16th
June
2008
Game 69: put your hands in the air, and wave them like you just don’t care!
posted in 2008 season, L.A. Dodgers |Tigers 5
Dodgers 4
recap:
- Detroit swept the Dodgers out of town in exciting fashion Sunday. Of course Tigers fans were not looking for excitement, as Detroit was the team with a 5-0 lead in the ninth inning and the game ended a lot closer than that. But we’ll take it.
- I’ve noticed a lot of people putting their hands in the air in pictures this weekend. Tiger, Tiger, Kobe, Dale Earnhardt Jr
- Brandon Inge
- Nate Robertson: 6 innings, 4 runs, 47 minute rain delay to think about it in the middle
- Marcus Thames homered again. It seems like a daily thing lately. Thames plays, Thames homers. On the home stand, almost every hit has been a homer for him. That was the case today. His only hit was the long ball.
- Thames and Ingey homered back-to-back.
- Miguel Cabrera helped turn a double play. He also had two hits. That makes 14 in the 10-game homestand, including four multi-hit games.
- Edgar Renteria and Placido Polanco and Brent Clevlen also had two hits apiece.
- Carlos Guillen had three, to show them all how it’s done.
- But in the ninth, Bobby Seay gave up a couple hits, including a home run that ended the Tigers’ chances of a second shutout for the season. Todd Jones got the save. But it was a bit ugly.
- The Tigers won 6 straight and 8 of 10 on a successful homestand.
- Daily Fungo Mike enjoyed the only Starbucks in the Upper Peninsula and his visit to Marquette. It was good to meet a fellow Tigers bloggers. Now the rest of you need a U.P. vacation.
Analysis:
- Detroit has battled back after I (and many others) wrote it off. They are only six games out of first, 1.5 out of second and .5 out of third after the home stand. Always glad to be wrong when that’s the case. If the Tigers can keep this up, and frankly, the schedule gives them a really nice chance at doing so, I’d say they will have completed their comeback to significance in the division.
- They are playing better baseball. That’s why they’re winning. Before, they weren’t playing good baseball. They lost. It’s that simple. I see no reason to believe they’ll return to bad baseball, from the defensive side of things anyway. I think everyone has settled into their new roles. Guillen is playing better at third. Cabrera is playing better at first.
- I trust 4 out of the 5 starting pitchers right now. The bullpen is decent (sans seay’s performance) and getting better with the return of Rodney and Zumaya.
- I feel positive about the Tigers again. It’s a good feeling.
I’m looking forward to this west coast trip not sending me to bed every night at 1am angry that I stayed up.
Look.
First, they’re losing, and despite the alcohol I’ve consumed this is unacceptable.
Second, well….there’s really no second tonight is there.
Kurt? We look for answers.
Throwing Rodney into the fire wasn’t the smartest thing. But the Tigers were going to have to win a close game because the Giants had such a good pitcher.
Mario just said on FSN this is shaping up to be a good series. If the Tigers and Giants are on an even level, it will be a long summer, so he better be wrong.