And the ace of the Tigers pitching staff is...

The D-train!

Okay, I jest. But one glance at the starting pitcher stats to the right, and you'll see what I mean. He's the only starting pitcher without a true bone-headed start this year. Scherzer, who had been very impressive, got lit up by the Twins on Tuesday.

Is Dontrelle for real?
Having seen four of his starts, I can say that his command is much improved from last year. He still throws a ton of balls. A big difference, though, is he seems to be able to throw a strike when he absolutely needs one. When the count was 3-0 last year, he couldn't throw a strike underhanded. He'd load the bases on walks. It was ugly. It was uglier the year before. So, through one month, he does appear to be improved significantly in control.

Today, Dontrelle was downright nasty. Minnesota's lineup didn't have its regular teeth - no M&M boys - but they're still Minnesota. Dontrelle pitched a shutout through six innings. It was only his second win as a Tiger.

Whether he can keep it up over the course of the season remains to be seen. As a Tiger fan, I hope he succeeds, but I also hope he succeeds on a personal level. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. After what he's endured as a Tiger, his comeback would be Agassi-like. Not many pitchers recover from "the thing," but let's hope the D-train makes a few more stops.

Good Luck Charm Strikes Again!

It was reminiscent of the Wings/Avalanche in 2002. After falling behind that series 3 games to 2, the Wings rebounded with an inspired effort to take Game 6 in Denver. Who can forget this Patrick Roy gem?

The Wings forced the Game 7 back in the D. I wanted to watch the game with my Dad and brother (Dr. Rochester), and I recall missing the first few minutes as Mrs. Nofrownmotown and I were still on the road. The Wings were already up 2-0 by the time we walked in the door!

This Game 7 didn't have quite the immediate start, but the Wings played with the exact same sense of urgency. They put constant pressure on Phoenix. In effect, the Wings turned the tables on Phoenix. This time it was Phoenix who had incredible difficulty clearing the puck from their zone. A dreadful Phoenix turnover led to a glorious open shot for Kronwall, who missed. He wasn't the only one. All the Red Wing players missed in the first period. It seemed like Bryzgalov was destined to be the hero. But the savvy Wings were unfazed after the scoreless first.

They continued to absolutely dominate the 2nd period and finally Datsyuk broke through on the power play. He added a second goal minutes later. Phoenix did manage one goal against the run-of-play, but Lidstrom got the goal right back to push the score to 3-1.

The turning point was late in the 2nd when Phoenix had a 5-on-3 for over a minute. Detroit not only stuffed the 2-man advantage but actually scored a goal of their own with five seconds left. Brad Stuart, ironically, capitalized on a Phoenix turnover and scored on a breakaway. Yes, the same Brad Stuart who suffered the turnover humiliation in Game 6 (and the same guy who many Wing fans wanted to run out of town 24 hours ago).

At the end of the 2nd period, the Wings had a staggering 23 scoring chances (on 41 shots). Phoenix had 8. The 4-1 cushion seemed to break the Coyotes' spirit, as the Wings sailed through the third.

Just a dominant, impressive victory for the home team. It's only the first round, but the veterans proved their mettle once again.

On to San Jose with a short turnaround. Terry Foster on 97.1 kept reiterating the statistic that the Wings were 8-1 in games with a 48+ hour turnaround, and 1-5 in all the others. The upcoming game against the Sharks would qualify as a less-than 48 hour turnaround. That does not bode well.

Tigers
Pathetic showing by the Tiger bats last night, and an even worse performance by their gloves. This game was lost in the offseason when Dombrowski failed to address the teams' defensive weaknesses - notably at 2nd base. And Ryan Raburn? If he's not playing 2nd base, he shouldn't be on the team. He's only a minor liability at 2nd base, while he's a massive liability everywhere else. His error against Minnesota last night was downright laughable.

Heartbreak City

Yeah, I was pissed yesterday. Was it surprising the Wings lost? Not really. Did I think they'd get blown out? Never.

In many ways, Game 6 was the reverse of Game 5. The Wings got all the right bounces in Game 5. Howard kept the team in the game, and then the Wings broke their back with the fortuitous Holmstrom goal... which followed the fortuitous Drew Miller goal.

In Game 6, the Wings absolutely dominated, but Bryzgalov turned away every shot. Then Stuart turned it over on the power play and BOOM - short handed goal for Phoenix. It was a dreadful mental letdown for Stuart, but Zetterberg did almost save the day. He was neck-and-neck with Korpikoski. Somehow, Korpikoski got the shot off with Zetterberg's stick in the way, and the puck flew threw Howard's legs. Then Phoenix got three on the power play, mostly on deflections. As Howard said after the game, "Deflections - what can you do?"

Hockey is truly a game of bounces. The Red Wings puck-possession style is based on the belief that, more possession equals more shots equals more bounces. It's a style that's served them well over the years. Unfortunately, we've all suffered through games when the opposition gets 4 chances to the Wings 10, and somehow the Wings are down 4-0.

So, I'm not gonna crucify the Wings for the loss. I will say I'm extremely disappointed in two bone-headed plays that absolutely killed momentum. The first, of course, was Stuart's ill-advised turnover. The second was Draper's inexplicable penalty for breaking a dude's stick. Draper was fifty feet from the puck - hardly involved - and yet he slashes at the defenseman's stick and breaks it. It's a no-brainer call for the ref. The Coyotes scored on the resulting power-play to go up 3-1. The Coyotes then got another deflection goal four minutes later to essentially put the game away.

UG-LY.

The Wings are veterans and former champions and have seen it all. They won't be fazed by a Game 7. Yet, I'm not counting on a win. It's just oh-so-rare for the road squad to win. The Penguins were the aberration last year... I hope I'm wrong.

Lions

Quick shout-out to the Lions -- Thank you for not blowing the #2 pick. You took the right man for the job. They're still about nine players short on the defense, but Delmas and Suh are a nice start.

Is Zetterberg the next Yzerman?

As a lifelong Wings fan, Yzerman lives in rare air. He was the humble superstar who lifted the Wings out of the Dark Ages. An electric scorer, Yzerman was a regular 100 point man through his 20s. With the introduction of the neutral-zone trap, the NHL became drastically more defensive. Yzerman altered his game to match it, culminating in a Selke Trophy in 2000. But that wasn't his only hardware. The 9-time All-star won the revered Conn Smyth after the Wings won the Cup in 1998.

When he retired in 2006, the Hall of Famer scored a staggering 692 goals, with 1,063 assists.

How does a current player compete with that? From a statistical standpoint, it's not possible. In the post-trap NHL, players simply don't tally 155 points in a season, as Yzerman did in 88-89. The league leader in points this year was Henrik Sedin with 112. For the record, Yzerman finished 3rd in 88-89, trailing Gretzky (168) and Lemieux (199).

Like most sports, it's difficult to compare players of different eras, especially statistically. But when I watch Henrik Zetterberg, I am immediately reminded of Yzerman. Why? Zetterberg scored 70 points this year. That would hardly register on the Yzerman radar. Yet, when the Wings lost unceremoniously last weekend, it was Zetterberg who led the charge in Game 4. Zetterberg tipped in the game winning goal. Then he scored again late in the 3rd. It was his 5th goal in 4 games.

He seems to bring his best when the games matter most. Like Yzerman, he'll calmly challenge his team after a loss but more emphatically lead them by example on the ice. While he's not flashy like Datsyuk, he's perhaps the most effective two-way player in the entire NHL. He singlehandedly shut down Crosby in the Cup Finals last year. Entering the Finals with Detroit, Crosby scored 14 goals, with 14 assists in 17 games. That's an average of 1.64 pts/game. In the seven games against the Wings, Crosby notched 1 goal and 2 assists for 0.43 pts/game.

Those that saw the Finals know all too well - Crosby was not a factor. Zetterberg was the difference-maker and would've earned the Conn Smyth had the Wings pulled out Game 7. Zetterberg already has a Conn Smyth on his mantle for the '08 Cup win, which would've been his second in as many years.

In the playoffs, Yzerman averaged 0.94 pts/game. Zetterberg has averaged 0.93. Zetterberg is not Captain, though my guess is he'll take over the mantle when Lidstrom retires. At that point, the comparisons may begin in earnest. For now, in Detroit, there's still only one Yzerman. Yet, I believe we're at risk of taking Zetterberg for granted. Not many players enter the league as a 7th round pick and win a Conn Smyth, and come damn close to winning a second. He's never gonna score 50 goals, but he may just match Yzerman's career playoff points of 185. And isn't the playoffs what Detroiters truly remember? Z is the real deal, and the Wings are lucky to have him.

Another good writeup on Z at detnews.

West Coast Swoon

Not much is going right for the Tigers these days. They've lost 5 of 7, and even let their old closer Rodney pitched a rare 1-2-3 ninth to shut them out last night.

Last week, the Tiger pitching staff gave up an average of 13.4 hits/game to the likes of Cleveland, Kansas City, and Seattle. This week, the offense can't get on track. Sure, they outhit Anaheim 9-4 last night but could not push a single run across the plate.

The main culprit, in my opinion, is the same thing that's plagued the Tigers for years - lack of clutch hits. During this road trip, the Tigers have had 43 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They've managed just 6 hits. That's a dispicable .139 BA.

For the season, the Tigers are batting a middling .215 with RISP. How are they still 7-6? Well, I doubt they'll be over .500 for long. This road trip will not get any easier. They've still got three more against the strong Angels and then four against the Rangers.

The Tigers were fun in the first few weeks because the bats were really clicking. Now they've come back down to Earth. If they don't raise that Team RISP average to at least .250, they'll be staring at last place.

Game 3

On the heels of one of the most exciting Red Wing playoff games in recent memory, the Wings went out and laid a big fat egg this afternoon.

Phoenix may only have a 2-1 series lead, but, for some reason, it feels like the series is already over. It's a bizarre feeling because Phoenix is only halfway there, and the Wings have come back from 2-1 deficits plenty of times (including against Phoenix). The difference is that this particular series is playing out like many of the Red Wing losses of years past.

Phoenix is one of those quick, aggressive teams that give the Wings fits (see Pittsburgh '09, Edmonton '06, Ducks '03). Almost all their goals are on the break. They rush down the ice, put the puck on the net, and pounce on the rebound. And it's worked.

Twice today I saw Phoenix take on Rafalski and Lidstrom and make them look like cement-footed rookies. That's quite disconcerting. If the Wings top d-men can't squash a 2-on-2 with the game hanging in the balance, the Wings are in serious trouble.

On the plus side, Phoenix can't match the Wings' skill. It's possible that with some stronger defending and goaltending, the Wings will eventually take this series. And they could do it with three straight wins. But, they'll have to figure a way to neutralize the Phoenix break. Perhaps it's time to dust off Brett Lebda and Derek Meech. I don't think either guy is a killer defenseman, but they have speed. They might be a better match for the Phoenix forwards than Lilja and Ericsson. At this point, I doubt Babcock will sub out two of his top-6 d-men, but my guess is that at least Lebda will be in the lineup for Game 4.

Game 1

Red Wings got sorta hosed in that first game. True, they gave up three friggin' power play goals, but the refs clearly missed two massive calls on the Coyotes. The first was a distinct interference on Helm immediately prior to the Coyotes' 3rd goal. Helm was literally leveled after the face-off, clearing the lane for the Coyotes' shot. The replay is at 1:55 below:



Later, when the Wings had a power play, Lidstrom took a stick to the face. In any other game, this would've been a 5 minute major, but the refs apparently missed the infraction. This is a massive gaffe since the penalty would've given the Wings a 5-on-3 late in the 3rd period.

I know it's not fasionable to blame the refs, but they severely impacted the result of this game. If I was a Coyotes fan, I'd be a bit embarrassed, especially by the errant high-stick non-call. The refs never miss those.

Overall, the game was relatively even. While the Wings had the majority of the shots and chances, Phoenix proved their capable of beating the Wings. Phoenix even overcame an incredibly bad goal allowed by Bryzgalov. Shane Doan decided to single-handedly injure every wing player and came damn close to doing just that. I respect the dude's passion, but he's gotta know that acting like a one-man wrecking crew will occasionally land you in the box. When he was called for charging, Doan was completely shocked as if he was framed for murder.

Despite the loss, the Wings still have every chance to recover. It doesn't take a genius to know that Babcock is focusing practice on the penalty kill. At this point in the season, it's difficult to know how much improvement they can actually make. Perhaps winning a few faceoffs might help.

If I were Babcock, I would also spend equal time working on the power play. Despite the Wings scoring a power play goal, they're becoming a tad predictable. The 2nd power play unit, especially, needs work. They haven't scored in weeks. With a historically strong penalty kill, it's not a stretch to think the Wings may shut down Phoenix next game. So why not focus on the offense?

iheartradio

Versus

Seriously?

I have been the proud owner of an iPhone for a few years now, in fact, I'm actually currently using my second iteration of the amazing device. One of the fantastic features of my favorite electronic appendage is the ability to leverage any of the multitude of Apps that have been developed specifically for use with the iPhone.

After hearing (and hearing and hearing) advertisements on Clear Channel radio stations about the existence of the iheartradio app, I decided to try it. I downloaded the App about a year and a half ago and was extremely underwhelmed (may have been a bandwith issue, but kept losing the connection - and while trying to listen to Detroit radio (e.g. 1130 AM) the game broadcasts were blocked and I got Fox radio instead. Boo.). Hence, I forgot about it.

This morning, as I sat in standstill traffic in the lovely city of Denver, I realized that I needed a Detroit sports fix. The Wings are about to kick off their 19th straight playoff run, the Tigers pulled out another come-from-behind win, the Pistons have their last game of a completely forgettable season, the Lions... well, Brandon Marshall just got traded, and (shocker) RichRod was back in the news for legal issues. I needed to hear things from a D-town perspective.

So, I fired up the iheartradio app and waited to see what would happen. I was expecting to hear Jim Rome, because 9 times out of 10 I don't get an actual Detroit feed, but this morning was different. I was immediately listening to the midday (8:15am MT?) show starring Ryan Ermanni. The topic being bantered was "which are you more excited about: Red Wings or Tigers?"

Seriously? This was EXACTLY what I wanted to be listening to. Most of the callers, and this was a surprise to me, were very level-headed expressing their opinion that most Detroit fans have become complacent with the success of the Red Wings, so their excitement is more subdued, but they realized that the continued excellence of the franchise needs to be celebrated and appreciated, because, as the Pistons so perfectly displayed, fortunes can change VERY suddenly.

And, most of the callers agreed that the Tigers have way too many issues to get excited about. Pitching is scary, clutch hits are unreliable, etc. My initial reaction to completely agree on both counts -- and that hasn't changed dramatically, but I have changed my reaction to the initial question.

What am I more excited about: Red Wings or Tigers? Is it wrong to answer "both"? This is the time of year we, as NHL fans, live for. Is there anything more exciting than the opening round of the NHL playoffs? Any team can beat any other -- it's all happened before. The President's Trophy, while awesome and esteemed, really means nothing once the second season begins. The Red Wings, for the first time in recent memory, come into the playoffs hungry. They haven't been able/needed to rest any players in the typical March coast into the number 1 or 2 seed in the West. They are a team that actually had to play their way into the post season and is (and I'm as shocked as anyone on this point) clicking on all cylinders. There last 3 overtime games? 3 wins -- including one in a shoot-out. Unheard of. Inexplicable. Exciting. Can't wait for the puck to drop tonight (no matter that living in Colorado, I won't be able to watch).

And as far as the Tigers are concerned, are you kidding me? I don't care that they've only played Kansas City and Cleveland. The simple fact is that they've won games. Games that they could've/should've lost. They're winning games without their best pitchers pitching well. They're winning games that are action-packed and full of offense. What's not to be excited about? I normally would point to the fact that they haven't played New York, or Boston, or (God forbid) Minnesota (seriously, they NEEDED Thome?), but the facts are the facts. They're beating the teams that they should beat -- if they want to contend for a post-season berth. Yes, I said it "post-season berth." It's April 14 and I'm writing about October. The difference, this year, is that the Tigers are still in it...!

26 points?

I admit... I stopped watching the Pistons months ago. It became simply too painful. I never stopped following the team and checking the box scores, though.

Last night, the Raptors beat up the Pistons (yet again), shooting 60% from the field. Ex-Piston Amir Johnson shot 10-12 en route to 26 points. This was a young man who was deemed not good enough for the Pistons last year.

Amir is yet another ex-Piston to find renewed birth once he left Detroit. Carlos Delfino and Arron Afflalo are similarly enjoying career seasons. All three players will likely be in the playoffs while the Pistons were eliminated from contention weeks ago. How could the Pistons screw up so poorly in talent evaluation?

I'm going to do something absurd here... I'm going to defend Joe Dumars. Joe Dumars' main job is to acquire players via trade and draft. With the team assembled, the coach takes over. The coach establishes a style of play, harnesses the talent, and doles out minutes. The Pistons in effect missed on those three players by not correctly assessing their skills and putting them in a position to succeed. Flip Saunders rarely gave Delfino, Amir, or Afflalo consistent minutes. Curry was no better. So, while it's en vogue to bash Joe D nowadays, he's not to blame for the ex-Pistons finding success elsewhere.

P.S.

Toronto joins the latest parade of teams to shoot 60% or better against our beloved Stones. I remember a time when it was surprising for a team to shoot over 50% for just a quarter against this team. Seems like another life.

Crazy Awesome Sunday

So, where are all the Maggs-haters now?

Mrs. Nofrownmotown and I went out to lunch on Sunday, so I DVRed the Tigers and Red Wings.
We got home around 3ish, and I popped on the Tigers. Tiger fans like to believe Verlander is a Cy Young caliber pitcher. In many ways he does qualify. He's got world class stuff. He throws 97 out of the gate and often clocks 100 in the late innings. He can paint the corners, turn you over with a curve, and pick you off first with a whip-smart move for a righty. Yet, his bugaboo is the "one bad inning". It happened in the opener when he retired eight straight and then, with two outs, allowed Kansas City to load the bases and knock in two runs, off a 2-strike pitch. Two runs isn't awful, but, for Verlander, rallies should not begin with 2 outs.

Yesterday was much worse. Verlander managed two outs sandwiched between two singles and two walks. Facing Luis Valbuena (career home runs - 10), Verlander had the opportunity to limit the damage to a mere one run. He quickly landed two strikes. Valbuena then turned on his next fastball and sent it deep into the right field seats for a grand slam. Indians put 5 on the board in the 1st inning. Now, Verlander thankfully settled down after the first, but he was again undone by the "one bad inning." Now, please don't misunderstand... I believe Verlander to be an excellent, top-shelf pitcher. The "one bad inning", though, is what prevents him from being Cy Young caliber. I don't see Josh Beckett or Zack Grienke having that problem.

Despite the early deficit, the Tigers battled. They had difficulty getting runs, but, oh, could they hit the ball. They had an impressive 18 for the game (mostly singles). Almost as impressive (in a bad way) was the near-record-setting 18 men left on base. Yet, the Tigers threatened almost every inning, and that kept the game interesting.

Bonine relieved Verlander in the 6th and unfortunately gave up a two-run dinger to Jhonny Peralta. Cleveland had a commanding 7-1 lead, but the Tigers did not cave. I had a feeling the Tigers may make it interesting, so I paused the game, did some work around the house, and waited for the good luck charm to return from a walk. With the good luck charm perched calmly on my lap, the Tigers did indeed rally.

Coming into the game, the Tigers were an impressive 4-1. Most of the offense began and ended with Maggs and Cabrera. That did not change yesterday. Those two continued to clobber the ball (Cabrera reached base six times!), while the surrounding cast mostly struggled. This past week, Inge and Guillen fared decently, but Damon, Sizemore, Laird, Raburn and Jackson disappointed. Jackson actually has a decent average, but he's not getting it done in the clutch. Who cares if you have a .300 BA if the hits all come with the bases empty? But enough complaining, the Tigers actually pulled out an amazing comeback win yesterday, so I'll try to focus on the positives.

Every inning from the 5th on, the Tigers scored at least a run. Entering the 9th, they had closed the 7-1 deficit to a workable 8-6. Raburn began the inning with an out. Then Maggs singled. Cabrera walked. I asked Mrs. Nofrownmotown if she'd pinch run for Cabrera (the tying run) on first. She said "nope, need his bat in case of extra innings". I agreed. But, if he were on 2nd base, I'd pinch run. Guillen then stepped up to the plate. Runners on 1st and 2nd. 1 out. Down 2. Guillen pounded the second pitch deep into the right corner. Maggs scored easily. Guillen took second. Cabrera took third. Next up was Inge. With a chance to plate the tying run (or winning run), Inge hit a rocket to 3rd. Cabrera had to hold, and Inge was thrown out (barely) at first. It looked like Cleveland might escape with the win... despite giving up the 18 hits (and 9 walks to boot!). Santiago was next. He sat and watched the Cleveland closer (Perez) walk him on 5 pitches. Bases jacked for Laird. Wait! No, it's Johnny Damon! Leyland tapped Damon to be the hero in front of the home town fans. Laird, who got his first hit of the season the prior inning, likely was happy to finish the day on a high note.

Damon did what he does best. He worked the count. Perez threw 3 straight balls. The fourth pitch looked like a strike to me, but the ump ruled otherwise. Ball 4. Cabrera bounded home. That gave Sizemore the chance to plate the winner. First pitch - ball. Next pitch - in the dirt. The ball slipped through the catchers legs all the way to the backstop. Guillen burst home from 3rd for the winning run. Tigers win on a walk and a wild pitch!

Wow.

What a tough way to lose for Cleveland, but it's not like the Tigers didn't deserve it. 18 hits is some solid hitting. And nine walks is some dreadful pitching for the Tribe. The only black mark on the Tiger win is the men left on base. They have got to improve on that if they hope to contend this year. Sizemore and Laird did have some good moments Sunday, so perhaps they'll turn the corner. Exciting win for the Tigers.

While the good luck charm napped, I turned on the Wings/Blackhawks. As is typical for the NHL's Western Conference, the lower seeded teams were in an absolute dead-heat coming into the final game. With a win, the Wings would finish 5th and face Phoenix. With a loss, the Wings would likely finish 7th and play the Sharks. Both the Wings and Blackhawks had their chances. The Blackhawks are one of the rare teams that can really take it to Detroit. They have the skill and speed to earn chances on every shift. It was end-to-end early, with both teams hitting the goal frame.

The Hawks scored an ugly one on the power play, but the Wings equalized on a nice build-up from Helm and Cleary. Helm hit Cleary in stride across the blue line. Cleary whipped the puck at the net, and the rebound landed perfectly for Eaves who touched it home. 1-1.

Later in the game, the Wings took the lead on a redirect from Homer, but the Hawks tied it on a deflection off a skate. I'm not exactly sure why the NHL has the "no kicking" rule because they never actually enforce it. Similar to the Bertuzzi goal a few games earlier, the puck was clearly kicked in the net. Did the guy intend to kick it in? Who knows? Yet, his skate was moving toward the net when the puck deflected off it into the goal. The refs allowed it. I would vastly prefer the league simply permit kicking the puck into goal. They allow it anyway, just not officially. So, it was 2-2 and headed to overtime.

Shortly before overtime began, the Wings learned their rival for the 5th spot - LA Kings - just won. So the Wings would have to win to secure 5th place. They did. After some excellent end-to-end action, Zetterberg fought off two players to bring the puck into the blue zone. Three players collapsed on him, but he found a wide-open Cleary near the goal. Cleary then fed across the ice to a streaking Brad Stuart, who fired the puck into the open net. It was a great build-up and a great way to end the season.

Well done, Wings.

From the 9th spot in the West to 5th? It was quite a late season surge. Now they play upstart Phoenix. Games 1 and 2 are 10pm EST on Wednesday and Friday. Prepare thyself for the Second Season. You never know what to expect.

Tigers Lose!

It was only game 2, but the Tigers were already in mid-season form with regard to breaking your heart.

A loss to the Royals is not normally a heartbreaker. In fact, neither a shutout loss nor an extra inning loss would normally qualify as a true heartbreaker. No, my friends, the loss last night was truly special. If it wasn't just game 2, I would call it epic. An epic fail.

Max Scherzer began his Tiger career throwing six shutout innings - a truly auspicious debut. This being April, the weather played a factor. Temps in Kansas City were quite cold, and neither offense mounted much of a threat. KC broke free against Fu Te Ni in the 7th with a run off a fielder's choice. The Tigers, despite outhitting KC, pushed zero men across the plate through eight innings.

KC brought in their closer, Joakim Soria, one of the best closers around. Soria struck out the final batter in the 8th inning (Austin Jackson). In the top of the 9th, Soria faced the top Tiger hitters with Damon, Maggs, and Cabrera. Both Damon and Maggs worked a full count but struck out. Down to their final out, Cabrera walked to the plate. Soria peppered him with two quick strikes. Then Cabrera fouled off three straight. They continued to battle until the 10th pitch in the at-bat when Cabrera laced a deep line drive to opposite field. The ball hit the foul pole for a home run. It was awesome.

Cabrera's homer was the Tigers first run of Soria since '07. Ouch.

Guillen followed the homer with another hit, but Inge's sharp liner was caught by Podsednik. Leyland called on Phil Coke to pitch the 9th. He let a runner reach but was helped by a double-play. Extra innings.

The Tigers threatened again in the 10th with Robinson Tejeda on the mound. Laird flied out, but Sizemore managed a walk. Santiago, exhibiting excellent patience at the plate, singled on the 9th pitch. Sizemore took third. With runners at the corners, it was a chance for new Tiger Austin Jackson to drive home the winning run with either a hit or a sacrifice.

It was not to be. Showing he fits right in with the Old English D, Jackson struck out, swinging at three pitches out of the strike zone. With two outs, Damon had a chance to be a hero, but his sharp liner to left was barely caught by Podsednik.

After Coke pitched an excellent 10th, the Tigers took the lead in the 11th. With wild thing Kyle Farnsworth on the mound, the Tigers took full advantage. Maggs took the first pitch and singled to right-center. Cabrera took the next pitch right up the middle for another single. With two men on, Guillen singled to left, and Don Kelly (pinch running for Maggs) easily beat home an incredibly weak throw from Podsednik. The Tigers were in business. No outs. Two men on. Farnsworth on the mound. Things looked good.

But, wow, the batting order really comes to a screeching halt after Guillen. Inge worked a 3-1 count and then popped up to the pitcher. Leyland then inexplicably told Cabrera to steal 3rd base. He was caught by Farnsworth by about ten steps. Still, Guillen advanced to 2nd, and Laird had a chance to drive in one more run with a single. Nope. Another pop up. End of threat.

With a 2-1 lead, Valverde took the mound for his first save opportunity as a Tiger. It didn't take long for him to blow it. The first batter he faced, nailed a line drive home run off the foul pole. Billy Butler then hit a sharp grounder to shortstop. Santiago had a chance to throw him out, but he double-clutched the ball. It was ruled a HIT. Rick Ankiel then doubled to deep right. The runner scored from first thanks to Scott Sizemore bobbling the relay. It was an ugly, ugly end to an otherwise exciting game.

The Royals then celebrated like they won the pennant. Ugh.

The Tiger loss spoiled an otherwise awesome day for Detroit sports. Both the Pistons and Red Wings rallied from late deficits to win. Yes, I know the Piston win hurts their lottery chances. Yet, the game was somewhat of a breakout for Bynum and Ben Gordon. The Pistons need those guys to turn it around every bit as much as a another ball in the lottery.

Tigers Win!

Laird makes that familiar walk

It was the showdown between two of last season's top pitchers - Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and Tiger ace Justin Verlander. Neither pitcher was in top form, though Greinke was solid until the 6th. Verlander gave up two early runs before settling down and retiring 10 straight. With two outs in the 5th, Verlander lost control and loaded the bases. Billy Butler hit a clutch two-out single to give the Royals a 4-1 lead.

With Greinke on the mound, I figured the Tigers were dead-in-the-water. Yet, it was the first game of the season, and the Royals could not let Greinke go past 100 pitches. The Tiger hitters were more patient than usual (thank you, Johnny Damon and your BoSox/Yankee experience!). They forced Greinke into a ton of pitches in the 6th, and he was done for the day. With Greinke on the bench, I mentioned to Mrs. Nofrownmotown that the Tigers better make their move in the 7th or 8th, because Royal's closer Soria will mow them down in the 9th.

It went exactly according to plan. The Tigers beat up on the Royals pen, forcing them to make three pitching changes in the 7th. The first four men reached base. Jackson and Damon hit back-to-back doubles and suddenly the Tigers had a 5-4 lead. The Royals brought out Robinson Tejeda who absolutely owned Detroit last August (11 IP, 1 R). Tejeda challenged Cabrera with fastball after fastball. Despite first base open, the Royals seemed intent on striking out the big bat. Cabrera continued to foul off Tejeda's 99mph heat and eventually sent the sixth fastball right up the gut for a run-scoring single.

When the Royals finally got the third out, they were down 8-4. The Royals fans must've wanted to choke on their beer. Greinke leaves with a 4-2 lead, and then three outs later the team is down 4? Yikes. The Tigers pen, meanwhile, shut down the Royals, with an assist from the home-plate umpire. With the Royals threatening in the bottom of the 7th, they got a single up the middle with two men on. The Royals sent the lead runner home. Austin Jackson picked up the ball and rifled it to Laird for a close play at the plate. The umpire called the runner out, but replays showed it was likely safe. Perhaps Laird's reputation as a great defensive catcher gave him the benefit of the doubt?

The Royals threatened again in the bottom of the 9th. With new Tiger closer, Jose Valverde, on the mound, they got two men on thanks to a walk and an error. With one out, the Royals grounded a ball to Valverde for the seemingly game-ending double-play. Valverde trotted over to first and tossed the ball to Cabrera for one out. Oops.

Valverde tried to play it off like he didn't just blow the game. The Papa Grande intended to just get one out! Dios Mio! The next batter, speedy Scott Podsednik hit a sharp grounder to Cabrera and Valverde sprinted to cover first. He narrowly beat Podsednik for the final out. It was Rodney-esque.

Despite Valverde's gaffe, it was still a great win by the Tigers. The new arrivals delivered clutch hits, and the old guard performed according to expectations. Verlander did not have his strong stuff, but the bullpen stepped up to limit the damage - especially Zumaya. The new bulldog showed a rare glimpse of his '06 self as he mowed down three straight batters in the 6th. Perry also fared well in his setup role, with three straight outs in the 8th.

As a team, the Tigers only left 6 runners on base, while hitting 5/13 with RISP. Yes, it's just one game, but it's nice to see them actually deliver a clutch hit.