12th
April
2008
Game 11: At least it didn’t end in a no-hitter
posted in Random |Chicago 7,
Detroit 0
Recap:
- You know how they say “it was closer than the score indicated”? My response is usually akin to “If that’s true, the score would have been closer.” In today’s case, I think both apply.
- Chicago pitcher Gavin Floyd took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He came within five outs of one. The only Tiger to derail the no hitter was again Edgar Renteria (Last week when the Tigers were three-hit, he had all three hits.) Brandon Inge added a ninth inning hit on Bobby Jenks.
- Gametime temp was in the upper 30s and it was raining.
- Justin Verlander kept the game closer until the eighth inning, only allowing a home run and two hits until that point.
- Jim Leyland apparently wanted to save his bullpen by keeping Verlander the eighth, but he just couldn’t finish it off. Had Placido Polanco gone with the head’s up play and completed a double play at first, maybe it would have been a 1-0 final. But I don’t fault Polanco at all for not making that play.
- But again, Verlander just couldn’t stop the bleeding and ended up accounting for 6 of the runs after loading the bases with a walk and two hit batters (one a scary hit to the helmet). He was probably struggling with his grip. Jim Thome sure was, he tossed a bat into the stands. It probably should have been rain delayed.
- In any case, Verlander couldn’t get the out, and Leyland wouldn’t bring in any relief help until th game was out of hand. A 1-0 eighth inning game turned into a 7-0 ninth inning game.
- Game over.
Analysis
- Verlander did exactly what was asked of him. The ace came through. Too bad the offense got stymied and the weather sucked and the manager left him dangling out there in the eighth inning. But he preserved the bullpen, and gave the Tigers a chance to win. Verlander is to be commended. Too bad the stats are so ugly.
- Where was Bobby Seay? When, exactly, is the lefty specialist going to be used against a lefty? Jim Thome didn’t hurt the Tigers all by himself in the eighth. Lefty A.J. Pierzynski, however, put the dagger through the Tigers by clearing the loaded bases. Maybe Leyland figured it was a lost cause, so he saved Seay for Sunday. But it was only 2-0 so I don’t think he would have thrown in the towel. I really don’t know. But a continuing theme this year is Leyand’s strange use of his bullpen.
- 2-9. Crappy start to the year indeed.
- The Tigers were shut out for the third time this year. The “1,000-run-lineup” is off to a hilarious start.
- The defense played pretty well and Miguel Cabrera may actually have looked better playing first for his first game ever than Carlos Guillen looks at the position. With a sore hamstring, Guillen had the game off.
- I kind of expect to lose to Chicago, based on the previous few years. But the Tigers really have to win a series by coming out Sunday afternoon (TV: WGN for you guys outside of Michigan).
Update:
- Jason Beck gives Polanco’s take on the eighth inning play he didn’t make that changed everything. Polanco said his first instinct was to throw home.
- I maintain a well-oiled team probably makes the right play for the DP to get out of the inning, but I really don’t think we can fault Polly for not making it. It’s not automatic and without an infield that has played together for a long time, the communication isn’t going to be second nature.
