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Almost perfect way to end series for Tigers
Daily News Wire Services
Jul 24, 2008
Armando Galarraga was perfect for a while. And Detroit wound up sweeing three games from the Royals.
Galarraga carried a perfect game into the seventh inning yesterday, Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs and the Tigers beat host Kansas City, 7-1, capping off a series in which they hit .355 and outscored their opponent, 33-6.
Galarraga retired the first 18 batters before David DeJesus led off the seventh with a single. To that point, the rookie righthander had allowed just two fly balls to the outfield and struck out six.
"I was [upset] a little bit," Galarraga, 26, said after DeJesus' hit. "It was a fastball inside. I can make a better pitch at that moment."
DeJesus said he was looking inside.
"I was 2-0 and then he got it to 2-2 and then he just kept coming in and I fouled a couple down the line," DeJesus said, "and then I was able to stay inside and hit it to right."
Galarraga said pitching a no-hitter never crossed his mind.
"If it was the eighth or ninth, yes, but six innings is too early to think about it," he said. "There are still a lot of outs."
He wound up allowing a run in the seventh on three singles and a walk, but left the bases loaded. Galarraga (8-4) was replaced by Casey Fossum in the eighth, after lowering his ERA to 3.27 while striking out a career-high seven against just one walk.
"He went right after them and made quality pitches," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "You really don't trick them up here. The hitters are too good. I was aware, like everybody else, it was a no-hitter, a perfect game. I think he's feeling comfortable. He feels like he belongs here. He was very calm."
The Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings off Zack Greinke (7-7)., who took the loss.
In other games:
* At New York, Mike Mussina (13-6) baffled the Twins for eight innings, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run double and the Yankees won their 10th straight at home with a 5-1 victory over Minnesota.
* At Chicago, Carlos Quentin hit two home runs, including the go-ahead, three-run shot during a five-run eighth inning, and White Sox rallied for a 10-8 win over Texas.
* At Anaheim, Jeff Mathis had four hits with a career-high six RBI, including his first grand slam in the majors, and Casey Kotchman had a career-best five hits as the Los Angeles Angels outslugged Cleveland, 14-11.
* At Seattle, Mike Lowell hit a two-run single off Sean Green (2-3) in the 12th inning, and Boston took advantage of two errors to beat the Mariners, 6-3.
* At St. Petersburg, Fla., James Shields (9-6) allowed three runs in eight-plus innings, and Jonny Gomes and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homers to lead Tampa Bay past Oakland, 4-3.
* At Baltimore, the Orioles' game with Toronto was suspended by rain with the Blue Jays leading 2-1 in the sixth inning. Play will resume this afternoon with two outs in the top of the sixth.
Noteworthy
* Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, on the disabled list for the second time this season, wants to put off surgery on his right shoulder even if it means sacrificing the start of next season. Posada had his throwing shoulder examined Tuesday and surgery was again recommended. An MRI showed fraying in the tendons around the labrum, but not a rotator-cuff tear, Posada said.
Posada said he will continue his rehabilitation program without throwing drills and will make a decision based on how the shoulder is responding.
* Oakland pitching prospect Michael Inoa, 16, has ties to a sports bookie in his native Dominican Republic, according to an SI.com report.
SI.com reported that former catcher Edgar Mercedes opened a baseball academy for top Dominican players financed from his work as a sports bookie, marketing those prospects to major league clubs and even helping negotiate Inoa's contract with agent Adam Katz. *
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