Tigers 2
Mariners 1
(15 innings)

Recap:

• As they say, no one saw that one coming!
• The Tigers won in the 15th inning after the Mariners trotted out their backup catcher to the mound. He only allowed one run. But that’s all it took.
• Miguel Cabrera doubled off him, then pinch-runner Michael Hollimon went to third on an awful throw before scoring on a sac. And then, somehow, the backup catcher (or is that backup backup?) got out of the inning without allowing any more hits.
• But that’s not all that was weird.
• Nate Robertson pitched what would have been a complete game had it ended in nine innings. He did so in 100 pitches and allowed just the one run.
• In 15 inning the teams combined for 14 hits and left 23 on base.
• The Tigers bullpen only gave up two hits in six innings of work.
• Of the Tigers’ 8 hits, Pudge had four.

Analysis

• I’m sure I wasn’t the only one awaiting a devastating loss at some point! Thankfully the Tigers survived the runner getting to second a few times in extras.
• A wins’ a win, but it wasn’t what I’d call the kind of successful road trip the Tigers needed. They ended up losing ground on both teams above them.
• I think we’re seeing how much Detroit misses Magglio Ordonez and a healthy Miguel Cabrera. Three games in Seattle the Tigers scored 2 or less runs. That’s definitely not a good sign.
• Thankfully Detroit gets a day off and then faces a struggling Indians team that apparently just traded CC Sabathia.

Share/Email This

Tigers 7
Mariners 5

Recap:

• The Tigers won on a Sunday for the first time all season.
• After the starting pitchers — Jeremy Bonderman and Seattle’s Miguel Batista — both put together quality starts, the bullpens for both teams made a mess in the ninth inning.
• This was good news for the Tigers, who touched Michigan-native JJ Putz for four runs to break a 3-3 tie.
• This was bad news for Todd Jones, who gave back half of that lead before getting his first out of the day. But ultimately, he got the job done in typical Jones’ “this shouldn’t be so interesting but don’t worry” fashion.
• With two hits and two RBIs, Miguel Cabrera had a nice hitting day in his return to the five slot after spending the previous two days No. 6.
• Curtis Granderson had a three-run day.
• Carlos Guillen played left field for the first time and seemed to do a decent enough job. (Separate post forthcoming)
• Detroit is one game out of third place (Cleveland).

Analysis:

• I’ll start with that last point. This season has sucked, obviously. It’s just been one big disappointment. And yet the Tigers are one game behind the Indians. Now obviously at some point, we have to start turning our attention to the fact maybe they aren’t the team to beat in the division this year — if there is one. Right now it’s Chicago and the White Sox are 6 games up. But seeing as it’s June 1 and if anyone knows a lot can change in the final two months of the year, it’s Tigers fans, then I guess the season isn’t worth throwing away quite yet.
• The Tigers had to have a late innings comeback eventually. I know they’ve had a few this season, but nothing too dramatic recently. They rallied from a run down in the 7th and really put on a show in the eighth ninth.

Share/Email This

Tigers 9
Mariners 4

Long day, short post game. I’ll have a reaction to Dontrelle Willis heading to the bullpen Thursday night.

Recap:

• The offense came to play for the second game and the Tigers won two in a row for the first time, er, this month.
• Marcus Thames got a rare start and made the best of it. He hit a double and a grand slam.
• The Tigers took advantage of a 7 run third inning on Jarrod Washburn to put the game away.
• Unfortunately Kenny Rogers couldn’t quick up the quality start and allowed all four runs and got knocked out of the game after getting just one out in the sixth inning.

Analysis:

• It would be nice if the pitching enjoyed some of the renaissance the offense is doing.
• Is this 21 runs in two days because Seattle’s pitching is so bad Detroit can’t help but score? Or is the luck turning some, allowing the Tigers to knock some runs in from scoring position? Or are they just coming out of a near two month slump?
• Too early to tell.
• I wish the Tigers were in the A.L. West. Or at least played more often against the Rangers and Mariners.

Share/Email This

Tigers 12
Mariners 8

Recap:

• Whether it was more related to the pregame rant by their manager or the Mariners’ pitchers, who is to say? The Tigers’ offense went off on the Mariners for 12 runs, many of them early.
• Edgar Renteria went 4-for-4, missing the cycle by a double.
• Maglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen, hitting 4-5-6, had seven combined hits. Cabrera had three. He’s starting to hit.
• Most importantly, home runs were launched from all over the lineup.
• Ordonez, Renteria, Curtis Granderson and Guillen all launched homers. Guillen’s was a bomb to center field.
• The Tigers had 17 hits and a walk, but stranded just four runners on base
• On the pitching side, Justin Verander gave up a first inning hit, who got tagged out stealing second, and home run, but settled in nicely. His ball had plenty of movement and he struck out seven in six innings while walking just one. He was really on his game.
• No Tigers game would be compete without some downsides. Namely that an 11-1 game was a 12-8 final and the Mariners scored four runs in the ninth inning.
• Todd Jones got the save. Clay Rapada and Francisco Cruceta had the shame of being removed before they completed their ninth inning task of ending the game.
• And the outfielders had three errors. Matt Joyce and Curtis Granderson each had difficulty fielding rollers, and Ryan Raburn dropped a fly in foul territory.

Analysis:

• No, I really don’t have a clue if the Tigers would have done the same without Jim Leyland’s rant. But it didn’t hurt!
• Verlander, just watching his composure and stuff, looked like the pitcher we expected to see. He’s stringing some nice starts together. That’s a great sign.
• No qualms with Leyland pulling him. He pitched a great game and the team had a big lead.
• The offense actually hitting home runs was nice to see too. They should have been doing this the whole season of course. And the FSN Detroit guys had a great stat. Before Grandy’s two-run home, the Tigers had gone 23 straight solo home runs. That’s why they weren’t’ scoring more runs! So more homers when men are on base, please.
• The bullpen was a huge, huge disappointment. Of course outfielders who didn’t make errors would help. But still. It was a poor showing after the team started off so well.
• But I did like that Leyland didn’t allow his pitchers to stay in long in the ninth and his going to Todd Jones for the save was fine by me.
• Will they keep this up? Lord only knows. But for a night anyway, it was great to see

Share/Email This

Seattle 14, Tigers 7

Nice of the Tigers and Mariners to put up a good football score…

Detroit’s playoff chances took a serious hit Sunday. Jeremy Bonderman pitched on a day he shouldn’t, and gave up six runs and his health. The Tigers bullpen faltered. The New York Yankees won, for a four-game lead. As I write this, Cleveland is winning and could soon lead the Central by six games. Sunday was not a good day, indeed.

I’m done for awhile.

That’s what Bonderman said. He did not make it out of the second inning. His previous start, he shook off his trainer and manager, only to give up a game-changing home run. Just three starts ago, he pitched into the sixth inning without recording a strikeout. It was the first time in his career he pitched that deep without getting a K. The first time since his rookie season it happened at all.

Fact is, he’s been pretty iffy in the past few weeks, having just one win to show since mid-July. Danny Knobler wrote not too long ago even Bonderman’s teammates thought he was injured. Bonderman admitted Sunday he has sharp pain in his elbow. He’s scheduled for an MRI. He’s scared. He’s probably going to be shut down for the rest of the season. The worry isn’t 2007 now. The worry is that maybe this should have happened a few starts ago to make sure he’s healthy in 2008. Needless to say, with the happenings Sunday, 2008 should probably be the focus for the whole team.

Bonderman (11-9) told the coaching staff that his elbow felt good after warm-ups on Sunday, but later he acknowledged that he probably shouldn’t have pitched. (Freep)

It’s too bad the early lead was squandered by a guy who should have been resting, but didn’t tell the manager or trainer he had serious problems going on. It’s too bad a day that started off with Curtis Granderson joining Willie Mays as the third 20-20-20-20 player ended with the once-ace pitcher admitting he’s had lingering, sharp pain. It’s too bad the Tigers got all over Felix Hernandez, only to see the (presumably healthy!) bullpen struggle as much as the starter.

Too bad every positive memory of the season is matched by several negative ones, especially because 2007 has its highlights. But I’m sure every player and fan would trade those for some October highlights as well.

Giving yourself up for the team is fine, when it works. But a pitcher with sharp pain in his elbow just can’t make that sacrifice.

Box

Share/Email This

Tigers 12, Mariners 6

Unable to keep the Mariners off the board for any of the first five innings, the Tigers had to find a little extra offense to win the game. No problem. They found it pretty much everywhere.

Pudge Rodriguez is making a push for why he should have that $10M option picked up. He had four hits, a homer and some timely RBIs. Brandon Inge homered, too, giving the bottom of the lineup a bit of oomph. With three hits, a triple and two RBIs, Timo Perez, holy moly, is earning his keep.  And finally, Curtis Granderson hit his 22nd triple. That’s the most triples since 1949 by any player in baseball. That’s 58 years. And that’s pretty amazing.

Pitching wise, Nate Robertson didn’t have it, but he got a helping hand from Zach Miner. So it was fine.

Detroit has now won four straight. An actual, honest-to-goodness winning streak. I wish they’d have done this in August, because with New York and Cleveland both winning, the Tigers could get no ground. Typically “at least they didn’t lose any” is the reply, but in September, well, I’d really have preferred somebody lose!  The Tigers try for a sweep Sunday, the first since that infamous Minnesota series in July that seemingly every “the last time the tigers did something good” points back to.

Share/Email This

Tigers 6, Mariners 1

It’s unfortunate to note, this is the first 3-game winning streak the Tigers have had since mid-July, when they swept the Twins. But, enough of that negativity. It’s September, the Tigers won big. Justin Verlaner went eight innings, and the Indians lost, even though we’re pretty sure the Tigers are out of that race, it’s still nice to see. The only two things that could have made the day better would be the Yankees losing or Curtis Granderson swiping a base.

The Yankees outlasted KC, 3-2, to maintain a 3-game lead in the wild card. Detroit is 5 games behind the Indians in the Central, and still plays them. Now that would be a collapse if Detroit came back to win the division. (Why am I even considering the possibility, as it’s almost nil? Well, because Detroit won 3 in a row! I’m in a good mood!)

And on Granderson’s lack of base stealing? Well, that’s because he hit a home run. So he’s now in the rare 20-20-20 club for homers, triples and doubles. Granderson is just the sixth in the club. He’s one stolen base short of the even rarer 20-20-20-20 club. I bet that comes this weekend. And then we can all sigh relief and wait for the Sports Illustrated article. Something like that anyway. And according to bilfer, Granderson is already in rare trifecta by being in the 20-20-20-19 club. 19 just isn’t a round number.

In any case, it’s another good day of baseball. Hopefully we get many more.

Bunt Singles:

• The Tigers added some players, as Toledo’s season came to an end. Clay Rapada, who came from the Cubs in the Monroe deal, is one of them.

Share/Email This

Tigers 11, Mariners 7

It looked a bit dim to start. Justin Verlander struggling. The offense struggling. It appeared the Mariners were going to take three of four and send Detroit to the Twin Cities in second place. Then Jeff Weaver faltered on the mound, the Tigers pounced on Seattle’s bullpen and the game out out of hand pretty quick.

Zach Miner struggled to close it out after Macay McBride — sorry dude! — worked a scoreless inning. Fortunately, Todd Jones never actually got into the game in the ninth.

Highlights? Hard to choose the better one. There was Sean Casey running to second on a double. There was Sean Casey running to second on a steal (!!!) (!) That, on most days, would compete only with Sean Casey hitting a home run, as he did earlier in Seattle.

And then we have Gary Sheffield. The human highlight reel? Maybe. If he’s not hitting homers, stealing second or stealing third (!), he’s stealing … HOME? You can do that in the modern game? Apparently. On a pickoff throw to first, he was off. The throw was off line and he scored easy. The things this guy can do on the baseball field would be impressive for a 28-year-old. But for a 38-year-old? Dang!

Grandy added another extra-base hit. Marcus Thames hit a towering homer. Maggs finally hit another home run, his first since June 2.

Oh, and Verlander put his game back together and pitched seven good innings.

Detroit’s off Monday before facing the Twins.

Box

Share/Email This

Seattle 6, Tigers 4

Kenny Rogers got shelled and Detroit trailed by five in the sixth inning, but you can tell by the score, the Tigers made a run.

It came in the eighth inning when Curtis Granderson hit another triple this season, a towering fly over Ichiro’s head in center. Polanco grounded out to drive him in, cutting it to 6-2 and giving Grandy his second run of the game. He homered in the first for the first one.

Gary Sheffield and Ryan Raburn (who also made a nice play in right field) singled, and Guillen drove them both in for the 6-4 final. Pudge made it interesting with a long fly to left that fell short. Sean Casey, however, did not make it interesting when he got out on a check swing on the first pitch he saw from JJ Putz.

Putz struck out the side in the ninth.

So, give Chad Durbin props for giving three innings of nice relief. Grandy’s 16th triple of the season just makes me think this is going to be a storyline to follow the rest of the year. Grandy does have a chance to take the AL record.

Share/Email This

Tigers 6, Mariners 3

Big Al said Gary Sheffield would open his mouth in the second half of the season. Didn’t take Sheff long to comply. He says Joe Torres plays favorite based on race. Two days in Seattle, two days of drama. This is the AL West, but not the LA Angels they’re playing. Yet.

Anyway there was a baseball game of some sort? Yes. And Sheff hit a grand slam to give the Tigers the lead and bail out Jeremy Bonderman. Bondo didn’t need it so much. He gave up three runs in seven innings of work. The bullpen carried the final two scoreless innings.

Highlights otherwise? Ryan Rayburn started and took a pair of walks at the Tigers leadoff batter.  Placido Polanco took another day off. Pudge had three hits, getting some of that frustration out.

I’m zonked. Short recap tonight.

Box

Share/Email This