21st
April
2008
Game 20: Pitchers rule
posted in 2008 season, Random, Toronto Blue Jays |Tigers 5,
Blue Jays1
Recap:
- The day belonged to the Tigers pitchers.
- Armando Galarraga picked up his second win in as many tries with the tigers. He accounts for 28.5% of the Tigers wins.
- He struck out four and allowed four hits in 5-1/3 innings.
- The Tigers bullpen allowed just one run: Todd Jones gave up a home run, keeping the Detroit from a 5-0 shutout.
- Ryan Raburn made up for making the final out Saturday by driving in the first two runs today.
- Pudge Rodriguez, batting second, went 4-for-5.
- Edgar Renteria went 2-for-4 with a home run.
- Miguel Cabrera’s hitting streak ended at 8 games. But he was named AL co-Player of the Week.
- The Tigers finally won a day game after starting the season 0-10 in the afternoon.
- The Tigers went 3-3 on the road trip with Toronto and Cleveland and have won 5 of the last 8.
Analysis:
- Normally I’m not one to get excited over the W-L record of guys, but considering Galarraga’s allowed just two run, I’m more than happy to give him credit for the Tigers’ wins.
- Word of caution: It’s important to note he loads the bases too often. He did it in back-to-back innings today and pitched out of both. But eventually someone’s going to single or double if he can’t cut down the walks some.
- The question is, when Dontrelle Willis is ready, which I’m guessing follows two more Galarraga starts, what happens to the kid? Especially if he’s still throwing the ball this well. It’s good to tuck him away in Toledo but you hate to send away the only one getting the job done.
- But we also must credit the much-aligned bullpen. They allowed 1 run in the series with Toronto. And that one run came in the ninth inning today.
- Before that, the pen had thrown 12-1/3 scoreless innings.
- I truly do believe the pen isn’t all that bad. I know I’m taking a risk in believing it. But right now, it’s hard not to feel a lot better about the pen than the rotation.
- I don’t like Pudge batting second because his OBP just isn’t that good and I think Edgar Renteria would be perfect in the spot. But it was great to see Pudge have four hits and prove me wrong for the day.
- I don’t get why the Tigers couldn’t win any afternoon games before today, either. I think it’s mostly due to playing so many afternoon games and playing so poorly the first week of the season rather than any glaring weakness. I think the Tigers’ day-game record will be a lot closer to .500 by the end of the year than it is now.
- I’ll take a split and winning 5 of the last 8. The Tigers need better starting pitching we can all agree. But the rest of the club is settling in and when the rotation comes along the Tigers should start to climb back up the standings.
