There was a lot of great baseball yesterday.
My plan was to tape the game and watch it after work, but it was nearly impossible to avoid spoilers. I wore headphones almost the entire afternoon, but I still overheard two crucial sentences from the cube next door: "Tigers lost" and "Granderson's hit a homerun". Huh? It was rather incongruous, but the bottom line was that the Tigers lost.
So, I watched the game after work with a sense of dread. I held out hope that perhaps I misheard the phrase "Tigers lost," but alas... as Span ran down Santiago's bid for a 9th inning walk-off hit, I knew they were dead. Neither team was terribly adept at hitting with runners in scoring position. The Twins were 1-7, but the Tigers had double the chances. 2-14. Ugh. They let the Twins off the hook, and, in the top of the 10th, the Twins made them pay. Stellar performances by Porcello and Miner were wasted. The Twins starter, Nick Blackburn, had an interesting comment after the game. When asked if he thought the Tigers were pressing, he said, "Yeah, a little. They're swinging at bad pitches."
With the Twins climbing to one game behind, Verlander pitched in what he called "the most important regular season game I've ever thrown" (same link). Thanks to an awesome 2-out hits by Ordonez and Inge, the Tigers had a 5-0 lead. It seemed the game was in the bag with Verlander throwing 100mph darts. Yet, the Twins clawed their way back. They forced a 33-pitch inning in the 6th, notching two runs. They got two more in the 8th, compliments of Mauer and Kubel. But Verlander buckled down and got that final out on his 129th pitch, maintaining a one-run lead. Granderson then tacked-on one more with a HR blast in the bottom of the 8th.
So Rodney took the mound in the 9th, leading 6-4. It was painful to watch. The twins didn't hit the ball hard, but they did get two hits, scoring one run. The RBI double came courtesy of Nick Punto, the man at the bottom of the batting order. His long fly ball flew just over Granderson's glove, who was playing shallow in center. With two outs and the tying run (Punto) on 2nd, Denard Span stepped up to the plate. He'd been hitting .438 (!!!) against the Tigers this season. Rodney somehow got the kid to pop up to left field. Game over. The Tigers split the opening day.
Up tonight is Eddie Bonine against Tiger killer Carl Pavano. Against the Tigers, Pavano sports a 1.69 ERA and a 4-0 record. But ya can't count out Bonine. Despite only three major league starts, Bonine recently added a knuckleball to his repertoire. It had the White Sox baffled in his last start. He actually had a no-hitter through five innings. On paper, this game leans decidedly in the Twins favor, but the last few weeks have been so unpredictable. If Bonine stays loose and relishes the moment, he may just throw a gem. Or the lefty-heavy lineup could knock his knuckleball out of the park. Let's hope for the former.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A win
I must acknowledge the Lions' first victory in 20 attempts. While I've used space on this blog to criticize the poor souls who actually spend money on this team, I do feel somewhat relieved that the city of Detroit is no longer home to a winless football team.
I also would like to give credit to Jim Schwartz who somehow crafted a football team from the scraps left him by Matt Millen and Rod Marinelli. In three attempts, Schwartz accomplished what Marinelli could not do all of last season, and Marinelli had all of "his guys" on the team. Schwartz inherited, in essence, an expansion team. He said he used the top two picks on offensive players because the team had so many holes, they ended up picking the best player available. That seems like an honest assessment of the Marinelli Lions.
Now, I'm not changing my tune. I still think it's foolish to waste money and time on the Lions. Let them prove to you they've turned a corner. Become a fair-weather fan. Why not? You deserve it after a lifetime of futility. The Wings are about to start their season. The Pistons just opened practice. And the Tigers are in the midst of a crucial pennant race. Let's give the Lions their just due on actually winning a game, but now back to our regular scheduled programming.
I also would like to give credit to Jim Schwartz who somehow crafted a football team from the scraps left him by Matt Millen and Rod Marinelli. In three attempts, Schwartz accomplished what Marinelli could not do all of last season, and Marinelli had all of "his guys" on the team. Schwartz inherited, in essence, an expansion team. He said he used the top two picks on offensive players because the team had so many holes, they ended up picking the best player available. That seems like an honest assessment of the Marinelli Lions.
Now, I'm not changing my tune. I still think it's foolish to waste money and time on the Lions. Let them prove to you they've turned a corner. Become a fair-weather fan. Why not? You deserve it after a lifetime of futility. The Wings are about to start their season. The Pistons just opened practice. And the Tigers are in the midst of a crucial pennant race. Let's give the Lions their just due on actually winning a game, but now back to our regular scheduled programming.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wings finalize roster
The Wings played their final preseason game last night (beating up the Penguins) and trimmed their roster to 22 before heading off to Sweden.
No surprises with the final cuts. The preliminary lines are as follows:
Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Tomas Holmstrom
Todd Bertuzzi-Henrik Zetterberg-Dan Cleary
Ville Leino-Valtteri Filppula-Jason Williams
Kris Draper-Justin Abdelkader-Patrick Eaves-Kirk Maltby
Yes, there are four players on that last line. Likely the "healthy scratch" will be among that group. Bertuzzi and Zetterberg are nursing injuries, but they both want to play on Wednesday.
On defense:
Nicklas Lidstrom-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Brad Stuart
Jonathan Ericsson-Brett Lebda
And Derek Meech is the odd-man out but still on the roster. The goalies are Osgood and Jimmy Howard. Watching the Wings last night, the news of roster-overhaul may be overstating things. They looked like the Wings. Yes, they lost Hudler, Hossa, and Samuelsson, but, of all the new signings, only Patrick Eaves is a true newcomer.
This season should prove interesting as the Central division might be the toughest in the West. St. Louis and Chicago improved dramatically last season. The Blackhawks believe they're primed to overtake the Wings as top team, and they might just be ready. I still think they're lacking a bit on defense. In the Pacific, Anaheim still has the great Ryan Getzlaf. San Jose, so dominant in the regular season last year, released or traded an astounding 14 players after a disappointing early playoff exit. The biggest name they let go is Jonathan Cheechoo - an awesome goal scorer four years ago, he scored a dreadful 12 last year. In his place is Dany Heatley who will instantly address any scoring issues. Calgary and Vancouver will be in the mix at the end of the year, as usual, but it'll likely come down to which team is hot at the right time.
No surprises with the final cuts. The preliminary lines are as follows:
Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Tomas Holmstrom
Todd Bertuzzi-Henrik Zetterberg-Dan Cleary
Ville Leino-Valtteri Filppula-Jason Williams
Kris Draper-Justin Abdelkader-Patrick Eaves-Kirk Maltby
Yes, there are four players on that last line. Likely the "healthy scratch" will be among that group. Bertuzzi and Zetterberg are nursing injuries, but they both want to play on Wednesday.
On defense:
Nicklas Lidstrom-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Brad Stuart
Jonathan Ericsson-Brett Lebda
And Derek Meech is the odd-man out but still on the roster. The goalies are Osgood and Jimmy Howard. Watching the Wings last night, the news of roster-overhaul may be overstating things. They looked like the Wings. Yes, they lost Hudler, Hossa, and Samuelsson, but, of all the new signings, only Patrick Eaves is a true newcomer.
This season should prove interesting as the Central division might be the toughest in the West. St. Louis and Chicago improved dramatically last season. The Blackhawks believe they're primed to overtake the Wings as top team, and they might just be ready. I still think they're lacking a bit on defense. In the Pacific, Anaheim still has the great Ryan Getzlaf. San Jose, so dominant in the regular season last year, released or traded an astounding 14 players after a disappointing early playoff exit. The biggest name they let go is Jonathan Cheechoo - an awesome goal scorer four years ago, he scored a dreadful 12 last year. In his place is Dany Heatley who will instantly address any scoring issues. Calgary and Vancouver will be in the mix at the end of the year, as usual, but it'll likely come down to which team is hot at the right time.
Showdown
I was in Chicago over the weekend and had the pleasure of driving by Cellular One field as the fireworks went off. It was quite a sight. Why fireworks? Because Gordon Beckham just homered off Eddie Bonine in the 6th inning. It was the Sox first hit. The Tigers, who were 0-5 with RISP, had not yet scored. The home run (a 2-run HR) was plenty for the White Sox as the Tigers failed to score the entire game. So much for motivation.
The next day, the Tigers used up all their hitting karma with a 12-run outburst. Most uncharacteristically, they were 11-18 with RISP. Truly unbelievable! Nate Robertson pitched like it was '08 and got knocked out early. Thankfully, Figaro relieved Robertson and exhibited the poise of a big league pitcher. I mentioned two weeks ago that Figaro impressed in his two starts earlier this season. He's coming off an injury, so I doubt he'll start any game the rest of the season. But, he's a solid option for long relief.
Yesterday, the Tiger bats were silenced yet again by a rookie pitcher. Edwin Jackson couldn't maintain a 2-1 lead, and Chicago broke through in the 6th, taking a 4-2 lead. Clutch hits were no problem for the White Sox. They hit 5-9 with RISP. The Tigers? 2-12. Both of those hits were in the 9th inning with Chicago basically conceding 2nd and 3rd base. When the game was on the line, our beloved Tigers were 0-10.
Yes, I'm focusing on the hitting. I believe that's what it'll all come down to this week. The regular season boils down to this 4-game series against Minnesota. I believe the Tiger pitchers, including those in the bullpen, will allow a few runs but keep the game close. It'll be up to the batters to score some runs. Porcello will likely give up 3 or 4, same with Verlander and Bonine. Can Cabrera carry the team? Can somebody besides Polanco or Guillen get a clutch hit? Can Inge break out of his 0-13 (8K) slump? By the way, I predicted he'd finish the season hitting .225. He's at .228 right now. I don't claim to be any guru... his form is just drastically off. He's a shadow of the player from the 1st half.
With all the problems at the plate, the Tigers do remain 2 games ahead of Minnesota. It's unbelievable. If I were a betting man, I'd still go for the Twins who have more firepower, but baseball is a strange sport. Perhaps the glow of Comerica will shine brightly on the home town boys. It starts tonight at 7pm. I'll be watching. Go Tigers!
The next day, the Tigers used up all their hitting karma with a 12-run outburst. Most uncharacteristically, they were 11-18 with RISP. Truly unbelievable! Nate Robertson pitched like it was '08 and got knocked out early. Thankfully, Figaro relieved Robertson and exhibited the poise of a big league pitcher. I mentioned two weeks ago that Figaro impressed in his two starts earlier this season. He's coming off an injury, so I doubt he'll start any game the rest of the season. But, he's a solid option for long relief.
Yesterday, the Tiger bats were silenced yet again by a rookie pitcher. Edwin Jackson couldn't maintain a 2-1 lead, and Chicago broke through in the 6th, taking a 4-2 lead. Clutch hits were no problem for the White Sox. They hit 5-9 with RISP. The Tigers? 2-12. Both of those hits were in the 9th inning with Chicago basically conceding 2nd and 3rd base. When the game was on the line, our beloved Tigers were 0-10.
Yes, I'm focusing on the hitting. I believe that's what it'll all come down to this week. The regular season boils down to this 4-game series against Minnesota. I believe the Tiger pitchers, including those in the bullpen, will allow a few runs but keep the game close. It'll be up to the batters to score some runs. Porcello will likely give up 3 or 4, same with Verlander and Bonine. Can Cabrera carry the team? Can somebody besides Polanco or Guillen get a clutch hit? Can Inge break out of his 0-13 (8K) slump? By the way, I predicted he'd finish the season hitting .225. He's at .228 right now. I don't claim to be any guru... his form is just drastically off. He's a shadow of the player from the 1st half.
With all the problems at the plate, the Tigers do remain 2 games ahead of Minnesota. It's unbelievable. If I were a betting man, I'd still go for the Twins who have more firepower, but baseball is a strange sport. Perhaps the glow of Comerica will shine brightly on the home town boys. It starts tonight at 7pm. I'll be watching. Go Tigers!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Finally, a blow-out win!
The Tigers' bats woke up! Hitting the ball with carefree abandon, the Tigers opened the game with 4 runs in the first. Everybody got in the act, as every Tiger notched at least one hit. Carlos Guillen also did something truly special - hitting two homeruns, one from each side of the plate. I can't recall a Tiger player doing that in my lifetime. It could just be the Tigers have employed so few switch hitters, but it was pretty cool to watch.
Miguel Cabrera also hit a towering home run that almost left the park. Perhaps the Tigers were relaxed. Perhaps they got lucky. Perhaps the Cleveland Indians are just that bad. Either way, it was their first blow-out win since beating KC 10-3 on August 15th. That's over a month of clawing and scratching out runs.
Porcello got the win, his 14th. Fox Sports Detroit is promoting him for Rookie of the Year, but there are two other pitchers (Niemann and Romero) in the AL East that have more impressive stats, and they have to face the Yankees and Red Sox regularly. My pick would be the A's closer Andrew Bailey. Porcello may get votes over the other starting pitchers since the Tigers are in the midst of a pennant race. All of Porcello's starts are pressure-packed, but I'd also argue that all of a closer's appearances are by definition pressure situations. Even for a last-place team. In the heat of the moment, every team wants to win. These players likely forget they're in last place, and all the pressure falls on the closer. Bailey has a 1.93 ERA with 25 saves (4 blown saves). Impressive for a rookie.
Porcello is the youngest of the bunch and may prove to be the best. Not this year, though.
As for the Tigers, they earned their 3rd straight road win. Minnesota won as well to stay within 2.5 games. The Twins have the day off today, while the Tigers have Verlander marching to the hill in the final game against Cleveland. Treat it like a playoff game, JV. On Friday, the Twins face KC and Robinson Tejeda, who almost no-hit the Tigers a few days ago. It should be interesting to see how he fares against Mauer and company.
Miguel Cabrera also hit a towering home run that almost left the park. Perhaps the Tigers were relaxed. Perhaps they got lucky. Perhaps the Cleveland Indians are just that bad. Either way, it was their first blow-out win since beating KC 10-3 on August 15th. That's over a month of clawing and scratching out runs.
Porcello got the win, his 14th. Fox Sports Detroit is promoting him for Rookie of the Year, but there are two other pitchers (Niemann and Romero) in the AL East that have more impressive stats, and they have to face the Yankees and Red Sox regularly. My pick would be the A's closer Andrew Bailey. Porcello may get votes over the other starting pitchers since the Tigers are in the midst of a pennant race. All of Porcello's starts are pressure-packed, but I'd also argue that all of a closer's appearances are by definition pressure situations. Even for a last-place team. In the heat of the moment, every team wants to win. These players likely forget they're in last place, and all the pressure falls on the closer. Bailey has a 1.93 ERA with 25 saves (4 blown saves). Impressive for a rookie.
Porcello is the youngest of the bunch and may prove to be the best. Not this year, though.
As for the Tigers, they earned their 3rd straight road win. Minnesota won as well to stay within 2.5 games. The Twins have the day off today, while the Tigers have Verlander marching to the hill in the final game against Cleveland. Treat it like a playoff game, JV. On Friday, the Twins face KC and Robinson Tejeda, who almost no-hit the Tigers a few days ago. It should be interesting to see how he fares against Mauer and company.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Don't believe the hype
According to mLive, Edwin Jackson is "back in form." True, it was a gutsy performance. Edwin somehow pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, despite throwing strikes only 53% of the time. The concern going into the game was that Edwin was tipping his strikeout pitch - the slider. The bigger concern, in my opinion, is control. I did not see much last night to convince me he's addressed either concern.
How the heck did he pitch seven innings without allowing a run, you ask? Because he was pitching against the Indians, currently on a nine game losing streak. Even with a minor league-heavy roster, the Indians still managed to crack the ball against Jackson early in the game. Yet, Jackson escaped damage thanks to a few key plays. In the first, Asdrubel Cabrera hit a wicked liner exactly at Polanco, who caught the ball and tossed to first to double-up Brantley, who had a four-step lead. Shin-Soo Choo, a definite up-and-comer, hammered the next pitch into the gap for a double, but Jackson escaped that inning when Jhonny Peralta popped out.
The next inning, Cleveland had runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs. The next dude, Crowe, hit a single, and the runner at second was foolishly waved home. Raburn's throw home beat the runner by three steps, and Laird applied a solid tag for the final out.
Jackson settled down a bit after that inning, but he continually fell behind batters. He threw first-pitch strikes to 6 of the 27 batters he faced. Admittedly, the umpire had an inconsistent strikezone, which made it difficult for both pitchers. Yet, I'm not convinced Jackson is out of the woods. Cleveland couldn't get any key hits. The Tigers did just enough to eke out the win. A clutch at-bat by Cabrera sealed the deal, as did a fantastic slide by Clete Thomas to earn the 3rd run. The Tigers still were a woeful 1-11 with runners-in-scoring-position. That may never change, though it wouldn't hurt to take Thames out of the lineup. He's brought nothing to the team. For a power hitter, he's knocked in a meager 2 HRs and 12 RBIs since July. For comparison sake, Alex Avila has 5 HRs and 15 RBIs in 30 fewer at-bats.
The Twins won last night to stay 2.5 behind the Tigers. I don't see that team slowing down any time soon, so the Tigers need to keep this 2-game win streak alive. They face a righty tonight, which means Thames will likely sit in favor of Huff.
How the heck did he pitch seven innings without allowing a run, you ask? Because he was pitching against the Indians, currently on a nine game losing streak. Even with a minor league-heavy roster, the Indians still managed to crack the ball against Jackson early in the game. Yet, Jackson escaped damage thanks to a few key plays. In the first, Asdrubel Cabrera hit a wicked liner exactly at Polanco, who caught the ball and tossed to first to double-up Brantley, who had a four-step lead. Shin-Soo Choo, a definite up-and-comer, hammered the next pitch into the gap for a double, but Jackson escaped that inning when Jhonny Peralta popped out.
The next inning, Cleveland had runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs. The next dude, Crowe, hit a single, and the runner at second was foolishly waved home. Raburn's throw home beat the runner by three steps, and Laird applied a solid tag for the final out.
Jackson settled down a bit after that inning, but he continually fell behind batters. He threw first-pitch strikes to 6 of the 27 batters he faced. Admittedly, the umpire had an inconsistent strikezone, which made it difficult for both pitchers. Yet, I'm not convinced Jackson is out of the woods. Cleveland couldn't get any key hits. The Tigers did just enough to eke out the win. A clutch at-bat by Cabrera sealed the deal, as did a fantastic slide by Clete Thomas to earn the 3rd run. The Tigers still were a woeful 1-11 with runners-in-scoring-position. That may never change, though it wouldn't hurt to take Thames out of the lineup. He's brought nothing to the team. For a power hitter, he's knocked in a meager 2 HRs and 12 RBIs since July. For comparison sake, Alex Avila has 5 HRs and 15 RBIs in 30 fewer at-bats.
The Twins won last night to stay 2.5 behind the Tigers. I don't see that team slowing down any time soon, so the Tigers need to keep this 2-game win streak alive. They face a righty tonight, which means Thames will likely sit in favor of Huff.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Boring Tuesday
Not too much going on today in the D. The Tigers lost a half-game last night, as Minnesota drilled the White Sox 7-0. The Tigers' happy feelings after Sunday's victory will no doubt return to anxiety by game time tonight.
Not surprisingly, most of the radio chatter the past few days was on the Lions. Most folks in Detroit felt Culpepper was the obvious choice to start the season. The Culpepper proponents are even more vocal now, as Stafford did his best impression of a rookie QB in weeks 1 & 2. With or without Culpepper, the Lions would still be 0-2. New coach, new players, same owner, same result. 0-19. With some tough games looming, the Lions are staring at 0-23 before they play St. Louis at home. Yawn.
I know that a handful of loyal thatballdontlie readers hail from the great school of Northwestern. For those interested, NU hoopster extraordinaire writes a pretty hilarious blog. He's currently plying his trade for a pro team in Holland and doing quite well. He was an excellent college player and could succeed in Europe. He certainly succeeds at writing funny posts.
Not surprisingly, most of the radio chatter the past few days was on the Lions. Most folks in Detroit felt Culpepper was the obvious choice to start the season. The Culpepper proponents are even more vocal now, as Stafford did his best impression of a rookie QB in weeks 1 & 2. With or without Culpepper, the Lions would still be 0-2. New coach, new players, same owner, same result. 0-19. With some tough games looming, the Lions are staring at 0-23 before they play St. Louis at home. Yawn.
I know that a handful of loyal thatballdontlie readers hail from the great school of Northwestern. For those interested, NU hoopster extraordinaire writes a pretty hilarious blog. He's currently plying his trade for a pro team in Holland and doing quite well. He was an excellent college player and could succeed in Europe. He certainly succeeds at writing funny posts.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Polly to the rescue
I suppose that's why they play the game. In the least likely scenario, the Tigers actually pulled out a win with Robertson on the mound. Gimpy Robertson looked like the '06 version, as he went 5 innings, giving up just 2 runs in the house of horrors known as the Metrodome. The offense actually clicked this game. When Minnesota took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 4th, the Tigers responded by scoring 3 in the 5th, knocking Twins' ace Scott Baker out of the game. The Tigers' tacked-on 2 more runs in the 8th, and the bullpen pitched 4 straight shutout innings to recover from the worst loss of the season the night before.
Thankfully, I was out-and-about Saturday night and didn't see the debacle. I did hear the radio broadcast during the first few innings, as the Tigers continued to pepper the Twins with singles. But they couldn't bring home more than 2 runs. Verlander tried to make those two runs hold, but the 8th inning proved to be his undoing. Don Kelly lost a routine flyball in the dome lights, and that was enough to spur a 5-run rally. Game over. Thank you, Senor Smoke.
The Tigers happily take their 3-game division lead to Cleveland, then to Chicago for the weekend. If the Tigers manage to maintain their division lead, they can thank Placido Polanco. While his average is sub .300, this is perhaps his best season as a Tiger. Even with Cabrera in the lineup, Polanco has been the most clutch batter for at least two months. He's shown Jeter-like tendencies to get those key hits that win games. Yesterday, he notched 3 RBIs, including 1 RBI on the blessed sacrifice fly. He's been great. Unfortunately, the rest of the bats remain significantly un-clutch, and their lack of team speed severely hinders run production. During the recent slide, the Tigers have difficulty moving runners two bases at a time. With the rash of singles, the slow-footed Cabrera, Maggs, Guillen, and Inge (thanks to the gimpy knees) tend to move station-to-station. Leyland called up speedsters from Toledo, but those fellas only see action late in the games.
Despite the win yesterday, I still don't have much confidence in this team. They can rally from a loss, but they also tend to suffer letdowns after wins. Edwin takes the mound Tuesday (after the day off today). MLive offered up these thoughts on his recent poor form. For weeks, I've noticed a lack of control. He may want to stick to the fastball and work on location. If he consistently locates the fastball, then add in the slider.
Go Tigers. Should be an interesting 2 weeks.
By the way, for those counting, the Lions have now lost 19 in a row.
Thankfully, I was out-and-about Saturday night and didn't see the debacle. I did hear the radio broadcast during the first few innings, as the Tigers continued to pepper the Twins with singles. But they couldn't bring home more than 2 runs. Verlander tried to make those two runs hold, but the 8th inning proved to be his undoing. Don Kelly lost a routine flyball in the dome lights, and that was enough to spur a 5-run rally. Game over. Thank you, Senor Smoke.
The Tigers happily take their 3-game division lead to Cleveland, then to Chicago for the weekend. If the Tigers manage to maintain their division lead, they can thank Placido Polanco. While his average is sub .300, this is perhaps his best season as a Tiger. Even with Cabrera in the lineup, Polanco has been the most clutch batter for at least two months. He's shown Jeter-like tendencies to get those key hits that win games. Yesterday, he notched 3 RBIs, including 1 RBI on the blessed sacrifice fly. He's been great. Unfortunately, the rest of the bats remain significantly un-clutch, and their lack of team speed severely hinders run production. During the recent slide, the Tigers have difficulty moving runners two bases at a time. With the rash of singles, the slow-footed Cabrera, Maggs, Guillen, and Inge (thanks to the gimpy knees) tend to move station-to-station. Leyland called up speedsters from Toledo, but those fellas only see action late in the games.
Despite the win yesterday, I still don't have much confidence in this team. They can rally from a loss, but they also tend to suffer letdowns after wins. Edwin takes the mound Tuesday (after the day off today). MLive offered up these thoughts on his recent poor form. For weeks, I've noticed a lack of control. He may want to stick to the fastball and work on location. If he consistently locates the fastball, then add in the slider.
Go Tigers. Should be an interesting 2 weeks.
By the way, for those counting, the Lions have now lost 19 in a row.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
And then there were three
In baseball land, a three game lead is quite significant. For Tiger fans, the lead is about as stable plutonium.
In the first game of their 3-game series with the hot-on-their-heels Twins, Tiger starter Rick Porcello did in fact qualify for a "quality" start. He allowed 3 runs in 6+ innings. And the Tiger bullpen allowed 0 runs the rest of the way. Nevertheless, the Tiger offense did not score 1 run, let alone 4. Twins starter, Brian Duensing (aka "Cy" Duensing), making just the seventh start of his career, allowed just four hits and 1 walk. The Twins bullpen gave up one more hit but no runs, and the Tigers must be feeling about as confident Milli Vanilli right now.
Their once-commanding 6 game lead is now just 3. With two more wins, the Twins will be within one game of the Tigers. Since the Tigers are a meager 1-7 at the Metrodome this season (and we don't want to get into their historical record there), a sweep is definitely possible.
Many fans on mLive are criticizing us doom-and-gloomers. Yet, is it doom-and-gloom to acknowledge the inevitable? The Tigers can't hit. And when poor hitting teams don't get stellar pitching, they lose. The fact is that the Porcello start was the Tigers best chance at a victory. Tomorrow they face Carl Pavano who has a 1.48 ERA against Detroit this year (4 starts and 4 wins). Then Sunday, the Tigers go against the Twins ace, Scott Baker, with gimpy Nate Robertson opposite him.
Sure, you may counter my logic by stating that Verlander is pitching tomorrow. He's one of the best in the league! While that may be true, the last time Verlander took the mound opposite Carl Pavano, the Twins won 11-0. At Comerica. JV has a 5.1 ERA against the Twins this season. At the Metrodome, JV actually has a very respectable 3.8 ERA in his career. So, if the pitchers tomorrow hold to form, the Twins still win 3.8 to 1.48. Ah well, at least the Tigers won't get shut out.
In the first game of their 3-game series with the hot-on-their-heels Twins, Tiger starter Rick Porcello did in fact qualify for a "quality" start. He allowed 3 runs in 6+ innings. And the Tiger bullpen allowed 0 runs the rest of the way. Nevertheless, the Tiger offense did not score 1 run, let alone 4. Twins starter, Brian Duensing (aka "Cy" Duensing), making just the seventh start of his career, allowed just four hits and 1 walk. The Twins bullpen gave up one more hit but no runs, and the Tigers must be feeling about as confident Milli Vanilli right now.
Their once-commanding 6 game lead is now just 3. With two more wins, the Twins will be within one game of the Tigers. Since the Tigers are a meager 1-7 at the Metrodome this season (and we don't want to get into their historical record there), a sweep is definitely possible.
Many fans on mLive are criticizing us doom-and-gloomers. Yet, is it doom-and-gloom to acknowledge the inevitable? The Tigers can't hit. And when poor hitting teams don't get stellar pitching, they lose. The fact is that the Porcello start was the Tigers best chance at a victory. Tomorrow they face Carl Pavano who has a 1.48 ERA against Detroit this year (4 starts and 4 wins). Then Sunday, the Tigers go against the Twins ace, Scott Baker, with gimpy Nate Robertson opposite him.
Sure, you may counter my logic by stating that Verlander is pitching tomorrow. He's one of the best in the league! While that may be true, the last time Verlander took the mound opposite Carl Pavano, the Twins won 11-0. At Comerica. JV has a 5.1 ERA against the Twins this season. At the Metrodome, JV actually has a very respectable 3.8 ERA in his career. So, if the pitchers tomorrow hold to form, the Twins still win 3.8 to 1.48. Ah well, at least the Tigers won't get shut out.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Here Come the Twins
Again.
The Great Tiger Nemesis - the Minnesota Twins - are positioning themselves to stomp on our Tiger dreams and aspirations yet again. The team's luck has run out. I believe the Twins will eventually overtake them, and it may come down to the last day.
My analysis:
Minnesota is currently 4 games back, with 16 games remaining. The Tigers' bats have proven they cannot overcome poor pitching, so ultimately the Tigers' fate is in the hands of the boys on the mound. Porcello has 4 starts remaining, the rest of the group (Verlander, Nate, Bonine, Jackson) has 3.
Thus far, Porcello has won roughly half his starts, so we'll assume that holds true. Count him for 2 wins. The Tigers win slightly more than half of Verlander's starts, so we'll assume he continues to pitch well. 2 more wins for Verlander. With Nate on the mound, the Tigers have no chance. He's gimpy, and, even when he was healthy, they still lost. 0 wins. Bonine is slightly better, so we'll count him for 1 win. As for Jackson, we'll I've stated on this blog many times - he's struggling. Today was no different. He may not win again, but I'll put him down for 1 win.
So, if the pitchers continue their current form, the Tigers should expect 6 wins and 10 losses the rest of the way. Minnesota will have to go 11-5 to best them. They're missing Morneau and Crede, but they're playing inspired. They'll sweep the Tigers this weekend. Take 1 of 3 against the White Sox. At KC, they'll take 2 of 3. Split with the Tigers at Comerica, then take 3 of 3 at home against KC. That's 11 wins and good enough for the AL Central Championship.
The Great Tiger Nemesis - the Minnesota Twins - are positioning themselves to stomp on our Tiger dreams and aspirations yet again. The team's luck has run out. I believe the Twins will eventually overtake them, and it may come down to the last day.
My analysis:
Minnesota is currently 4 games back, with 16 games remaining. The Tigers' bats have proven they cannot overcome poor pitching, so ultimately the Tigers' fate is in the hands of the boys on the mound. Porcello has 4 starts remaining, the rest of the group (Verlander, Nate, Bonine, Jackson) has 3.
Thus far, Porcello has won roughly half his starts, so we'll assume that holds true. Count him for 2 wins. The Tigers win slightly more than half of Verlander's starts, so we'll assume he continues to pitch well. 2 more wins for Verlander. With Nate on the mound, the Tigers have no chance. He's gimpy, and, even when he was healthy, they still lost. 0 wins. Bonine is slightly better, so we'll count him for 1 win. As for Jackson, we'll I've stated on this blog many times - he's struggling. Today was no different. He may not win again, but I'll put him down for 1 win.
So, if the pitchers continue their current form, the Tigers should expect 6 wins and 10 losses the rest of the way. Minnesota will have to go 11-5 to best them. They're missing Morneau and Crede, but they're playing inspired. They'll sweep the Tigers this weekend. Take 1 of 3 against the White Sox. At KC, they'll take 2 of 3. Split with the Tigers at Comerica, then take 3 of 3 at home against KC. That's 11 wins and good enough for the AL Central Championship.
Just enough
Major, major props to unheralded Brandon Lyon. The Tigers were leading 4-3 in the top of the 8th. Bobby Seay let the first two batters reach, after pitching a scoreless 7th. Leyland called for Lyon to clean up the mess.
With runners at the corners and no outs, Lyon got the first batter to ground out right back to the pitcher. Then he struck out the next batter, and the final out was a weak pop up to Cabrera. 1-2-3, the hard way. It saved the game and perhaps hope.
The Tigers bats were fairly active against the Royals' starter, DiNardo - another low-rent lefty. The Tigers notched 10 hits in the game, but only 2 were extra-base hits (both doubles), and they stranded 10 on base. Unlikely hero Adam Everett saved the day with two clutch hits (scoring two), and helped the team come back from an 0-3 deficit. Ol' reliable Polanco hit the game-winning RBI in the 6th.
The Royals roughed up starter Eddie Bonine a bit, but Bonine limited the damage to 3 runs over 5 innings. Thanks to Lyon and Rodney (who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth), the Tigers pulled out an emotional victory. Why emotional? Because Ernie Harwell made what is likely to be his last public appearance at Comerica Park. The svelte gentleman strolled out to the infield before the bottom of the 3rd inning and delivered a sincere, appreciative speech to the Tiger faithful. It wasn't a tear-jerker, just a matter-of-fact speech of thanks. Despite Ernie playing it cool, the folks in attendance and the players (even the Royals were videotaping it) had to be affected by the little legend who's become a synonymous with class, loyalty, and Tiger baseball.
This afternoon, the Tigers take on Greinke for the 5th and final time this season. It's Greinke vs Edwin Jackson. Slight edge to Greinke. I'm guessing Leyland will trot out Alex Avila and Carlos Guillen, which can only help.
It's Nate
Despite my prediction that Figaro would get the start on Sunday against the Twins, Leyland will try to start Nate after all. I say "try" because Leyland's not sure if Robertson is healthy enough to go five innings. He'll test Nate's arm today and then make his decision. With a gimpy Robertson pitching in the Metrodome? Things could get ugly.
Blackout
Perhaps my pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. 4,000 tickets remain for the Lions first home game this Sunday. That means blackout. I believe it will be the first home opener that's blacked-out in my lifetime. While the Lions will likely blame the meager ticket sales on the economy, that's definitely not the case. The Tigers had no trouble selling tickets. They're 12th in the Majors, despite the depressed Detroit economy. The Lions? Perhaps they should consider giving tickets away for $5. That's about all the product is worth.
With runners at the corners and no outs, Lyon got the first batter to ground out right back to the pitcher. Then he struck out the next batter, and the final out was a weak pop up to Cabrera. 1-2-3, the hard way. It saved the game and perhaps hope.
The Tigers bats were fairly active against the Royals' starter, DiNardo - another low-rent lefty. The Tigers notched 10 hits in the game, but only 2 were extra-base hits (both doubles), and they stranded 10 on base. Unlikely hero Adam Everett saved the day with two clutch hits (scoring two), and helped the team come back from an 0-3 deficit. Ol' reliable Polanco hit the game-winning RBI in the 6th.
The Royals roughed up starter Eddie Bonine a bit, but Bonine limited the damage to 3 runs over 5 innings. Thanks to Lyon and Rodney (who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth), the Tigers pulled out an emotional victory. Why emotional? Because Ernie Harwell made what is likely to be his last public appearance at Comerica Park. The svelte gentleman strolled out to the infield before the bottom of the 3rd inning and delivered a sincere, appreciative speech to the Tiger faithful. It wasn't a tear-jerker, just a matter-of-fact speech of thanks. Despite Ernie playing it cool, the folks in attendance and the players (even the Royals were videotaping it) had to be affected by the little legend who's become a synonymous with class, loyalty, and Tiger baseball.
This afternoon, the Tigers take on Greinke for the 5th and final time this season. It's Greinke vs Edwin Jackson. Slight edge to Greinke. I'm guessing Leyland will trot out Alex Avila and Carlos Guillen, which can only help.
It's Nate
Despite my prediction that Figaro would get the start on Sunday against the Twins, Leyland will try to start Nate after all. I say "try" because Leyland's not sure if Robertson is healthy enough to go five innings. He'll test Nate's arm today and then make his decision. With a gimpy Robertson pitching in the Metrodome? Things could get ugly.
Blackout
Perhaps my pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. 4,000 tickets remain for the Lions first home game this Sunday. That means blackout. I believe it will be the first home opener that's blacked-out in my lifetime. While the Lions will likely blame the meager ticket sales on the economy, that's definitely not the case. The Tigers had no trouble selling tickets. They're 12th in the Majors, despite the depressed Detroit economy. The Lions? Perhaps they should consider giving tickets away for $5. That's about all the product is worth.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Figaro
Glancing at the Tigers' current roster earlier today, I could not find a suitable replacement for Washburn. I did notice that, in June, they gave Alfredo Figaro two starts, but he was sent to Toledo shortly after and never recalled. Figaro did well in his first start, but got lit up in the second. I remember he had very impressive velocity (95) and movement, but couldn't quite figure out the big league hitters yet. The dude threw strikes, which meant he notched over a K/inning, but also gave up a ton of hits.
Well, he's back. He got the call today and will likely start on Sunday in Minnesota. Despite his shaky start in June, he's probably the Tigers' best chance. The kid has a good arm and could get hot. It's more likely that the Twins will go hog-wild in the dome, but I suppose you never know.
Well, he's back. He got the call today and will likely start on Sunday in Minnesota. Despite his shaky start in June, he's probably the Tigers' best chance. The kid has a good arm and could get hot. It's more likely that the Twins will go hog-wild in the dome, but I suppose you never know.
Yuck
The Tigers are doing their best to keep things interesting down the stretch. For those still on the playoff bandwagon, there's plenty of time to jump off. They've now lost 6 of 8, giving up an average of 6.37 runs during that span. Worse still, Jarrod Washburn may be done for the season. For some, that may be a welcome relief. He's been nothing short of a disaster since arriving from Seattle. That would leave the Tigers with three starters - Verlander, Jackson, Porcello. The rest of the starters are either on the DL or should be (Robertson, Washburn, Galarraga, Willis).
Recent call-up Eddie Bonine will get the start tonight. Can the Tigers go with four starters the rest of the way? I don't know if they have any other options. Trotting out Washburn or Galarraga is a guaranteed loss. Minnesota must be licking their chops. They've got the Tigers at home for three games over the weekend. And then four more against the Tigers at the end of the month. They can easily overtake our beloved Tigers, especially if the Tiger pitching doesn't improve... not that the hitting's any better. The team has had dead bats all season, so the weak hitting is expected at this point. Four hits against a last place team? That's your 2009 Detroit Tigers.
I will concede that the Tigers have risen to the occasion when faced with adversity earlier in the season. They somehow have done just enough to survive. Yet, when they're bitch-slapped by the Royals four straight times, how do they inspire confidence? From this point on, each game is a playoff game.
Recent call-up Eddie Bonine will get the start tonight. Can the Tigers go with four starters the rest of the way? I don't know if they have any other options. Trotting out Washburn or Galarraga is a guaranteed loss. Minnesota must be licking their chops. They've got the Tigers at home for three games over the weekend. And then four more against the Tigers at the end of the month. They can easily overtake our beloved Tigers, especially if the Tiger pitching doesn't improve... not that the hitting's any better. The team has had dead bats all season, so the weak hitting is expected at this point. Four hits against a last place team? That's your 2009 Detroit Tigers.
I will concede that the Tigers have risen to the occasion when faced with adversity earlier in the season. They somehow have done just enough to survive. Yet, when they're bitch-slapped by the Royals four straight times, how do they inspire confidence? From this point on, each game is a playoff game.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Jays eff up, and Tigers win!
The Tigers are struggling, so they'll take a win any way they can. In the first inning, the Blue Jays starter, a recent call-up from Triple-A, gave up a homerun and two walks without registering an out. Mighty Cabrera stepped up to the plate and promptly struck out on 3 pitches. Thames and Inge followed. Weak at-bats by those two let this pitcher off the hook, and it wouldn't be the last time. The Tigers did manage to score a 2nd run in the 5th, thanks to a fortuitous call by the 1st place umpire. Replays showed Laird to be out at first, but the umpire called him safe. Laird was sacrificed to second, and then Rayburn singled him home. Verlander, cruising through the first five innings without giving up a run, absolutely imploded in the 6th. With six straight hits, the Blue Jays opened up a 5-2 lead.
It looked like the game was all but decided. The weak-hitting Tigers could not hit in the clutch, save for Rayburn. Rayburn, by the way, has 12 home runs this season - almost double Maggs in half the at-bats. Thanks to scoreless innings by Fu-Te Ni and Bonderman, the Tigers were still only down 3 in the bottom of the 9th.
Granderson led off the inning with a grounder to the shortstop. Perhaps the ball took a wicked hop or maybe it was knuckling over the infield. Either way, the Jays' shortstop, Scutaro, completely botched it, and Granderson safely reached first. Next to bat was pinch hitter, Alex Avila. The confident catcher pulled a sharp single into right field, advancing Granderson to 3rd. Jim Leyland continued to trot out lefties, as he had Aubrey Huff pinch hit for Santiago (who, technically, is a switch hitter, but perhaps Leyland was playing a hunch). With a surprise rainstorm descending on Comerica Park, Huff wiped the raindrops off his bill and watched the Jays pitcher throw two wild balls. Huff dried the bat on his jersey, wiped his bill again, and sent that 2-0 fastball deep into the seats in the right field. The second the ball left the bat, Huff flipped the bat aside and smiled, knowing he finally arrived as a Tiger. As he jubilantly celebrated with the players in the dugout, you could sense a weight was lifted off the poor dude's shoulders.
The Jays got the next three batters out, but the momentum was clearly in the Tigers' favor. In the top of the 10th, new shortstop Dlugach botched his first grounder, but Bobby Seay and Ryan Perry combined for the next three outs. The Blue Jays brought out another minor league call-up, Wolfe, to pitch the bottom of the 10th. With the opposition batting .392 against Wolfe, it was only fitting that Thames would strike out. Yet, old reliable Brandon Inge wisely let Wolfe walk him on five pitches. Granderson, no fool himself, also let Wolfe walk him on five pitches. With one out and runners at 1st and 2nd, it was time for Avila to be a hero yet again. He swung at the first pitch, sending a weak grounder to the first baseman.
It seemed like a certain double-play, assuming the pitcher could outrun Avila and cover 1st base. The first baseman fielded it cleanly and whipped the ball to 2nd. Shortstop Scutaro caught the ball, touched second base, grabbed the ball from his mitt, reached back to throw to first, and....
Watched in agony as the ball dribbled out of his fingers.
Inge, hustling toward third, alertly powered home as the ball slowly crept toward the 3rd baseman. There was no play at the plate as Inge slid home safely. The bench cleared and crowded a shocked Avila who's weak grounder miraculously proved to be the game winner. So, the Jays effed up, and the Tigers won. After losing 5 of 6, the Tigers will take it.
The good news from this game is that the bullpen pitched well. The bad news is that Verlander completely unravelled. It's hopefully an aberration, because, without a dominant Verlander, there's simply no hope.
It looked like the game was all but decided. The weak-hitting Tigers could not hit in the clutch, save for Rayburn. Rayburn, by the way, has 12 home runs this season - almost double Maggs in half the at-bats. Thanks to scoreless innings by Fu-Te Ni and Bonderman, the Tigers were still only down 3 in the bottom of the 9th.
Granderson led off the inning with a grounder to the shortstop. Perhaps the ball took a wicked hop or maybe it was knuckling over the infield. Either way, the Jays' shortstop, Scutaro, completely botched it, and Granderson safely reached first. Next to bat was pinch hitter, Alex Avila. The confident catcher pulled a sharp single into right field, advancing Granderson to 3rd. Jim Leyland continued to trot out lefties, as he had Aubrey Huff pinch hit for Santiago (who, technically, is a switch hitter, but perhaps Leyland was playing a hunch). With a surprise rainstorm descending on Comerica Park, Huff wiped the raindrops off his bill and watched the Jays pitcher throw two wild balls. Huff dried the bat on his jersey, wiped his bill again, and sent that 2-0 fastball deep into the seats in the right field. The second the ball left the bat, Huff flipped the bat aside and smiled, knowing he finally arrived as a Tiger. As he jubilantly celebrated with the players in the dugout, you could sense a weight was lifted off the poor dude's shoulders.
The Jays got the next three batters out, but the momentum was clearly in the Tigers' favor. In the top of the 10th, new shortstop Dlugach botched his first grounder, but Bobby Seay and Ryan Perry combined for the next three outs. The Blue Jays brought out another minor league call-up, Wolfe, to pitch the bottom of the 10th. With the opposition batting .392 against Wolfe, it was only fitting that Thames would strike out. Yet, old reliable Brandon Inge wisely let Wolfe walk him on five pitches. Granderson, no fool himself, also let Wolfe walk him on five pitches. With one out and runners at 1st and 2nd, it was time for Avila to be a hero yet again. He swung at the first pitch, sending a weak grounder to the first baseman.
It seemed like a certain double-play, assuming the pitcher could outrun Avila and cover 1st base. The first baseman fielded it cleanly and whipped the ball to 2nd. Shortstop Scutaro caught the ball, touched second base, grabbed the ball from his mitt, reached back to throw to first, and....
Watched in agony as the ball dribbled out of his fingers.
Inge, hustling toward third, alertly powered home as the ball slowly crept toward the 3rd baseman. There was no play at the plate as Inge slid home safely. The bench cleared and crowded a shocked Avila who's weak grounder miraculously proved to be the game winner. So, the Jays effed up, and the Tigers won. After losing 5 of 6, the Tigers will take it.
The good news from this game is that the bullpen pitched well. The bad news is that Verlander completely unravelled. It's hopefully an aberration, because, without a dominant Verlander, there's simply no hope.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Bradley Indictment
Excellent article on the state of the US Soccer team.
To sum up, the article states the goal of the US team in the 1998 World Cup was to advance from the Group Stage. The goal remains the same, so where's the progress? I, unfortunately, would have to agree. In fact, I'd say the team actually looks to be regressing under Bradley. His teams appear to be prone to major defensive miscues, against all levels of competition. Once he removed Jeff Agoos from the field, the Bruce Arena squads rarely gave the opposition free looks at goal.
Bob Bradley was hired to get the team qualified for the World Cup, and he's on track so far. Yet, the team hardly inspires confidence. They beat Egypt and Spain in the Confed Cup, but those wins are looking more and more like flukes. Bradley is blessed with perhaps the two best American strikers in decades (Davies and Altidore). Those two often create magic on their own. Bradley also has an in-form Landon Donovan. Yet, his team has a massive hole in the midfield. Good passing squads absolutely destroy the US in possession.
Help may be on the way. Jermaine Jones, who plays in the Bundesliga, should be given every opportunity to win the defensive midfield role. He applied months ago to switch his national allegiance to the Americans, but his debut may have to wait due to injuries. The US's next match is October 10th against a solid Honduras squad. If healthy, it would be great to see Jones partner with Feilhaber. Otherwise, we'll likely get stuck with the young Bradley.
Other than central midfield, the US is woefully inept at the fullback position. Thankfully, the other new yank, Edgar Castillo, could provide immediate relief. Sick of Jonathan Bornstein? Give Castillo a cap! Since we can't switch coaches, at least try some new players.
To sum up, the article states the goal of the US team in the 1998 World Cup was to advance from the Group Stage. The goal remains the same, so where's the progress? I, unfortunately, would have to agree. In fact, I'd say the team actually looks to be regressing under Bradley. His teams appear to be prone to major defensive miscues, against all levels of competition. Once he removed Jeff Agoos from the field, the Bruce Arena squads rarely gave the opposition free looks at goal.
Bob Bradley was hired to get the team qualified for the World Cup, and he's on track so far. Yet, the team hardly inspires confidence. They beat Egypt and Spain in the Confed Cup, but those wins are looking more and more like flukes. Bradley is blessed with perhaps the two best American strikers in decades (Davies and Altidore). Those two often create magic on their own. Bradley also has an in-form Landon Donovan. Yet, his team has a massive hole in the midfield. Good passing squads absolutely destroy the US in possession.
Help may be on the way. Jermaine Jones, who plays in the Bundesliga, should be given every opportunity to win the defensive midfield role. He applied months ago to switch his national allegiance to the Americans, but his debut may have to wait due to injuries. The US's next match is October 10th against a solid Honduras squad. If healthy, it would be great to see Jones partner with Feilhaber. Otherwise, we'll likely get stuck with the young Bradley.
Other than central midfield, the US is woefully inept at the fullback position. Thankfully, the other new yank, Edgar Castillo, could provide immediate relief. Sick of Jonathan Bornstein? Give Castillo a cap! Since we can't switch coaches, at least try some new players.
Tiger woes
Folks,
I apologize for the sporadic postings in recent weeks. I've been out of town and actually (gasp!) missed the Tigers' last few games. Evidently, I didn't miss much, since they're riding a 1-6 stretch. After seemingly hitting their stride over Labor Day, the Tigers reminded us all that they are not elite. The pathetic competition in the Central just may allow the Tigers to remain in first, but, make no mistake, the Tigers have massive, massive problems.
All season long, we've been waiting for the real Rodney to show up. The reliable reliever reverted to the reckless Rodney of '08. In September, Rodney has a 9.95 ERA, and a 2+ WHIP. While Brandon Lyon did blow a save on Saturday (giving up one run), he is pitching much stronger this month, with a sparkling 1.50 ERA, 2 saves, and 3 holds. No doubt Leyland is contemplating relegating Rodney to setup man.
A little while back, I mentioned I was worried about Edwin Jackson. His struggles continue. In his last six starts, Edwin's got a 5.31 ERA. Somehow, he's 4-1 in those games, so few are worried. Yet, in the games I've watched, Edwin just does not have the same command as earlier in the year. The Tigers will desperately need Edwin to regain form if they have any hope to make the playoffs and do some damage.
They wrap up their series with Toronto tonight and then face the Royals for a three-game set. It would be the perfect time to pay back KC for their sweep last week.
I apologize for the sporadic postings in recent weeks. I've been out of town and actually (gasp!) missed the Tigers' last few games. Evidently, I didn't miss much, since they're riding a 1-6 stretch. After seemingly hitting their stride over Labor Day, the Tigers reminded us all that they are not elite. The pathetic competition in the Central just may allow the Tigers to remain in first, but, make no mistake, the Tigers have massive, massive problems.
All season long, we've been waiting for the real Rodney to show up. The reliable reliever reverted to the reckless Rodney of '08. In September, Rodney has a 9.95 ERA, and a 2+ WHIP. While Brandon Lyon did blow a save on Saturday (giving up one run), he is pitching much stronger this month, with a sparkling 1.50 ERA, 2 saves, and 3 holds. No doubt Leyland is contemplating relegating Rodney to setup man.
A little while back, I mentioned I was worried about Edwin Jackson. His struggles continue. In his last six starts, Edwin's got a 5.31 ERA. Somehow, he's 4-1 in those games, so few are worried. Yet, in the games I've watched, Edwin just does not have the same command as earlier in the year. The Tigers will desperately need Edwin to regain form if they have any hope to make the playoffs and do some damage.
They wrap up their series with Toronto tonight and then face the Royals for a three-game set. It would be the perfect time to pay back KC for their sweep last week.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Just one more
For the optimists, it was a "workmanlike" performance. For the pessimists, "lackluster." Either way, the US did just enough to get a win. It's become a trademark of the Bob Bradley squads. They do not impress, but they somehow get results.
As expected, Bradley decided to sit Benny Feilhaber in lieu of the more defensive-minded Ricardo Clark. Yet, the US was no defensive juggernaut in the first half. For some reason, Trinidad had no difficulty penetrating the US's right wing. Spector, so good in the Confed Cup, could not contain Ipswich Town's Carlos Edwards. Jonathan Bornstein, awful in the previous game, was a shade better containing the left side. Trinidad, who matched the US shot-for-shot, had a golden opportunity after a throw-in on Spector's side. The US, evidently sleeping on the play, allowed T&T's Cornell Glen to break free one-on-one with Howard. From 18 yards out, Glen tried to chip it over Howard, but the shot nicked the bottom of the crossbar. The ball stayed out of the net and Bornstein cleared it out of danger. Howard also made a fine save from a sharp angle off a corner kick.
The fact that Trinidad almost scored is not terribly surprising. Yet, the glaring concern for Bradley (and US fans) is how easy these chances came for the opposition. Despite the presence of Clark, Trinidad still had plenty of room in the middle. Perhaps Michael Bradley is still woefully out of form. With the pairing of Clark and Bradley, I'm not totally sure what Bradley offers the team. The kid can dribble, and he tracks back regularly on defense. Yet, he's certainly no Feilhaber with distribution. He rarely has the vision of a Donovan to spearhead an attack. And, as a defender, he's getting murdered right now.
On the flip side, with Altidore and Davies at striker, the US is extremely exciting. Those two youngsters have quickly become among the best strikers in Concacaf. Donovan, in fine form, works well with these two. And the US had a number of decent chances of their own in the 1st. Bradley, Davies, and Dempsey all had solid shots from distance, but the first half ended 0-0, with Trinidad clearly the superior side.
In the 2nd half, the US allowed less space for Trinidad. It was a less exciting affair but also less maddening. I was thinking it was destined to be a 0-0 final, but a brilliant sequence of passes found Donovan alone on the left wing. He quickly fed Clark about 20 yards out. Clark took one dribble to his right and unleashed a wicked, knuckling shot on net. It beat the keeper for a 1-0 lead. The goal really opened up the US's attack. Trinidad kept pushing players forward, which allowed the US much more space to possess or spring the counter.
On defense, Onyewu definitely proved his worth. Trinidad kept playing long balls into the box, and Onyewu did not lose a single header. Trinidad has players of equal size, but Onyewu dominated them all. Trinidad did have a few opportunities, but they never came as close as that first half crossbar. The great chances actually came for the US. Donovan and Davies both had excellent opportunities to extend the lead, but their shots sailed over the goal.
The game ended 1-0, and, despite the loss, the Trinidad coach and players were magnanimous. It was so heartwarming to see an actual jersey exchange and a pleasant exchange between the T&T coach and Bradley. These two teams actually respect each other... why is that so difficult with the other teams in Concacaf?
The road win over T&T means the US needs just one win out of their last two games to guarantee a spot. Costa Rica is falling in the standings, so right now it's looking like the US, Mexico, and Honduras may be the favorites to advance.
Los Tigres
The less said, the better. After the season high-point of sweeping the strong Rays on the road, the Tigers reached the season low-point by getting swept by the last-place Royals. True to form, the Tigers maintain their maddening inconsistency. The massive holes in their lineup and bullpen remain concerns.
They've got a ton of games with the Twins and White Sox in the next three weeks. I honestly have no idea what to expect.
As expected, Bradley decided to sit Benny Feilhaber in lieu of the more defensive-minded Ricardo Clark. Yet, the US was no defensive juggernaut in the first half. For some reason, Trinidad had no difficulty penetrating the US's right wing. Spector, so good in the Confed Cup, could not contain Ipswich Town's Carlos Edwards. Jonathan Bornstein, awful in the previous game, was a shade better containing the left side. Trinidad, who matched the US shot-for-shot, had a golden opportunity after a throw-in on Spector's side. The US, evidently sleeping on the play, allowed T&T's Cornell Glen to break free one-on-one with Howard. From 18 yards out, Glen tried to chip it over Howard, but the shot nicked the bottom of the crossbar. The ball stayed out of the net and Bornstein cleared it out of danger. Howard also made a fine save from a sharp angle off a corner kick.
The fact that Trinidad almost scored is not terribly surprising. Yet, the glaring concern for Bradley (and US fans) is how easy these chances came for the opposition. Despite the presence of Clark, Trinidad still had plenty of room in the middle. Perhaps Michael Bradley is still woefully out of form. With the pairing of Clark and Bradley, I'm not totally sure what Bradley offers the team. The kid can dribble, and he tracks back regularly on defense. Yet, he's certainly no Feilhaber with distribution. He rarely has the vision of a Donovan to spearhead an attack. And, as a defender, he's getting murdered right now.
On the flip side, with Altidore and Davies at striker, the US is extremely exciting. Those two youngsters have quickly become among the best strikers in Concacaf. Donovan, in fine form, works well with these two. And the US had a number of decent chances of their own in the 1st. Bradley, Davies, and Dempsey all had solid shots from distance, but the first half ended 0-0, with Trinidad clearly the superior side.
In the 2nd half, the US allowed less space for Trinidad. It was a less exciting affair but also less maddening. I was thinking it was destined to be a 0-0 final, but a brilliant sequence of passes found Donovan alone on the left wing. He quickly fed Clark about 20 yards out. Clark took one dribble to his right and unleashed a wicked, knuckling shot on net. It beat the keeper for a 1-0 lead. The goal really opened up the US's attack. Trinidad kept pushing players forward, which allowed the US much more space to possess or spring the counter.
On defense, Onyewu definitely proved his worth. Trinidad kept playing long balls into the box, and Onyewu did not lose a single header. Trinidad has players of equal size, but Onyewu dominated them all. Trinidad did have a few opportunities, but they never came as close as that first half crossbar. The great chances actually came for the US. Donovan and Davies both had excellent opportunities to extend the lead, but their shots sailed over the goal.
The game ended 1-0, and, despite the loss, the Trinidad coach and players were magnanimous. It was so heartwarming to see an actual jersey exchange and a pleasant exchange between the T&T coach and Bradley. These two teams actually respect each other... why is that so difficult with the other teams in Concacaf?
The road win over T&T means the US needs just one win out of their last two games to guarantee a spot. Costa Rica is falling in the standings, so right now it's looking like the US, Mexico, and Honduras may be the favorites to advance.
Los Tigres
The less said, the better. After the season high-point of sweeping the strong Rays on the road, the Tigers reached the season low-point by getting swept by the last-place Royals. True to form, the Tigers maintain their maddening inconsistency. The massive holes in their lineup and bullpen remain concerns.
They've got a ton of games with the Twins and White Sox in the next three weeks. I honestly have no idea what to expect.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Two Islands, One Soul
Enormous qualifier tonight for the US men's soccer (aka US nats). For those with ESPN Classic, the game supposedly starts at 6:30pm EST, though I predict there will be some pre-game discussion. The US takes on Trinidad & Tobago, who currently reside in last place in the Hex. The two islands with one soul are not mathematically eliminated, so they will be desperate.
Returning for the US team is Oguchi Onyewu, who missed Saturday's match against El Salvador due to yellow card accumulation. His absence was noticeable. I didn't get to watch the match live, so I was forced to watch streaming updates on my computer. I had live streams from ussoccer.com, espn.com, and bigsoccer.com. It was a truly pathetic display, and Mrs. Thatballdontlie silently pitied me as she watched the Tigers come from behind to beat the Rays.
Last night, I finally saw the replay. It wasn't quite as bad as I was led to believe. The fan reports on bigsoccer led me to believe El Salvador ran rough-shod over the US defense. That wasn't exactly the case. In the first half, the US actually played quite well. Bradley used an offense-minded lineup, featuring Benny Feilhaber at center mid. Altidore and Charlie Davies were the strikers. On defense, Chad Marshall replaced the suspended Onyewu, pairing with Boca in the middle. Jonathan Bornstein was the left fullback, with Spector on the right.
No doubt the gameplan was to attack. It was an extremely exciting first 45, with the US regularly pressuring the El Salvador goal. Charlie Davies almost opened the scoring by fending off two defenders and narrowly shooting wide. Dempsey also had an excellent chance in front of net off a cross, but his shot went wide. Later, after some great one-touch passing by Feilhaber and Donovan, Altidore had the ball in the box. He slid the ball across the goal to Charlie Davies who's shot was cleared off the line by a defender. Meanwhile, El Salvador played their counter-attack perfectly. Thanks to regular US turnovers, the Salvadorans had plenty of opportunities to score, and that's exactly what they did in the 32nd minute. Bornstein, facing his own goal, tried to clear the ball over his head. The clearance went right to the middle of the field, where a Salvadoran player crossed to a well-marked Castillo. Castillo out-jumped Spector and headed home the ball slightly over Howard's arms. Poor efforts by Bornstein, Spector, and, especially, Howard, who was uncharacteristically out of position. While this wasn't the first El Salvador chance, it was definitely against the run of play. Prior to the goal, the US did seem destined to win, but the awful gaffes (often by Spector and Bornstein) gave El Salvador confidence.
Credit the US players for rising to the occasion. They didn't take long to capitalize. Nine minutes later, Dempsey finally converted on his third golden attempt. Off a restart from Donovan, Dempsey headed a shot into the corner. The Salvadoran defense was trying an off-sides trap, and a few yanks were in an offsides position. But not Dempsey. The refs must've felt the other yanks weren't involved in the play, as they let the goal stand. I recall that same situation in the US's world cup match against Italy in '06. That time, they did say the US was offsides (McBride). So, this rule is entirely subjective. Yay.
The US continued to pressure. After some excellent work by Donovan and Bocanegra, Donovan sent another cross into the box. An unmarked Altidore calmly headed the ball into the net. 2-1 US. Halftime.
In the 2nd half, the Altidore scored another. Dempsey won the ball at midfield and fed Altidore for a breakaway. Altidore easily beat his man and scored. Yet, the ref disallowed the goal, claiming a foul on Dempsey. Replays showed it was an absolutely horrendous call. If the US received a gift from the ref on that first goal, the ref quickly took the gift away on this call. The US had another breakaway from Dempsey later in the game, but his shot went right at the keeper.
The final minutes were desperate for both teams. Two American subs, Stuart Holden and Jose Torres, made an immediate impact. Holden sent a sharp cross to Torres who sent a wicked header toward the net. The keeper made a sprawling, highligh-reel save. Minutes later, El Salvador had an excellent opportunity after the ball spent an eternity in the US box. From about six yards out, a Salvadoran player shot low toward the net. Howard dove right and smothered the ball to preserve the lead, and the game. 2-1 US final.
While the game did produce some ulcer-inducing moments, the US did eventually prevail. While not playing particularly well, they dodged a bullet. Offensively, the US was strong. Feilhaber added quite a bit to the attack. But Michael Bradley seemed out of sorts. The midfield regularly left a ton of space for El Salvador. With Spector and Bornstein not sharp, the defense was exposed. Boca and Marshall played well overall, as did Charlie Davies and Altidore. And Donovan was simply superb. He showed he's as good as any other player in Concacaf. Yet, Coach Bradley needs to address that defense. Perhaps part of the problem is the lack of a strategy. What sort of team is the US? Possession? Counter-attack? Bradley has a different gameplan for each game. With super-talented players, that shouldn't be a problem. The US is not super-talented. My hope is that Bradley imposes a more possession oriented attack. Keep the Latin American teams from controlling all the space.
Tonight, if the US does not play solid defense, T&T could easily put up 3 goals. Winning on the road in the Hex is rare, but the US did win in Trinidad during the last qualifying campaign. The US will be confident, and it'll be nice having Gooch back. Charlie Davies nicked his calf during the El Salvador match, so he may be unavailable. Ching may get the nod, and that's a pretty severe drop-off. I also bet Feilhaber will see the bench in favor of defense-minded Ricardo Clark. I'd prefer to see Michael Bradley sit, as he's not in great form. Will the coach bench his own son? One can hope, since Feilhaber is truly coming into his own as an attacking midfielder. He's also the best dribbler of the lot.
The current standings of the Hex are extremely tight. A mere 1 point separates the first team and the team in fourth. Mexico has a weak schedule the rest of the way, and should breeze into the top two spots. The US has a tougher road. Normally a draw on the road would be acceptable. Not this time.
Returning for the US team is Oguchi Onyewu, who missed Saturday's match against El Salvador due to yellow card accumulation. His absence was noticeable. I didn't get to watch the match live, so I was forced to watch streaming updates on my computer. I had live streams from ussoccer.com, espn.com, and bigsoccer.com. It was a truly pathetic display, and Mrs. Thatballdontlie silently pitied me as she watched the Tigers come from behind to beat the Rays.
Last night, I finally saw the replay. It wasn't quite as bad as I was led to believe. The fan reports on bigsoccer led me to believe El Salvador ran rough-shod over the US defense. That wasn't exactly the case. In the first half, the US actually played quite well. Bradley used an offense-minded lineup, featuring Benny Feilhaber at center mid. Altidore and Charlie Davies were the strikers. On defense, Chad Marshall replaced the suspended Onyewu, pairing with Boca in the middle. Jonathan Bornstein was the left fullback, with Spector on the right.
No doubt the gameplan was to attack. It was an extremely exciting first 45, with the US regularly pressuring the El Salvador goal. Charlie Davies almost opened the scoring by fending off two defenders and narrowly shooting wide. Dempsey also had an excellent chance in front of net off a cross, but his shot went wide. Later, after some great one-touch passing by Feilhaber and Donovan, Altidore had the ball in the box. He slid the ball across the goal to Charlie Davies who's shot was cleared off the line by a defender. Meanwhile, El Salvador played their counter-attack perfectly. Thanks to regular US turnovers, the Salvadorans had plenty of opportunities to score, and that's exactly what they did in the 32nd minute. Bornstein, facing his own goal, tried to clear the ball over his head. The clearance went right to the middle of the field, where a Salvadoran player crossed to a well-marked Castillo. Castillo out-jumped Spector and headed home the ball slightly over Howard's arms. Poor efforts by Bornstein, Spector, and, especially, Howard, who was uncharacteristically out of position. While this wasn't the first El Salvador chance, it was definitely against the run of play. Prior to the goal, the US did seem destined to win, but the awful gaffes (often by Spector and Bornstein) gave El Salvador confidence.
Credit the US players for rising to the occasion. They didn't take long to capitalize. Nine minutes later, Dempsey finally converted on his third golden attempt. Off a restart from Donovan, Dempsey headed a shot into the corner. The Salvadoran defense was trying an off-sides trap, and a few yanks were in an offsides position. But not Dempsey. The refs must've felt the other yanks weren't involved in the play, as they let the goal stand. I recall that same situation in the US's world cup match against Italy in '06. That time, they did say the US was offsides (McBride). So, this rule is entirely subjective. Yay.
The US continued to pressure. After some excellent work by Donovan and Bocanegra, Donovan sent another cross into the box. An unmarked Altidore calmly headed the ball into the net. 2-1 US. Halftime.
In the 2nd half, the Altidore scored another. Dempsey won the ball at midfield and fed Altidore for a breakaway. Altidore easily beat his man and scored. Yet, the ref disallowed the goal, claiming a foul on Dempsey. Replays showed it was an absolutely horrendous call. If the US received a gift from the ref on that first goal, the ref quickly took the gift away on this call. The US had another breakaway from Dempsey later in the game, but his shot went right at the keeper.
The final minutes were desperate for both teams. Two American subs, Stuart Holden and Jose Torres, made an immediate impact. Holden sent a sharp cross to Torres who sent a wicked header toward the net. The keeper made a sprawling, highligh-reel save. Minutes later, El Salvador had an excellent opportunity after the ball spent an eternity in the US box. From about six yards out, a Salvadoran player shot low toward the net. Howard dove right and smothered the ball to preserve the lead, and the game. 2-1 US final.
While the game did produce some ulcer-inducing moments, the US did eventually prevail. While not playing particularly well, they dodged a bullet. Offensively, the US was strong. Feilhaber added quite a bit to the attack. But Michael Bradley seemed out of sorts. The midfield regularly left a ton of space for El Salvador. With Spector and Bornstein not sharp, the defense was exposed. Boca and Marshall played well overall, as did Charlie Davies and Altidore. And Donovan was simply superb. He showed he's as good as any other player in Concacaf. Yet, Coach Bradley needs to address that defense. Perhaps part of the problem is the lack of a strategy. What sort of team is the US? Possession? Counter-attack? Bradley has a different gameplan for each game. With super-talented players, that shouldn't be a problem. The US is not super-talented. My hope is that Bradley imposes a more possession oriented attack. Keep the Latin American teams from controlling all the space.
Tonight, if the US does not play solid defense, T&T could easily put up 3 goals. Winning on the road in the Hex is rare, but the US did win in Trinidad during the last qualifying campaign. The US will be confident, and it'll be nice having Gooch back. Charlie Davies nicked his calf during the El Salvador match, so he may be unavailable. Ching may get the nod, and that's a pretty severe drop-off. I also bet Feilhaber will see the bench in favor of defense-minded Ricardo Clark. I'd prefer to see Michael Bradley sit, as he's not in great form. Will the coach bench his own son? One can hope, since Feilhaber is truly coming into his own as an attacking midfielder. He's also the best dribbler of the lot.
The current standings of the Hex are extremely tight. A mere 1 point separates the first team and the team in fourth. Mexico has a weak schedule the rest of the way, and should breeze into the top two spots. The US has a tougher road. Normally a draw on the road would be acceptable. Not this time.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A Sweep?
Just a flat-out amazing weekend for the Tigers. They swept the Rays in Tropicana field for the first time since that stadium opened in 1998. Making the feat all the more amazing is that the Tigers came from behind in all three victories.
The Rays are no slouch. They entered the series with the same record as the Tigers and desperately needed victories to stay in the wildcard hunt. Yet, the Tigers bats, quiet against the starters, absolutely pummeled the Rays' bullpen. Tied 1-1 going into the 9th on Friday, the Tigers put up 3 runs, thanks to timely at-bats by RyRa, Thames, Everett, Granderson, and Polanco. They even scored a run with the Tigers' newfound best friend - the sacrifice fly. Rodney's shaky pitching in the 9th likely caused a hundred ulcers in Metro Detroit, but he somehow maintained the lead by the 3rd out. Leyland, clearly irked, said Rodney would sit out the next two games (publicly citing "pitch count").
With Galarraga pitching on Saturday, the Rays took a commanding 6-3 lead in the 3rd, knocking Galarraga out of the game. Somehow, the Tigers' bullpen kept the Rays off the board the rest of the way, and the Tiger bats came alive in the 7th and 8th. With an 8-6 lead, Leyland gave the ball to Brandon Lyon to close it out. Lyon answered the call with a shockingly easy 1-2-3 inning.
Then Sunday seemed to be the Rays day. With sparkling defensive plays robbing countless Tiger hits, the Rays led 3-1 through eight innings. Edwin Jackson, touched up for 3 runs early, settled down and hardly allowed a hit the rest of the day. Yet, the Tigers bats did nothing against the Rays' starter. In the 9th, facing the bullpen, Guillen led off the inning with a strikeout. Then Cabrera earned a walk. Thames, in a shocking display of patience, also walked. Up next was Maggs. Disparaged all season, Maggs delivered with an opposite-field single to load the bases. Down 2-runs, with 1 out, Tiger strikeout king, Brandon Inge, stepped up to the plate. With his knee "killing" him, Inge choked up on the bat after he fell behind 1-2. The next pitch sailed outside to even the count. Then the skies parted, and God pointed to Inge and said, "It shall be done." Inge clocked that 2-2 pitch all the way to the left-field seats. You could see Brandon say "Wow" as the ball sail out.
Super-hot Polanco followed Inge's homer with a triple, but the Tigers couldn't bring him home. Lyon pitched another 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his second save in 2 days. No doubt Rodney's leash is getting shorter and shorter.
The Rays are no slouch. They entered the series with the same record as the Tigers and desperately needed victories to stay in the wildcard hunt. Yet, the Tigers bats, quiet against the starters, absolutely pummeled the Rays' bullpen. Tied 1-1 going into the 9th on Friday, the Tigers put up 3 runs, thanks to timely at-bats by RyRa, Thames, Everett, Granderson, and Polanco. They even scored a run with the Tigers' newfound best friend - the sacrifice fly. Rodney's shaky pitching in the 9th likely caused a hundred ulcers in Metro Detroit, but he somehow maintained the lead by the 3rd out. Leyland, clearly irked, said Rodney would sit out the next two games (publicly citing "pitch count").
With Galarraga pitching on Saturday, the Rays took a commanding 6-3 lead in the 3rd, knocking Galarraga out of the game. Somehow, the Tigers' bullpen kept the Rays off the board the rest of the way, and the Tiger bats came alive in the 7th and 8th. With an 8-6 lead, Leyland gave the ball to Brandon Lyon to close it out. Lyon answered the call with a shockingly easy 1-2-3 inning.
Then Sunday seemed to be the Rays day. With sparkling defensive plays robbing countless Tiger hits, the Rays led 3-1 through eight innings. Edwin Jackson, touched up for 3 runs early, settled down and hardly allowed a hit the rest of the day. Yet, the Tigers bats did nothing against the Rays' starter. In the 9th, facing the bullpen, Guillen led off the inning with a strikeout. Then Cabrera earned a walk. Thames, in a shocking display of patience, also walked. Up next was Maggs. Disparaged all season, Maggs delivered with an opposite-field single to load the bases. Down 2-runs, with 1 out, Tiger strikeout king, Brandon Inge, stepped up to the plate. With his knee "killing" him, Inge choked up on the bat after he fell behind 1-2. The next pitch sailed outside to even the count. Then the skies parted, and God pointed to Inge and said, "It shall be done." Inge clocked that 2-2 pitch all the way to the left-field seats. You could see Brandon say "Wow" as the ball sail out.
Super-hot Polanco followed Inge's homer with a triple, but the Tigers couldn't bring him home. Lyon pitched another 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his second save in 2 days. No doubt Rodney's leash is getting shorter and shorter.
Friday, September 4, 2009
All I needed to see
While I regularly dig on the Lions, I do in fact usually enjoy the preseason games. They tend to be bizarre, off-kilter affairs, with 5th stringers deciding the outcome. Perhaps it's the 0-16 hangover or simply Lions-fatigue, but I missed the first three games this year. I did watch a bit of the 4th game last night. On the Lions first possession, Aveion Cason opened up with an impressive 7 yard gain up the gut. On the next play, Stafford was sacked for a ten yard loss. On 3rd and long, Stafford hit Calvin Johnson on the sideline with a pinpoint pass that CJ almost broke for a TD. After another 30 yard gain to Calvin, the Lions were in Bills' territory. Stafford quickly threw another bomb. Calvin, double-covered raced past the defenders and caught the ball for a touchdown.
Wait. This is the Lions.
Flag. Holding on Jeff Backus. Bring the ball back.
On the next play, Stafford was blind-sided and fumbled the ball. Thank you again, Jeff Backus. Ladies and Gents, these are your 2009 Detroit Lions!
The Return of Gum Time!
The Tigers somehow pulled off an extra-inning win yesterday despite managing only 5 hits. Clete Thomas gave the Tigers a 3-0 advantage with a 2-run triple in the 7th, and it looked like smooth sailing against the weak-hitting Tribe. Yet, Fu Te Ni quickly lost the lead after facing just 4 batters. Both Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo notched 2-out hits to score 3 in the 8th. Miner relieved Fu Te Ni and pitched remarkably well into the extra innings, not allowing another hit.
RyRa led off the bottom of the 10th with a sharp double. Cleveland then walked Cabrera. I was begging for Maggs to lay down a bunt until they showed a stat that he hadn't sacrifice-bunted in 11 years (!!). Nevertheless, he was walked on 5 pitches. With the bases jacked and Polly at the plate, Cleveland brought in the infield. Polly swung and badly missed the first pitch in the dirt. On the next one, he sent a flyball to center-field, not terribly deep. Sizemore made the catch and threw home. Surprisingly, RyRa easily tagged-up and scored. I thought there would be a play at the plate, but Raburn's speed must be better than I thought.
Lost in the late-inning drama was Nate Robertson's quality start. He pitched 6 scoreless innings on a mere 80 pitches. My guess is he'll continue in the rotation, perhaps giving Washburn a few days off to rest an ailing knee. Blanking this Cleveland team does not mean Nate's ready to face the Yankees or Red Sox, but it's no doubt Nate's best start in years. The past two years, he's struggled against everybody. Well done, Gum Time!
Sad News
For those outside of Detroit, I doubt this story will get much coverage. I found out this morning that Ernie Harwell has "incurable cancer." He likely only has a few more months with us. While we've been blessed with fantastic announcers in Detroit (including the current team of Mario and Rod), Ernie Harwell will forever be my voice of the Tigers. He's a legend.
Wait. This is the Lions.
Flag. Holding on Jeff Backus. Bring the ball back.
On the next play, Stafford was blind-sided and fumbled the ball. Thank you again, Jeff Backus. Ladies and Gents, these are your 2009 Detroit Lions!
The Return of Gum Time!
The Tigers somehow pulled off an extra-inning win yesterday despite managing only 5 hits. Clete Thomas gave the Tigers a 3-0 advantage with a 2-run triple in the 7th, and it looked like smooth sailing against the weak-hitting Tribe. Yet, Fu Te Ni quickly lost the lead after facing just 4 batters. Both Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo notched 2-out hits to score 3 in the 8th. Miner relieved Fu Te Ni and pitched remarkably well into the extra innings, not allowing another hit.
RyRa led off the bottom of the 10th with a sharp double. Cleveland then walked Cabrera. I was begging for Maggs to lay down a bunt until they showed a stat that he hadn't sacrifice-bunted in 11 years (!!). Nevertheless, he was walked on 5 pitches. With the bases jacked and Polly at the plate, Cleveland brought in the infield. Polly swung and badly missed the first pitch in the dirt. On the next one, he sent a flyball to center-field, not terribly deep. Sizemore made the catch and threw home. Surprisingly, RyRa easily tagged-up and scored. I thought there would be a play at the plate, but Raburn's speed must be better than I thought.
Lost in the late-inning drama was Nate Robertson's quality start. He pitched 6 scoreless innings on a mere 80 pitches. My guess is he'll continue in the rotation, perhaps giving Washburn a few days off to rest an ailing knee. Blanking this Cleveland team does not mean Nate's ready to face the Yankees or Red Sox, but it's no doubt Nate's best start in years. The past two years, he's struggled against everybody. Well done, Gum Time!
Sad News
For those outside of Detroit, I doubt this story will get much coverage. I found out this morning that Ernie Harwell has "incurable cancer." He likely only has a few more months with us. While we've been blessed with fantastic announcers in Detroit (including the current team of Mario and Rod), Ernie Harwell will forever be my voice of the Tigers. He's a legend.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tiger Fans
I just don't understand. There was a blog on mLive about Magglio's contract situation - perhaps the most popular Tiger topic all season, and the comments were exceptionally hateful. Why the incessant Magglio bashing? He got three hits last night, and he hit .348 for the month of August. The only remaining knock on the guy is that he's not producing runs. His RBI total remains shockingly low. Yet, for such a slow dude, he is 5th on the team in runs.
In about two weeks, his $18million guarantee will kick-in. Yes, that's too much money for a singles hitter, but there's always the possibility that Magglio could get hot next season (one can hope). There are way worse contracts for fans to bitch about. Start with Sheffield... the Tigers are paying him $13.6million to play for another team. Then there's Jeremy Bonderman. Bondermania pitched 4 innings, gave up 3 HRs and 6 earned runs and will cash in $12.5million for this season. The D-Train actually puts Bondermania to shame, for he pitched 33.2 innings. Of course, he gave up 28 runs, but at least he stuck around for more than a game. D-Train, who's now issuing walks and runs in Toledo will run away with $10million this year. And Mr. Robertson will look to justify his $7million paycheck with a quality start today.
The absolute worst news about all those contracts is that they're also on the books for next season. Magglio's $18million doesn't look so bad in comparison. Is he worth it? Of course not, but he's the least of the worries. The Tigers are on the hook already for $85million in 2010, and that does not include out-of-contract Polanco, Laird, Lyon, Seay, Rodney, and two small pieces to the starting rotation called Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson (who will be due massive raises). So, keep buying tickets and merchandise and Little Caesars pizzas. Keep this team afloat!
In about two weeks, his $18million guarantee will kick-in. Yes, that's too much money for a singles hitter, but there's always the possibility that Magglio could get hot next season (one can hope). There are way worse contracts for fans to bitch about. Start with Sheffield... the Tigers are paying him $13.6million to play for another team. Then there's Jeremy Bonderman. Bondermania pitched 4 innings, gave up 3 HRs and 6 earned runs and will cash in $12.5million for this season. The D-Train actually puts Bondermania to shame, for he pitched 33.2 innings. Of course, he gave up 28 runs, but at least he stuck around for more than a game. D-Train, who's now issuing walks and runs in Toledo will run away with $10million this year. And Mr. Robertson will look to justify his $7million paycheck with a quality start today.
The absolute worst news about all those contracts is that they're also on the books for next season. Magglio's $18million doesn't look so bad in comparison. Is he worth it? Of course not, but he's the least of the worries. The Tigers are on the hook already for $85million in 2010, and that does not include out-of-contract Polanco, Laird, Lyon, Seay, Rodney, and two small pieces to the starting rotation called Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson (who will be due massive raises). So, keep buying tickets and merchandise and Little Caesars pizzas. Keep this team afloat!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
And then there was one
Lions released cornerback Keith Smith, who, according to Tom Kowalski, was their best player in the secondary last year. That's like saying he had the best hair amongst a group of bald men.
With Keith Smith gone, only Ernie Sims remains from the 39 players Millen drafted from '02-'06. For comparison sake, a good team like New England has 14.
With Keith Smith gone, only Ernie Sims remains from the 39 players Millen drafted from '02-'06. For comparison sake, a good team like New England has 14.
A little worried about Edwin
For most of the season, Edwin Jackson was the Tigers most consistent pitcher. His excellent first half resulted in an All-star appearance, and he carried a sub-3.00 ERA all the way through August. Yet, I've noticed he's lost a bit of command. In his past few starts, he's survived mainly on overpowering hitters with his fastball. His curve isn't dropping into the strikezone, and he's regularly falling behind in the count.
Last night, Edwin fell quickly behind rookie Matt LaPorta and then eventually worked the count full. LaPorta hadn't yet swung in the at-bat and waited patiently for Edwin's 3-2 pitch and powered the fastball into deep center for a double. It was strange watching a young kid seemingly out-think Edwin. Since neither his fastball nor curve were finding the strikezone with regularity, the Tribe knew they could sit on a desperation pitch down the middle.
No, the sky is not falling, but it is a bit worrisome that Edwin's ERA in August was 4.45. He's only pitched into the 7th inning once in his last five starts. He's a young pitcher (25) who will no doubt exhibit some inconsistency, but, with a weak hitting team like the Tigers, the workhorse starters like Edwin need to overachieve.
One more for Nate
Nate's 4 decent innings against the Rays earned him another start. With the other lefty starter (Washburn) serving up long-balls with the regularity of the US Mail, most fans are clamoring for the popular Nate to take his spot. Detroit fans, never known for their patience, need to remember that 4 innings does not a season make. Further, Nate hasn't pitched with any consistency since early '07. In fact, his starts have been downright painful. Washburn, prior to coming to Detroit, carried a 2.6 ERA. Let's not throw him to the wolves just yet.
I'd love for Nate to experience a minor comeback, but I realize that's not likely. If he can gain some quality starts between now and October, I'd be thrilled. We'll have to keep our eye on Galarraga too. He's pitching in Toledo on Friday then will rejoin the varsity squad on Saturday.
Bonderman, by the way, is back. He and four others arrived from Toledo yesterday. Among that group is catcher Dusty Ryan. Having a 3rd catcher will open up more opportunities for Alex Avila to pinch hit late in games.
Last night, Edwin fell quickly behind rookie Matt LaPorta and then eventually worked the count full. LaPorta hadn't yet swung in the at-bat and waited patiently for Edwin's 3-2 pitch and powered the fastball into deep center for a double. It was strange watching a young kid seemingly out-think Edwin. Since neither his fastball nor curve were finding the strikezone with regularity, the Tribe knew they could sit on a desperation pitch down the middle.
No, the sky is not falling, but it is a bit worrisome that Edwin's ERA in August was 4.45. He's only pitched into the 7th inning once in his last five starts. He's a young pitcher (25) who will no doubt exhibit some inconsistency, but, with a weak hitting team like the Tigers, the workhorse starters like Edwin need to overachieve.
One more for Nate
Nate's 4 decent innings against the Rays earned him another start. With the other lefty starter (Washburn) serving up long-balls with the regularity of the US Mail, most fans are clamoring for the popular Nate to take his spot. Detroit fans, never known for their patience, need to remember that 4 innings does not a season make. Further, Nate hasn't pitched with any consistency since early '07. In fact, his starts have been downright painful. Washburn, prior to coming to Detroit, carried a 2.6 ERA. Let's not throw him to the wolves just yet.
I'd love for Nate to experience a minor comeback, but I realize that's not likely. If he can gain some quality starts between now and October, I'd be thrilled. We'll have to keep our eye on Galarraga too. He's pitching in Toledo on Friday then will rejoin the varsity squad on Saturday.
Bonderman, by the way, is back. He and four others arrived from Toledo yesterday. Among that group is catcher Dusty Ryan. Having a 3rd catcher will open up more opportunities for Alex Avila to pinch hit late in games.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Hardest Working Piston
Please accept this rare foray outside the sports world. This post is about Dave Bing, current mayor of Detroit. After replacing the ousted Kwame earlier this year, Mayor Bing spent the first few months behind closed doors. There were grumblings that he was as inactive as any other Detroit mayor. In early August, Bing broke his silence. He said he spent those first few weeks poring over the city's finances. To the shock of no one, the city is in major financial turmoil - a $300million budget deficit.
Catering to nobody, Mayor Bing proposed massive cuts across the board, including eliminating **gasp** 1,000 city employees, "We can't afford to carry 13,000 employees." The unions, of course, are fighting back. Many, including the bus drivers, are threatening to strike. But Bing is approaching this like a businessman, not a politician. There's no middle-ground. He's like the consultant that comes into your business to hack-off the unnecessary limbs. The fact is that the City of Detroit is a business, and it's in disrepair. It desperately needs this type of leadership to achieve ground zero. When Bing achieves financial stability, he can start to rebuild in a healthy and productive and, hopefully, legal manner.
Evidently, 50 bus drivers called in sick on Saturday, and the city received no complaints. "That's at least 50 drivers we don't need," he said. I love it. You just don't hear politicians talk like that. Bing also wants to eliminate paid lunches and daily overtime for city employees. Paid lunches? Who's bright idea was that? And what city in financial ruin can possibly afford overtime pay? These are obvious concessions, and it's likely most sensible individuals will support Bing's plan. The main complainers, of course, will be those who will no longer get their paid lunch, or, worse, those that get laid off. Those folks have my sympathy. Yet, Detroit is a sinking ship. The city employees are now feeling the effects of the massive corruption of recent administrations.
Tayshaun for Stephen Jackson?
Stephen Jackson recently said he wants out of Golden State. Can't blame him for that. A fellow Piston blogger suggested that Dumars offer Tayshaun for Jackson. That seems like a bad trade to me. While Jackson offers much more scoring punch than Tayshaun, I think the trade would kill the team's tenuous chemistry. Every team needs "glue" players like Tayshaun. Trading for Jackson smacks of the Knicks-style of rebuilding -- land as many big names as possible and see what happens.
Perhaps if the season starts poorly, Dumars can revisit this trade. Tayshaun started off on an all-star level last year then tailed off. His veteran presence and leadership will be key this year. Let's hope he steps up to the plate.
Catering to nobody, Mayor Bing proposed massive cuts across the board, including eliminating **gasp** 1,000 city employees, "We can't afford to carry 13,000 employees." The unions, of course, are fighting back. Many, including the bus drivers, are threatening to strike. But Bing is approaching this like a businessman, not a politician. There's no middle-ground. He's like the consultant that comes into your business to hack-off the unnecessary limbs. The fact is that the City of Detroit is a business, and it's in disrepair. It desperately needs this type of leadership to achieve ground zero. When Bing achieves financial stability, he can start to rebuild in a healthy and productive and, hopefully, legal manner.
Evidently, 50 bus drivers called in sick on Saturday, and the city received no complaints. "That's at least 50 drivers we don't need," he said. I love it. You just don't hear politicians talk like that. Bing also wants to eliminate paid lunches and daily overtime for city employees. Paid lunches? Who's bright idea was that? And what city in financial ruin can possibly afford overtime pay? These are obvious concessions, and it's likely most sensible individuals will support Bing's plan. The main complainers, of course, will be those who will no longer get their paid lunch, or, worse, those that get laid off. Those folks have my sympathy. Yet, Detroit is a sinking ship. The city employees are now feeling the effects of the massive corruption of recent administrations.
Tayshaun for Stephen Jackson?
Stephen Jackson recently said he wants out of Golden State. Can't blame him for that. A fellow Piston blogger suggested that Dumars offer Tayshaun for Jackson. That seems like a bad trade to me. While Jackson offers much more scoring punch than Tayshaun, I think the trade would kill the team's tenuous chemistry. Every team needs "glue" players like Tayshaun. Trading for Jackson smacks of the Knicks-style of rebuilding -- land as many big names as possible and see what happens.
Perhaps if the season starts poorly, Dumars can revisit this trade. Tayshaun started off on an all-star level last year then tailed off. His veteran presence and leadership will be key this year. Let's hope he steps up to the plate.
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