Game 120: Verlander misses strike zone, 15th win
posted in Boston Red Sox, Random |Justin Verlander walked six Red Sox batters — a seventh was intentional. Those walks led to three runs. And the Tigers lost, 6-4, at Fenway Park after he gave up a 2-out, bases-loaded hit in the sixth inning.
Verlander just didn’t really have it. He admitted as much. He only had his fastball today. Last outing, the White Sox hammered pretty much everything but his fast ball, so it was probably the same case. Or it got in his head a wee bit. In his last three starts, he’s given up five, four, and three runs (going backwards from Wednesday). Coupling his tired arm with his recent performances, it is a bit disconcerting. It’s not panic time. But it’s something worth nothing. He probably shouldn’t have been going six innings anyway, but especially not when he was having so much trouble with his control through five innings. It’s not often I question Jim Leyland, but I wasn’t really in favor of the sixth inning, period, little lone leaving him in when he loaded up the bases.
I can’t complain about much else. Brent Clevlen’s home run right out of Fenway Park altogether was awesome. I’m really, really liking this guy. Can he keep it up in the long run? It’ll be interesting to see. I’d really like to see him get more playing time, but Leyland picks and chooses to give his players the best chance at success, so Clevlen’s three homers in 17 at-bats could be due to that. It was nice of Magglio Ordonez to get his first homer since before the All-Star break. Maybe he can add a few more. I liked Pudge leading off the game with a 10-pitch at-bat. Hopefully he keeps doing that. I didn’t like him swinging at the first pitch of the night, though. Oh, and I still like Craig Monroe. Great throw from the outfield to get Alex Cora out.
If you had told me the Tigers would take 2-of-3 in Fenway Park, I’d have been happy. So, having done that, I won’t be annoyed too long when I look at it with perspective. I’ll admit I was rather annoyed at the time because Detroit probably should have taken this game. Plus, the wins-losses figuring I did back in July? Detroit’s only 1 game less than I pegged them at for today. So that’s still more than a 100-win season if they stay on my conservative guesses.
Mark Grudzielanek, 2B for KC, was expected to be traded to the Tigers today. He wasn’t. He signed a contract extension instead. I don’t know how serious the rumors were, if it was something the Tigers were pursuing at all or not. But MLB.com reported it.
With Chicago’s defeat at the bats of Kansas City, Detroit’s playoff RIOT number (similar to magic number) is apparently 30 31 and is 36 for a Central title. If I’m reading this right. This is calculated by folks at Berkeley using remaining schedule information. (Hat tip bilfer at DTW).
Aaargh! Don’t you know that publicly stating the magic number before it goes below 30 is bad luck?
I have been calculating it in my head for the last week, but I haven’t dared to speak the number out loud.
If the Tigers fail to make the playoffs, I will hold you personally responsible.
This is a good place to see where teams stand in the various races:
http://www.coolstandings.com/baseball_team.asp?id=DET&sn=2006
I figured RIOT numbers had different rules