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OK, I'll give you Justin Verlander.

I'll even give you Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Austin Jackson.

But five through 25? I think I'll take the Cleveland Indians over the Detroit Tigers.

The Indians beat the Tigers 5-3 on Tuesday, even though Ubaldo Jimenez struggled once again with his control. Relief ace Chris Perez, who criticized Indians fans on Saturday for their lack of support (Cleveland is last in the majors in attendance), was greeted with a thunderous ovation as he came in out of the bullpen in the ninth inning. With two runners on, he struck out Cabrera and got Fielder to ground out.

Just another save. "That's the loudest I've ever been cheered here," Perez said. "I was pumped, the adrenaline was going. It could have gone the other way. I came through. I didn't know which way it was going to go. I was thankful it went the good way."

The good way pushed the Indians to 24-18. The Tigers are 20-22, and for the life of me I can't understand why everyone still thinks Detroit is the better team. Mind you, I'm not saying the Indians are better. I just don't see why the Tigers are better. Just because everyone picked them before the season?

Once you get past those big shiny names on the Tigers' roster, if you want to pinpoint one big difference between the two clubs, it's a little statistic that us sabermetric types love: the old base on balls. The Indians lead the American League with 188 walks, 25 more than any other team; the Tigers have 127 walks, ninth in the league. That patience will go a long ways toward giving Cleveland an offense capable of scoring as many runs as Detroit's (the Indians have outscored the Tigers by one run so far, 184 to 183).

In fact, when you go position by position, you'll see what I mean.

Catcher: Carlos Santana versus Alex Avila. So far, Avila has been unable to match 2011's .366 average on balls in play, the sixth-best average in the majors. Which means he's hitting like he did in 2010. Santana, meanwhile, is a walks machine who hit 27 home runs in 2011.

First base: Casey Kotchman versus Prince Fielder. Obvious edge to Fielder, of course. The most interesting thing about his start (.292/.354/.472) is his walk rate is down from 15.5 percent to 8.5 percent. Part of that is he was intentionally walked 32 times a year ago, just three this year.

Second base: Jason Kipnis versus Ramon Santiago/Ryan Raburn. Please. Big edge to Kipnis with Santiago and Raburn both hitting under .200. Will Detroit make a move here?

Third base: Jack Hannahan/Jose Lopez versus Miguel Cabrera. This may be the first and only time you'll see Jose Lopez mentioned in the same breath as Miguel Cabrera. So far, however, this edge has been minimal. Cabrera is hitting .304/.362/.488, Hannahan .287/.365/.436 but with better defense. According to Defensive Runs Saved, Cabrera has cost the Tigers four runs -- worst among third basemen (tied with Hanley Ramirez).

Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera versus Jhonny Peralta. With the Indians preaching plate discipline, check out Cabrera: Last year, 44 walks and 119 strikeouts; this year, 18 walks and just 12 strikeouts. He's hitting .309 with an OBP over .400 but hasn't lost any power. In 2011, he swung at 31 percent of the pitches out of the strike but he has cut that down to 24 percent. Small differences can go a long way. Peralta was a big surprise for Detroit last season but hasn't matched the numbers in the plate or in the field.

Left field: Johnny Damon/Shelley Duncan versus Andy Dirks/Delmon Young. Damon has looked terrible. Dirks has looked great, but too early to evaluate this one.

Center field: Michael Brantley versus Austin Jackson. With his defense and hot start at the plate, Jackson has been as valuable as any player in the American League not named Josh Hamilton.

Right field: Shin-Soo Choo versus Brennan Boesch. This one isn't close and that's with Choo off to a middling start in the power department. Choo has a .391 OBP, Boesch a .271 OBP. Choo is a solid defender while Boesch is slow and lumbering. With his poor start at the plate and poor defense, Boesch has been one of the worst regular in baseball so far. Choo is an underrated asset and I love Manny Acta's decision to move him into the leadoff spot.

Designated hitter: Travis Hafner versus field. Cleveland's designated hitters have six homers and .370 OBP (fourth in the league). Detroit's DHs have one home run and a .238 OBP (13th in the league). Big, big edge to Pronk.

Rotation. With the best pitcher on the planet, Detroit's rotation has posted a 3.87 ERA; without the best pitcher on the planet, Cleveland's rotation has posted a 3.94 ERA. Both teams have played 42 games and Cleveland's starters have thrown 12 more innings. Moving forward, maybe you think Detroit's group will perform better. After all, Doug Fister missed some, Max Scherzer just struck out 15 in game (never mind that the Pirates have been an historic strikeout binge of late) and Rick Porcello will put it together one of these years, because everyone says so. Meanwhile, Ubaldo Jimenez can't throw strikes, Justin Masterson hasn't pitched as well as last year and Derek Lowe is doing it with smoke, mirrors and a deal with the devil. The one thing the Cleveland starters do is keep the ball in the park; they've allowed 20 home runs, second-fewest in the league. Look, maybe you think Scherzer will start pitching better; I'd say so will Masterson. Maybe you're a Porcello believer; I'm not, especially with that infield defense behind him. Lowe is a fluke? Well, let's see how Drew Smyly does as the scouting reports get around on him.

Bullpen. Neither pen has been stellar, as Cleveland's 4.16 ERA ranks 13th in the AL and Detroit's 4.76 ranks 14th. Cleveland's top guys, however, have been pretty solid -- Chris Perez is 14 of 15 in save opportunities while Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith and Nick Hagadone have pitched well. Detroit's top two of Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit, so dominant a year ago, have both struggled to throw strikes.

I said before the season that I believed the Tigers were drastically overrated. On the Baseball Today podcast late in spring training, I predicted Cleveland would win the division. Unfortunately, when ESPN.com published predictions a few days later, I changed my pick to Detroit. I bought into the hype.

I'm not buying any longer. This division is wide, wide open. (And I haven't even mentioned the White Sox!)

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Note: You can watch all the action from the Caribbean Series on ESPN3.com. Thursday's games: Venezuela versus Puerto Rico at 1:45 p.m. ET and Mexico versus Dominican Republic at 5:55 p.m. ET.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The Caribbean Series is a showcase for the best winter league talent, in part so scouts can have a firsthand look at the developing talent and their progress. This Series is no exception as many teams get ready to open spring training and search for solutions that may come at a reasonable price tag.

Here’s a look at 10 players who may be on the bubble for a major league roster spot.

1. Andy Dirks (Leones del Escogido) -- Dirks is 2-for-2 when it comes to winter ball. Last year he won a Dominican League championship with the Toros del Este and this year was picked up by Escogido after the Toros were eliminated in the regular season. At age 26, Dirks is perfectly positioned to make the Detroit Tigers’ roster now that Magglio Ordonez is gone and Delmon Young could see time at DH. Dirks had a solid winter, especially in the Dominican postseason as it was his game-winning single which clinched the title for Escogido in an exciting best-of-nine series over the Aguilas Cibaeñas.

2. Barbaro Canizares (Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón) -- With all the talk about Yoenis Cespedes, Canizares played this winter as if he had something to prove. Canizares, a former member of the Cuban national team, left Cuba in 2004. He established residency in Nicaragua and eventually signed with the Atlanta Braves, but after five games in the big leagues in 2009 was discarded by the organization. Canizares toiled last summer in the Mexican League, batting .312 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs with a 1.032 OPS in 65 games with the Mexican Pacific League champion Yaquis. He's hoping that performance can earn him a ticket back to get on track to a major league gig.

3. Luis Hernandez (Tigres de Aragua) -- Aragua’s shortstop has the inside track to claim the utility infielder role with the Texas Rangers. At 27, Hernandez has a privileged glove and 120 games of major league experience under his belt with the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets. The Rangers are taking a long look at Hernandez, who would join fellow countryman Elvis Andrus should he make the big club.

4. Yohan Pino (Tigres de Aragua) -- This right-handed pitcher had a strong 2011 Double-A season in the Toronto Blue Jays system as he struck out 104 in 95 innings, with just 14 walks. During the Venezuelan League’s regular season he posted a 1.97 ERA over 45.2 innings. Pino just turned 28 and many believe he is heading toward his prime and ready for the bigger stage.

5. Nelson Figueroa (Indios de Mayagüez) -- At 37, Figueroa did some of the best pitching of his career this winter. After spending 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros in Triple-A, Figueroa earned a minor league deal with the Blue Jays, who seem to be looking at every option out there to strengthen their rotation and bullpen.

6. Julio Borbon (Leones del Escogido) -- Borbón is on the outside looking in for the Rangers’ backup outfielder job, but has raised eyebrows recently with a burst of power in his stroke, which saw him bat .355 in the Dominican League final. The Rangers’ outfield is basically set with Josh Hamilton, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz (plus prospect Leonys Martin), but Borbon’s speed and bat could help the Dominican’s case for a big league roster spot over Craig Gentry. At the very least, Borbon, who is only 25, could be a trade acquisition for a team looking for a center fielder.

7. Jesus Feliciano (Indios de Mayagüez) -- After 13 years in professional baseball, Feliciano only has 53 big league games, all with the New York Mets. The left-handed hitting Feliciano had a particularly good winter, however, which earned him a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays with an invite to spring training. The Rays are projecting an outfield with Matt Joyce, B.J. Upton and Desmond Jennings with Sam Fuld or Brandon Guyer as the backup. Feliciano could have the spring of his life and make some heads turn.

8. Raul Valdes (Leones del Escogido) -- Valdes posted a 1.27 ERA in three outings in the Dominican League finals, pitching Game 9 on two days rest, which has led to the Dominican press to dub him the "Dominican Cy Young." The left-hander is headed to camp with the Philadelphia Phillies after splitting 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees and while he has no shot at a starting job in Philly, some scouts here feel he could contend for a lefty reliever role since the Phillies currently only have three lefties in their 40-man roster in Joe Savery, Dontrelle Willis and Antonio Bastardo (who coincidentally will also be active in Santo Domingo with Aragua).

9. Luis Ayala (Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón) -- For two weeks now it has been rumored that Ayala is weighing offers from the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles, but has given no hint as to where he’s leaning. Ayala had a consistent season in the Mexican Pacific League as he reached the 60-save milestone to become only the seventh MPL pitcher to reach that mark. After going 5-0 with the Yankees in 2011, his stock as a set-up man has risen sharply.

10. Irving Falu (Indios de Mayagüez) -- Falu had a surprising 2011 batting .301 for Triple-A Omaha and is in a group of six infielders battling for three roster spots on the Royals’ roster. A natural shortstop, Falu is unlikely to beat out Yuniesky Betancourt, the Royals’ offseason acquisition, but could very well be in play for a utility role with a strong spring if Johnny Giavotella falters and Betancourt wins the second-base job.

The American League Central may have a reputation as baseball's skinflint division, but such is not the case: The White Sox, Twins and Tigers each had payrolls over $100 million in 2011 and ranked in the top 10 of highest-salaried ballclubs.

The problem was that two of those three teams didn't get much for their money. Considering the issues in Chicago and Minnesota, and the youth and unwillingness to spend big in Cleveland and Kansas City, Detroit will enter 2012 as the heavy favorite to win the division -- no matter what happens in the offseason. But even the Tigers are far from a sure thing and if the Indians can get good health from Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore in 2012, plus strong seasons from youngsters Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, their offense could be dramatically improved.

But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Here's a quick look at some action plans and items of interest for the five teams.

Detroit Tigers

1. Third base (Brandon Inge)

With Inge plummeting to a .197 average, Detroit's third-base production was among the worst in the majors. The team has already been linked to free agent Aramis Ramirez and trade discussions with Angels on Maicer Izturis. Both would be big upgrades over Inge, who still has one year remaining on his contract. The dark horse possibility: With Carlos Guillen ($13 million) and Magglio Ordonez ($10 million) off the books, the Tigers pursue Jose Reyes to fill their leadoff void, moving Jhonny Peralta to third base.

Likely solution: As much I love the Reyes idea, Ramirez to Detroit seems like a logical fit. The negatives are Ramirez's lack of range and Detroit's need for a little more athleticism in the lineup.



2. Middle relief

By the postseason, Jim Leyland was down to two relievers he trusted: Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit. Al Alburquerque had a strong rookie season out of nowhere and Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth provide rare power lefty arms, but Albuquerque and Schlereth still have trouble throwing strikes. The Tigers could go after a low-cost veteran like LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Gonzalez or Darren Oliver, or maybe make a trade pitch for White Sox lefty Matt Thornton, although it seems unlikely Chicago would trade Thornton to a division rival.

Likely solution: A veteran righty-hander, with the Tigers counting on improvement from Coke and Schlereth.

3. A left-handed bat.

The Tigers missed Brennan Boesch's stick in the playoffs, as Victor Martinez and the hobbled Alex Avila were the only threats from the left side (granted, Don Kelly hit a big home run). Boesch's return will help, but Detroit could use a lefty bat to help balance out the lineup.

Likely solution: Andy Dirks may given another shot at that third/fourth outfielder job after hitting .251/.296/.406 as a rookie. But what about Rockies left fielder Seth Smith, who is on the trade block? His career .518 slugging percentage against righties has been bolstered a bit by Coors Field, but he's a solid hitter who could platoon with Ryan Raburn in left, or allow Raburn to play some at second base.

Cleveland Indians

1. Find a left fielder who can hit.

Michael Brantley is a decent asset -- but as a center fielder. The plan to use Brantley as an everyday left fielder was never a great one to begin with, as he's never going to pop many balls over the fence. Brantley, Austin Kearns, Shelley Duncan and Travis Buck all started at least 20 games in left; Jared Head started six games there. As a group, Cleveland's left fielders hit a miserable .233 with seven home runs; only Baltimore and Minnesota received a lower OPS from their left fielders.

Likely solution: Signing Grady Sizemore doesn't necessarily push Brantley back to a starting role in left field. He's best used as a fourth outfielder and Sizemore insurance. Michael Cuddyer may end up getting priced out of Cleveland's range, so how former Twins teammate Jason Kubel? He can play left and step in as designated hitter when Travis Hafner suffers his inevitable breakdown.

2. Find at least one more starter.

Right now, the Indians can only count on Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez for their rotation. Carlos Carrasco is out for the season following Tommy John surgery, Fausto Carmona was terrible and even Josh Tomlin is a question mark after the league caught up to him in the second half (5.26 ERA).

Likely solution: Jeanmar Gomez has been roughed up in two stints in the majors (146 hits in 116 innings), but his Triple-A numbers were solid, if unspectacular. He'll be given another chance in spring training to battle David Huff for a rotation spot.

3. If not Matt LaPorta, who plays first base?

The big prospect acquired in the CC Sabathia deal, LaPorta just hasn't hit as expected, posting a .299 on-base percentage in 2011. The Indians seem ready to punt on LaPorta, who turns 27 in January so isn't even that young. Carlos Santana ended up playing a lot of first base down the stretch, but let's hope he's kept behind the plate, where his hitting value would be maximized.

Likely solution: If free agent Carlos Pena lowers his price, he's a possibility, and the Indians reportedly talked with Houston about Brett Wallace. I'm not sure Wallace is much of an upgrade over LaPorta, but at least he's younger. Casey Kotchman could fit nicely here as lower-cost alternative after posting a .378 OBP with Tampa. And hey, he's only two years older than LaPorta.

Chicago White Sox

1. What do you do with Adam Dunn and Alex Rios?

Dunn hit .159 with a .569 OPS. Rios hit .227 with a .613 OPS. Dunn was the least-valuable position player in baseball, according to Baseball-Reference.com, while Rios was seventh-worst. They made $24 million in 2011 and will make a combined $26 million in 2012. Both are signed through 2014.

Likely solution: General manager Kenny Williams will be busy during the winter meetings, perhaps shopping around guys like Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Matt Thornton, looking for some sort of backup plan to these two pieces of junk. The 40-man roster currently includes Alejandro De Aza, who probably deserves a chance to play somewhere after a nice run (if over his head) last season. Let's put it this way: he can produce an OPS higher than .613.

2. Third base (Brent Morel)

After struggling all season, hitting .250 with just two home runs and seven walks in 328 at-bats through August, Morel suddenly changed his approach in September, got more patient and swung for the fences. He hit just .224 the final month, but with eight home runs and 15 walks. Was it a legitimate improvement, or merely feasting off September tired arms and rookie call-ups?

Likely solution: Morel's hot September earns him another shot.

3. The new manager

This isn't so much an action plan, as a big question mark. Robin Ventura has no previous managerial experience, but the good sign for the White Sox is that respected pitching coach Don Cooper is still around to handle the pitching staff.

Likely solution: If Dunn and Rios stink it up again, it won't matter how well Ventura transitions into the job -- he'll be doomed.

Kansas City Royals

1. Fix the rotation

The Royals had a 4.82 ERA from their starters; only Baltimore was worse in the American League.

Likely solution: The Royals already made a move here, trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez. The club also re-signed Bruce Chen. With the signing of Jonathan Broxton, and the emergence of rookie relievers Greg Holland, Louis Coleman and Tim Collins in 2011, fellow 2011 rookie Aaron Crow will be given a shot at the rotation. I have my doubts it will work: Crow walked 31 in 62 innings out of the bullpen and left-handed hitters tagged him for a .311 average and .538 slugging percentage. There's a reason he struggled in the minors as a starter in 2010 (5.73 ERA). He has a great arm, but won't be able to rely on his fastball/slider combo as a starter.

2. Second base (Chris Getz)

Royals second basemen posted a .301 OBP and .636 OPS (26th in the majors) in 2011.

Likely solution: Rookie Johnny Giavotella played the final two months there and hit .247 with a .649 OPS. He'll head into spring training as the favorite to win the job. He hit .338/.390/.481 at Triple-A, so the batting potential is there: Bill James projects him to hit .295/.342/.419.

3. Center field (empty -- Cabrera traded)

The Royals were smart to deal Cabrera after his career season.

Likely solution: Lorenzo Cain, acquired from Milwaukee in the Zack Greinke trade, will finally get a chance to play after spending 2011 in Triple-A. Cain is old for a guy still considered a prospect -- he turns 26 in April -- so he should be a polished product by now. He showed some power for the first time in his career, hitting 16 home runs for Omaha while batting .312. He doesn't walk much, so won't be a star, but should come closing to matching Cabrera's 2011 production.

Minnesota Twins

1. The M & M boys

After 2011's train wreck -- the club's first 90-loss season since 2000 (and at 99 losses, the most the 1982 Twins lost 102) -- it seems pretty clear this team will be dead in the water again unless Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau get healthy and regain their All-Star status. But they also can't assume these guys are going to play 140-plus games.

Likely solution: Obviously, the Twins need a better backup plan for Mauer than giving .167-hitting Drew Butera 250 plate appearances. They already accomplished with the smart signing of Ryan Doumit to a one-year deal for $3 million. Doumit can catch or play right field, but his bat is good enough to warrant a regular place in the lineup even when he's not behind the plate. Of course, he's also been injury-prone throughout his career. Prospect Chris Parmalee, who impressed in a September call-up, gives the team a potentially decent backup option for Morneau as well.

2. Right field: Empty (Michael Cuddyer, free agent)

For all the attention Cuddyer is getting, let's remember that he's really just a complementary bat on a good team. Unfortunately, considering some of the other outfielders the Twins tried last season -- Rene Tosoni, Jason Repko, Trevor Plouffe -- you realize they had nobody in the upper levels of the system.

Likely solution: Doumit may factor into their plans here, but regardless, the Twins need another bat to play a corner or DH. Smith is a trade option and free agent Josh Willingham is another possibility.

3. Closer: Empty (Matt Capps and Joe Nathan, free agents)

Nathan signed with Texas while GM Terry Ryan recently told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that it's likely Capps could return.

Likely solution: Capps was terrible last year, allowing 10 home runs in 65.2 innings while striking out just 4.7 hitters per nine innings. Two years ago, he had a 5.80 ERA. I can't fathom why any team would want to make Capps its closer. Sadly, however, the rest of the Minnesota bullpen is nearly as uninspiring (as is the rotation, but I don't have room to get to them here), but Capps throws strikes and there's nothing the Twins love more than a pitcher who throws strikes (velocity are ability to miss bats don't seem to be a factor). There's no reason for this team to spend big money on one of the remaining free-agent closers, so it probably will be Capps or lefty Glen Perkins.

Hanging slider, meet Nelson Cruz's bat.

For the second time in three innings, the Texas Rangers loaded the bases with no outs. In the ninth, Jose Valverde had magically escaped the jam. In the 11th inning, Cruz swung hard at a 1-2 slider from Ryan Perry. Cruz always swings hard. The pitch hung in the middle of the zone, and Cruz tattooed it over the fence in left field, a majestic fly ball that brought joy to Texas, frustration to Detroit, a 7-3 end to a suspenseful Game 2 of the American League Championship Series and a shaving-cream pie for Cruz. It was the first walk-off grand slam in postseason history (although Robin Ventura would like to add an asterisk to that factoid) and gives the Rangers a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Cruz had tied Monday's game with another towering home run in the seventh inning off Max Scherzer, another two-strike blast that hit the foul pole in left. He'd been hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs in the ninth, screaming and writhing in pain but staying in the game. The Tigers will remember those two pitches, and the misplay by Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson in the outfield that proceeded Cruz's at-bat. Detroit fans might not like games being decided by guys such as Perry and Dirks, but that's what can happen in postseason baseball. All 25 guys matter. As the Rangers showed in this game, their bullpen is much deeper once you get past Valverde and Joaquin Benoit.

Valverde had pitched two innings for the first time all season, but the important number is that he had thrown only 23 pitches. I thought Jim Leyland might try to go a couple more batters with him, especially since the 4-5-6 hitters were coming up in the 11th for the Rangers. Instead, he turned to Perry -- over Al Albuquerque, the better pitcher over the course of the season. But Perry had thrown four scoreless innings in the postseason, so Leyland went with the "hot" hand. Perry's season line wasn't overly impressive -- .277/.317/.397 -- but he did keep the ball in the park, allowing just one home run in 141 at-bats.

With Detroit in full prevent, no-doubles defense -- Don Kelly guarding the line, the outfield playing deep -- Michael Young grounded a single past a diving Kelly, and Adrian Beltre dropped a base hit in front of Jackson. Both balls were catchable if Detroit had been playing straight up. Mike Napoli then hit a soft liner into right-center. Jackson could have called off Dirks but didn't. Dirks should have made the catch but didn't, whiffing on the play. It was inexplicably ruled a hit instead of an error, but that's just for accounting purposes. It was an embarrassing miscue for Detroit, unacceptable in playoff baseball. The bases were juiced for Cruz.

Cruz is scary strong. If he has one hole in his game, it's that he does swing for the fences on every pitch. That approach, combined with poor strike-zone judgment, makes him vulnerable with two strikes. When the count reached 1-2 this season, he hit .204, although with six home runs in 126 at-bats. With two strikes, he hit .189 overall. The Tigers got him in favorable situations, a count in which he will chase sliders away or in the dirt. Perry's pitch wasn't away, nor was it in the dirt. Game over, and you're left wondering whether this series will even get to a second start for Justin Verlander.

It's remarkable that three organizations didn't believe in Cruz. He originally was signed by the Mets, and they traded him to the A's for an obscure backup infielder named Jorge Velandia, before Cruz had even left the Dominican. Despite some excellent minor league numbers for the A's, including a .326 average with 26 home runs in 2004, they traded him after that season to Milwaukee for second baseman Keith Ginter. While Ginter would play only 51 more games in the majors, the Brewers included Cruz in a trade that sent Carlos Lee to the Rangers in 2006. Texas, trailing the division-leading A's by two games at the time of the trade, wanted Lee to bolster its playoff drive. The Rangers finished that year 13 games behind the A's, but the fruits of the deal blossomed a few seasons later.

Cruz's postseason pedigree is starting to mount. He now has nine home runs and 17 RBIs in 22 games, and 16 of his 24 hits have gone for extra bases. Not bad for a guy hitting seventh in the order.

A few more notes on a game that included several moments worth second-guessing:

• Ron Washington certainly made some curious moves. First off, I understood why he brought in Mike Gonzalez to face Kelly with two outs in the ninth, since Kelly had just four hits off left-handers all season, but considering the way Alexi Ogando was pitching, taking him out because of a bloop single to left was odd. Gonzalez is tough on lefties (.214), but it seemed a little overmanaging. And I understood the intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera -- it is Miguel Cabrera after all -- but loading the bases is always a risky proposition, especially since Neftali Feliz can have trouble throwing strikes. The Rangers escaped when Elvis Andrus hung on to Victor Martinez's little blooper. Washington also could have ran for Beltre after his leadoff double in the ninth with Craig Gentry, one of the fastest players in the majors. Could Gentry have scored on David Murphy's fly ball to Ryan Raburn? Would have been a close play, and I'm not sure he would have been sent with one out anyway.
• By the way, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Beltre's double off the wall traveled 394 feet and would have been a home run in 15 of 30 major league ballparks.
• How rare was Mitch Moreland's 3-2-3 double play in the bottom of the ninth? The only other player to ground into a double play in the postseason in a tie game in the ninth or later is Buster Posey, in Game 2 of last year's Division Series. (Credit ESPN Stats & Info again.) Credit to Alex Avila for a great turn on a low throw from Cabrera and a perfect throw back to Cabrera.
• Can't say I understood Leyland bunting with Jhonny Peralta after Raburn's leadoff walk in the 10th. Considering the ice-cold Avila (2-for-24 in the postseason) was coming up, followed by light-hitting Dirks, it was an odd move to take the bat out of the hands of one of the few good sticks in the Detroit lineup.
• Kudos to Scott Feldman for a terrific relief effort for Texas, throwing 4 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts. And give Washington credit for pulling Derek Holland that early in the game.
• The Tigers failed to capitalize on Holland's early wildness. They became just the sixth team in postseason history to receive at least four walks in the first two innings and not score.
• It will be interesting to see whether Washington keeps Young in the cleanup spot, especially with Beltre, Napoli and Cruz following him in the order. His 11th-inning single snapped a long hitless streak, but he's just 3-for-23 (.130) in the postseason.