Boston – Not every Justin Verlander masterpiece ends in a smashed work of art, ruined by an enemy team’s guile, his teammates’ deflated bats, and some bullpen mischief.
Sometimes his friends show a bit of heroism. Skills to match Verlander’s own powerhouse artistry become part of the master mix.
Monday night, for example, at Fenway Park will be recorded as one of those hot summer evenings when the Tigers played baseball well enough on all ends there was little chance but to win, which Detroit did in grabbing the first game of their three-game set, 4-2, over the Red Sox at a place that historically loves to torture a team from Motown.