2006 Season, Game Post

Game 124: Rangers at Tigers

19 Comments

PREGAME: Normally when a team needs to stem losing, they look to their pitcher to be the stopper. But I don’t think you could ask for a better effort than what Zach Miner and Nate Robertson turned in the last 2 days. The way the Tigers offense is going, Jeremy Bonderman will need a perfect game.

Hopefully the offense can perk up against John Koronka. Tiger chased him after 5 innings and 4 runs in their first meeting.

Game Time 1:05pm

19 thoughts on “Game 124: Rangers at Tigers”

  1. Karonka looks horrible. If we can’t score some runs against this guy, we’ve got real serious problems.

  2. Wow. Maggs hits into a double play on the first pitch he sees. Guy can’t throw strikes. Awesome. Awesome!

    Okay, well I’m glad I’m heading out today.

  4. Anyone see this story in yesterday’s Boston Globe about the Red Sox trying (unsuccessfully) to trade Mark Loretta for Wil Ledezma, Zach Miner, or Jamie Walker? I saw the link for it over on http://www.ballbug.com.

    Also, over on mlb.com there is an article about Jim Leyland reading mail from fans and sometimes using their lineup ideas. He said that he used a lineup that a fan had created using a computer program. The result? They were shut out twice. 🙂

    My favorite quote about him reading fan mail –

    “If it starts, ‘You stink,’ then I don’t read it,” Leyland said. “I already know that. I already know that I stink.”

    Gotta love it. You can read the full article here.

  5. Sheesh, it’s about time! I was about to take out an ad in the Lost and Found, asking whomever has the Tigers’ bats to please return them.

  6. I honestly believe Clevlen should be the everyday starter the way he’s hitting. He’s only a slight step back defensively (probably has the better arm) and Granderson is paralyzing our offense lately. You have to reward who’s producing. Meanwhile I’m watching our lead slip away. Doh

  8. Boy, if the Tigs could ever get their pitching, hitting and defense working IN THE SAME GAME, they could really do something.

  10. Thames is an adventure in left. I don’t understand why the only time he gets playing-time is when Monroe is DH. Why wouldn’t you DH Thames? It’s so freaking backwards. I know there’s been some debate regarding the fielding upgrade that Monroe provides, but I don’t think one can argue that Monroe isn’t at least a little better–I’d say more than a little–and that being the case, I can’t fathom why Leyland insists on this arrangement.

  13. We keep playing like this, we won’t even be around for the wild card race. And we shouldn’t be.

    This has all the looks of “the fade”….

  14. Records of Tigs, Twins and Sox for August so far:

    Tigers 9-10
    Sox 11-8
    Twins 11-8

    Being this is probably the toughest month for the Tigers, they really need to stay at .500 or higher for the month, especially with the Sox series coming up. The Sox and Twins both need to play better than .600 ball and they aren’t doing it yet this month.

    So, Tigers really need to take this next series from the Sox in my opinion.

  15. Andrew Miller pitched a perfect sixth and had two k’s. Not a bad first impression. He could be an interesting situation come September.

  16. .500 baseball the rest of the way still has the Tigers with 98 wins. Gotta figure we’ll be able to pull it together and at least finish there…don’t yoU?

  17. 2 thoughts. Short term and long term.

    Short term: Yes, this is painful right now, but we’re actually still in great shape. Even losing this series 3-1 would not be devastating. In order to make the playoffs, all the Tigers need to do is tread water until September 15th, after which the schedule gets ridiculously easy. It sucks to watch Bonderman blow a lead and the offense not produce and Granderson struggle, but it’s a long season and unless we’re talking about 1995 Angels territory, this is just a blip.

    Long term: I really don’t like the way Leyland handles young players. His pitching philosophy has been noted in many places; he’s not great for young arms. I’m more worried about young bats. The psychological damage he’s done to Shelton and Granderson is appalling. To some degree, yes, I agree that you have to play the hot hand. But you also have to allow young players to struggle a little without jumping ship on them. Two months ago would anyone have really been considering so much as platooning Granderson? Let alone for a .224 minor league hitter? The point is that if the Tigers want to sustain the success they’ve had so far this year, they’re going to need to rely on the Grandersons and Sheltons more than the Clevlens, Caseys, (and to some degree) Ordonezs of the world.

  18. Does anybody have information on this supposed Mark Loretta trade that fell through during negotiations? There are some notes on Yahoo Fantasy about this.

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