Detroit Tigers advance to the American League Championship Series

The Detroit Tigers have advanced to the ALCS for the second season in a row.  The Tigers defeated the Western Division Champs Oakland Athletics 3 games to 2 games.   The Tigers had won the first two games of the best of five at Comerica Park last weekend.   All that they had to do was win 1 game out of the three that would play at the football stadium in Oakland. 

The Athletics would win the next two games despite some outstanding pitching performances from Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer.   Both of these start pitchers went deep into the game and gave the Tigers every chance to win the game.   In fact Scherzer left with a 3-1 lead until closer "PaPa Granda" blew the lead by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning of game #4.  This would tie the series at 2 games each.  The only positive thing going for Detroit was that they still had defending Cy Young and American League MVP start Justin Verlander going for them in game #5.

The middle of the Tiger order has gone south during the Divisional Series with Oakland.  Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young have not played up to the standards that they set during  the regular season.   They have contributed a little with the bottom of the order picking up the slack.   In order for the Tigers to advance to the 2012 World Series these three will really have to set it up.  Cabrera and Fielder will need to produce some RBI's against either the Orioles or the Yankees. 

Now to the savior of the team to this point Justin Verlander who won game #1 of the series was now being called upon again.   Justin would pitch his usual outstanding self with a complete game 4 hitter.  He would finish the game with 11 strikeouts and no runs.  For the two games in the ALDS Verlander would finish with 22 strikeouts and a 0.56 ERA.  The team would celebrate until 12:37a.m. on Friday October 12th.   Now they will have to wait to see if they will face the Yankees on the road on Saturday the 13th or open up at home against the Orioles at home for the first two games.    First step completed.