Labor Day Festivities

Tigers head in to Oakland tonight with the opportunity to gain ground on all three teams they trail in the playoff race. I more than likely will not be watching any of the Tigers endeavors this weekend (although I more than likely will stay up way too late watching the game tonight) as I will be down in Atlanta spending some time with the wife-to-be. Having spent a few weeks apart, I'm sure the whole weekend will be wedding planning related, and I'll be lucky to catch glimpses of Baseball Tonight. So going cold turkey this weekend in regards to sports, I'll be back with the recaps on Wednesday.

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone out there.

Game 134 Recap

Tigers 6 Royals 1

Wins all around today as the Tigers won this afternoon and my company's softball team did the same. Both have been rare occurrences in the past few weeks. The good news is that Jeremy Bonderman pitched like his pre-All Star break self, and got the win today. even more shocking, Timo Perez was the DH and actually had a good game. Fun Timo Perez fact, he has played for the eventual World Series champion the past two seasons. Chicago in 2005, and St. Louis last year. Of course those teams probably got to the World Series by burying Timo on the bench, but hey whatever works.

Tiger Hero:
Jeremy Bonderman. Pitched 7 big innings to finally give the Tigers a quality start.

Tiger Zero:
Mike Rabelo. A hat trick of K's on the afternoon.

Tigers Record
W - L
72 - 62
2nd Place AL Central (4.5 GB Cleveland)
3rd Place Wild Card (3 GB New York)

Game 133 Recap

Tigers 0 Royals 5

After the 5 run first, I decided to do some laundry and ended up taking a nap. I made the right choice, I probably would have broken the television and several items around the house had I watched tonight's game. With the Indians sweep of Minnesota, the Tigers fall 4.5 games back in the Central. While they're not out of the Central race yet, a few more games like these last two and they will be.

Game 132 Recap

Tigers 3 Royals 6

Baseball's a funny game. One game you get 20 hits and 16 runs, the next day, 16 and only 3. It also doesn't help when for some reason Timo Perez is hitting 3rd in your line-up, and leaving 6 runners stranded. Believe it or not Jason Grilli has not allowed a run in 9 2/3 innings. Crazier still it that during that time only 5 runners have reached base. Give credit to Brian Bannister, who got got out of jam after jam. Now you can understand why this guy has only allowed more than 4 runs once all year. Of course this is the day where the Tigers lose and all the teams the Tigers are battling in the playoff hunt win. The Tigers should bounce back tomorrow against Zach Greinke who is 0-2 with a 15.88 ERA vs. Detroit, while the Indians face Johan Santana, the Yankees still play the Red Sox, and the Mariners still play the Angels.

Tiger Hero:
Ramon Santiago. Went 3 for 4 in the 9 spot.

Tiger Zero:
Jim Leyland. Timo Perez? Seriously?

Tigers Record:
W - L
71 -61
2nd Place AL Central (3.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 131 Recap

A long weekend full of fantasy football drafts...but I was back in baseball mode adn fronyt adn center in left field tonight. As for the game, well I think the picture below speaks for itself...


Reports of the Tigers demise might have been overstated. The Tigers shoot themselves back into the thick of the playoff race with their first series victory since sweeping Minnesota in mid-July. Bonus fun, this was the worst road shutout loss in the history of the Yankees. Keep it going in KC.

Tigers 16 Yankees 0

Game 128 Recap

Tigers 9 Yankees 6 (11 innings)

CARLOS GUILLEN!!!

I started off watching this game at a bar at 11, and couldn't turn away. It felt like a heavyweight title bout with Carlos delivering the knockout blow in the final round. I'm soooooo tired, but at least I can go to bed happy. Plus, the Tigers picked up a game on the Indians. Great job by the bullpen. I wish the Tigers played every game like the first game of a series.

Game 127 Recap

Tigers 1 Indians 3 (10 innings)

Another frustrating game in what has been a frustrating 2nd half of the season. As for the bullpen guy blowing the lead this game my guess would have been Zach Miner, maybe. Jason Grilli, definitely...but Joel Zumaya? Nate Robertson pitched his ass off today, and like so many times in his career gets a no help from the offense and is sitting in the dugout when another pitcher decides the game. Now this Tiger team is inching closer and closer disaster with the Yankees looming this weekend.

Tiger Hero:
Nate Robertson. Did everything he could to put the Tigers in position to win the game. Allowed only 4 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

Tiger Zero:
Joel Zumaya. Did everything he could to lose the game. Allowed one more runner to reach base in one inning than Robertson did in 8 2/3. If this is a healthy Zumaya, the bullpen still has a big problem.

Tigers Record:
W - L
68 - 59
2nd Place AL Central (2.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 126 Recap

Tigers 8 Indians 11

Another game, another Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Tigers. The team that looked confident and in control yesterday stood aside and let the Pistonesque "Showing up should earn up a win" team take the field. Yes, I might be stewing a little after giving away my tickets to yesterday's game as a gift, and having to watch this game sweating in SRO in right field. Still, my point is that if the Tigers are going to do anything in the post-season...or even get there for that matter, they have to be consistent. The team is back to full strength, so no excuses...just go out and win.

Tiger Hero:
MaggsVP. Keeps the hits coming and now stories of his exploits have it's own website.

Tiger Zero:
Curtis Granderson. Another 0fer and made an error to let a key run score in the 8th. This isn't the Curtis I know.

Tigers Record:
W - L
68 - 58
2nd Place AL Central (1.5 GB Cleveland)

Game 125 Recap

Tigers 2 Indians 1

The homestand starts strong with a victory over Cleveland. Jair Jurrjens looked better this game than he did in his first start. The amazing thing is he had faced all these batters just a week ago, and only allowed one hit. Besides Peralta's home run, Kenny Lofton ans Travis Hafner were the only other Indians to reach base, on two walks a piece. We were also treated to the vintage 2006 7-8-9 inning bullpen combo of Zumaya, Rodney, and Jones, and they pitched just as well as you could have hoped for retiring all 7 batters they faced. A good start for the Tigers...the key will be going out and doing it tomorrow night.

Tiger Hero:
Jair Jurrjens. Only struck out one, but he got everyone out. Huge pitching performance when the Tigers really needed it.

Tiger Zero:
Marcus Thames. Seemed befuddled by Carmona's sinker, and went down swinging twice.

Tigers Record:
W - L
68 - 57
2nd Place AL Central (0.5 GB Cleveland)

Beat Down in the Boogie Down

Just like most of the Tigers, I too was suffering from that flu bug this weekend. From the looks of the box scores I didn't miss much. I was kind of bummed I didn't see Cameron Maybin's first home run, and Roger Clemens proving what a world class dick he is by beaning Maybin in his next at bat. I did think it was cool that Maybin wears #4, as a reminder that the ghost of the Bobby Higginson era has been exorcised.

And as for this 6 game road swing, yes the tigers did lose 4, but it could have been a lot worse. Basically the Tigers faced each of the Indians and Yankees top 2 pitchers, all the while having Jair Jurrjens make his major league debut, Chad Durbin make another spot start, and not having the on of the best hitters with RISP in the lineup.

With Polanco back in the line-up (and Inge out now apparently), Zumaya back in the pen, and some home cooking, the Tigers should be able to right the ship....well they better or September is going to suck.

Game 120 recap

Tigers 2 Indians 5

Much like half of the Tigers I have come down with flu-like symptoms. So thanks to a chicken soup and Benadryl combo, most of this game was a daze. I think I saw a walrus playing first base at one point. But that may or may not have been Sean Casey. Jair Jurrjens pitched as well as you could hope for a AA pitcher in his first career start. The trouble is, in a seemingly re-occurring theme this year, he was up against a pitcher who decided to have a career day. Tigers split the series, and head into New York to face a team that just dropped two straight to the Orioles.

Game 119 Recap

Tigers 6 Indians 2 (10 innings)

Finally we get to see what a bullpen blow-up looks like from the other side. 4 runs in the 10th capped with a MaggVP 3 run blast gave the Tigers their first lead of the night. Todd Jones might have given us shades of June 1st after the first two batters in the tenth, but he recovered to secure the win. Jeremy Bonderman had his patented 1st inning hiccup, but unlike his past few games, he pulled himself together and shutout the Indians in the next 6 innings, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 8. I feel pretty confident in saying Fernando Rodney is back. He was centimeters away from striking out the first batter Chris Gomez, who smacked a double on the next pitch. So here we are, no one out, game winning run on 2nd...we all knew what was going to happen. Of course Rodney strikes out the side, naturally. in the 5 games since coming of the DL, Fernando has allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out 7. Lets hope Joel Zumaya can put up the same numbers when he returns.

Tiger Hero:
Curtis Granderson. Didn't get a hit, but made the catch that saved first place. Also the walk to lead-off the ninth was pretty big too.

Tiger Zero:
Brandon Inge. 4 strikeouts on the night...eww.

Tigers Record:
W - L
66 - 53
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 1 GB)

Game 118 Recap

Tigers 2 A's 7

In honor of Ian at Bless You Boys picture worth a thousand words recap here's one for tonight...

Any good feelings I had about playing Cleveland and New York for the next 13 games, are now scattered among the 12 hits surrendered by Tigers pitchers tonight.

Game 117

I missed Friday's game due to attending my 10 year high school reunion. It seems I one of the few people not to gain 10 or 50 pounds, get married (yet...), get divorced, or reproduce. So while the Tigers may have been blown out, an open bar and fat high school quarterbacks made me feel like a winner.
Speaking of winning the Tigers did just that yesterday. Being there for the game I have one thing to get off my chest. There is a new usher patrolling section 148 that is a huge asshole. We were told repeatedly to sit down in the 8th and 9th innings. They even went so far as to kick out a guy (anyone who sits in left field will know him as the guy who sings the "Go get 'Em Tigers" song near the end of the game). Maybe this was directed at the Singer guy, who was loud for a majority of the game, but it was nothing obscene or offensive. Just a guy who had a beer or two too many. Where are these guys when people try to start the wave?
Anyways...my early season slump is now behind me, the last 5 games I've been to the Tigers have been victorious. A great win yesterday, and I'm hoping they can keep it going today.

Line-ups:
Detroit (64-52)
P Polanco 2B
M Thames 1B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
R Raburn CF
C Monroe LF
M Rabelo C
B Inge 3B

Oakland (56-61)
S Stewart LF
N Swisher CF
J Cust RF
M Piazza DH
M Ellis 2B
M Scutaro 3B
D Johnson 1B
D Murphy SS
R Bowen C

Pitchers:
Tigers - Nate Robertson LHP (6-9, 4.94 ERA)
A's - Dallas Braden LHP (1-6, 5.12 ERA)

Post-Game:

Tigers 11 A's 6

Magglio Ordonez is without a doubt this season's MVP (for the tigers anyway). As if he needed any move evidence, he hit two home runs in one inning today. Something only Al Kaline has done in a Tiger uniform. Magglio drove in 4 runs bringing his season total to 102. he's just 2 behind his total for all of last year and 33 away from tying his career best. Not to be lost in all this offensive insanity, Placido Polanco tied the Major League record for games played at 2nd base with out an error, a record set earlier this year by Luis Castillo.

Tiger Hero:
Maggs. 2 hits, 2 home runs, 4 RBI.

Tiger Zero:
I fear 6 runs allowed might not good enough to get wins against Cleveland and the Yankees. The pitching can be better.

Tigers Record:
W - L
65 - 52
1st Place AL Central

While I Was Out...

I spent last weekend at a college friend's bachelor party, and wedding, so I didn't get to see much of the sweep by the White Sox...or maybe I did, there are parts to last weekend that are a little fuzzy when it comes to remembering details. After a day of letting my liver recover, and the pounding headache subside I was already to write about the dramatic comeback win on Monday, except that my computer seemed to not want to connect to the internet. So finally I'm up and running, and this afternoon's game happens. Yeah it's kind of hard to come up with anything to say after the team you follow gives up 15 runs to the Devil Rays in two games. Let's hope Oakland gives us all something good to talk about.

Game 107 Recap

Tigers 2 A's 3

The Tigers finally got some decent pitching today. But Nate Robertson fell victim to his old nemesis of of no run support. The only good thing about this game, is that it means the end of the road trip from hell. Still the Tigers somehow hold a full game lead on the Indians in the AL Central.

Game 106 Recap

Tigers 3 A's 7

Yes another lead blown by the bullpen. It seems so second nature to me right now that it doesn't even register anymore. I know much ado will be made over Dave Dombroski's not making any moves, but what was he supposed to do? When GM's are asking for Cameron Maybin and Jair Jurrgens for middle relief, the best thing Dombrowski could of done is nothing. People may point to the fact that John Smoltz was traded for Doyle Alexander. While that worked out great for the Tigers that year, it worked out even better for the Braves for 15. with no real difference maker available (Gagne excluded because he would not of agreed to come to Detroit) I have no problem with the Tigers standing pat and hoping Rodney and Zumaya return to 2006 form. If they're wrong, we get a roller coaster finish were the tiers may or may not make the postseason. If they do well who's going to beat this Tiger team with a healthy bullpen? Anyways...back to tonight's game. Another game given away. What do you expect when you give a team 7 free baserunner? Luckily for the Tigers, Cleveland has been just as bad as the Tigers lately and they don't lose any ground tonight. Hopefully they can pull out a win tomorrow afternoon and take advantage of a long home stand.

Tiger Hero:
Sean Casey. Drove in a run and was 2 for 4 tonight.

Tiger Zero:
Tiger Pitchers. It tough to win when you surrender 10 hits and walk 7.

Tigers Record:
W - L
61 - 45
1st place AL Central (Cleveland 1 GB)