Justin Verlander defends manager Brad Ausmus from booing fans

Arthur Weinstein

Justin Verlander defends manager Brad Ausmus from booing fans image

Many Tigers fans are unhappy with manager Brad Ausmus, but ace right-hander Justin Verlander still has his skipper's back.

Tigers fans mercilessly booed Ausmus Friday night when he lifted starter Verlander with two outs in the ninth to bring in reliever Alex Wilson to face Royals catcher Salvador Perez.

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Never mind all the statistics backed Ausmus. According to MLB.com , Perez is a career .477 hitter (21-of-44) against Verlander. Also, Verlander had already thrown 114 pitches and the last three hitters Verlander had retired had all gone down on hard-hit balls.

So as Verlander exited the game to a chorus of cheers for his performance to that point (8 2/3 innings and one earned run on five hits and a walk), many fans booed Ausmus' decision. After getting to the dugout, Verlander stepped back out on the field and raised his arms a couple of times, trying to encourage more fans to cheer.

"There were a lot of positives tonight and I'm a big believer in positive energy, positive vibes," Verlander told reporters after the game. "And I don't think that was a good situation to boo. We've got a lot of good things going; here comes our reliever in to a bunch of boos. Obviously, granted, it's not for him, but I just didn't think that was the right situation.

"I wished they were a little more positive in that situation. Granted, I've been booed, everybody's been booed. It happens. But I'm a firm believer in positive energy."

Unfortunately for Ausmus and the Tigers, the pitching change backfired. Perez hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 3-3 and send it into extra innings. The Tigers eventually won 5-4 in 12 innings.

Afterward, Ausmus defended his decision to lift Verlander.

"He was at 114 pitches, Perez has hit .450 off him over the course of 40 plate appearances, he's got nine extra-base hits," Ausmus said. "The last three guys barreled the ball up on Ver. I thought it was a no-brainer."

The Detroit Free Press reported last week that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch intends to fire Ausmus after this season ends. The Tigers are 68-78 on the year.

 

Arthur Weinstein