PREGAME: With their next win, this will become the most successful Tigers season since an 85-77 mark in 1993. The Tigers will try to get that wrapped up tonight as Zach Miner takes on Kevin Millwood.
The Tigers beat Millwood back in April on the strength of 2 Chris Shelton triples (prompting Buster Olney to make Paul Molitor comparisons – sigh) and 7 innings of Verlander shut out ball.
Zach Miner will try to match his rookie teammates success against the Rangers. Step 1 would probably be not walking a lot of batters, an affliction that the last 2 Tigers starters battled.
Game Time 7:05
Yeah and along with Olney, the always arrogant and usually wrong, Rob Neyer stated with confidence that although Shelton wouldn’t continue at the pace he set the first two weeks of the season, he would hit 30 homeruns.
Even then I thought that farfetched. Rob likes numbers. He doesn’t really learn much from watching actual games.
Millwood just flat-out beat us tonight; pitched an excellent ballgame. Of course, we don’t deserve to win if we can’t get a man home from 3B with no outs….in the bottom of the 9th……….. 🙁 Too bad a good effort by Miner was wasted.
Hearing that, I’m definitely glad I didn’t watch this one. This offense needs to get going quickly, it’s been pretty horrendous for a few weeks now. I guess that’s to be expected when you really line up the players we have. Not much in the area of on base, or common sense even when it comes to approach in an at bat. You really appreciate Carlos Guillen even more watching the rest of them flailing away.
We’ve also faced a number of top pitchers. Seems like every series we see the 1-2-3. It still stinks. They’ve been in a funk either way.
Its too bad. Miner pitched well enough to win. Pudge had no chance on that basestealer. Whoever said stats don’t lie was lying.
I could not believe that 9th inning. Admitedly, I think we’ve been spoiled by late-innng dramatics in the past, but MAN! Guy on 3rd, no out, and they can’t even scrape up a razza-frazzin’ sac fly? The good outing by Miner just makes the lack of offense that much more frustrating. *sigh* Well, one of the best things about baseball is you get another chance the next day. Go Tigs!
Joey C.,you might enjoy the treatment Olney,Neyer,and other prominent commentators recieve at firejoemorgan.blogspot.com
Bob, this site is fantastic!
So explain to me this:
Regardless of how deep in the hole Ordonez grounder went, do you not have the runner at third going on contact with one out in the ninth, down by one? That’s how I was always taught to play it.
You have to force the guy make a play. If the throw is even slightly off, a reasonable runner scores with a good lead going on contact. Even if he makes the play you still have a runner.
If you don’t send the runner you need a hit w/ 2 outs to score (barring a balk, WP, etc). Got to keep the pressure on….