Game Information ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Detroit Tigers Media Relations Department w Comerica Park w Phone (313) 471-2000 w Fax (313) 471-2138 w Detroit, MI 48201 w www.tigers.com Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics Monday, October 7, 2013 Comerica Park, Detroit, MI Game Time - 1:07 p.m. EDT TIGERS AT A GLANCE: The Tigers finished the regular season with an 93-69 record to Today’s Scheduled Starters capture the American League Central Division championship. It marks the 15th time in RHP Anibal Sanchez vs. RHP Jarrod Parker franchise history the Tigers have secured a spot in the playoffs. (14-8, 2.57) (12-8, 3.97) LOOKING BACK AT SUNDAY NIGHT: The Tigers lost 1-0 on Sunday evening and the best-of-five game series is now even at 1-1. Justin Verlander blanked the Athletics on four TV/Radio hits, while fanning 11 batters over seven innings of work but did not factor in the decision. MLBN/AM 1270 & 97.1 FM Al Alburquerque (0-1) suffered the loss in relief for the Tigers. Don Kelly led the Tigers offense with two hits. TIGERS VS. ATHLETICS VERLANDER POSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT STRIKEOUTS: Justin Verlander fanned 11 batters 2013 Record: 3-4 on Sunday night in the loss against Oakland. It marked the fourth time he has posted a 2013 at Home: 1-3 double-digit strikeout total in a postseason start. He is the only pitcher in Tigers history to 2013 at Oakland: 2-1 record three-or-more double-digit strikeout performances during postseason action. Max All-Time Record: 988-911-14 Scherzer has recorded two postseason games with 10-or-more strikeouts and is the only All-Time at Home: 553-400-5 other pitcher in Tigers history to do so in multiple games. STRIKEOUT CENTRAL All-Time at Comerica Park: 22-30 : Justin Verlander fanned eleven batters in seven innings of work a All-Time at Oakland: 435-511-9 night after Max Scherzer also fanned eleven batters. Only one other team's starting pitchers have recorded at least 10 strikeouts in two straight postseason games: Don 2013 ALDS Game Log Drysdale (11) and Sandy Koufax (10) of the Dodgers in Games Four and Five of the 1965 Date Site Result Winner/Loser/Save World Series against the Twins (Source: Elias Sports Bureau). 10/4 OAK W, 3-2 Scherzer/Colon/Benoit CABRERA REACHES SAFELY: Miguel Cabrera finished with a single in Game Two of the 10/5 OAK L, 1-0 Balfour/Alburquerque American League Division Series on Sunday night at Oakland and he has now reached 10/7 DET base safely in all 26 of his postseason games with the Tigers. His 26-game streak is the 10/8 DET longest such streak in club history, surpassing an 18-game streak by Hank Greenberg. 10/10 OAK* A THIRD STRAIGHT AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL DIVISION TITLE: The Tigers clinched the American League Central Divison for the third straight season and advanced 2013 Game Log to the playoffs for the 15th time in franchise history. It marks the sixth time the Tigers Date Site Result Winner/Loser/Save have captured a division title since divisional play began during the 1969 season. Detroit 4/12 OAK L, 4-3 (12) Resop/Villarreal has advanced to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons for the second time in club 4/13 OAK W, 7-3 Verlander/Anderson history. The only other time the Tigers have advanced to the playoffs in three consecutive 4/14 OAK W, 10-1 Sanchez/Parker seasons is from 1907-1909. 8/26 DET L, 8-6 Griffin/Alvarez/Balfour FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR THE SKIPPER: Tigers Manager Jim Leyland has guided a 8/27 DET L, 6-3 (6) Milone/Verlander club to the postseason for the eighth time in his 22 seasons as a major league manager, 8/28 DET L, 14-4 Straily/Fister/Anderson including the fourth time during his eight-year tenure with the Tigers. He has compiled a 8/29 DET W, 7-6 Benoit/Balfour 40-35 record (.533) during postseason action. Leyland led the Pittsburgh Pirates to three straight National League East Division titles (1990-92), and he captured the National League Wild Card with the Florida Marlins in 1997. His 1997 Marlins defeated the * - if game is necessary Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. Leyland’s 2006 Tigers club won the American League Wild Card, advancing to the World Series after defeating the Yankees in the American League Division Series and Athletics in the American League Championship Series. The 2011 Tigers captured the American League Central Division title and advanced to the American League Championship Series after defeating the Yankees in the American League Division Series. His 2012 Tigers captured the American League Central Division title and advanced to the World Series after defeating the Yankees in the American League Championship Series and defeating the Athletics in the American League Division Series. TAKING ON OAKLAND DURING THE PLAYOFFS: The Tigers are taking on Oakland in postseason play for the fourth time in franchise history. Detroit defeated Oakland 3-2 during the American League Division Series to advance to the American League Championship Series in 2012. Detroit swept Oakland 4-0 during the American League Championship Series to advance to the World Series in 2006. The Tigers fell 3-2 to the Athletics during the 1972 American League Championship Series. CABRERA’S THIRD STRAIGHT BATTING CROWN: Miguel Cabrera led the American League with a .348 batting average to capture his third straight batting crown. He is the first Tigers player to lead the American League in hitting in three consecutive seasons since Ty Cobb did so in three straight seasons (1917-19). Cabrera led the American League with a .330 average during 2012, and a .344 batting average during the 2011 season. SANCHEZ CAPTURES AL ERA CROWN: Anibal Sanchez led the American League with a 2.57 ERA (182.0IP/52ER) during the season. He is the seventh pitcher in Tigers history to capture the ERA crown and the first since Justin Verlander did so with a 2.40 ERA in 2011. SCHERZER LEADS THE MAJORS IN WINS: Max Scherzer led the Major Leagues with 21 wins on the season. He became just the 24th pitcher in franchise history to surpass 20 wins on the season, and the first since Justin Verlander posted 24 wins in 2011. TIGERS PITCHERS ESTABLISH MAJOR LEAGUE STRIKEOUT RECORD: Tigers pitchers finished the season with 1,428 strikeouts to establish a new Major League record for most strikeouts in a season. The previous record was 1,404 strikeouts on the season, established by the 2003 Cubs. The Tigers led the league with 8.79 strikeouts during the 2013, which marked the highest rate at which Tigers pitchers have struck out batters in club history. FIRST IN THE AL IN HITTING: The Tigers finished first in the American League with a .283 batting average, 1,625 hits, and a .446 on-base percentage, while they were second with 767 RBI. The .283 average is the highest for the Tigers since the club batted .287 in 2007. INJURY UPDATE: RHP Octavio Dotel (right elbow inflammation, 60-day DL on April 20), RHP Luis Marte (right shoulder posterior labral debridement, 15-day DL on July 31), INF Danny Worth (left shoulder subluxation, 60-day DL on September 26th). TIGERS UPCOMING GAME DETAILS TIGERS OPPONENTS DATE OPPONENT GAME TIME PROBABLE PITCHER PROBABLE PITCHER TV/RADIO Tuesday vs. Oakland TBA RHP Doug Fister RHP Dan Straily TBS/97.1 (14-9, 3.67) (10-8, 3.96) Wednesday Off Day Thursday at Oakland* 9:07 p.m. TBA TBA TBS/97.1 All times Eastern. All records listed are from the regular season. * - if game is necessary. © Detroit Tigers, 2013 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... World Series Champions w 1935 w 1945 w 1968 w 1984 October 7, 2013 TODAY’S TIGERS STARTER - ANIBAL SANCHEZ ‘13 Season (Detroit): 14-8, 2.57 ERA, 29 G, 29 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 182.0 IP, 156 H, 56 R, 52 ER, 54 BB, 202 SO. ‘12 Season (Detroit): 4-6, 3.74 ERA, 12 G, 12 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 74.2 IP, 81 H, 36 R, 31 ER, 15 BB, 57 SO. ‘12 Season (Miami): 5-7, 3.94 ERA, 19 G, 19 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 121.0 IP, 119 H, 59 R, 53 ER, 33 BB, 110 SO. ALL ABOUT ANIBAL: After completing his first full 2013 GAME-BY-GAME RUNDOWN season with the Tigers, Sanchez will make his fourth SEASON (DETROIT) career postseason start, his first in 2013, this DATE OPP. RESULT S/R DEC. ERA IP H R ER BB SO PC afternoon against Oakland. 4/3 @MIN L, 3-2 S ND 0.00 5.0 2 0 0 3 5 95 SIGNING LONG TERM: Sanchez agreed to terms on 4/9 TOR W, 7-3 S W-1 1.50 7.0 5 2 2 1 8 114 4/14 @OAK W, 10-1 S W-2 1.42 7.0 3 1 1 4 8 113 a five-year contract, plus a club option for 2018, with 4/19 @LAA L, 8-1 S L-1 1.75 6.2 11 3 2 0 3 92 the Tigers on December 18, 2012. 4/26 ATL W, 10-0 S W-3 1.34 8.0 5 0 0 1 17 121 SANCHEZ CAPTURES AL ERA CROWN: Sanchez 5/1 MIN L, 6-2 S L-2 1.82 6.0 5 3 3 2 9 115 ended the season as leader of the American League 5/8 @WAS L, 3-1 S L-3 1.97 6.0 8 3 2 0 8 98 5/13 HOU W, 7-2 S W-4 2.05 7.0 6 2 2 1 8 113 with a 2.57 ERA (182.0IP/52ER) to capture the ERA 5/18 @TEX L, 7-2 S L-4 2.77 2.2 9 6 5 2 2 74 Crown.