Game 162: Tigers blow division by 90 feet
posted in KC Royals, The Stretch Run |6-0 lead. Not enough. Jeremy Bonderman couldn’t prevent it. Fernando Rodney couldn’t prevent it. A Matt Stairs home run couldn’t prevent it. The three guys who loaded the bases for Detroit in the 11th couldn’t prevent it. The baseball gods — and Kansas City Royals — did not want to see the Tigers win the Central Division this year. Brandon Inge nearly walked off with a grand slam in the 11th, but the ball went wide left like a Michigan State field goal attempt. His teammates were about ready to charge the field, half climbed over a fence. I hope the photographers got the reaction shot as they climbed back over. That’s the shot of the day. Inge tried again, and the ball skipped foul down the third-base line, tricking Todd Jones. That was that. He followed it up with a strikeout. Curtis Granderson did, too. Royals score in the 12th and it’s over.
Tigers will put that champagne away, put their toothbrushes on the bus, as Tom Gage pointed out, and head to the Bronx as the wildcard team after leading the Central Division since mid-May. Their five-game losing streak won’t matter. Getting swept at home won’t matter. They’re in the playoffs. Let’s hope that matters. What a woefully Detroit way to end the season. I guess as fans of Michigan sports, we should be used to this by now.
Jason Beck: [T]he Tigers have to go to New York, they’d have three prime time games — Tuesday at 8 p.m. on FOX, Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN, then Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN back in Detroit.
FSN said 8 for Wednesday. They also said Justin Verlander will start. We’ll have to get confirmation of that still. It’s a good oportunity. While he is in all likelyhood rookie of the year, he’ll get an introduction on a big stage in primetime. I hope he makes the best of it.
Maybe in a few weeks, maybe in a few months, and 100% for sure in a few years, this isn’t going to matter in the least. This was a magical Detroit team that surpassed all expectations and we’ll remember several as household names a dozen years from now.
But holy cow, it sucks right now. 90 feet short.
Sphere It
How can they beat the yankees in the playoffs if that cant even beat one of the worst teams in baseball sorry to say it but yankees sweep.
Thanks for the anonymous comment.
The Yankees lost 13 of 16 to end the season in 2000 before winning the world series, and that team did not even win 90 games. The season starts anew. You cannot read into it until it starts.
The pitching staff really fell through in the past week, but when the playoffs start, as long as it shows up again, and who can say for certain if it will or will not? — anything is possible.
Bottom line:
You. Just. Do. Not. Know.
Kurt, I’m disgusted with the way they finished the season but I agree with you that anything can happen in the playoffs. I’ve been waiting for this for 19 years and I’m going to enjoy it.
Lee
Wow. The season comes down to beating the Royals once out of three to win the divsion.
Tigers fail.
Then, the season comes down to holding a six run lead against the worst team in baseball AT HOME.
Tigers Fail.
Finally, all they had to do was score WITH BASES LOADED and one out against Joe freaking Nelson and –honestly here— Jimmy Gobble.
Tigers fail.
But, hey good luck in the postseason.
The world series goes through TWINS TERRITORY.
night.
Actualy, it goes through Yankees territory and you’re deluding yourself if you believe otherwise.
Kurt, I agree with you that it was an extremely crappy way for the season to end, I was up out of my chair when Inge hit what I thought was going to be a game winning grand slam…only to see it go foul. As for the postseason, here is my attempt to look at the positive side after an extremely crappy weeked (and boy am I glad I am not a Lions fan)… In my opinion, I believe that we have a better chance to beat the Yankees in a 5 game series than we would in a 7 game series. A shorter series allows for good pitching to take over, and hopefully the pitching staff will come around by Tuesday night. No matter what happens, the rest is just icing…going into the season I was hoping for a .500 record. It was awesome to see the Tigers exceed expectations, and the future looks very bright with all the young arms on their staff and coming up. Offensively they are still lacking, but good pitching will win you a lot of games. It is my favorite time of the year, and this year not only will I get to cheer against the Yankees (I usually adopt the team that is playing them), but I will get to root for the Tigers as well.
My bright side is that I can watch both A’s and Tigers games, although it has been pointed out to me the A’s stand no chance.