French outduels Greinke, Tigers beat KC
July 9, 2009
DETROIT (AP)—Lucas French didn’t allow himself a chance to focus on who he waspitching against until after the game.
After earning his first career victory, he took a moment to realize what hehad done. Making his second career start, the Tigers rookie outdueled All-StarZack Greinke(notes) as Detroit defeated Kansas City 3-1.
“You can’t pitch against the other guy, so you are trying to just thinkabout what you are doing and not worry about him,” French said. “But to get myfirst win, and to get it against a guy like that? Yeah, that’s huge. This issomething you dream about.”
French (1-0) held the Royals to one run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.
“When you are going against a guy like Greinke, you know that you are goingto have to get a great game from your starter,” Tigers manager Jim Leylandsaid. “If you give up three or four runs, he’s going to beat you, so I was veryhappy with what French did tonight.”
Series at a Glance Kansas City 4 Detroit 3 Mon, Jul 6 – Final Kansas City 5 Detroit 8 Tue, Jul 7 – Final Kansas City 1 Detroit 3 Wed, Jul 8 – Final
Three Tigers relievers finished, with Fernando Rodney(notes) pitching the ninth forhis 19th save in as many tries.
Greinke (10-5) gave up three runs, all in the first two innings, and sevenhits in six innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
“I wasn’t hit that hard, but it won the game for them,” he said. “It’s atough one, because I pitched pretty good and kept them off balance. In the firsttwo innings, everything that could go wrong did.”
Billy Butler(notes) had three doubles for the Royals.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first, helped by Kansas City’s firstdefensive mistake. Curtis Granderson(notes) walked and Placido Polanco(notes) singled to left.Polanco took a large turn, then easily moved to second as David DeJesus(notes) threwtoward the plate.
“He gives up the leadoff walk, and then we let Polanco walk to secondbecause we don’t get the ball to the base,” Kansas City manager Trey Hillmansaid. “That hurt us.”
Detroit Tigers starting pitche… AP – Jul 8, 10:33 pm EDT
Marcus Thames(notes) drove in the first run with a ground out, and Clete Thomas(notes)singled to second to make it 2-0.
“The play by Polanco was huge,” Leyland said. “First, he executes thehit-and-run, and then he gets to second base. If he doesn’t do that, the ball byThames is a double play, and we don’t score.”
Detroit added a third run in the second when Josh Anderson(notes) doubled, tookthird when Greinke couldn’t handle Gerald Laird’s(notes) bunt single, and scored onRamon Santiago’s(notes) sacrifice fly.
“That was a stupid play, because it was a terrible bunt,” Greinke said.“If I catch that, it is a double play, and even then, I made a five-hop throwto first.”
Greinke struck out eight batters in the next four innings, but the Royalscouldn’t take advantage until Alberto Callaspo’s(notes) seventh-inning homer.
“We just didn’t do anything offensively to get Zack back in the game,”Hillman said.
NOTES: Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before the game that Thomas andMagglio Ordonez(notes) will platoon in right field, with Thomas playing againstright-handed pitchers and Ordonez against lefties. Ordonez sat out Wednesday’sgame, but is expected to start Friday against Cleveland’s Cliff Lee(notes). … TheTigers and the Phillies announced a “Vote Bran Torino” campaign, where theteams would work together to campaign for Brandon Inge(notes) and Shane Victorino(notes) forthe “Final Vote” to pick the last All-Star for each league. “I thought thiswas going to be a simple vote, and they’d just tell me Thursday who won,” anamused Inge said. “I never expected this kind of hype.” … Greinke was 2-0with a 0.64 ERA in his previous two starts at Comerica Park. … French has a2.45 ERA in his two starts, and a 1.93 ERA in four major-league appearances.
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