Game 99 Recap

Round of applause for Zach Miner. Yes, it's just one game, but the lack on control that lead to his demotion to Toledo, was not in effect tonight. Only one walk and 56 of his 88 pitches were strikes. They need someone to step-up in the starting rotation, and Zach certainly did a great job tonight.

Not that he really needed to. It seems that the Tigers might have taken issue with being shut out twice, while going 0-6 to the Royals this year. They asploded for 19 runs tonight. 10 of those coming in the 8th inning where poor Jimmy Gobble just couldn't do anything right. The Tigers started the inning with 6 straight hits. Then added a couple walks, including one with the bases loaded, and ended up bringing 15 batter to the plate. Miguel Cabrera and Matt Joyce went berserk. Going a combined 9 for 12, they drove in 11 runs with Joyce a double away from the cycle. 9 walks tonight put a lot of Tigers in scoring position, and 18 hits will score you some runs. Carlos Guillen also returned to the line-up with a good night. He went 3 for 4 with 2 walks, 2 RBI and 5 runs scored.

The Royals pitching was just feasted on tonight. Starter Luke Hochevar was run off in the 5th. Then the Tigers made the next three pitchers to combine for 103 pitches over the next 3 innings. The best pitcher of the night for the Royals was SS Tony Pena, who recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th on 12 pitches. Add it all up, 208 pitches for the Royals tonight. 19 runs on 18 hits for the Tigers. And best of all both the White Sox and Twins lost, bringing the Tigers one game closer to both

Tigers 19 Royals 4
W: Miner (4-3)
L: Hochevar (6-8)

Tigers Record:
W - L
50 - 49
3rd Place AL Central (5.5 GB Chicago)

Game 98 Recap

I was listening to the above CD over the weekend, and after a Tiger performance like this today, it's hard not to follow the title track's advice to "Stay Positive".

Justin Verlander is the tourniquet, the stopper. He went 8.2 allowing only one run and three hits. He could have and maybe should have finished the game, but was yanked after his second walk of the inning in the ninth. He had thrown only 105 pitches at the time, and he regularly gone in the 110s, but today JV was shut down one out away from a complete game. At one point Verlander retired 16 in a row, before a double by Kevin Millar in the 7th. In every start since April 27th, Verlander's ERA has decreased. It has gone from 6.50 to 3.95. If the Tigers had just a few more guys pitching like this, I'd feel better about their chances.

At times, it looked like the Tigers were going to waste this performance by Verlander. After loading the bases in the first, the inning ending with the bases still loaded and no runs scored. Magglio's HR in the 3rd tied the game up, but the Tigers could only manage 3 base runners in innings 2-5. But just as the pitch count for Oriole pitcher Brian Burres hit 100, everything started to turn in the Tigers favor. Marcus Thames added a homer, and Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn followed with hits to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead and send the O's to the bullpen. The Tigers tacked on two more insurance runs and that was that.

The Tigers head now the Kansas City who they have not beaten all year. The same Royals who have given the White Sox a handful in their weekend series.

Tigers 5 Orioles 1
W: Verlander (8-9)
L: Burres (7-6)

Tigers Record:
W - L
48 - 48
3rd Place AL Central (7.5 GB Chicago)

Game 97 Recap

Yeah that's about right. This one hurts, big time. Yes, the ump blew the call in the 10th, but the Tigers blew a 6-0 lead, and couldn't win after scoring 10 runs. And now we're reduced to hoping for a split tomorrow afternoon. No fun.

Game 96 Recap

When Luke Scott's not busy shooting his guns, he shoots up Tigers pitchers. His three RBI on two HRs were the difference in the game tonight for the Orioles. Armando Galarraga tied his career high in strikeout with 6, but also tied a career high in HR surrendered with 3.

Tigers bats racked up 14 hits, unfortunately when it came time for a big hit it was no where to be found. Three double plays helps Oriole pitching get out of jams, and in the end the Tigers leaving 9 men on base didn't help out much either. Potential trade bait, Pudge Rodriguez did his best job to drive up the price, going 4 for 4 with a 2 run homer tonight.

But if anything this might be one of those games where the law of averages kicks itself in. O's Pitcher Jeremy Guthrie had only 4 wins entering tonight's game, despite being tied for the league lead for quality starts with 12. So he goes out, doesn't pitch well, and of course, gets the win.

So I vote for Gary Sheffield to DH tomorrow. With Daniel Cabrera on the mound, one can only hope the results are the same as they were last season.

Tigers 4 Orioles 7
W: Guthrie (5-7)
L: Galarraga (7-4)
S: Sherrill (28)

Tigers Record:
W - L
48 - 48
3rd Place AL Central (7.5 GB Chicago)

Game 95 Recap

Rumor has it, that's Marcus Thames' arm...when he was three years old

The Tigers started off the 2nd half of the season showing some of the power that was experted of this line-up. Todd Jones also showed why he is perilously close to losing his closer job, by almost giving the game away in the ninth.

The Tigers bat's had pop tonight, going deep three times. Marcus Thames (naturally) had one and drove in another with a lowly single. Gary Sheffield had a homer, and was a Jay Payton play away from hitting two. Brandon Inge would like you to know he really likes playing third, as he had a couple good plays in the field and added a two-run shot. Edgar Renteria even chipped in with 2 hits and a walk. Lost in all this was the Return of the Tilde, who notched a hit in his first game back off a trip to the DL.

The Orioles had their chances, outhitting the Tigers 14-9. But were more than happy to shoot themselves in the foot, making some horrible decisions on the base paths that bailed Kenny Rogers out of jams early. Todd Jones, being the good Christian he is, must had taken pity on the poor Orioles as he gave back those chances they squandered in the ninth. To paraphrase Dean Wormer "Loading the bases with one out is no way to stay the Closer, son." I've defended Jonesy before, but it's apparent now that he might have the old "tired arm" find himself on the DL until the Tigers can decide what they want to do. Zumaya may not be perfect, but at least there's the variable of the strikeout thrown in. All Jones seems to be able to do is throw it and hope it hits a glove in the field somewhere. Which is like playing Russian Roulette with five bullets in the chambers. On the plus side, sans Jones, the bullpen did a good job. Both Rodney and Zumaya are looking more and more like the 2006 versions.

Tigers 6 Orioles 5
W: Rogers (7-6)
L: Olson (6-5)
S: Jones (18)

Tigers Record:
W - L
48 - 47
3rd Place AL Central (6.5 GB Chicago)

...And I'm back

Two weeks without TV and internet. It wasn't fun, but with a houseload of boxes to move and unpack, it went by quicker than I thought it would. In the midst of the unpacking I was taking a page out of my Grandpa's yearbook and following along on the radio. And the days I was really bored I would keep score along with the broadcast. Yes, I am that big of a nerd.

When I last posted the Tigers were 2 games about .500 and only 5 games behind the White Sox. Now, at .500 and 7 back. With Magglio coming back, 6 games against the Orioles and Royals, then a big series at home against the White Sox, that lead could easily by under 4 by the end of July.

So here's to what hopefully will be a long and exciting run down the stretch for the Tigers

Away Message

Real life will interrupt for the next two weeks. Moving into a new house this week (tomorrow actually). The walls are lined with boxes as I speak. After that a quick trip up to Michigan for the holiday weekend. And then back home where my internet will be hooked up sometime in the next two weeks. Yeah that's going to suck. I will have my trusty XM to follow along with the Tigers, hopefully they'll still be in the middle of the AL Central race when I am back up and running.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone, and be back in a few weeks.