PREGAME: For the 3rd time in the last 3 weekends the Tigers come into Sunday looking to avoid a lost weekend. It will be Kenny Rogers and Cliff Lee today.
On another note, I’ve been bombarded with spam comments over the last 12 hours – to the tune of 300. The spam filters are catching many, and others are being held for moderation, but still too many are getting in. I’m considering switching to a system where you’d have to register with the site to leave comments. Would any of you be opposed to that?
Game Time 1:05
POSTGAME: Sigh. Last night the Tigers put a hit and run on, and the ball was hit right back up the middle – right to the 2nd baseman covering on the play. That’s pretty much what the Tigers fortunes had been for the last 20 games. Today, in the 6th inning with Kenny Rogers trying to end a threat with runners on 1st and 2nd induced a foul ball bouncer down the third baseline. Inexplicably it bounced back fair right before the bag, and right into Brandon Inge’s glove. Inge stepped on 3rd and the rally was thwarted. Like the ball changing directions, hopefully the Tigers fortunes will be also.
The Tigers needed a pitcher to put a stop to the bleeding, and they turned to the old man with the history of 2nd half collapses to shut down a very potent offense. Rogers gave the team 7 innings or 1 run ball when they needed it the most. If nothing else it tells you how ludicrous it is to have discussions about post season rotations before the All Star break.
Marcus Thames got a rare start, hit a homer, and was of course lifted for a pinch hitter. I don’t get it.
Curtis Granderson really seems to be getting his stroke back with a homer, double, walk, and most importantly no strike outs. Strike outs typically don’t bother me, especially if they come with a high OBP or big power numbers. Granderson hadn’t been providing those other elements making the K’s more of a concern.
Another good day for Omar, hope he enjoyed it. He had a couple hits and made nice defensive plays to both the glove and barehand sides.
I wouldn’t mind registering.
I’m not sure what to expect of the game today. It almost feels like the last 12 years where I am truly expecting a loss. I was enjoying the optimistic side of Tigers baseball.
Let’s at least take one boys!
No problem here with registering.
No problem. Go Tigers!
No problem. Note though doesn’t Tigers Central make you register? I haven’t posted there, but I say some of the comments were spam. Might be worth checking.
Billfer, I would not, It would be nice to have a screen that remembers you so you would not have to go through the process each time.
I am keeping an open mind for today.
Steve
Again i will say that Thames should be in lineup every single day. He just hit another bomb. He leads the team in homers, slugging percentage and in total bases. its criminal not to play him every day. If he were playing every day since day game 1 he would have as many homers as germaine dye. There is no questioning that. Leyland had beeter get his head on straight and have him playing everyday.
A big change today–4 extra base hits. Nice…
Nice change is the extra base hits.
I think you’ll have to do the registration thing. It was only a matter of time before you got bombarded like that.
You wouldn’t have to go through the process each time, would you?
Once again, Thames is getting jerked around, with Leyland pinch hitting DY for him. If we’re going to talk about not humiliating Pudge by pinch hitting for him yesterday, about keeping the clubhouse in order, what about the crap that is constantly pulled with Thames? Not playing him when he’s obviously seeing the ball well, constantly pinch hitting for him…it’s ridiculous.
If you’re going to have some sort of platoon situation with your DHs, then Young should never be turned around to thit right-handed when Thames is on the bench, but you know what? It happens all the time.
Brilliant pitching by Kenny Rogers after a few early struggles. We really needed this from our veteran. I absolutely hated the Kenny Rogers deal when it was first inked, but I have to admit that so far I am dead wrong. I thought for sure he was going to completely crumble in the 2nd half. He started too, but he seems to have pulled out of it in the last few starts. Excellent pitching today against a very tough lineup.
I too am outraged by pinch hitting of Thames. I wonder what is going through his head. He constantly produces when he’s in, leads the team in homeruns, and is still getting treated like an Omar Infante. Even Perez gets more respect!
Infante did well to make his case today too.
I’m as big on Thames as anyone, but let’s keep in mind that the two guys playing in his stead having been hitting pretty well. Stats over the last 30 days:
Monroe: .324/.380/.613
Young: .310/.351/.563
If you want to bench Ordonez for him, fine. But I don’t think that’s living in reality–something Dan conceded Leyland has to do in yesterday’s thread. This is a real baseball team, not a fantasy baseball team. If this team is to advance deep into the postseason, I’m pretty sure Ordonez will play a big part.
Also, Granderson’s performance today is a good rebuttal to the short-term thinking we’ve heard from some recently. Yesterday, several posters called for him to be benched.
Leyland isn’t perfect, but let’s cut him some slack.
BTW, “jenkylei” = “Kyle J”
Postgame Roster Moves:
Ledezma will start on Wednesday instead of Maroth, who is not ready.
Clevlen to Erie, Lewis to Toledo.
Miller up from Lakeland now. Gomez up from Toledo.
No I’m not ready to cut leyland some slack. Thames should be playing everyday. end of discussion. I will repeat. He leads the team in homers, slugging % and in total bases. No other team has a guy sitting on the bench who does that. You know why? because he is playing every day. I have no problem with Monroe playing everyday right now. He is seeing the ball well. But there is no reason for young to take atbats away from thames. DY has declined every single year we have had him. He has no patience at the plate nor a plan. Thames almost always runs the count deep or full. He has massive power that is not being utilized on a regular basis. Of course DY will run into a homer now and again. but he has nowhere near the homer per plate appearence that thames has. think about it. Thames leads the team in homers with at least 100 less at bats than lets say Inge. If thames had been given 100 more at bats i bet he slugs an extra 10, maybe more homers. That would probably give us 2 to 3 more wins. How would you feel with 2 to 3 more wins right now? Pretty good huh?
With Clevlan going down, does that mean he’s inelgible for post-season roster?
Good post, Michael. If this keeps up I guarantee we set the major league all time record of, “Fewest at bats for the player who leads the team in home runs at the end of the year.” Something like that anyway. Also, it really pains me to see Clevlan heading back to the farm. Is this just a necessary move with the pitching scenarios, or is he basically being replaced by the hot hitting Gomez? When you get your shot in the big leagues, you have to make the most of it. Clevlen certinley did that. He’s probably wondering, “What the hell do I have to do to make the team around here.”
Its not Clevlan’s time. He hade the jump from AA. he had a hot bat because no one had the book on him yet. He needs regular at bats and thats what he will get. I really dont think we need another outfielder from AAA at this time anyhow. Granderson will be fine, as we saw today. Thames needs to be the one getting starts in the outfield. If Leyland used his head, he could be using Thames as an everyday player by slotting him as the DH and using him to spell Monroe and Ordonez in the outfield. I like seeing Thames hitting behind Monroe. The problem is that we saw it today but then Thames will disapear back to the bench until we face another Lefty. The fact is, Thames slugs right handers better than he does lefties. Leyland would know this if he bothered to turn on a computer now and again (which we know from a past free press article, he does not do.)
Clevland did a good job with the time he saw. i bet he is back up once the roster expands.
So good to see granderson drive the ball today and work a walk. And as Bilfer points out, no strike outs. He is such a talent and a really nice guy I hope this devastating slump is over. And I guess it had better be with Clevlan going back to Erie. Did he break curfew every night and then come back to the room with an eightball and a hooker? Because when he was on the field he seemed to do everything right.I thought he brought a great energy to the team, played all 3 outfield positions with authority, he has the best arm among all our outfielders and hit really well. I’m bummed for him and confused myself. What am I missing?
I have the same question about Sept. call-ups and postseason rosters — can Clevlan come back? Will he?
As for Thames it continues to amaze me how little respect Leyland shows him. It can’t make him feel very good either. As I’ve said before we have the at-bats for him; between DH and spelling Ordonez in right he can and should play every day.
A relief to see Rodriguez drive the ball; he is poised to get hot down the stretch
Can’t say enough about Rogers, just another deeply intelligent and beautifully executed game. Hope all the young guys with the more explosive stuff were taking notes about changing speed and location.
Happy for Omar today, he was terrific in the field and banged out a couple hits. Bilfer, your “I hope he enjoyed it” was so melancoly but I certainly grasp your point and it truly is sad — Perez probably gets the start in the Bronx on Tuesday. I’ll be at all three games here and I still have my hopes that I’ll see three Infante starts and three Tiger victories.
FYI – I created a post for the roster shuffling. Thanks to kdog for the information.
no problem with registering
IT’S OFFICIAL, A WINNING SEASON!!!!!!!!
Well, it’s off to Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, the Sox get Tampa Bay, and the Twins play Kansas City.
I am so sick of the spammers ruining everything. Seriously, if anybody knows a spammer, beat the living s**t out of them.
So if you have register to keep the losers off, then go for it.
I was at the game and sat in the fourth row behind the Tigers’ dugout. When DY came out onto the on-deck circle I was like, “What the hell?” I started yelling to him, “What’s wrong with Thames?” I thought maybe he got hurt or something. I guess this is always how Leyland does it. It boggles the mind why the skipper would replace the strongest guy on the team (who just homered), and the DH with another one. Pinch hit for someone else and let Thames get some more at-bats.