Not that anyone should need it, but Game 6 has been one more object lesson: The past is not necessarily prologue; sometimes it’s just the past.
Rangers vs. Tigers: Big 3rd Inning Has Texas Up 9-2
Max Scherzer's a talented pitcher. But he did post a 4.43 ERA this season with the Tigers during the regular season, mostly because he gave up 29 home runs.
Granted, he didn’t give up any homers in his short stint in Game 6. But there just wasn’t any reason to think his 2.70 ERA in 13⅓ postseason innings told us more about Max Scherzer than the 4.43 in 195 innings.
Well, make that 15⅔ innings after Scherzer lasted only 2⅓ innings tonight. Worse for the Tigers, Daniel Schlereth replaced Scherzer and, given just one job -- retire left-handed hitter David Murphy -- Schlereth failed, with Murphy driving a two-run single into center field to make the score 5-2.
Worse still, with Rick Porcello having replaced Scherzer after just one hitter, the second-base umpire missed a call -- granted, it was an exceptionally close call -- on a fielder's choice when Ramon Santiago fielded a grounder and went for the force at second rather than the easy out at first. Which loaded the bases again.
Which brought Ian Kinsler up, and he drilled a two-run single to left field to make it 7-2.
Okay, it wasn't quite that simple. Murphy was going to stop at second, except Delmon Young kicked the ball in left field so Murphy cruised home, with all the other runners moving up a base.
After a fielder's choice to drawn-in shortstop Jhonny Peralta and an intentional walk to Josh Hamiton -- loading the bases once more -- Michael Young lined a double down the left-field line.
Which made the score Rangers 9, Tigers 2 and brought Jim Leyland out of the dugout for yet another pitching change.
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