Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Porcello hopes to match Sanchez gem against Braves

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

It was a night for the ages in Detroit on Friday.

Rick Porcello may have a hard time matching Anibal Sanchez's brilliant performance on Saturday, though, when the Tigers continue a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at Comerica Park.

Sanchez tossed eight scoreless innings and recorded a career-high 17 strikeouts as Detroit cruised to a 10-0 rout in the opener.

"I didn't think for the strikeout," Sanchez said. "I just tried to get a lot of ground balls, stay in the game for a lot of innings. That's what I work for."

Sanchez (3-1) gave up just five hits and a walk as he broke Mickey Lolich's club record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Lolich twice struck out 16 hitters in 1969. Sanchez also set the mark for most strikeouts in an Interleague game in major league history.

"Everything was working for him tonight," Tigers catcher Brayan Pena said. "He was mixing it up. He was attacking the strike zone with his offspeed, and then he was expanding his strike zone. He was making those guys chase because his stuff tonight was unbelievable.

"I think it was one of those nights that when you're behind home plate, you feel comfortable with whatever you put down, especially after a 10-0 lead."

Matt Tuiasosopo hit a home run and drove in a career-best five runs for the Tigers, who have won two of their last three contests. Victor Martinez had a pair of doubles and two RBI while Torii Hunter went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

Braves starter Paul Maholm (3-2) got shelled in 3 2/3 innings of work, allowing eight earned runs and 10 hits.

Atlanta has dropped two straight and five of seven.

Now, the Tigers turn to Porcello, who has been awful this season, going 0-2 with a 11.08 ERA. He was at his worst last Saturday in Anaheim, as he failed to get out of the first inning and was pounded for nine runs, while recording just two outs before exiting.

"I think we've all had games where guys are hitting the ball hard just right at (defenders)," Porcello said after the game, "and you cruise through seven innings or whatever and you walk away feeling pretty good about it, but you didn't throw the ball that well. Today, I felt like I threw the ball fine. It just wasn't in the cards for me."

Atlanta, meanwhile, turns to righty Kris Medlen, who is 1-2 with a 2.16 ERA. Medlen absorbed the loss on Sunday in Pittsburgh, as the Pirates reached him for three runs and seven hits in six innings. He also struck out six and walked a batter.

Medlen beat the Tigers the only other time he faced them and only allowed a run in 6 2/3 innings of that one.

The Braves are making their first trip to Detroit since 2004, when they lost two of three. The Tigers swept a three-game series in Atlanta during the 2007 campaign and the Braves took two of three at home in 2010.