Live Blog: Game 4

Jeremy Bonderman vs. Jaret Wright. The Tigers don't want go back to Yankee Stadium to face Wang. The Yankees don't want to go home for the year. This game scares the hell out of me. The match-up seems to favor the Tigers, and that's what bothers me. This takes me back to the last weekend of the season. All they needed was one win, and couldn't get it against Kansas City. But that Tigers team hasn't been the one that's taken the field the first three games this offseason. The entire pitching staff has stepped up, it's now Bonderman's turn.

Pre-Game:
Kevin Kennedy said Kenny Rogers pitched better yesterday than he did during a his perfect game, paging Joe Morgan. Padres look like they're going to stave off elimination with a win in game 3. Is it just me of does Jeanne Zelasko look like she's spilled cookie crumbs down the front of her. Looks like Fox is getting all of the "New York World Series" taped features out of the way...just in case. R.I.P. Buck O'Neil. Maybe now he'll get in to the Hall of Fame, where he always belonged. IT'S GAME TIME!!!!!!
Top 1st:
Tim McCarver and Joe Buck will have to fellate the Yankees somewhere else other than the airwaves of Fox today. A-Rod batting 8th, no HGHiambi. One up one down. And another one goes. The series was just compared to Average Joe's vs. GloboGym...simply awesome, Josh Lewin. 7 pitches, 3 outs for Bonderman.
Bottom 1st:
Rust belt Cinderella, that finished two games back of GloboGym. Cano fields a line drive, two down. Casey ends the inning. 9 pitches for Wright. 0-0 after 1.
Top 2nd:
and the WHIFF! Bonderman K's the unSwedish Shef. Bonderman is on so far. Another 1-2-3 inning.
Bottom 2nd:
Magglio Ordonez is JACKIN IT!!!!! Fear the Mullet, 1-0 Tigers. Pudge works a 0-2 count into a walk. Yes Pudge drew a walk, today could be a good day. C-MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3-0 Tigers. And there's action in the Yankees bullpen. Shattered bat single for Thames. A-Rod look like he's wearing those sunglasses old people wear over their bi-focals. And Joey Blueskies reference from Levin, I have a new favorite play-by-play guy. A Granderson lineout ends the inning. Another 3 run second for the Tigers at home.
Top 3:
Nice catch Monroe. Yet another first pitch swing by this supposed patient Yankee lineup. 9 up, 9 down. To the bottom of the 3rd.
Bottom 3rd:
Polanco pops out, here comes the Mayor. Same result as Polanco, pop out to Melky. E-Rod, Magglio safe at first. MVP Guillen, bloops one over Cano, Maggs to third. Pudge with a base hit up the middle, nice hustle by Guillen gets him to third. Tigers take advantage of a Yankee error with two out yet again and score a run. Jaret Wright's day is over, Cory Lidle is in. He strikes out C-Mo to end the inning. 4-0 Tigers.
Top 4th:
Wicked, Wicked slider by Bondo get Jeter swinging. 2 down. Abreu hit like 500 home runs at the CoPa during the Home Run Derby two years ago, I don't think he's gotten one out of the infield yet, he pops one out to Guillen to end the inning.
Bottom 4th:
Lidle gets two quick outs. And Granderson ends it with a fly out to Damon. Still 4-0 Tigers.
Top 5th:
And the shadows set in over the plat. Undaunted Sheffield sends one deep, for a long strike, and then promptly whiffs. Another first pitch swing and out, two down. Cleats, Twinkies, and Marlboro's the secret to Leyland's success. Bondo whiffs another one. 39 pitches 7 balls through 5.
Bottom 5th:
Polanco starts it out with an infield hit. Textbook Mayor with a hit through the hole and into right field. Polanco runs his ass off to third. Runners on the corners nobody out. Base hit Maggs, 5-0 Tigers. Guillen doubles, 6-0 with runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Lidle's day is done. They have the Yankees knocked down, time to step on their throats. Fat Boy Bruney is in. Pudge hits it to shallow center, but Damon has a baby arm so it's a sac fly for Pudge, and back to the bullpen for the Yanks down by a touchdown. Proctor is in, where's Lt. Harris? He gets Thames looking, end of the inning, 7-0 Tigers.
Top 6th:
22 minutes sitting in the dugout and bang, first pitch strike for Bondo. And there goes to no-no. Strangely enough Cano, who broke up a no-no bid by Daniel Cabrera late in the year, gets the hit here. Hey A-Rod reached base, good for him. Two near double plays, but the inning's still going. Not anymore, Damon grounds out to end the inning.
Bottom 6th:
2 Down. Polanco is a stone cold pimp, he picks up the 10th hit of the night for the Tigers. Casey follws with the 11th a double down the line that brings in Polanco. Maggs pops out to end the inning. 8-0 tigers.
Top 7th:
Jeter leads it off with a single. Abreu follows that with a single and there's runner on the corners with nobody out. Walker and Rodney, up in the pen. There goes the shutout. Matsui gets on with a fielder's choice and Jeter scores. 8-1 Tigers. Another hit, this should be Bondo's last batter. And he gets Cano to pop out to Granderson to record the third out.
Bottom 7th:
Another hit for Guillen. His 3rd of the day. Is that Steve Lyons or Paul Lukas in the announcer's booth? Thames to A-rod, who throws him out to end the inning. 8-1 Tigers after 7.
Top 8th:
Bondo's still out there, and he gets A-Rod to fly out to Granderson on the warning track in straightaway center. Damon reaches on a walk but Jeter lines out to end the Yankees half of the 8th.
Bottom 8th:
Hey, Brandon Inge, welcome to October. A hit to lead off the 8th. Farnsworth's in, I wonder if any one's going to get tackled. Sheffield shows why he has never played first before. Drops a sure double play ball, and Polanco is up. And out,Casey follows with a groundout. It looks like Bondo's coming back out for the ninth. 8-1 Tigers after 8.
Top 9th:
3 outs away from the ALCS and the A's. Abreu's singles. CRAIG MONROE!!!! Glove save and a beauty. Bondo leaves to a standing O. 2 outs away. Cowboy Walker in to finish it up. Matsui with deep out to center. One out away. Posada delays the inevitable with a two run shot 8-3. Cano. Ground ball. GAME OVER!!!! 8-3 Tigers.
Post Game:
The sight of Leyland carried off the field on the player's shoulders, and the players coming back out to share the celebration with the fans, was one of the best moments in Detroit sports history. Now if you'll excuse me it's very dusty where I write this and my eyes are watering. Off to get drunk and party like it's 1984 sans burning police cars.

ALCS preview on Monday.