Zoom

Zumaya's stat line from yesterday: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 R.
After Granderson gloriously tied the game on the Tiger's last out with a 2-run home run, Zumaya pitched the bottom of the 9th and didn't register an out.

For those out of the state, I'll let you know that Zumaya is no longer the crippled shell of the '06 version. He's recovered 100% of his velocity and is trim and fit. Yes, he's throwing 103mph with control. Perhaps not with the same regularity, but the problem with Zoom is no longer the injuries. It's something much more nebulous. He can't get batters out. He's still one of the better relievers in the Tigers pen (how's that for an offhanded compliment??), but he's shown no signs of his '06 consistency.

My guess is that the time off has hindered Joel's baseball acumen. While I'm usually not an optimist when it comes to Tigers pitching, I do hold out hope that Joel will improve over the course of the season. Now that he no longer has to worry about velocity, he can focus on becoming a better pitcher, and the Tigers have a stellar pitching coach. Thanks to the pitching of Verlander and Jackson, the Tigers find themselves in 1st place. They'll need Zumaya to maintain that spot.

Nate
How much longer will the Tigers keep this guy? We all like Nate, but it's clear his career as a Tiger is over. He simply can't pitch out of the bullpen. For the season, Nate's inherited 10 runners. 7 scored. Ugh.

Draft
For the Pistons fans out there, mLive's blogger par excellence Dave Dial wrote a preview of Piston draft targets. I still think Joe D will make a deal with the Wizards, but that likely won't go down until draft day.

Game 7
It's tough to postulate too much about one of the biggest games in Detroit history. In 2005, I called my brother John prior to the Pistons' Game 7 against the Spurs, and I said, "I'm just going to try to enjoy it. It's a Game 7? How often will this happen?" That sorta worked. I still had a feeling of anguish as the loss slowly became inevitable. But the Red Wings have a slightly better chance.

All I ask is that they come out of the gate with some fire. They've got the rest of the summer to relax. Nobody wants to see the patient, methodical Wings of Game 6. Take it to the Pens. Play aggressively. The refs will be too scared to call too many penalties, so take advantage.

Go Wings.