When David Robertson got Miguel Cabrera to hit into a double play in the ninth, it didn’t exactly mean Francisco Cervelli could breathe any easier.
That’s because it sent Ian Kinsler to third as the tying run with Don Kelly at the plate — and Cervelli knew he likely would have to deal with a few nasty Robertson curveballs with no margin for error.
Cervelli responded with a pair of terrific stops on pitches in the dirt before Robertson finished off Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Tigers by getting Kelly to hit a soft liner to shortstop.
Cervelli’s secret?
“I just put in my brain, ‘You’ve got to stop it,’ ” Cervelli said. “I don’t know how, but you’ve got to stop it. Forget about mechanics, forget about anything.”
OK, so maybe that shouldn’t be the slogan for the Francisco Cervelli Catching Clinic, but it was effective and helped save the game.
“He’s been doing that all year,” Robertson said.
Though Cervelli undoubtedly has improved his performance behind the plate, both pitches would have been difficult to handle for even the most seasoned backstop.
Robertson bounced an 0-1 curve well shy of the plate that Cervelli managed to corral.
After Kelly took a fastball on the next pitch to make it 1-2, Robertson bounced another curve that was smothered by a sprawling Cervelli.
“That’s what I wanted, so I’ve got to be ready for that,” Cervelli said of the second ball in the dirt.
Neither was easy, though.
“Especially the first one, because it was a short one,” Cervelli said. “The only right way to do it is by standing up. It’s just reaction. If I told you I planned that, it’s not true.”
It was a strong end to another good game for Cervelli, who helped guide rookie Shane Greene through eight shutout innings.
“His first two starts, his adrenaline was up and that’s normal,” Cervelli said. “It’s happened to me in the past. If I can get him to calm down, we can work together. If I’ve got a lot of energy, he’s going to be crazy.”
Whatever Cervelli did, it worked.
“I’m a little more mature now, and I can recognize the differences in each guy,” Cervelli said. “That’s the key: Some guys you’ve got to go [at] hard, some guys not. [You have to] step back. It’s like a relationship, boyfriend and girlfriend. They’re never the same, so you’ve got to figure it out.”
Maybe if the catching clinic doesn’t work out, Cervelli has a future doling out dating advice.