Detroit Tigers' Austin Jackson Might Have Saved the Season

To say the Tigers struggled in their three-game set at Cleveland is an insult to the word struggled.  About two-thirds of the way through the finale, the whole "here we go again" aura seemed to be fogging this season beyond recognition.

A horrendously managed game likely cost a victory in the opener, a 16-inning loss.  With his perplexing lineups, Jim Leyland continues to drive fans crazier than an Ozzie Guillen postgame interview.

An equally terrible effort by Rick Porcello gave the Tigers no shot in game two.  Porcello was hit so hard that Brandon Inge could have went yard on him.

So here comes Justin Verlander to the rescue, right?  After being staked a 4-0 lead, it seemed that way.  The Cleveland Indians had other plans and bore down.

They got patient with Verlander and forced him into trying to make perfect pitches.  While Verlander was good, he wasn't his normal dominating self.

As the innings crept on, the Indians got closer and closer to making Verlander seem human.  A sweep seemed likely, leaving us to ponder the apocalyptic ramifications of this game.

Not only would the Indians pull to within one game of Detroit, but the demoralized Tigers would begin to feel the pressure of past failures from fans and the media, perhaps making their collapse a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the sixth inning, Verlander walked Travis Hafner with one out, bringing Carlos Santana up to bat.  Santana had already homered off Verlander and sent another bomb to dead center field.

Here's where the Tigers season may have been saved. 

Austin Jackson (much maligned for his recent struggles at the plate) was left all alone to track the ball down. He paused momentarily and leaped at the wall to grab Santana's ball.

A truly amazing catch. 

It won't be remembered for long because it wasn't Curtis Granderson's game-saver over the wall in Cleveland two years ago or Jackson's own over-the-shoulder, near-perfect game preserver last year, but it was still a truly special catch that will eventually be forgotten.

If Jackson misses that ball, the game would have been tied with Santana representing the go-ahead run at third with one out.

There's little doubt this game would have been lost without Jackson's catch and ultimately would have cost Detroit two games in the standings.  Verlander and the Tigers rebounded after the catch and held on for a 4-3 win.

Instead of a "sky is falling" mentality, the Tigers escaped Cleveland with minimal damage and a three-game cushion thanks to one of the greatest catches you'll ever see.

It's only one play in one game, but it averted a disaster and there's no telling how much it will mean to this team over the next month and a half.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/802530-detroit-tigers-austin-jackson-might-have-saved-the-season

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