PREGAME: After outscoring the Twins 27-1 in the first two games of the series, the Tigers look to complete the sweep. Kenny Rogers will face Kyle Lohse in the final game of the series.
Loshe, like the other Twins starters, has struggled in the early going. Because the Twins bullpen has thrown 249 pitches over the last two games, Lohse will probably be expected to carry the load, regardless of how he pitches.
Some interesting splits on Lohse so far this year:
- He’s allowing a .429 OBP to hitters who lead off an inning.
- He’s been brutal in the first inning (small sample issues abound). He’s allowing a .500/.545/.667 line in the first inning. Get him early.
- Unlike Radke and Silva, he hasn’t been undone by the long ball. He’s only allowed 2 homers in 85 plate appearances.
POSTGAME Can it really get any better than this? A 6-0 shutout finished up the sweep of the Twins. I was at the game with my kids, so many of you probably had a better view than I did, even if you were listening on the radio. While the top of the order struggled, the bottom 3 of Craig Monroe, Marcus Thames, and Vance Wilson combined for 7 of the team’s 9 hits and 5 of the 6 RBI.
My favorite moment of the game was probably Wilson’s bases loaded double. The fact that it came right after Marcus Thames was plunked definitely gave it that “revenge” feel.
I’ll have the series wrap tomorrow.
Wow! The Tigers outscore the Twins 33-1 for the series. It’s almost a shame; I’d rather save a bunch of those runs for a time when the starters aren’t lights out. But that’s not how the game works.
How long will this pitching hold up? The fact that all five starters have looked so good is what’s so encouraging. I believe the Tigers now lead all of MLB in fewest runs allowed.
What a series! I was very impressed by the all around effort here in this last game. Going in, it felt a lot like the final game of that 4-game series against the Indians, where they just went out there and laid an egg. But everyone went out there and hustled, and got the job done.
I love watching Kenny Rogers pitch. It’s great to watch the effort he puts into his defense…though I’d rather never see him lay out for a ball like that again.
It’s also great to see Vance Wilson play well. That double may have been the highlight of the series for me.
One quick gripe though, what does Marcus Thames have to do to become the every day DH for this team?
Bryan,
I can’t believe I forgot about Rogers diving for a ball! And that was in the 7th inning wasn’t it?
As for Thames, I think if it weren’t for that 0 for something-teen slump, he might be already.
How about the over the shoulder flip from Polanco to Guillen for the force at 2nd? That play was slicker than slick.