Well, we're not worrying much about Justin Verlander any more. After a tricky first inning in which he gave up two doubles and a run, he's cruised through the second and third innings and would have cruised even more in the third if Alex Avilla hadn't let a perfectly thrown strikeout pitch go between his legs.
Tigers vs. Rangers: Alex Avila’s Homer Makes It 1-1 After 3
We were worrying even less about C.J. Wilson.
Wilson, who gave up way too many home runs in Game 1 of the Division Series and way too many walks in Game 1 of the League Championship Series, had given up nothing today in Game 5.
Until the third, when Alex Avila -- the only left-handed hitter in the Tigers' lineup -- got a fastball over the plate and drove it the opposite way a long way, carrying the left-field fence by a few feet.
This was a redemptive blow for Avila, who entered Game 5 with two hits, both of them singles, in 33 postseason at-bats. Tim McCarver says Avila’s tired, and maybe he is. Jim Leyland doesn’t like any of his other options behind the plate, so it’s been Avila or bust.
Ramón Santiago followed Avila with a soft grounder for a single, which turned into a Little League double when Elvis Andrus's throw skipped past Mitch Moreland at first base. Wilson recovered to strike out Austin Jackson (for the second time in three innings), and escaped the inning by retiring Ryan Raburn on a fly to deep right.
After three innings, it's now Tigers 1, Rangers 1.
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