9th
June
2008
Game 62: Galarraga deals
posted in 2008 season, Cleveland Indians |Tigers 5
Indians 2
Recap:
- The Tigers are now 62 games into the season, and they “improved” to 10 games under .500. They now have 100 games left to show us what they’re made of.
- Armando Galarraga, however, has shown us what he’s made of. In almost every start he’s made — Sunday included — he whas ben awesome. After coming out of the bullpen in the previous game in a split-start with Dontrelle Willis, he allowed four hits and two runs with two walks. He came without an out of grabbing another quality start. But with a little help from Casey Fossum, the team had a solid pitching start to the day.
- Fossum, Zach Miner, Freddy Dolsi and Todd Jones all threw in relief. Some with more luck than others.
- Miner didn’t have it. He left the bases loaded for Dolsi. And the kid knew exactly what to do in THAT situation.
- He struck the next two batters out. Crisis averted.
- Placido Polanco had two hits and two RBIs.
- Miguel Cabrera had two hits.
- Curtis Granderson homered off a left-handed pitcher.
- Magglio Ordonez DH’d again. I’m digging defense in the outfield. The kids haven’t recorded any outfield assists this weekend, but it’s only a matter of time.
- Clay Rapada was called up from Toledo.
Analysis:
- An interesting bullpen question will soon arise, as I think most expected the available pitching spot on the Tigers’ roster would go to Aquilino Lopez when he came back from bereavement leave. Bringing up Rapada means someone’s going to end up in Toledo soon. But who?
- Miner hasn’t had too many problems lately, nor has he been all that great. He walks too many people, as he did again Sunday.
- But in all likelyhood, it’s Casey Fossum, despite his nice showing today, I think Miner’s going to stick around for the season. Leyland likes him. He shouldn’t pitch in the 8th and maybe he won’t need to any more.
- Miguel Cabrera is starting to look like a hitter. Honestly, I wish everyone who has decided he’s a bust would take a few deep breaths and remember he’s two months into his career with a new club in a new league while playing a new position. There might be a few growing pains. But I still think it’s a pretty safe bet he’s going to turn in a great career with the Tigers when it’s all said and done.
- My advice to doubters: Lay off him a bit so you won’t look so silly in the future.
- Bilfer reallllly liked Dolsi today. Maybe a bit too much.
- Dating back to the Angels series, which the Tigers lost, and the A’s series, in which the Tigers were swept, honestly, I think Detroit has been playing some good baseball for about a week now. It’s good to see them start to be rewarded for it. They have to win the series today, though, to start to cement their gains. It’ll be tough against baseball’s best pitcher of 2008, so it should be a real test to see what they’re made of.
Amen about Cabrera. Do people really think he forgot how to hit? The guy put up Hall-of-Fame numbers with the Marlins and will do it with the Tigers soon.
I think the Cabrera stuff is a real thin line. Sure, he’s got a track record that suggests he’ll turn it around. But the same thing can be said for every single player who has ever fallen off the cliff before. Great players have stopped being great mid career since baseball started. I don’t think it’s a given that Cabrera will bounce back. I think that’s really wishful thinking. I know every Tiger fan wants him to, why wouldn’t we? Personally, I think he will bounce back to and he’ll probably be right around .300 when the season ends but that doesn’t mean he just gets a free pass on being way below his level of play for two months. That doesn’t make any sense. He hasn’t earned that in Detroit just yet.
Blake,
Do you think this is “mid career” for Cabrera? The guy’s 25. Name me players of his caliber who stopped being great. It’s not as if Cabrera had one great season with the Marlins.
Carolyn,
You are clearly the biggest Cabrera fan in the world and I give you kudos for that, you know how to stick with a player. I can’t name anyone off hand who has fallen off like this but I’ll look into it and post at on my blog tonight.
Blake,
Thanks. I live in South Florida and watched him for 4 1/2 years with the Marlins. With the exception of A-Rod and Pujols, there wasn’t a better hitter in the majors. He’ll get his groove on soon.
So his OPS+ is down to 117 in the first two months of the season, from 150 the previous year. I think, you know, you should probably wait at least a year before you judge a player in those terms, Blake.
Yeah, I realize that. My point is only this: It could be that this is the player he is now. That’s it. I’m not trying to dig the guy’s grave. I just feel like most people say that he’ll get it going, he’ll figure it out. I’m just saying, maybe he won’t. That’s all. There are examples of it happening before so why wouldn’t it happen to him. That’s all.