Game 53 Recap

Tigers 5 Indians 11

Justin Verlander couldn't have picked a more inopportune time to have his worst outing of the season. The Tigers got 5 runs on 10 hits off of Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia, but Justin Verlander surrendered 7 runs on 8 hits to take the loss tonight. What makes this loss so strange is that Verlander had only surrendered 10 runs for the entire month of May entering this game. The Tigers offense fared pretty well considering Neifi Perez was starting and Gary Sheffield was tossed in the fifth. Right now with all the injuries, I just would like the Tigers to play .500 ball and be ready to make a run when the team has everyone healthy (fingers crossed) around the end of June.

Tiger Hero:
Marcus Thames. Regular playing time seems to be the cure to the hitting woes he showed up until recently. He was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI tonight.

Tiger Zero:
Jose Mesa. I try not to be too negative, and will give people second chances. Heck I even consider myself a Todd Jones fan. But Jose has to go.

Tigers Record
W - L
30 - 23
2nd Place AL Central (3.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 52 Recap

Tigers 3 Devil Rays 5

The Tigers bats started off hot with a triple and a RBI single after the first two pitches of the game. The Tigers added two more runs on three more hits in the top of the first. Tiger fans if you weren't familiar with the work of James Shileds, innings 2-9 were a quick tutorial. Shields allowed exactly 2 hits the rest of the game, at one point retiring 13 straight hitters. Nate Robertson was unable to keep it a pitcher's duel as he allowed 4 runs on nine hits, and for the fifth straight start is unable to get to the 7th inning. Guess what two more injuries!!! Carlos Guillen left the game with a strained groin, and Nate Robertson looked hurt all game after doing something to his back early one. I saw the stat on the telecast today that the Tigers already this season have lost double the man-games to injury as they did all of last year. And after all this the Tigers are still one of four teams in the AL with 30+ wins. Yes, the Tigers lost a series to Tampa Bay, and yes the Tigers head into Cleveland who swept the Tigers at home last weekend, but as Big Al points out there's no need for panic in Tigertown...yet.

Tiger Hero:
Gary Sheffield. Sheff closed out the Tampa Bay series with this stat line: .500 BA, 5 runs, 6 RBI, and 3 home runs.

Tiger Zero:
Take your pick. Pudge, Omar Infante, Craig Monroe, yes even Magglio were all held hitless tonight.

Tigers Record:
W - L
30 - 22
2nd Place AL Central (2.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 51 Recap

Tigers 14 Devil Rays 2

The Tigers sure know how to stop a losing streak. For the fifth time in May, the Tigers score double digits. Every Tiger to come to the plate recorded at least one hit. Four Tigers (Pudge, Sheffield, Polanco, and Monroe) had 3 hits a piece. Jeremy Bonderman gets more than enough run support, as he allowed only two runs (one earned) on 4 hits while striking out eight. Wil Ledezma didn't give up a hit, had two strikeouts, and walked two as well in 2 2/3 innings of mop up duty.

Tiger Hero:
Gary Sheffield. His 2 HRs and 5 RBIs were enough to beat the Devil Rays by himself. He was one hit away from tying the Tampa Bay output as well.

Tiger Zero:
Not much to nitpick in a blowout like this.

Tigers Record:
W - L
30 - 21
2nd Place AL Central (1.5 GB Cleveland)

Memorial Weekend Round-up

Game 48
Tigers 3 Indians 6

Game 49
Tigers 3 Indians 5

Game 50
Tigers 5 Devil Rays 6

A few events kept me from getting to this sooner, and considering the performance the Tigers put forth these last three games, the idea of recapping them wasn't that appealing either. Saturday's game was another game where I had the pleasure of witnessing yet another lead surrendered by the bullpen. This was made all the more depressing by the sight of Joel Zumaya's right hand enclosed in a large cast.

Hold off on those Zumaya autograph requests

Sunday, was a game the Tigers were down early, fought back in, only to fall short and get swept by the Indians. The Tigers recorded 11 hits, but couldn't get any of them to occur when runners were in scoring position.

As for yesterday, it was a combination of the previous two games. Way too many runners left on base, and a craptastic bullpen performance. The loss gave the Tigers the dubious distinction, along with Kansas City, as the only two teams not to have a lifetime winning record vs. Tampa Bay as they are currently at the .500 mark.

Game 48

The two aces of the top two teams in the AL Central square off this afternoon in Fox's game of the Week. This is still kind of weird for me, because I remember a time when Detroit vs. Cleveland meant Nate Cornejo vs. Jeff D'Amico, and you were lucky if FSN was even broadcasting the game. But enough about hairless freaky looking pitchers that still give my nightmares...
Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia have met once before, with Verlander pitching a gem. Verlander comes into this game winning his last 4 starts, Sabathia has only allowed a run a piece in his last two. One more prediction for this game...rain, since I'll be in the stands.

Pitchers:
Tigers - Justin Verlander RHP (5-1, 2.68 ERA)
Indians - C.C. Sabathia LHP (6-1, 3.51 ERA)

Game 47 Recap

Tigers 4 Indians 7

The first game of this series was kind of reminiscent of the first game of the Angels series:

• The starting pitcher for the tigers struggled
• The opposing team crushes the ball
• Tigers make a late run at the game
• Defense by the opposing team make a difference
  

Cleveland is a great team and the Tigers are not going to sweep every series. The key is how well they bounce back in from of a national audience later today.

Tiger Magglio:
Carlos Guillen. Carlos is used to getting overshadowed in the national limelight, but I think with Magglio's big year and Sheffield that Carlos is a dangerous hitter.

Tiger Zero:
Nate Robertson. In April he allowed 9 earned runs on 18 hits. In May he's allowed 18 earned runs on 44 hits. He's allowed 10+ hits three times in the month of May.

Tigers Record:
W - L
29 -18
2nd Place AL Central (0.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 46 Recap

Tigers 12 Angels 0

I couldn't decide which was better about today's game, seeing the Tigers rout a potential playoff team, or hearing Ernie Harwell describe it. Today, the Tigers paid back all the times where they couldn't get Jeremy Bonderman run support, plus interest. Carlos Guillen and his two home runs did most of the damage, driving in 5. MVP Magglio was 4 for 4 and racked up 3 RBIs to make it a grand total of 45, which leads the Major Leagues. Gary Sheffield also had a homer, and was 2 for 4 on the night. SA for Bonderman, while he didn't give up any runs, he sure gave the Angels ample opportunities to do so. Bondo twice in the first 4 innings had to get out of bases loaded jams. IN the first with no one out, he got a Gary Matthews to hit a comebacker to the mound to get a double play, then a fly out to end the inning. While in the 4th he was a little luckier and only needed one out (which he got with another fly out) to get out of it. Despite his early trouble he puled it together and didn't allow a hit after the 4th inning, walking two the rest of the way. Wil Ledezma came on and got a 1-2-3 9th to secure the Tigers first shutout of the year.

Tiger Hero Magglio:
Let's just say that it's a given that it's Magglio until further notice.

Tiger Zero:
The 7-8-9 hitters. The Tigers racked up 13 hits, these guys didn't get any.

Tigers Record:
W - L
29 - 17
1st Place Al Central (Cleveland 0.5 GB)

Game 45 Recap

Tigers 8 Angels 7

Another game I attend another nail biter. Minus the Jose Mesa craptacular 8th inning, this was the game I was looking for out of the Tigers. The faced a pitcher in Bartolo Colon who is two years removed from a Cy Young, and looks to finally be back in that form, and roughed him up. He took his first loss of the year while giving up season highs in hits, walks and runs. Chad Durbin has pitched better this year, but when he left the ball game the Tigers were in control and that's all you can ask for out of Durbin. Jason Grilli might have very well saved his season. He took over for Durbin in the 6th with the score 6-3, a man on 2nd and no one out. He struck out the first batter, got the second to ground out on a broken bat ground ball, and struck out the third batter to end the inning. He then went out and got a 1-2-3 7th as well. Then Jose Mesa happened, he started strong whiffing Vlad Guerrero, but then gave up three runs before he could get the next out. A Howie Kendrick triple put the tying run at third and Mesa was done. Lucky for Jose Tim Byrdak is unstoppable and struck out Chone Figgins to end the inning. Todd Jones was Todd Jones. He got into some trouble, then got a double play (then a nut job who jumped on the field and evaded security for a minute or two) and a pop out to get out of it. So the Tigers snap the Angels 6 game winning steak and can take the series tomorrow afternoon with the return of Jeremy Bonderman. Bondo faces Kelvim Escobar Ervin Santana who...well look at the home and away stats to see what you can expect from him. Also if you can make sure you record it or catch the replay as Ernie Harwell will be in the booth.

Tiger Hero:
Magglio. Another game, another case for MVP

Tiger Zero:
Jose Mesa. Leyland needs to do to him whatever he did to Grilli.

Tigers Record:
W - L
28 - 17
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 0.5 GB...Thank You KC!)

Game 44 Recap

Tigers 3 Angels 6

The Tigers had won in each of Mike Maroth's previous starts this year. Not so much this time. Maroth got knocked around and surrendered 6 runs. While the Tigers had plenty of chance to get them back, the gloves of Gary Matthews Jr. and Orlando Cabrera had other ideas. Again the Tigers faced a quality pitcher, were patient and ran up his pitch count, and got him out of the game in five innings; yet they still couldn't drive in all the runners in scoring position. One of these days Gary Sheffield will do something with the bases loaded. On the bright side the match-up of Maroth vs. Lackey was heavily in the Angels favor. But if Inge's bloop shot in the 2nd lands in the grass instead of Matthews' mitt, and if Orlando Cabrera jumps half a second later were taking about a Tiger victory. Plus the fact that the Bullpen didn't give up a run when Jason Grilli was involved is news in itself.

Tiger Hero:
Magglio. It's just a matter of time before we start hearing the "MVP! MVP!" chants.

Tiger Zero:
Curtis Granderson. Recorded half of the Tigers 6 K's on the day.

Tigers Record:
W - L
27 - 17
2nd Place AL Central

Quarterly Report Part 2

Because I'm a glutton for punishment, let's break down my pre-season picks and see how I'm doing so far

Based on May 18th standings
NL East:
Good picks are green, bad picks red
1) New York (94-68)
2) Philadelphia (90-72) *wild card*
3) Atlanta (88-74)
4) Florida (84-78)
5) Washington (66-96)

Right now It looks like Philly was a mistake as the wild card, but they have improved through May. I'll stick by my Philly pick, in the NL their big line-up should move them up the standings.

NL Central:
1) Milwaukee (85-77)
2) Chicago (83-79)
3) Cincinnati (82-80)
4) Houston (79-83)
5) St. Louis (74-88)
6) Pittsburgh (68-94)

I might have messed up the order, but I was right about the mediocrity. If all teams keep their current paces, only Milwaukee will finish above .500 (Houston will finish at .500 even). It's also good to know that my spiteful St. Louis pick is actually coming to fruition.

NL West:
1) San Diego (90-72)
2) Los Angeles (85-77)
3) Arizona (80-82)
4) Colorado (74-88)
5) San Francisco (66-96)

Los Angeles holds a slim lead over San Diego, 2 games to be exact, with the Diamondbacks right behind. I still think Arizona's will hang in there due to Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb, but their youth will show down the stretch. Colorado's hitting will pick up enough to pass San Fransisco.

NL Review:
MVP: Carlos Delgado
Yeah...way off with this one. Let's go with Derrick Lee. As he goes, so do the Cubs. If that's not an MVP I don't know what is.
Cy Young: Roy Oswalt
I'll stick with this one. Right now he leads the NL in wins, and has an ERA below 3
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Kouzmanoff
Again, not a good pick. I'll offer up the trio of Arizona's Chris Young, Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, and Houston's Chris Sampson as finalists.

AL East:
1) New York (98-64)
2) Boston (91-71) *Wild Card*
3) Toronto (89-73)
4) Baltimore (79-83)
5) Tampa Bay (70-92)

I still don't think the Yankees will hang around the bottom of the division as the are right now. They have lost a freakish amount of starting pitchers to injury. Once everyone gets healthy, playing Baltimore, a very wounded Toronto team, and Tampa Bay will get them back in the thick of things. As for the Sox, they're on pace for 110 wins. So they're due to cool off.

AL Central:
1) Detroit (95-67)
2) Cleveland (90-72)
3) Minnesota (89-73)
4) Chicago (80-82)
5) Kansas City (60-102)

and getting Joe As of the 18th the Tigers and the Indians were tied for first place, so I'm counting that as correct, since they both occupy the top spot. As for the Twins finally dumping Sidney PonsonMauer back should keep them ahead of the White Sox. How the White Sox are winning amazes me. They are last in the AL in runs scored, and only St. Louis and Washington are worse. Jim Thome coming back from injury is not going to fix that.
AL West:
1) Los Angeles Angels (94-68)
2) Oakland A's (89-73)
3) Texas Rangers (87-75)
4) Seattle Mariners (72-90)

To paraphrase Denny Green, the AL West leaders are who I thought they were. The Mariners are at .500 only by taking Jeff weaver out of the rotation. I thought Texas would get better pitching, I was wrong, and with Kevin Millwood out it won't get any better. The Rangers are going to have to win a home run derby every night to stay out of the AL West cellar.

AL Review:
MVP: Travis Hafner
He still lurking, but he's going to have to have a big summer to pass Alex Rodriguez, Vlad Guerrero, and Magglio for MVP votes
Cy Young: Johan Santana
No one has really stepped out of the pack as the elite AL pitcher this year. CC Sabathia might give him a run, but unless guys like Dan Haren, John Lackey and Josh Beckett keep it up, Johan still should win it.
Rookie of the Year: Dustin Pedroia
Yeah, I just didn't want to pick Dice-K, and I didn't think a guy like Alex Gordon would win it because everyone is looking at him. Akinori Iwamura has my vote, just because I'm sick of hearing how "great" Dice-K is. He has an ERA over 4 gives up 6 hits a game, and his 6 wins are largely due to Boston's offense not his pitching prowess.


So to sum it up, so far this year I have 11 teams presently in the spots I have them slated for at the end of the season. My NL MVP was way off, but my AL pick is still in their as a dark horse. I still like my Cy Young picks for both leagues. And picking the rookie of the year is a crap shoot, especially if you don't want to go with hype or conventional wisdom.

Quarterly Report Part 1

It's a little late, but the Tigers have 1/4th of the season in the books. That being said, I'd thought I'd take this off day to look at the team, and later in part 2 review my MLB pre-season predictions.

The Tigers:

Magglio Ordonez has established himself as a dark horse Triple Crown and MVP candidate. Justin Verlander and Curtis Granderson have never heard of sophomore slumps. Gary Sheffield looks to be the Kenny Rogers of the position players, teaching patience. It seems to be working, free swingers Brandon Inge and Craig Monroe are on pace to record career highs in walks. Even with the injury bug taking away Kenny Rogers and Joel Zumaya for extended periods, and Jeremy Bonderman for a limited (hopefully) one, the Tigers are still one of the top teams in the AL. No if only they could get that bullpen fixed.

• Offense: A+ One of the best in the majors, hands down.
• Starting Pitching: A- Chad Durbin and Andrew Miller's recent performance keep the starters in the honor roll
• Bullpen: D Other than Todd Jones, the only consistency has been one of inability to keep the Tigers ahead or in games.
• Defense: B If Carlos Guillen can stop his misplays, and Pudge can start making them, they would get an A
• Coaching: B+ Jim Leyland still does things that may not make sense (like taking Curtis Granderson out, he's 2nd in the league in extra base hits, let him face a lefty or two) but he usually ends up more right than wrong, so In Jim We Trust.

Individual Grades
Pitchers:

• Jeremy Bonderman: B+ Showed signs he's ready to become one of the best in the Majors...if he could only get out of the 1st inning without being down runs
• Tim Byrdak: INC Impressive so far in three games. Could play the Jaime Walker role if Bobby Seay and Wil Ledezma struggle
• Chad Durbin: B- Started off shaky, but has turned things around. Might add some stability to the bullpen once Kenny Rogers comes back in June
• Jason Grilli: D- You know what they say about nice guys. He just can't seem to stop anyone once he comes in
• Todd Jones: B Has had his roller coaster moments, but for the most part has been more effective than a 39 year old closer with no fastball should be
• Wil Ledezma: D At least Grilli's only thrown out there in mop up duty. Hard to believe that at one point during the season he lead the team in wins. Wil keeps getting changes and can't do anything with them. He's on a very short leash.
• Mike Maroth: C While the Tigers have won every time he has started, Mike hasn't had much to do with it. He has the highest WHIP and ERA of the starting staff, but still I don't think he's 100% back from his elbow problems.
• Jose Mesa: C- Many people questioned this offseason pick-up. Mesa hasn't put up much of an argument for himself. Having an injury gives him the benefit of the doubt.
• Nate Robertson: B If he could just keep his pitch count down, he might be able to make it out of the 6th inning
• Fernando Rodney: C- When he's on he can be one of the best set-up men the game. When he's off, like he's been a great deal of the season, he has people looking to give him a ticket to Toledo.
• Bobby Seay: C Started off good, but has been hittable of late, maybe as batter have seen more of him...pay attention Tim Byrdak
• Justin Verlander: A+ I thought there would be a pitcher in the Tigers rotation in the Cy Young hunt, I didn't think it would be Verlander. He has been the stopper all year, and hopefully will continue to be.
• Joel Zumaya: INC Varied from unhittable to couldn't hit water falling out of a boat. Hopefully injuries played a part in that inconsistency.

Position Players:

• Sean Casey: C- Was basically playing only for his fielding. Opened the door for Marcus Thames to take his job Has started to turn his hitting woes around, but will the Tigers try to bring a bigger bat in? *cough*Mark Teixeria*cough*
• Curtis Granderson: A The average is a little low, but only Magglio has more extra base hits. In a few years people will be saying there is no one better in the league at going from 1st to 3rd if they aren't already
• Carlos Guillen: B+ Frequent errors kept him off the honor roll.
• Omar Infante: B- Has played well in limited appearances
• Brandon Inge: C+ Shook off his dreadful start to the season and is hitting .414 .328 in May
• Craig Monroe: C- Like Inge, C-Mo has had a slow start, but unlike hasn't totally heated up. History shows that usually happens post All Star game
• Magglio Ordonez: A+ MVP, what else needs to be said?
• Neifi Perez: C Only Mike Rabelo has played less, but hasn't totally sucked. Which sadly, is ahead of the expectations laid out for him
• Placido Polanco: B+ Picking up where he left off in the playoffs last year, but has cooled off a bit lately
• Mike Rabelo: C Has kept the back-up catchers spot warm for whenever Vance Wilson returns
• Ivan Rodiguez: C Pudge has not been the Pudge of old. He is having problems catching potential base thieves, and maybe it's my imagination, but a lot more balls have been getting away form him. At for his batting, let's hope his three run homer on Saturday can kick start him. Fun Fact, Pudge is on pace for 8 walks for the year
• Gary Sheffield: B- Had his worst April of his career, but looks to be bouncing back nicely, and what he can teach the young hitters of this team is worth more than stats.
• Marcus Thames: D With a good start of the season he might of been able to steal the 1st base job, but is the only Tiger with a average under .200

Game 43 Recap

Tigers 6 Cardinals 3

The Tigers finished of the sweep of the Cards this weekend, making it St. Louis' longest losing streak of this season. Which I guess is a small matter of revenge for losing to the worst team to win the World Series ever. The bats were active again, racking up 9 hits in the game, bringing the hit grand total to 38 for the weekend. Of those 38 hits, 18 were for extra bases. Heading into their next series with the Angels, the Tigers offense leads the league in runs, doubles, total bases, RBI, and slugging percentage. It also should be mentioned that this team which is generalized (with good cause) as a free-swinging team, is 8th in the majors in On Base Percentage. Stats aside, this weekend's games were how things should of happened. A great team beating up on a not do great one. The real team, and the one the Tigers need to fare a little better in, will be in the next 6 games. The tiers will host the AL West leading Angels, and the team the Tigers are dueling with for AL Central supremacy, the Cleveland Indians.

Tiger Hero:
Mike Rabelo. The only tiger with a multi-hit game today. After going 1 for April, he is hitting nearly .400 in the month of May.

Tiger Zero:
Craig Monroe. The only Tiger not to get a hit. He is hitless in his last four games. All is not lost, he has drawn 5 walks in those games. With 13 walks so far this year he is already more than a third of the way to his total of 37 from last year.

Tigers Record:
W - L
27 - 16
Tied 1st Place AL Central

Game 42

The Tigers face Anthony Reyes who is 0-6 with a ERA over 5. I will also be in the stands tonight...the Tigers don't have a chance. Why? Well look at what happened with Jorge De La Rosa, Cha Seung Bak, and Julian Tavarez. Add that to my stellar 1-5 record so far this year. all kidding aside, while there will be fireworks after the game, for once I'd like to see the tigers provide them during the game.

Pitchers:
Tigers - Nate Robertson LHP (3-3, 3.62 ERA)
Cardinals - Anthony Reyes RHP (0-6, 5.08 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 8 Cardinals 7

I swear I thought it was going to happen again. Another lead squandered in my presence, leading to a loss. Thank you Scott Rolen for the infield fly.

Game 41

Before the season this rematch of the World Series was intriguing. Now that the Cardinals are entrenched at the bottom of the league standings, it has lost some of it's luster. But today's game should be a one to watch due to it being Andrew Miller's first major league start. Miller probably won't feel the pressure, he's pitched in big games (College World Series) before. His major league debut was in Yankee Stadium last year. The fact that he's at home and the Tigers could ease some tension.

Line-ups:
Detroit (24-16)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B

St Louis (16-22)
S Taguchi CF
C Duncan DH
A Pujols 1B
J Encarnacion RF
S Rolen 3B
R Ludwick LF
Y Molina C
A Miles 2B
D Eckstein SS

Pitchers:
Tigers - Andrew Miller LHP (no record)
Cardinals - Braden Looper (5-2, 2.29 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 14 Cardinals 4

The Tigers showed why they lead the league in Slugging percentage with a 18 hit 14 run whoopin of the Cards. Not lost in all the offensive onslaught was the pitching of Andrew Miler. He got into a couple jams in the innings he pitched, but got out of them all. He pitched 6 scoreless innings, and pushed himself to the top of the list the next time the Tigers need a starter to fill in. The strikeout totals aren't that impressive (only 2), but the way he pitched was. He only allowed 4 hits, and two of those were to Albert Pujols who isn't an easy out for Cy Young winners. As for the hitting the only Tiger starter not to get a hit was Craig Monroe, but he still walked and scored twice. Sean Casey was awesome going 4 for 5 and had two RBIs. Magglio and Sheffield both added home runs.

Tiger Hero:
Placido Polanco. 3 for 4, with all 3 hits being doubles. He also tied Granderson and Sheffield for the RBI lead with 3.

Tiger Zero:
Jason Grilli. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I hope that it's something, otherwise he might lose his spot to Chad Durbin when Kenny Rogers comes back

Tigers record:
W - L
25 - 16

Games 39 & 40

Game 1:

Tigers 1 Red Sox 2

Missed most of this one, save for a few innings during lunch, but it appeared that the difference in this game was The Tigers not taking advantage when they had runners in scoring position, and the Red Sox did. Great pitching by Zach Miner, especially considering he had to fly in the morning just to make his start. Another solid pitching performance all around. Tim Byrdak looked really good striking out a game high 5. While you never want to see a loss, this is a pitching performance that they can be proud of.

Game 2:

The Tigers need a win tonight to leave Boston with a series split, winning roadtrip, and to move back into a tie for first place in the AL central. Standing in their way is Mr. Congeniality, Curt Schilling. Apparently swinging a bat for 4 at bats was a bit too much for David Ortiz, as he will be sitting out the nightcap along with Pudge and Craig Monroe.

Line-ups:
Detroit (24-15)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
S Casey 1B
M Thames LF
M Rabelo C
B Inge 3B

Boston (27-12)
C Crisp CF
A Cora SS
K Youkilis 1B
M Ramirez DH
M Lowell 3B
J Varitek C
E Hinske RF
W Pena LF
D Pedroia 2B

Pitchers:
Tigers - Chad Durbin RHP (3-1, 5.08 ERA)
Red Sox - Curt Schilling RHP (4-1, 3.63 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 2 Red Sox 4

This game had a little bit of everything that's gone wrong in the tigers season. Numerous runners left on base, a good pitching performance nullified by no run support, and let's not forget the bullpen blow-up. Still the Tigers keep it close in the top team in the AL's ballpark, and were 3-4 on a road trip where two pitchers from Toledo were called in for spot starts. All that and their still only a game out of first place.

Tiger Hero:
Curtis Granderson. Two doubles and he drew a walk.

Tiger Zero:
Wil Ledezma. Giving up the game tying run, wasn't really his fault. Giving up the go ahead 2 run homer was.

Tigers Record:
W - L
24 - 16
2nd place AL Central (1 GB of Cleveland)

Game 38

After dealing with Mr. Sparkle and his being disrespectful to dirt, the Tigers are up against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The Tigers fared well last year the tow times they faced knuckleballers. Early in the season the went against Texas' R.A. Dickey they hit 6 home runs (a feat they've done before against Tim Wakefield) on the way to a 10-6 victory. They faced Wakefield in June and got the 6-2 win. Wakefield has been unhittable this season, and is one of the leaders of ERA in the AL. He has not allowed more than 4 runs in a start this year, which with the Boston offense clicking, either Justin Verlander will have to out duel Wakefield, or it might be another ugly game. One more note: Placido Polanco will be back in the line-up, the last time he played in Fenway, he had his nearly season-ending shoulder injury.

Line-ups:
Detroit (23-14)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
C Monroe LF
M Thames 1B
B Inge 3B

Boston (26-11)
J Lugo SS
K Youkilis 1B
D Ortiz DH
M Ramirez LF
J Drew RF
M Lowell 3B
C Crisp CF
D Mirabelli C
A Cora 2B

Pitchers:
Tigers - Justin Verlander RHP (3-1, 2.83 ERA)
Red Sox - Tim Wakefield RHP (4-3, 1.79 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 7 Red Sox 2

Same game as Monday, but the roles reversed. The Tigers were the ones with the outstanding pitching and timely hitting as they evened up the series with the Sox. Magglio is becoming so consistent with his multi-hit and RBIs that I should just cut and paste his performance form game to game. Good to see Pudge get a couple hits to hopefully break him out of his slump. While it wasn't nice to see Fernando Rodney let a couple guys get on base, it was nice to see him get the final outs of the game without them scoring. Kudos to Grandy and Inge who have been hot at the plate lately, and keep it going tonight.

Tiger Hero:
Justin Verlander. The Tigers needed a great start from him tonight, and he delivered. He gave the bullpen some needed rest, while pitching arguably his best game of the year.

Tiger Zero:
Marcus Thames. Those not waiting to see Sean Casey at 1st base, Marcus Thames isn't really forcing the issue. He was 0 for 3 tonight and only has 10 hits in 50 at-bats this season.

The Eulgoogoolizer Watch:
Eulogio struck out 7, but gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in 7 innings of work to get the loss for Erie tonight.

Tigers record:
W -L
24 - 14
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 1 GB)

Game 37

The Tigers arrive in Boston to face heralded "rookie" Daisuke Matusaka. The Tigers and Nate Robertson are looking to bounce back after the team's worst loss of the year, and Nate's worst start of the year. Tim Byrdak joins the bullpen in Virgil Vasquez's spot. Byrdak is a lefty which means he'll probably see some action against Boston's lefthanded heavy line-up. Speaking of Matusaka, Jim Leyland may not give a poop, but a great deal of attention has been paid to Dice-K in all his starts so far this year. He has 4 wins so far, (but minus his opening day win vs KC) strangely enough has pitched better in losses. So I guess Tiger fans should hope for a great performance by Dice-K tonight. One batter to watch is Gary Sheffield, who mentioned this spring that he had hoped to play in Boston this year, because he believes he hits the ball well there. Let's hope this reasoning works in the Tigers behalf tonight.

Line-ups:
Detroit (23-13)
C Granderson CF
C Monroe LF
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
S Casey 1B
N Perez 2B
B Inge 3B


Boston (25-11)
J Lugo SS
K Youkilis 1B
D Ortiz DH
M Ramirez LF
J Drew RF
M Lowell 3B
J Varitek C
C Crisp CF
D Pedoria SS

Pitchers:
Tigers - Nate Robertson LHP (3-2, 3.43 ERA)
Red Sox - Daisuke Matusaka (4-2, 4.80 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 1 Red Sox 7

In what seems to be a reoccurring theme, the pitcher the Tigers face pitches a career best game. This time it was a heavily hyped pitcher instead of the likes of Jorge De La Rosa. Dice-K allowed only one run on 6 hits, and pitched a complete game. The odd thing is that he only had 5 K's. This is strange because when the Tigers have been on the low end of hits, it's usually because they are swinging and missing. Matsuaka got 16 ground ball outs today. And when your facing a team who's offense is just as potent as yours, you need your pitching to step up. Nate Robertson gave the Tigers six innings and was lucky to only have giving up 3 runs, considering he allowed 11 hits. Tim Byrdak was very good, allowing only one baserunner on a walk in tow innings. Bobby Seay, on the other hand, gave a performance that sadly we've come to expect from the Tiger bullpen this year.

Tiger Hero:
Curtis Granderson. The only Tiger with a multi-hit game. His solo home run was the lone run the Tigers scored. He also had a great diving catch as well tonight .

Tiger Zero:
The Pitching Staff. 23 runs on 37 hits in the past two days. An anomaly, but still it just isn't fun to watch.

Tigers Record:
W - L
23 - 14

Game 36

It's Mother's Day and to go along with the pink bats many players will be using, this post will also be in pink for the same reason...breast cancer awareness. As for the game Virgil Vasquez makes his Major League debut tonight as the Tigers try to sweep the Twins. It's also the Tigers first appearance on ESPN's Sunday Night baseball, so no pressure rook. The Tigers look to win their 12 out of 13 games since getting humiliated by the Twins on April 29th.

Line-ups:
Detroit (23-12)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B

Minnesota (17-19)
L Castillo 2B
J Bartlett SS
M Cuddyer RF
J Morneau 1B
T Hunter CF
J Kubel DH
M Redmond C
L Ford LF
N Punto 3B

Pitchers:
Tigers - Virgil Vasquez RHP (no record, -.-- ERA)
Twins - Boof Bonser RHP (0-1, 3.96 ERA)

Post-Game:

Tigers 4 Twins 16

The Curse of Andy VanHekken lives on. VanHekken was the last Tigers rookie to win his first start, something Virgil Vasquez came nowhere near. Vasquez got shelled tonight, and didn't make it past the third inning. So did everyone else that took the mound wearing the Olde English D. Not the sort of pitching performance when you are heading into a four game series with the team with the best record in the AL. The Twins scored runs in every inning except for the 2nd. Not a good day for Detroit sports in general as all teams playing lost.

Tiger Hero:
Magglio Ordonez. Hit his 7 home run of the season and is averaging just under one RBI a game.

Tiger Zero:
Tigers pitching. 16 runs on 22 hits. This was Virgil Vasquez's first major league game, what are your excuses Grilli, Ledezma, and Mesa?

Superheroes:
Moms everywhere. Please if you have means, donate to fight breast cancer here.

Tigers Record:
W - L
23 -13
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 1.5 GB)

Game 35

After winning Maroth-Santana round 2 the Tigers are now 10 games over .500, and thanks to the Angels, have a 1.5 game lead in the AL Central. And if that wasn't good enough, today's opposing starter is Sidney Ponson. Of course now that I mentioned this, he's going to go out and throw a no hitter.

Line-ups:
Detroit (22-12)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B
M Rabelo C

Minnesota (17-18)
L Castillo 2B
L Ford LF
T Hunter CF
M Cuddyer RF
J Morneau 1B
M Redmond C
J Kubel DH
N Punto 3B
J Bartlett SS

Pitchers:
Tigers - Chad Durbin RHP (2-1, 5.45 ERA)
Twins - Sidney Pnson RHP (2-4, 6.42 ERA)

Game 33 Recap

Tigers 7 Mariners 3

Very strict web filters, and training sessions at my new job prevented me from listening to the game or following it on a computer. Thank goodness for Sprint Vision, which allowed me to keep tabs on the game through glances on my phone. Jeff Weaver revenge against the Tigers apparently was complete with his World Series victory, as he was hit early and often today. To sum up just how terrible Weaver has been this season, giving up 6 runs in five innings, lowered his ERA. In case you were not aware, this is Magglio's world, we just live in it. Magglio launched a blast to left center that landed a good 2o rows deep. I know he probably won't produce all season at this rate, but he's on pace for a 200 hit, 30 HR, 125+RBI season. He's also on pace to shatter the record for the most doubles hit in a season. The record is 67, Maggs is on pace for 88. Brandon Inge hit his 5 home run of the season and recorded his 4th straight multi-hit game. Placido Polanco picked up 3 hits of his own, ending an 0 for 9 streak in the past two games. Carlos Guillen extended his hit streak to 6 games, and with Craig Monroe not getting a hit, is the Tigers longest. The Tigers start a tough road trip tomorrow, with the next 7 games at Minnesota and Boston.

Tiger Hero:
Mike Rabelo. Picked up his first career multi hit game, triple and RBI today.

Tiger Zero:
The weather. For not being this nice yesterday evening

The Eulgoogoolizer Watch:
Jeremy Bonderman is listed as questionable for his start Sunday vs. Minnesota. Had Eulogio not pitched yesterday, he might be considered to come up for a spot start. Virgil Vasquez is scheduled to start Saturday for Toledo, so he would be the best candidate out of the minors, I would think. Status: Bags not packed for a trip quite yet.

Tigers Record:
W - L
21 - 12
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 0.5 GB)

Game 32 Recap

Tigers 2 Mariners 9

Another game I attend, another loss. Of the Tigers 12 losses I have been in the stands for 5 of them. Which means two things: I am a jinx if you believe in such things, and a majority of the Tigers losses have been at home. Neither are good things. As for the game, it's not like Seattle pitcher Cha Seung Baek was over powering, he only had four strikeouts. It's just that after the first two innings everytime the Tigers made contact it was a ground ball or hit at someone. On the other hand every pitch Nate Robertson threw was hit hard somewhere where the Tigers weren't. Nate gave up 10 hits and six runs and couldn't escape the 5th inning. Baek just picked one hell of a day to pitch probably the best game of his career and pick up his first complete game. Even Jim Leyland threw in the towel, putting in Neifi Perez in the 7th in the hopes of having a full squad for tomorrow afternoon's game.

Tiger Hero:
Curtis Granderson. after his lead-off home run, it was all downhill from there.

Tiger Zero:
Nate Robertson. With the opposing pitcher throwing the game of his life, Nate pitched his worst of the season.

The Eulgoogoolizer Watch:
Eulogio picked up his 4th win of the year; allowing one run on two hits, while striking out 8. All this while Andrew Miller joined the team in Erie. Which was expected at some point this year, yet adds another starter to Erie. Hmmm....
Status: One foot in the Erie clubhouse, one foot pointed northwest.

Tigers Record:
W - L
20 - 12

Game 31 Recap

Tigers 9 Mariners 7

Different opponent, same result. The Tigers racked up the extra base hits (9 of the teams 14 hits) and rode the offense to their 8th straight win. After the patented Jeremy Bonderman multi-run first inning, the Tigers came back to tie the game at 3 after hitting four doubles in the 2nd. The Tigers fell behind again in the 4th, but an Omar Infante 2 run triple put them back in the lead for good. Infante and Inge, batting 8th and 9th, drove in 7 of the Tigers 9 runs. Infante pulled for Granderson defense, was a home run shy of the cycle. Craig Monroe and Sean Casey both came closer to the .250 mark, with Casey at .245 and Monroe at .243 after this game. Brandon Inge in within striking distance of .200 at .186, and seem to be more comfortable at the plate. Bobby Seay made his case for some prime innings out of the bullpen with a 7 pitch 7th. Fernando Rodney seemed to revert to his early season self, and gave up 2 runs in the 8th. Todd Jones, should thank him. For if Rodney hadn't giving up those two runs, Jonesy would not have notched his 13th save of the season. That save came largely due to two amazing catches by Craig Monroe and Magglio Ordonez. Jonesy was nice enough to give up deep fly ball to center so Curtis Granderson could get some work too.

Tiger Hero:
Craig Monroe and Magglio Ordonez. Almost everyone got a hit in this game, but the two diving grabs by C-Mo and Maggs saved the game.

Tiger Zero:
Fernando Rodney. An easy target, but with Zumaya out a performance like this didn't inspire any confidence.

Time for a new feature. Due to Joel Zumaya's devastating 12 week finger injury, the Tigers bullpen is missing a vital component. Kurt @ Mack Ave. via Matt from Take 75 North list a number of potential candidates for replacements. Virgil Vasquez has been pitching great in Toledo, but the guy that comes closest to Joel is Eulogio De La Cruz.
So I give to you (with apologies to Derek Zoolander) The Eulgoogoolizer Watch.
The Eulgoogoolizer Watch:
Eulogio in his last two starts has allowed only 3 runs on 9 hits and one walk in 17 innings while striking out 20.
Status: Staying in Erie, but a couple performances like his last two, and he might be worth a look.

Tigers Record:
W - L
20 - 11
Tied 1st place AL Central

Game 30

Today the Tigers go for their second consecutive sweep, and to move the win streak to seven. Also with a little help from Baltimore move into sole possession of first place in the AL Central. The tigers get Gary Sheffield back, but will be without Joel Zumaya for a period of time yet to be determined. As of now he is on the 15 day DL. He is listed as having a strained finger. Let's hope that all he needs is rest for it to heal.

Line-ups:
Detroit (18-11)
C Granderson CF
I Rodriguez C
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B
N Perez 2B

Kansas City (10-21)
D DeJesus CF
M Grudzielanek 2B
M Teahen RF
M Sweeney DH
R Gload 1B
A Gordon 3B
J Buck C
S Costa LF
T Pena Jr. SS

Pitchers:
Tigers - Chad Durbin RHP (1-1, 6.39 ERA)
Royals - Zack Greinke RHP (1-3, 4.70 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 13 Royals 4

You know things are going your way when Neifi Perez is 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Neifi Perez's last home run was July 2nd, 2006, with the Cubs, which oddly enough was also his last game with more than 2 RBIs. Also odd was the only guy not to get a hit today for the Tigers, was their hottest hitter, Magglio Ordonez. The Tigers had 17 hits, 11 of them extra base hits (4 HRs, 1 triple, and 6 doubles). Craig Monroe and Curtis Granderson were just one leg away from completing the cycle. C-Mo needed a triple, while Curtis needed a double. Sean Casey also looks like he's on his way back to being the .300 hitter he was expected to be. Not to be forgotten in all of this offense was Chad Durbin pitching a great game. He was lights out until rain and fatigue took its tool in the 8th inning when he gave up his first runs.

Tiger Hero:
Neifi Perez. Simply because he may never find his way to this spot again. The whole team played well, minus the last few outs, and a game like this will spoil many Tigers fans into thinking it should be this easy every time.

Tiger Zero:
Other than giving up some runs at the end of the game, nothing went wrong for the Tigers. Even those runs at the end can be written off to the terrible weather happening at the time.

Tigers Record:
W - L
19 - 11
Tied for 1st place in the AL Central

Game 29

Mike Maroth was on the mound when the Tigers started their current winning streak. He looks o keep the streak going toning in Kansas City. Magglio, Carlos and Sean Casey have hot bats coming in, while Placido Polanco and Pudge look to get back on track. Gary Sheffield will be out attending his Grandfather's funeral. Some advice for Mike Maroth, do NOT pitch to David DeJesus. He is 14 for 25 in his career against Maroth.

Line-ups:
Detroit (17-11)
I Rodriguez DH
P Polanco 2B
M Thames 1B
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
C Monroe LF
O Infante CF
B Inge 3B
M Rabelo C

Kansas City (10-20)
D DeJesus CF
M Grudzielanek 2B
M Teahen RF
M Sweeney 1B
E Brown LF
B Butler DH
E German 3B
T Pena Jr. SS
J LaRue C

Pitchers:
Tigers - Mike Maroth LHP (2-0, 4.28 ERA)
Royals - Odalis Perez LHP (2-3, 6.91 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 7 Royals 5

The Tigers keep finding ways to win. On Cinco De Mayo, the Tigers moved their winning streak to siete. They battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie it in the 6th. When the royals took the lead in the bottom of that inning, the Tigers responded with a 3 run 8th to take the lead for good. Mike Maroth was not at his best allowing 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. Tigers pitching allowed 8 walks in the game. Magglio Ordonez continued his hot hitting, with a home run and his league leading 16th double. Placido Polanco got back on track with 3 hits tonight. Brandon Inge was the only Tiger starter without a hit. Todd Jones had another 1-2-3 save, making it a major league leading 12 on the season. Some bad news is that Joel Zumaya left the bullpen as he was warming up to enter the game. He had what looked to be something wrong with his throwing hand. Look to Bless You Boys, DTW, or Mack Ave. Tigers for updates.

Tiger Hero:
Craig Monroe. After the seventh inning he just seems automatic. He had a 2 RBI single in the 8th to put the Tigers up for good.

Tiger Zero:
Wil Ledezma. The Tigers tied the game in the top half of the 6th. Wil untied it with a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the inning. In one inning of work he walked three and gave up a hit. Not a solid performance out of the pen that we've been seeing so far from him.

Tigers Record:
W - L
18 - 11
tied for 1st place in the AL Central

Game 28

The Tigers head into Kansas City for the second time this season. Both teams are riding season high winning streaks; the Tigers at 4, the Royals at 2 (hey it's the Royals...2 is a streak). The Royals just split a series with the AL West leading Angels, and have yet to be swept in a 3 game series this year, so these next three games can not be taken for granted. Davis DeJesus seems to save his best games for the Tigers, and John Buck has been a thorn in Tigers pitchers sides as well. On the other hand, the Tigers will be missing the two who have been the Royals best two pitchers of the season this far, Gil Meche and Jorge De La Rosa. Meche is third in the AL in ERA, and is tied with De La Rosa for the team lead with 3 wins (Kansas City has 10 overall). Reggie Sanders is also missing with a hamstring injury. The pitchers that the Royals are sending to the mound will be facing a Tigers team that has found their hitting stroke. Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez are crushing the ball. The bottom of the order looks like it has their hitting woes almost solved. Placido Polanco will not go two games in a row without a hit. Lest we forget Pudge Rodriguez, who has hit more home runs off of KC (8) than any other opponent and is batting .397 against the Royals since becoming a Tiger.

Line-ups:
Detroit (16-11)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B

Kansas City (10-19)
D DeJesus CF
M Grudzielanek 2B
M Teahen 3B
M Sweeney DH
R Gload 1B
B Butler LF
A Gordon 3B
J Buck C
T Pena Jr. SS

Pitchers:
Tigers - Justin Verlander RHP (1-1, 2.79 ERA)
Royals - Brian Bannister RHP (0-1, 4.91 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 6 Royals 3

Justin Verlander finally got some decent run support, but he didn't need it as he pitched seven shutout innings. The bullpen needed it however, as it got into some trouble and gave up three runs (two of the three runs were charged to Verlander) in the 8th. Fernando Rodney looks like he's back to his old self as the stopper, and Todd Jones got a 1-2-3 save in the 9th, with 2 K's. Carlos Guillen looks healed from whatever shoulder problem were ailing him. He went 3 for 4 with his only out was the result of a great play by Royals shortstop Tony Pena Jr. Magglio extended his hit streak to six games with 2 doubles, and apparently I jinxed Polly, because he was hitless again. Sean Casey keeps lifting his average, with two hits today helping the cause. All Tiger runs were scored with two outs tonight.

Tiger Hero:
Carlos Guillen. 3 hits, 2 RBI, and a big part of turning a double play with the bases loaded to get out of an inning.

Tiger Zero:
Pudge. Another 0fer, and was the only tiger batter not to reach base. Also left 6 men stranded.

Tigers Record:
W - L
17 - 11
2nd place AL Central (1 GB)

Game 27

The Tigers started their May off with a win and are looking to sweep the Orioles this afternoon. If they win, the Tigers will have their longest winning streak of the season, at 4 games. The Tigers send arguably their best pitcher of the past month, Nate Robertson, to get the job done today. Getting the day off is Carlos Guillen who will look to rest his ailing shoulder. Starting in his place will be Omar Infante. Sean Casey's go-ahead RBI single last night, seemed to cure his flu bug, and he returns to the staring line-up today.

Line-ups:
Detroit (15-11)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
I Rodriguez C
S Casey 1B
C Monroe LF
B Inge 3B
O Infante SS

Baltimore (12-15)
B Roberts 2B
J Payton LF
M Tejada SS
R Hernandez C
M Mora 3B
K Millar DH
N Markakis RF
C Gomez 1B
C Patterson CF

Pitchers:
Tigers - Nate Robertson LHP (2-1, 2.43 ERA)
Orioles - Steve Trachsel RHP (1-2, 4.13 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 3 Orioles 2

It appears that Gary Sheffield and the Tigers bullpen are back. Both played big roles in today's victory. Gary Sheffield hit another home run, one of his four hits, and drove in two of the Tigers runs. The bullpen (Jason Grilli, Fernando Rodney, and Todd Jones) allowed only one baserunner (via Rodney walk) and struck out 5 in 2 1/3 innings to secure the win for Nate Robertson. The bottom of the order each went 1 for 3 with Craig Monroe hitting his third home run of the year (all vs. the Orioles). Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to five games, while Placido Polanco went hitless for only the fifth time all year.

Tiger Hero:
Gary Sheffield. His 4 for 4 performance lifted his average from .191 to .226; and he leads the team in stolen bases, walks, and runs scored.

Tiger Zero:
Pudge Rodriguez. Not much went wrong today for the Tigers, minus giving up two runs in the third. Pudge gets it by going 0 for 4 . Granderson and Polanco also went hitless, but Granderson drew a walk and scored on a Sheffield single, and Polanco didn't get a strikeout.

Tigers Record:
W - L
16 - 11
2nd place in the AL Central
1.0 GB of Cleveland

Game 26 Recap

Tigers 5 Orioles 4

For future reference if you every get the choose between going to Elkhart Indiana, and doing naked cartwheels down a sand dune covered in broken glass...go with the cartwheels. So needless to say, I spend my late afternoon speeding through the farmlands of Western Ohio and Indiana trying to out run severe thunderstorms and the smell of cow poo to get home to watch the Tigers.

I did get home right on time for the good stuff, Craig Monroe hit his go ahead home run seconds after I turned on the TV. Chad Durbin made another case for Wil Ledezma to move from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Bobby Seay also made a case for that as he pitched well in the lefty reliever role, yet again. Seay got into a jam in the 7th, with Zumaya coming in and surrendering the game tying run, before getting the final two outs. Zumaya then proceeded to struck out the side the 8th. That paved the way for Sean Casey to come up big with a pinch hit single that put the Tigers ahead. Placido Polanco added an insurance run, which was needed as Todd Jones had a tough time retiring the top of the order, but pulled out a save nonetheless.

Tiger Hero:
Placido Polanco. Another day, another multi-hit game.

Tiger Zero:
Chad Durbin. In 3 2/3 innings he only gave up 3 hits, but the 6 walks are what got him in trouble. Wil Ledezma is breathing down his neck for the 5 spot.

Tigers Record:
W - L
15 - 11