Game 161: Lowering expectations by the minute
posted in KC Royals, Random, The Stretch Run |Raise your hand if you thought the division title would go down to the final day? Okay, maybe a few people said it a month or two ago, but who really means it when they say it? Raise your hand if you thought the division title would go down to the final day… about 5 hours ago. Okay, so like, no one. Thought so. Detroit lost, 9-6 to the Royals. The Tigers led by as much as -7 in the game. Oh wait. They trailed by seven in the first inning, which starter Zach Miner did not make it out of. Ah yes.
Generally I dislike headlines that say things like “Tigers blow chance” or something in the middle of August. or even September. But when your magic number is, I don’t know, 1 and you lose, that’s pretty much the definition of “Tigers blow chance.”
No spin. Nothing good here. Just an annoying loss after a rain delay — too bad it wans’t a downpour until midnight or something. I don’t know if rain affected things, KC’s pitcher didn’t make it out of the third inning. But the game leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Still, a win or Twins loss Sunday and Detroit can celebrate — I wouldn’t really recommend it at this point — a Central Division title. Jeremy Bonderman is on the mound. That would be somewhat symbolic I guess. We’ll see. If not, then they’ll have been swept by the Royals and enter the playoffs on a 5 game losing streak. Which may not mean much, or it might, we won’t know til next week. But it’s not exactly how you script it.
Sphere It
I think Leyland could not care less whether they win the title or not. They are going to the playoffs and that’s all he is interested in. It’s frustrating because most fans I’ve run across want the title and have been pretty emotional about the games this week. Hopefully, his focus on the playoffs will work out for the best in the end.
I have to say that if I were Leyland, I’d rather play the A’s than the Yankees.
There’s a cool interview with Ernie Harwell from ESPN’s GameNight on the front page of ESPNRadio.com right now.
If they pull it, it might be found at:
mms://espnrad.wmod.llnwd.net/a843/o10/gn_060928_eh.wma