Traverse City Record-Eagle

Pro Sports

April 16, 2011

Tigers win in extra innings

Associated Press

Oakland, Calif. — Jim Leyland received a pile of five new cigars on his clubhouse desk and a celebratory bottle of champagne each from his general manager and coaching staff. The calls of congratulations began flooding in, too.

Leyland stuck to his usual postgame choice of cigarettes, then the no-nonsense skipper praised his players for his latest milestone.

Brennan Boesch hit a go-ahead two-run double with the bases loaded in the 10th inning and the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Oakland Athletics 8-4 on Friday night for Leyland’s 1,500th career managerial win.

“I wouldn’t have gotten this win tonight if I didn’t have the players. It’s all about the players and it always will be,” Leyland said.

Miguel Cabrera hit a tying solo homer leading off the ninth against fill-in closer Brian Fuentes (0-2), who blew his first save in six chances and then loaded the bases with one out in the 10th.

The A’s defense didn’t help his cause, committing three errors in Detroit’s seven-run 10th to raise their majors-leading total to 16. That includes seven in the last four games.

Leyland became the 19th major league manager to reach 1,500 wins, doing so on his first attempt.

“I’m just getting old, that’s probably what that means,” Leyland said.

Boesch finished with three hits for Detroit, which won its fourth straight.

Brayan Villarreal (1-0) recorded two outs in the ninth for the win. Oakland scored three in the 10th but still fell short.

Victor Martinez added an insurance run in the 10th with an RBI single, then two more runs came in on third baseman Andy LaRoche’s wild throw home.

Fuentes, who has been Oakland’s ninth-inning option in place of injured 2009 Rookie of the Year closer Andrew Bailey, was tagged for six runs, three earned.

“I’m just trying to get on base there. You have to have the confidence in yourself to do it every time you come to the plate,” Cabrera said.

The Tigers turned double plays in each of the first two innings and again in the ninth on the way to winning their fourth straight at the Coliseum.

A’s starter Brandon McCarthy struck out seven in 6 2-3 shutout innings and walked only his second batter in three starts, but David DeJesus’ RBI single wasn’t enough to hold up for the A’s a night after being shut out for the first time on a three-hitter by Phil Coke and three relievers in a 3-0 Detroit win.

McCarthy showed again his value at the back end of a talented young rotation. He struck out seven or more for the seventh time in his career and first since May 13, 2009, for Texas against Seattle.

 

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