If you weren’t aware of the score, the first postseason appearance of Brad Penny for the Detroit Tigers might tell you all you need to know.
The Texas Rangers have a 12-4 lead over the Tigers after six innings in Game 6 of the ALCS.
Detroit chipped away slightly at the Rangers’ 9-2 lead on a two-run homer by Austin Jackson in the fifth inning. Texas quickly got one of those runs back with a sacrifice fly by Josh Hamilton driving in Ian Kinsler.
But when Penny took over in the sixth, he quickly reminded everyone why the Tigers hadn’t put him on the mound yet this postseason (and why his spot on the playoff roster was in doubt as the regular season ended).
On Penny’s very first pitch, Adrian Beltre hit a missile to left field for a leadoff double. The righthander retired the next two batters, but after an intentional walk to Daniel Murphy, Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler followed up with RBI singles to further expand the Rangers’ lead.
Once again, the Texas bullpen has done an excellent job of keeping the Tigers in check. Scott Feldman retired the lone batter he faced (Ryan Raburn) after taking over for Derek Holland. Alexi Ogando then took over and has pitched two shutout innings for the Rangers, allowing one hit and striking out three batters.
Will Penny be left out to dry for the rest of this game? He’s certainly gotten enough rest for a long outing, but might not be stretched out after a long break. But with an eight-run margin, Penny could get the chance for a long goodbye to Tigers fans.