Tigers Lose Boesch In Second Consecutive Loss To Indians
Clouds have blown in on that nice, sunny feeling the Tigers had a few days ago.
Three straight losses will do that to a team, even if it remains in first place, but of greater concern for Detroit is the health of a couple of players.
Left fielder Brennan Boesch was forced out of Detroit's 10-3 loss at Cleveland by a sore right thumb. He was sent for precautionary X-rays and will undergo an MRI exam Thursday. Boesch is likely to miss at least one game, probably more.
"I didn't want to come out of the game," he said, "but it's too swollen, and I can't really swing. Can't help the team, you've got to get someone else in there who can."
Boesch said he hurt the thumb in his second at-bat Tuesday night.
"I'm not too concerned about it," he said. "I just want to get the swelling out of it. Your thumb is kind of crucial to hitting."
A power-hitting No. 2 man in the lineup is a big loss. And so is a hobbled No. 5 hitter, more so if he's the backup catcher.
DH/C Victor Martinez suffered a left knee sprain Saturday and missed a game Sunday, but he showed he's still playing hurt when he gimped around the bases in the fourth inning Wednesday.
Martinez limped to first on a single to deep short, and he hobbled from first to home plate on Ryan Raburn's triple to center.
His condition meant Detroit, which has no third catcher, had to put Alex Avila behind the plate some 15 hours after he caught all 14 innings in the previous game.
David Pauley, the losing pitcher in the series opener, saved the bullpen with a 52-pitch effort over 2 2/3 innings Wednesday.
"It's not the standings that are important right now for us," manager Jim Leyland said. "It's how we're playing and how we're hitting and not hitting. It's a matter of playing well.
"Our offense has been flat on this entire trip."
The Tigers hope Justin Verlander can put some of that sunshine back in their sky in the series finale Thursday.
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