Monroe traded

Craig Monroe was traded to the Cubs. I believe the Cubs and Brewers (along with Mets?) were all thought to be possible trade partners for Monroe, who was DFAd Friday after hitting a seasonlong wall. The Tigers will receive a player to be named by Oct. 15.

Just a reminder, Tigers management still gets to select a Cardinal by Sept. 15.

Indians 11, Tigers 8

In action Wednesday, the Tigers led 3-1 when Carlos Guillen hit a towering home run to right field. Then Justin Verlander self destructed in the fourth and fifth frames. It was hard to watch. Cleveland just kept putting hit after hit after hit after hit on the board until the score was 8-1. I thought it was over. (Well, it was over). But the Tigers battled back to 8-6 thanks to homers by Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames.

And then the bullpen (cough Tim Byrdak) allowed the game to get out of hand. … Wait a minute. This game is following the same plan every loss does, wasn’t it? Until the ninth inning when Detroit battled back to 11-8 in the ninth inning with two runners on for Pudge Rodriguez. Well, by now you’ve heard, he so hates to be walked, he prefers to lose and important pennant race game to a division rival. So he struck out by swinging at balls 4 and 5. And that was that.

Up, down, down, up, these Tigers just keeping finding the same ways to lose. They obviously miss a healthy Gary Sheffield, and not only is he taking the home series off, it sounds like he may need to rest longer than that. Just my guess, but he is not the same player the rest of the season that he was before. The injury stems from a collision with Placido Polanco.

Also, Cameron Maybin made his first start at Comerica Park. Defense, eh. Offense, two doubles. He’ll come around. He runs so funny though. He looks like a race horse with a long stride and he’s at first base in what seems like 3 leaps. And we thought Curtis Granderson was a triple threat, wait for this kid to find the gaps at Comerica Park in a year or two!

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Tigers 2, Cleveland 1

I couldn’t watch. I mean, I really couldn’t watch. Work. But even if I could watch, I’d have been afraid to watch. Fortunately, Jair Jurrjens and the bullpen (!) had full control over the situation, and the Tigres pulled within 1/2 game of the Central lead by one-hitting Cleveland.

Notably, Joel Zumaya pitched in the seven, while the eighth and ninth were pitched by Fernando Rodney and Todd Jones. It’s amazing to type that as if it’s something special. But, that’s baseball. Hopefully, Zoomer, Rodney and Jones pitching in late innings with the lead successfully becomes more commonplace again. But as important as they were, the star of the night was again JJ.

The only hit was the only run, as Jhonny Peralta homered off Jurrjens in the sixth. Before that, JJ allowed just a walk to the leadoff batter of the game and another in the fifth inning. After that, he gave up a pair of walks. So he spread his baserunners out pretty good and got a pair of double plays. Defense obviously contributed pretty well.

Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen both homered. Curtis Granderson had a double. Those three hits were all Fausto Carmona allowed, but the Tigers only needed two runs. Maggs apparently was fan-aided, from the replays.

It was a good old-fashioned Tigers win, basically. Wish I could have seen it!

I don’t know if Jurrjens will keep his starting role if Kenny Rogers comes back healthy. Probably not. But I still doubt Rogers comes back healthy. In any case, it’s good to see he can make it at the major league level, and that fact alone could save the Tigers millions in the offseason so they could put the money toward places it is better spent. Of course, it is only two starts… But so far, so good.

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Indians 5, Tigers 2

You can be a bit upset that the Tigers lost, I guess. But honestly, they won Tuesday. The team is suffering from flu-like symptoms. The lineup was missing a few key figures, and present were some guys not feeling the best. Jair Jurrjens made his MLB debut. Fausto Carmona is both fun to say and spell, and a good pitcher. So I don’t know. I expected a loss. Can’t really feel too bad.

I thought Jurrjens pitched pretty well, given the circumstances and, well, that he’s 21. Given Andrew Miller’s poor outing in Toledo tonight (more later) I think he will get another start next week. Jurrjens (pronounced uhm, any way you like, from my observations of FSN, Jim Price and Dan Dickerson) threw 62 strikes in 104 pitches, walked 2, allowed 5 hits (a home run) and struck out three. He even lasted seven innings, something more starters should try. Given the Indians have several good lefties, I think the results were fine.

The bullpen? Meh. Bobby Seay walked too many. Including left-handed Travis Haffner with the bases loaded. What kinda LOOGY does that? Jason Grilli, of all people, bailed Seay out.

The offense just didn’t make much happen. The meat of the lineup, and Curtis Granderson, were present. But not much else.

Grandy, it should be noted, got his 19th triple.

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Bunt Singles:

• And in Toledo, Miller gave up five runs with two outs in the first inning. He had five walks and four strikeouts in three innings. So it doesn’t look like Miller is ready to come back to the MLB. To be honest, I think he shouldn’t continue as a starter this year because of putting so many innings on his arm. Maybe he can work as a reliever for the rest of the season.

• And then there’s Joel Zumaya. He was targeted to pitch 20. He only lasted seven. That’s because six pitches were for strikes and three were for outs in a perfect inning. No clue about velocity or anything else. I’ll be looking for stories, too. He’ll pitch Saturday, and then appears to be ready to return to Detroit and make us very, very happy fans.
• And finally, the deadline for signing 2007 draftees was reached. A complete list isn’t out yet, but the Tigers added Casey Crosby and Cole Iorg to the list that already included first rounder Rick Porcello.
• For more on the draft picks, see Take 75 North.
• Possibly the most interesting story on signing a draft pick didn’t come from a sports section or blog, but from a mother who happens to be the managing editor of a suburban Chicago newspaper: Denise Crosby. (hat-tip: many!)
• Finally, Kyle Sleeth and Kody Kirkland were removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Porcello, who is required to be there, and Jair Jurrjens, who needed a spot as well.
• Optimistically, the Tigers would like your postseason dollars, season ticket holders.

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Tigers 6, Indians 2

WHEW!!!! I said that more than once. So many times, this high-tension, high-importance game had me on the edge of my seat. Holy cow. Did this have the feeling of a pennant race game or what? Man. Feeling of dread. Feeling of excitement. Feeling of dread. Feeling of excitement. Even Rollercoaster Jones couldn’t make such ups and downs, though he of course tried.

There were a few major moments in the late innings.

• Curtis Granderson made a diving catch with two outs and two runners on with a 2-2 tie in the 8th. He looked like he wouldn’t catch up to the ball, but again, Grandy made the gold-glove defensive play.
• Fernando Rodney gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, then struck out the side. The most exciting pitch was a a 98 mph fastball that blew by the batter.
• Granderson walked and later scored in the 10th, but the real excitement came when MVP’lio Ordonez hit a three-run homer to left field. Indians closer Joe Borowski may be more hated than Todd Jones after that one. Couldn’t see it happen to a better team.

And the Tigers won a, not necessarily must-win, but a really-really-really-want-to win game. Jair Jurrjens makes his major league debut Wednesday on ESPN, so a win today was almost required for the Tigers to split the series. Not that I don’t have confidence in the kid, but he’s coming up from AA, he’s 21, and his MLB debut is on national TV. So it’s good to see Jeremy Bonderman and company make it by CC Sabathia and company.
Man, that was exciting wasn’t it?

Bunt Singles:

• A german language blog I keep forgetting to mention launched.
• Booth Newspaper’s and MLive’s Danny Knobler takes the prize for being the sole beat writer to report correct Porcellos contract was for $7.3M. A few others reported $7.7M. Accuracy counts and Knobler got it right.
• Gladstone lost in the Little League Softball World Series semifinals on ESPN2 tonight, but congratulations to the U.P. team for making it so far and representing Michigan and their fellow yoopers so well at the tournament!

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Tigers 12, Indians 3

The Tigers fans needed that as much as the players, I’m sure. Actually, more. The players were probably not all that concerned with where they are in the season. The fans, on the other hand, were freaking out or feeling ready to throw things. It’s nice to send Cleveland packing with a nine-run loss and cut their AL Central lead the one game. Better yet, the only loss to the Indians was ever-so-close to being a win. Yah, it’s still a loss, but at least it was a close game.  So I think we can feel fine at this point, just past the halfway mark on the year with a 49-34 record.

This game should have been a pitchers’ duel with CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander on the mound. In fact, for many people, it looked like a duel to see who would be the American League’ starting pitcher at the All-Star Game.  Verlander, more or less, kept his end of the bargain up. He gave up three runs to a very good offense, including one that was pretty much outside his hands when Carlos Guillen made a bad decision, turning a single in a two-base error. But he also struck out seven and lasted seven innings, walking nobody. (Side note: Oakland’s Dan Haren should start the All-Star Game. Period)

The Tigers batters just pounded Sabathia and his relievers all day. A 4-run third and five-run sixth carried the day, of course, but Detroit put 17 hits on the board, so it was a pretty good day at the dish.  The 2-3-5 batters (Polanco, Sheffield, Guillen) all homered for the Tigers. Left out of the longball, all Magglio Ordonez did was go 3-for-4 in the 4-spot.

Just awesome all around.

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Detroit 6, Cleveland 4

Well, I’m pretty sure everyone made up for himself with tonight’s game. Carlos Guillen made a key defensive play and key two-out triple. Pudge made a key two-out triple. The bullpen didn’t do too bad for itself. And Todd Jones — no blame for last night — had another 1-2-3 inning. Kenny Rogers said he didn’t pitch that good, and he still got the win, so that says it.

I didn’t actually see either of the defensive gems that stood out, as I was listening to the radio outside. But Dan Dickerson very excitedly described a diving catch by Marcus Thames that probably saved a run. Later, a line drive over Rogers’ head was stabbed by Carlos Guillen for the final out, possibly preventing three runs. Right there, those 3 runs could have given Cleveland the win.

The Tigers will try to move within a game when two all stars — Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia — meet up in the rubber match.

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Bunt Singles:

Bondo is losing to a guy from Boston. We can’t let Red Sox Nation win out, can we? Vote Bondo!

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Sometimes it’s best just to step away from the blog and go “Eh, whatever” after a particularly annoying loss. (See part 1: I’m not even going to blog that for immediate postgame thoughts.) But I know, the readers want a few thoughts, so here goes:

• Don’t blame new Tiger Jose Capellan for the 11th inning loss. I mean, it’s pretty easy, he’s go the “L” next to his name right? He got 2 outs in the 11th and a strike and gave up the game with a homer to Casey Blake. But really, how can this kid shoulder the blame when the offense becomes inept in the 10th inning? He deserved the win for his play in the 10th inning, and sure, deserved the loss for his play in the 11th. But more than anything, the team seriously shoulders the loss. If Capellan pitches like that, he’s going to keep a spot in the bullpen and make us happy fans more often than not.
• But can he keep pitching like that?
• I forgot where I read this first, so I can’t take credit for it, but I pass it on: Isn’t it ironic that a wild pitch by Cleveland may have helped them win? (Stress may). When the runners moved up to second and third base, it took the bat out of Magglio Ordonez’ hands. Obviously, it looked pretty good when the bat was in Carlos Guillen’s hands. But with a runner in scoring position, would you rather face Maggs and Guillen, or Guillen and Pudge? Pudge is no Magglio.
• The loss wasn’t the end of the world. Lord knows, the Tigers will lose some games like this. And they lost a game on the Indians for the division lead. But pretty much, if you wanna pretend to look at the wild card magic number for a moment, well, Minnesota and Seattle lost too. It’s just an “L,” not a big deal to those who may try to make it into more.
• A really, really annoying loss, obviously. But just one.

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Bunt Singles:

• I couldn’t decide if this was a bunt single or not, but I’m ready to start Marcus Thames in left field full time. He’s not a big defensive drop from Monroe, and despite his pedestrian numbers, I’d just like to see what he can do if given a few weeks of steady action. Hey, can’t get any worse than Monroe’s slump, can it? (Update: Someone reads my blog! … yah right)
• Joel Zumaya visited his doctor and learned he can begin tossing the ball again. He’ll start after the All-Star break. This probably means Zumaya comes back sooner than the September date being thrown around. But Zumaya showed his maturity by sticking with the September date. If his body heals and rebuilds faster, great. If not, he’s not going to force it. I bet late August. We still won’t know if he’s the old Zoomer until he’s on the mound for real.
• The Dallas Morning News still expects the Tigers to be involved in trade talks for closer Eric Gagne and doesn’t expect it to be too expensive to get him, due to the money he’ll be owed. (Hat-tip Motown Sports forums)
• Jason Beck reports the Tigers will play on ESPN Sunday Night baseball against the Angels July 29 for a fifth and final time, the most allowed by contract.

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Tigers 9, Indians 2

Well then. Isn’t that much better?  Suddenly, the skies are bluer, the grass is shorter, and everything feels fine again. It’s funny that two baseball victories can make everything so much more palatable.

After Friday’s loss, which left me at a loss of words, and when not at a loss for words, none that I would feel comfortable printing in my blog, it seemed like nothing would go right ever again for the Tigers. The awful, awful bullpen had blown two straight games, and Friday, three four-run leads, including one in the ninth inning. Yah, we had reason to feel gloom, I’d say.

Then Saturday, the clouds started to clear with a four-run victory. Now, Sunday, the sun is shining again — figuratively, mind you –  with a 9-2 win. More or less, with the left side of the Tigers’ infield injured and both setup men on the disabled list, the Tigers managed to rally together and pull out two victories and nearly a third. I feel much better now. Don’t you?

About today’s game: Basically all you need to know are two things. 1) Jeremy Bonderman started. 2) the bullpen didn’t blow it. Given he hasn’t lost in 13 games, according to FSN or ESPN or some alphabet. He gave up his first inning runs — a two-run homer by Victor Martinez — but otherwise pitched exactly as an ace should. It’s good Detroit has two of them.

Five extra base hits — two doubles by Craig Monroe, a homer by Sheffield — helped put up nine runs. It almost feels like this lineup is good for six or seven runs per game.

And now we have an off day Monday, so both the team and fans can catch our breath. Despite the two-game winning streak, I’d say it’s much needed.

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I have no comment.

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Cleveland a bunch, Tigers a lot less

It’s not that the final result, a W for Cleveland, an L for Detroit, bothers me all that much. Cleveland must win these games. They have to kick the Tigers when they’re down. If the Indians had a two-man bench and half its bullpen injured, we’d be demanding a Tigers sweep. So be it.

But like I said, it’s how they lost. Gary Sheffield blew up. When the Tigers led. I was trying to avoid the impossible May heat by sitting in the backyard with the radio and couldn’t see the reactions myself, but I trust Lee’s read on it, which was that Sheffield shocked his teammates.

AND THAT WASN’T THE WORST OF IT! Or maybe it was. But the pitching staff had meltdowns in different ways.

Take young Mr. Verlander, who found it fitting to hit three batters. He also gave up seven runs.

And then we have the most useless player on the team. I was not all for the beating up on Neifi Perez. There’s something redeeming about Neifi. Maybe it’s because he came here in a trade. I don’t know. But Jose Mesa. He’s just wasting Detroit’s money right now. He stinks. Awful. Bad. Really Awful. Really Bad. And I repeat those words because the ones I was using at the time, and really, in my head right now, can’t be printed in a family-friendly blog. I want him to turn his Olde English hat, and his Olde English jersey, and to get on an airplane out of Cleveland and leave. I don’t want to see him put the Tigers uniform ever again. Cut ties now. Oh yah, he gave up four runs after the Tigers rallied to within two runs, if you wondered. (Update: Bilfer expanded on this rant with a full post titled “Why is Jose Mesa still a Tiger?”)

Well, anyway, what’s done is done. I expect a sweep at worst, one win at best, over the rest of the weekend. This had better be rock bottom. I find it hard to believe it can get any worse than this the rest of the season. That would be truly awful to have to watch if it could.

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