Cruz Control

Nelson Cruz not only tied Game 2 with a home run in the 7th inning against Detroit starter Max Sherzer, but won the game in the bottom of the 11th with a grand slam of Ryan Perry, giving the Texas Rangers a 2-0 ALCS lead.

The Tigers, now without Delmon Young and Magglio Ordonez due to injuries, come back home to Comerica Park to see what they can do about slowing the Arlington juggernaut.

Jim Leyland sent Sherzer back out in the 7th for what looked to be one final batter when the Tigers led 3-2; Brad Penny and David Benoit were warming up in the bullpen.  However, Cruz belted his solo homer and the two teams wrestled with the tie for four more innings.

Texas reliever Scott Feldman picked up after starter Derek Holland in the third inning and the bullpen carried the game, with Mike Adams picking up the win for his work in the 11th.

The Tigers left bases loaded in the 2nd and 9th innings and in total left 13 men on base, and were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position, the one being Ryan Raburn's 3rd-inning three-run shot.  The Rangers were 3 for 13 RISP, but it was a big 3 for 13. 

Second-guessers were already at work combing over the debris before the game was over, questioning Sherzer's presence in the 7th inning and third base coach Gene Lamont holding up Ramon Santiago in the 9th.  However, Sherzer was pitching a good game and still looked good coming out of the 6th, and Santiago was held at third with two out and Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez due up.  Of course with a base open obviously Cabrera would be walked and Martinez would be the intended out. 

Pitching looks like the name of these games and Texas' ability to slam is the trump card.  Team batting averages for the series are not monstrous, Detroit dragging a .208 and Texas wielding a less-than-daunting .246, and both teams fed by two or three players offensively.  Only three Tigers are batting above .300 -- Raburn (.333), Kelly (.667), and Santiago (.500) -- supported by Cabrera and Peralta averages of .250.  On the Rangers side only two -- Beltre (.444) and Cruz (.571) -- are north of .300, with Napoli having cooled down to .286, follwed by Josh Hamilton at .222.

Even with at the very least two games left, Jim Leyland may be buying himself not a carton, but a case of Marlboros to get through this series.