Late in Sunday’s game against the White Sox, the Tigers had an emergency. Luckily, the doctor was in.
After entering the 7th inning trailing 2-1, the Tigers put together one of their usual rallies, leaving Dr. Tim Mullally at the plate with a tie score, 1 out, and the bases loaded. He came through with an infield single to plate Dave Hayse to put the Tigers back in the win column.
Dan Titus lead off the inning with a walk. After a steal of second, Titus moved to third on a fielder’s choice. Scott Harris hit a grounder to short, and Titus attempted to move up. The throw was late, and Harris was safe at first. Dennis McGarel singled to drive in Titus to tie up the game. After Ryan Lytle walked to load the bases and Anthony Perez was retired, the good doctor made everything better, pushing home the winning run.
Scott Harris (6-1) pitched the first four allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 4 and walking 1. McGarel pitched the final 3 and earned the win in relief, improving his record to a pristine 4-0 on the season. He gave up 1 run, 3 hits, struck out 3 and walked 1. It was a very positive performance for McGarel, erasing the memory of a tough outing in his last game against the White Sox.
The Positives
- The pitching continues to be solid. Harris continued his recent trend of good starts. In his last 5 starts, Harris has allowed just 5 runs in 20 innings. McGarel was sharp as well, showing that the Tigers bullpen is just as reliable as the starting rotation.
- Another solid defensive performance by the Tigers. Mistakes are really being held down to a minimum lately.
- The Tigers offense came through in the clutch, sending 7 batters to the plate in the decisive 7th inning, with six of them reaching safely.
- The Tigers got some help from the Brewers last night, as they defeated the Outlaws 7-4. That means the Tigers and Brewers are now tied for first place with identical 12-4 records. The Outlaws lurk just a half game back at 11-4.
The Negatives
- The once mighty Tiger offense has lost its roar. The Tigers have crossed the plate just six times in the past two games, a huge dropoff from the crooked numbers they were putting up during the big winning streak.
- The injury bug bit the Tigers again, as Joe Anaya tweaked his calf making a leaping play in right field. The injury was diagnosed as a small tear by team physician Tim Mullally. No timetable has been given for his return, but Joe hopes to be ready in time to play on September 6th.
What’s Next
Another long layoff is in store for the Tigers, as they await a September 6th matchup with the White Sox. That game will be played at the Steelyard in Gary at 5:30 pm.