |
6.0 |
IP |
6.0 |
3 |
Strikeouts |
6 |
5 |
Hits |
6 |
4.50 |
ERA |
4.50 |
Hitting
Baltimore |
|
Detroit |
Manny Machado
| Player |
Prince Fielder |
2 |
Hits |
2 |
0 |
RBI |
4 |
0 |
HR |
2 |
3 |
TB |
8 |
.500 |
Avg |
.667 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Baltimore
|
7 |
1 |
13 |
.219 |
17 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Detroit
|
6 |
3 |
18 |
.207 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
1 |