Upton and Verlander lead Tigers to 5th straight win
DETROIT (AP) - Most big-league managers would have still held on to a sliver of hope as Friday night's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers came down to its last few moments.
Yes, Nick Buss had just hit what looked like a game-ending double play ball, but Andrelton Simmons was crashing into Detroit shortstop Erick Aybar as he prepared to make the relay to first. If Simmons' clean slide could break up the double play, the Angels would still be alive.
Scioscia, though, knew they wouldn't be. After all, he had been Aybar's manager for 10 years until he was traded last winter.
"I don't know that I've ever seen a shortstop that is better than Erick at turning the 4-6-3 double play," he said. "If he gets a decent feed, he's going to get the ball to first no matter who is coming at him."
Sure enough, Aybar threw a strike to Miguel Cabrera, even as he was flipped on his face, clinching Detroit's 4-2 victory.
The Angels had a better chance in the eighth, when they pulled within 4-2 and chased Justin Verlander, but that brought in another of Scioscia's former players - Francisco Rodriguez.
Rodriguez walked Mike Trout to put the tying run on base, then saw Albert Pujols barely miss a homer down the left-field line before getting him to ground out to end the threat.
"You knew that was going to be a battle with Frankie and Albert out there," Scioscia said. "Albert almost got him, but he just couldn't wrap it around the pole, and then Frankie made a great pitch. That's what he's going to do."
That was enough for the Tigers, who have won five straight to move back into contention in both the AL Central and wild-card races.
Verlander (14-7) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight in his ninth straight quality start. Since July 2, he is 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA while giving up 48 hits in 76 1/3 innings.
"This is what you work for," he said. "You work so hard in the offseason so that you can be strong at the end of the year and continue to give your team a chance to win when it really counts."
Trout went 0 for 3 against Verlander, and is 1 for 15 against the Tigers ace in his career.
"That was obviously a tough night," Trout said. "He was throwing near 100 (mph), he was working the corners, and he was keeping us off balance. That doesn't give you many chances."
Justin Upton hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth - his fourth in five games.
Ricky Nolasco (4-12) held the Tigers scoreless for the first five innings, but ended up allowing four runs, nine hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.
"I was putting up zeros and trying to give us a chance, but that's a stacked lineup," Nolasco said. "I made the big pitches I needed until the sixth."
Pujols gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the first, hitting his 585th career homer. He came into the game hitting .360 against the Tigers, the best average in baseball since 2001. It was Pujols' first regular-season homer off Verlander, though he did hit one off the Tigers ace in the 2006 World Series.
Detroit broke through in the sixth, tying the game on consecutive doubles by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, and Upton hit the next pitch into the stands in left field to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
"I hung two straight sliders, and it cost us the game," Nolasco said. "J.D. hit the first one for a double and the next one was a home run."
Cameron Maybin added a solo homer in the seventh. Verlander didn't allow a hit after the first inning until Kaleb Cowart's one-out single in the eighth. Cowart, though, scored on Kole Calhoun's two-out double.
That brought in Rodriguez to face Trout and Pujols.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: INF Jefry Marte returned to the Angels after missing the series in Toronto with tonsillitis. ... Reliever Cam Bedrosian is scheduled to see a vascular specialist early next week to determine if he needs season-ending surgery to remove a blood clot in his arm.
Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (neck) started for Triple-A Toledo in the first of what is expected to be three rehab starts. Zimmermann allowed two hits in 3 2/3 shutout innings, throwing 39 pitches.
ACHTER HONORED
Visiting relievers aren't usually included in pre-game ceremonies, but the Tigers made an exception for Angels reliever A.J. Achter. Friday was Michigan State University Night at Comerica Park, and Achter is the only active major leaguer who played for the Spartans.
GOLD MEDALIST COMES HOME
Swimmer Allison Schmitt, who grew up about 30 miles west of Comerica Park, threw out the first pitch. Earlier this month, she won gold and silver in the Rio Olympics, giving her four career gold medals and eight total medals.
UP NEXT
The teams continue their three-game series Saturday night, with Tigers rookie Michael Fulmer (10-4, 2.58) facing Brett Oberholtzer (3-2, 5.77). Oberholtzer is replacing Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation, with Chacin moving to the bullpen.