Picked over Jose Valverde to close Thursday, Joaquin Benoit gave up a game-tying homer to Billy Butler in the ninth, but ended up with the win after the Tigers scored in the bottom of the inning.
Valverde was supposed to be available, so it seems manager Jim Leyland simply felt more confident in Benoit in a one-run game. With the way both have thrown of late, it's hard to blame him. However, since Benoit took the blown save, one guesses it might be his only ninth-inning duty during the final week.
Picked over Jose Valverde to close Thursday, Joaquin Benoit gave up a game-tying homer to Billy Butler in the ninth, but ended up with the win after the Tigers scored in the bottom of the inning.
Valverde was supposed to be available, so it seems manager Jim Leyland simply felt more confident in Benoit in a one-run game. With the way both have thrown of late, it's hard to blame him. However, since Benoit took the blown save, one guesses it might be his only ninth-inning duty during the final week.