What a game.  Kenny Rogers got into some big trouble in the first inning and gave up three runs on two different homeruns, but he calmed down and shut the Indians down the rest of the way.  Marcus Thames hit a solo homerun in the fifth to make it 3-1 and then the Tigers scored in the seventh on Placido Polanco’s RBI single.

The Tigers threatened in the eighth but couldn’t get a run across to tie the game up.  In the ninth, Brandon Inge bunted himself on and then Granderson struck out after failing to bunt Inge over to second.  Placido Polanco then grounded to short and just beat out the double play, which would end up being huge.

Then Ivan Rodriguez came up and took Indians’ reliever Fausto Carmona deep for a two out two run shot to end the game.  You could tell it was gone as soon as it was hit.

Give some props to Joel Zumaya.  He threw two shutout innings to close out the game and he’s now 6-1.

The White Sox and Twins both won as well so it looks like the AL Central is back to one big matching game. 

Permalink | Posted in 2006 Tigers