- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,147,524
- Reaction score
- 59
Detroit – These are not the best of times for the Tigers.
Dealing with a rash of injuries, including three-fifths of the original starting rotation, they were hoping lefty Framber Valdez could provide a brief oasis after deploying back-to-back bullpen starts.
More: Detroit Tigers, Game 37: One thing I didn't love, and another thing
Nope.
Instead, he responded with the worst outing of his nine-year career. And got himself ejected in the process, as the Red Sox beat the Tigers for the second straight night at Comerica Park, 10-3.
Valdez had already allowed eight runs when he came out to start the fourth. He was victimized by five straight singles in a 31-pitch, five-run third inning. Had the Tigers’ relievers not had to cover 13 innings the last two nights, he would’ve been pulled then.
But he was at 56 pitches and manager AJ Hinch tried to squeeze at least one more inning out of him.
The Red Sox stopped hitting singles. Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu greeted him with monster-sized, back-to-back homers in the fourth. Contreras’ blast went 449 feet. Abreu’s flew 396 feet. Both admired their work leaving the box and took their time around the bases.
Valdez’s next pitch was straight into Trevor Story’s back. There was little doubt of his intent. It was a four-seam fastball. He hadn’t thrown a four-seam fastball all season.
Benches and bullpens from both sides emptied but there were no punches thrown. There wasn’t even much pushing and shoving, mostly just jawing. The only thing that happened was Valdez was ejected.
That will hurt even more if Valdez earns a suspension from the league office. The last thing the Tigers need now is to lose another starting pitcher. Even if it’s for one start.
Valdez’s forgettable final line: three innings, nine hits, career-high 10 runs, seven earned runs, career-high three home runs.
He gave up three, two-out runs in the first, but they were unearned. An error by third baseman Zach McKinstry, in his first game back off the injured list, extended the inning and Ceddanne Rafaela cashed it in with a three-run, opposite-field homer.
The Tigers got two back in the bottom of the first against Boston opener Jovani Moran. Matt Vierling led off the inning with his second home run and Wenceel Perez singled in another run.
The Tigers, frustratingly, couldn’t generate much offense against the Red Sox bulk reliever – right-hander Brayan Bello. He’s had a miserable season, coming in with a 9.12 ERA (he'd allowed an MLB-most 26 earned runs), a 2.2 WHIP, a .635 opponent slugging percentage and 1.074 opponent OPS.
He got better against the Tigers.
Bello allowed just one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts.
The Red Sox, who fired their manager Alex Cora last month and came to Detroit eight games under .500, will leave town with the first series win by a visiting team at Comerica Park this season. The Tigers had won the first five series.
This story will be updated.
[email protected]
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Framber Valdez was ejected in the Tigers' loss to the Red Sox
Continue reading...
Dealing with a rash of injuries, including three-fifths of the original starting rotation, they were hoping lefty Framber Valdez could provide a brief oasis after deploying back-to-back bullpen starts.
More: Detroit Tigers, Game 37: One thing I didn't love, and another thing
Nope.
Instead, he responded with the worst outing of his nine-year career. And got himself ejected in the process, as the Red Sox beat the Tigers for the second straight night at Comerica Park, 10-3.
Valdez had already allowed eight runs when he came out to start the fourth. He was victimized by five straight singles in a 31-pitch, five-run third inning. Had the Tigers’ relievers not had to cover 13 innings the last two nights, he would’ve been pulled then.
But he was at 56 pitches and manager AJ Hinch tried to squeeze at least one more inning out of him.
The Red Sox stopped hitting singles. Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu greeted him with monster-sized, back-to-back homers in the fourth. Contreras’ blast went 449 feet. Abreu’s flew 396 feet. Both admired their work leaving the box and took their time around the bases.
Valdez’s next pitch was straight into Trevor Story’s back. There was little doubt of his intent. It was a four-seam fastball. He hadn’t thrown a four-seam fastball all season.
You must be registered for see images attach
Benches and bullpens from both sides emptied but there were no punches thrown. There wasn’t even much pushing and shoving, mostly just jawing. The only thing that happened was Valdez was ejected.
That will hurt even more if Valdez earns a suspension from the league office. The last thing the Tigers need now is to lose another starting pitcher. Even if it’s for one start.
Valdez’s forgettable final line: three innings, nine hits, career-high 10 runs, seven earned runs, career-high three home runs.
He gave up three, two-out runs in the first, but they were unearned. An error by third baseman Zach McKinstry, in his first game back off the injured list, extended the inning and Ceddanne Rafaela cashed it in with a three-run, opposite-field homer.
The Tigers got two back in the bottom of the first against Boston opener Jovani Moran. Matt Vierling led off the inning with his second home run and Wenceel Perez singled in another run.
The Tigers, frustratingly, couldn’t generate much offense against the Red Sox bulk reliever – right-hander Brayan Bello. He’s had a miserable season, coming in with a 9.12 ERA (he'd allowed an MLB-most 26 earned runs), a 2.2 WHIP, a .635 opponent slugging percentage and 1.074 opponent OPS.
He got better against the Tigers.
Bello allowed just one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts.
The Red Sox, who fired their manager Alex Cora last month and came to Detroit eight games under .500, will leave town with the first series win by a visiting team at Comerica Park this season. The Tigers had won the first five series.
This story will be updated.
[email protected]
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Framber Valdez was ejected in the Tigers' loss to the Red Sox
Continue reading...
