25th
April
2008
Game 23: Tigers sweep Rangers
posted in 2008 season, Texas Rangers |Detroit 8,
Rangers 2
Recap:
- The Tigers swept a second team in a week. They beat the Twins in two games last week.
- Magglio Ordonez homered in the third and fifth inning, accounting for four runs for the game.
- Curtis Granderson had a lead off home run. Ol’ Grandy’s back all right.
- Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn homered back-to-back.
- It’s hard to believe the Rangers only scored two runs because it felt like Jeremy Bonderman had a rough game. He gave up just a solo homer in the first and a walked in run in the fifth.
- The Tigers’ bullpen again came through, however.
- Zach Miner pitched out of the bases loaded jam left by Bonderman in the fifth. He earned the win for it.
- He went on to pitch for 3 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings.
- Bobby Seay pitched a Todd Jones’ian ninth, giving up two hits but no runs.
- Carlos Guillen sat out the game due to the ball he fouled off his knee Tuesday.
- Jacque Jones rammed himself into the wall and flipped into the crowd in an attempt to make a catch. He didn’t make the catch and injured himself.
Analysis:
- I didn’t get to see anything after the fifth inning so I can’t really comment how Miner or Seay looked but I continue being pleased with the turnaround by the bullpen.
- The Tigers held the Rangers to two-runs twice this series. Not too shabby.
- Bonderman struggled to find the strike zone, even walking a No. 9 hitter. But like Justin Verlander earlier this week, it didn’t bite him. Except that one run.
- I think a fair question to ask is why the Tigers starters walk so many batters. The team is second in the MLB in walks issued (behind Texas). It gets frustrating to watch.
- But in any case, the Tigers saw a struggling Rangers team this week and took advantage of the situation. That’s what they needed to do, and it was pretty fun to watch.
