Rogers, Thames help Tigers finally beat the Sox
posted in Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays |
I’m not gonna say the Tigers needed that 6-2 victory over the White Sox, the first game taken by Detroit over the South Siders this season. This is June. But, yeah, okay, this felt like a big one, liked a game the team had to take. It would not have been a disaster to leave Chicago without a victory, but it would have felt somewhat like one. Even a close game lost would have felt bad. And when the Tigers fell behind 2-0 in the first inning and appeared to be well on their way to being swept in the second, it didn’t really feel too good.
But the Detroiters fought back. And Kenny Rogers proved why he’s the ace, stepping up his game to a much-needed and completely unhittable level. After allowing picking up two hits before a second out was made in the second inning, no White Sox player again stood safely at first until a 1-out walk issued by Fernando Rodney to Scott Podsednik in the eighth inning. He made it as far as second base. And that was that. Four runs in the seventh, including some really smart baserunning — and some really good baserunning too, the brain was only part of the equation — and a two-run poke by Marcus Thames made this, if not a Tigers rout, then one that felt pretty close. While Chicago came from behind in the two previous games, Detroit made it clear who won Thursday.
Thames hit a 12th homer for the season and averages one per 11 plate appearances. And I’d be remiss not to mention the awesome catch by Curtis Granderson that saw him run into a center field wall.
Jim Leyland didn’t really care either way. So he says. What he says and what he feels, I have a feeling aren’t always connected.
“It’s not a big deal that we won, just like it would not have been a big deal if we lost,” Leyland said. “It was a good series in June.”
Reading the tea leaves
So what do we make of the series, going 1-2? I wouldn’t worry. I think fighting from behind on a getaway day was a good sign. The game was as good as lost by 20 minutes past 8, but not only was it not lost, it was a very sound victory. I think basically leading Chicago most of the series was a good thing. I wouldn’t go so far as to declare the Tigers as better team than the White Sox — it’s just one win and they have five of those things — but on the whole, the Tigers were quite competetive. They came out of Chicago with a 12-10 edge in runs scored. The Sox, and their fans, and hopefully the media, have to look at this series and say Detroit is at least near the level of Chicago, if not at, and that level is high enough that both teams are going to pick up a whole lot of wins this year.
My rule of thumb is simple. You want to take two games at home against other good teams. And you want to take one game on the road against them. And soundly whoop everyone else no matter whose field you play on. Detroit failed utterly against the Yankees. A blown save cost the Tigers from taking two from the Red Sox. And Detroit took one from the White Sox in Chicago but was in position to win all three.
On T.O. the Blue Jays
So yeah. I’m not going to say a negative word about their lineup in T.O. But their pitching isn’t exactly something to fear. They’re playing about how the Indians were expectd to play, overall. That’s how I’d put it, anyway. A nice record, a good lineup, some sluggers, a few great pitchers at the top. Not to be underestimated. But they’re not exactly the Yankees, Red Sox or White Sox either. So while this was the final leg of the tough 16-game stretch, I have to feel it’s a bit easier of a series than we’ve been seeing these past 10 days. I have a feeling Detroit can pick up wins in the first and third games and hope for the best in the second game.
Whew
So I’m going to enjoy that White Sox victory a bit. Not sure what it means in the long run. Not sure if it was a must-win game or if it just felt like it. But I know it felt good when that final out was caught.
Sphere It
For the record, Thames dinged his 11th, I didn’t realize ESPN.com had updatd its numbers when I made the graphic.