Bonderman strikes out 12, (finally?) wins
posted in Milwaukee Brewers, Random |You know that feeling you had? The one in the eighth inning when Brandon Inge scored on a bunt after reaching on a bunt? The feeling that the Tigers were absolutely, positively going to beat the Milwaukee Brewers at that point, because that’s what they do? Yeah, I had it, too. So did they. Magglio Ordonez cleaned off the basis to complete the 3-run inning and Detroit backed Jeremy Bonderman for a 3-1 victory.
But while the bats stole the show in Chicago, Jeremy Bonderman stole it today. He struck out 12 and allowed four hits. In fact, six of those strikeouts were consecutive. One pitch that missed its spot on an 0-2 count to Prince Fielder separated Bonderman a shutout. Pudge Rodriguez described Bonderman as unhittable in a Booth Newspapers story by Danny Knobler.
“Unhittable,” was how Pudge Rodriguez described Bonderman, who allowed four hits in seven innings and struck out 12 for the second consecutive start. “His slider was unhittable.”
“Absolutely filthy,” said Brandon Inge. “Sliders, fastballs, changeups. They weren’t hitting any of it.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was impressed, it’s safe to say.
For six innings, Bonderman was the Da Vinci Code, Rubik’s Cube and the New York Times crossword puzzle, all rolled into one. Not only couldn’t the Brewers solve him, they could barely touch him.
Beginning with a strikeout of Weeks for the second out of the third inning, Bonderman struck out eight of nine hitters, including the final six in a row. The only hitter to make contact over that stretch, Carlos Lee, fouled out to the catcher.
The line that Milwaukee starter Dale Davis put up didn’t look too pretty if you were a Tiger, though. Three hits. One walk. Nine strikeouts. No runs. He added a fourth quality start this month. Leyland’s managing — forcing the Brewers to decide between batting their pitcher with two men on base and two outs, or pulling him in a stellar game — was a good one. I’m sure a lot of Tigers fans called that exact move, bu it’s fun to watch the man at work.
Oh, and Todd Jones worked a 1-2-3 inning again. Has he worked through his problems? Let’s hope so.
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