Avila, Verlander winning combo for Tigers

JustinVerlander35 · Apr 6, 2011

Tigers manager Jim Leyland wanted Alex Avila to have fun like he was playing college ball again.

Looks like Avila got the message. On Wednesday, he turned in three hits, five RBIs, a 402-foot homer, a stolen base and caught some of the best April stuff Justin Verlander has had in years, all while beating a previously unbeaten team.

"I think he loosened up a little bit tonight," Leyland said after Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Avila said he has been relaxed since the season started, through the 1-for-10 start and the five wild pitches that got past him. Still, it was hard for him to contain the smile he had.

When he rolled into second base on his two-run, two-out double in the second inning, he clapped his hands. He had just driven in more runs than the O's had given up in any of their previous four games.

After he somehow stole second base in the eighth inning, he had some fun with his teammates.

"I asked some of the guys, 'Did I look fast? I got a good jump,'" Avila said. "I worked on it [in Spring Training]. I don't know if it helped."

As a college player at the University of Alabama, Avila was known for his offense, not his defense. He converted from third base to catcher as a junior, and has been learning the tools of ignorance ever since.

After an early offensive burst when he came up in the summer of 2009, he became known for his defense last year, learning how to call a game and showing a strong arm to throw out nearly a third of would-be basestealers. But the Tigers have always seen his offensive potential.

He had struggled in both this season, and was particularly tough on himself about not blocking some of the wild pitches on the Tigers' record. But Leyland saw someone in need of a confidence boost.

"I told him the other day, 'You know, when you were at Alabama, you played and you had a lot of fun, and that's what you need to do up here,'" Leyland said. "'You're a good big league player, and you're going to be a real good big league player." You just need to play like you played at Alabama. Enjoy it, have fun.'"

Leyland wasn't claiming any influence after the game.

"He certainly gets the credit," Leyland said. "He had a nice night."

To be fair, Leyland also talked about wanting Avila to be a little more aggressive at the plate rather than waiting for his pitch. Both of Avila's big hits came on 2-2 pitches after working out of 1-2 counts.

Orioles pitchers had allowed one run in each of the four wins during their unbeaten start, a standard that fell apart Wednesday once Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis couldn't communicate on Brennan Boesch's fly ball in short right field. Roberts ended up with the two-base error, and O's spot starter Brad Bergesen ended up throwing 18 more pitches before he got out of the inning.

Six pitches went to Avila, the last five of them fastballs. He fouled off two to stay alive in the count, laid off one off the inside corner, then turned on another to drive off the out-of-town scoreboard in right.

Bergesen had a slightly different approach when Avila came back up with two outs in the fourth following Victor Martinez's leadoff single. Bergesen put him behind on fastballs on the outside corner, then tried to get him on a changeup off the plate. Avila stayed off that, but pounced when Bergesen came back to the fastball and left it over the plate.

Avila cleared the scoreboard with it.

"Got a little lucky," Avila said. "Maybe the wind pushed it."

Luck or no, it's the approach that was important for him. He waited for his pitch, but he didn't miss when he got it.

"You're going to win some. You're going to lose some," Avila said. "You're going to make outs. You're going to get hits. I just want to put good at-bats together. That's the goal: Good at-bats and hit the ball hard."
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Read More- http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_06_detmlb_balmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=det

JustinVerlander35 · Apr 6, 2011

Great game played tonight by the Tigers. Finally a game where we did not give up a bunch of homers, and our defense played solid and got go production 1-9. This is by the best game the Tigers have played this season.

Big Frame · Apr 7, 2011

I was sitting next to a guy and asked him if it was too early to pinch hit for Avila before he hit his 2 run double.

JustinVerlander35 · Apr 7, 2011

LMAO!!! I think he may be DHing tonight because V-Mart has the plate and I think Leyland thinks he struck gold with Avila....... I am not gonna get used to it tho, Avila blows.

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Avila, Verlander winning combo for Tigers

JustinVerlander35 Bringin' the Heat

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Avila, Verlander winning combo for Tigers

JustinVerlander35 Bringin' the Heat

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Big Frame Well-Known Member

JustinVerlander35 Bringin' the Heat

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