Game 153: Tigers fall…nearly into second
posted in Baltimore Orioles, The Stretch Run |Detroit opened its final 10 games of the season with a loss. Much can be said about the lineup, or lack thereof, but I wasn’t too upset. You can’t put the A team out every game, especially when it’s not really needed. With the hectic schedule — the team arrived at 2:30 a.m. reportedly for a 4 p.m. game — and with having started his best guys (minus Neifi) for the Sox series, Jim Leyland took a bit of a break. It nearly worked out. Unfortunately, Nate Robertson, who chose to travel with the team rather than ahead of them, and Fernando Rodney let in two runs too many and the good guys lost, 4-3.
You knew it was going to be trouble when the Orioles kept loading the bases. They’d have to be successful eventually. And let’s be fair, while Nate didn’t have the best of days, he certainly didn’t have the worst. Rodney is just sorta a wildcard when he comes in. He’s been good more times than not, but today, he just wasn’t. With the lineup and the slipup in pitching (and how many teams would like to allow 4 runs? that’s not a bad showing) Baltimore won on a day the Tigers would have had off if not for rain. So be it. Really, I am just not that offended. We want to win the division, and maybe a day off will help.
Minnesota and Chicago were both shut out, so Detroit didn’t lose its grip on first place for more than a few hours (by a few hundredths of a point) and Chicago only helped the clinch number get to the point we could see a playoff-clinching celebration in Kansas City this weekend.
The lineup? It wasn’t ideal. But I’m glad the team is at the point it doesn’t have to battle with its best nine players out there every…single… night. I’m sure Leyland would tell you he needed to reward some players for their hard work, or had to look at them before deciding on a 25-man roster for the first round, or just wanted to rest guys. Just remember, he didn’t do it because he’s an idiot. He had a reason for it, even if he doesn’t tell us what that reason is. He has been through all this a few times, once rather successfully.
Mostly we, as fans, have not. That’s not to say he’s infallible. He’d admit as such. But he doesn’t do these things just for giggles, either.
[An aside: Omar Infante did not need rest. Why wasn't he playing? I don't blame Neifi personally for any of this, and as Leyland says, there's not really any reason for fans to make him a lightning rod, but there's also no reason to play him.
Another aside: As mad as people get at Jim Leyland, if you read other blogs or forums, you'll find people hate every manager, title contender or cellar dwellars alike. I think it's just part of being a fan. So, continue.]
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I didn’t think Chris Shelton needed rest yesterday, either.