Walkoff ROE

The Tigers captured their seventh walk-off win of the year tonight on what looked liked like an inning ending double play ball. With the score tied at five in the bottom of the 10th, Alex Avila hit a routine ground ball to the right side. Blue Jay's first baseman Lyle Overbay grabbed it and threw to second for the force but shortstop Marco Scutaro could not handle the throw and Brandon Inge (who had reached on a walk and was on second base when the play started) scampered home with the winning run.

It was a typical Tigers offensive attack tonight as they struggled to score against a pitcher - David Purcey - with an ERA close to 7.00. Like so many times this season, they did their scoring late in the game. Down 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Scutaro made his first big blunder when he misplayed a Curtis Granderson grounder. Alex Avila followed with a pinch hit single. Aubrey Huff then got his biggest hit as a Tiger when he blasted a pinch homer to right to tie the game at five.

Justin Verlander has been the Tigers top pitcher this year but he often has one bad inning and tonight that was the sixth. He threw five shutout innings and took a 2-0 lead into the sixth but was then torched for five runs on six hits in one inning. Verlander left after seven innings weith the Tigers trailing 5-2.

Fortunately Fu-Te Ni, Jeremy Bonderman, Ryan Perry and Bobby Seay pitched combined for three shutout innings to keep it close. Fernando Rodney was unavailable tonight as he was serving the first game of a two game suspension for throwing a ball into the stands last week.