DETROIT -- Sometimes this year, the only way Anibal Sanchez seemed likely to get another ovation at Comerica Park would be on his way off the Tigers. So a reception like the one he received Tuesday felt surreal, if not for the pitching that preceded it.
As Sanchez walked off the mound in the seventh inning, much of the crowd of 32,030 rose to its feet and cheered him -- not his exit, but him. It was mainly for his six-plus innings with one run allowed at that point, but there was also some appreciation for the work he had to put in to get there.