UPDATE: It’s a washout. They’ll try and do this again tomorrow night around 8:30. Don’t know if this will hold or not, but as I write this, MLB.com lists Justin Verlander as the starter and TBA for the Cardinals. I hope it’s a goof. Skipping Bonderman would be, ummm, there’s not even words.
PREGAME: I’m far from worried about the series going into this game. Of course another loss tonight and that all changes. Tonight fans of both teams are confident in their starters.
For the Cardinals it will be Jeff Suppan. Suppan has been very good over his last 2 starts allowing only 1 run over 15 innings. In his last start against the Mets he only allowed 2 hits, but did issue 5 walks. The way the Tigers have been swinging the bats, they’ll have a hard time benefitting from any control issues that Suppan might have.
Magglio Ordonez has had considerable success against Suppan posting a 395/469/581 line over 43 at-bats with as many homers as strike outs (2). Brandon Inge has hit for the cycle (plus a double) over 14 at-bats. Placido Polanco has had no success posting a 1 for 13 with 3 walks.
Suppan has been better at home this year, posting a 3.18 ERA and 248 batting average against in Busch Stadium (5.36 ERA, .313 BAA on the road). Lefties hit him better with a +100 margin in OPS (836 vs 736), although they are slightly more likely to strike out (look out Curtis).
The Tigers will feature Jeremy Bonderman who sports the best peripherals on the staff. He’s basically had one rough inning in his last 2 starts. That inning being the first in game 4 of the ALCS when he surrenedered 2 runs.
Caridnals hitters have pretty limited to exposure to Bonderman with only Scott Spiezio and Ronnie Belliard gathering more than 15 at-bats. Belliard is 3 for 21 and Spiezio is 4 for 15 including a homer.
Bonderman’s road ERA of 3.63 is almost a full run lower than his ERA at Comerica Park.
Tigers Lineup
CF – Granderson
LF – Monroe
SS – Guillen
RF- Ordonez
1B – Casey
C – Rodriguez
2B- Polanco
3B – Inge
P – Bonderman
I’m totally down with this lineup. Pudge didn’t move, but if he turns in another 0-fer hopefully it won’t be as damaging. Let’s just hope that 2-3-4-5 can put something together. For that matter anybody putting something together would be nice.
Cardinals Lineup
SS- Eckstein
LF – Duncan
1B- Pujols
3B – Rolen
CF – Edmonds
RF – Wilson
C- Molina
2B- Miles
P – Suppan
The weather figures to be awful, so this might be a moot point. If they play, it is expected to start at 8:30ish.
I’m not so sure about maximizing Granderson’s at bats by keeping him at the top of the order.Any production is better than no production-flipflop him and Inge and let Granderson try and break out of his slump at a spot in the lineup other than leadoff.
Also,if I’m LaRussa,Pujols looks like he’s hurting-can’t hurt to sit him down for a game.And I put Spezio in for Rolen-he’s just gathering dust on the Cardinal bench.
The lineup is not bad. I am glad Leyland made some sort of change. I kinda was hoping Inge might bat higher tonight. He is 5 out 14 lifetime (.357/.357/.857) against Suppan. I know Leyland loves the R/L switch in the lineup, but Pudge needs to bat 8th tonight. He has cost us a lot of potential runs.
Eat ’em up Tigers! Eat ’em up!
Bob – It’s the playoffs. They’ll be over next week. Pujols will have plenty of time to sit down then. There’s no way La Russa takes his best player out of the lineup. And Rolen is fine again.
Really surprised Guillen is batting #3. Obviously make a lot of sense. But the way Leyland’s been so superstitious about batting him #5 all year, I didn’t think he’d even consider it.
Hopefully, the lineup shuffle has some positive psychological effects. The key, though, will be Bonderman not giving up any runs early. If he gets through the first inning without giving up a run, I think we win tonight.
Sitting Pujols would be insane. He is the most dangerous hitter in the league. If the Tigers take only one in St Louis, we only need to take a duce at home. This is game 4 of the WS, Pujols is nursing a sore hammy, not a torn acl.
That being said, for the most part, I would not pitch to him. Not only does this stop Pujols from wreaking havoc, I can already hear the faint snap of that hamstring as he runs out some boring fielder‘s choice. How nice would be to eradicate that offensive fiend for good?
Tigers are gonna kick ass today. I feel it in my gut. I’m loving that line up. Look for Pudge to wake up.
11 to 4 Tigers over Red Birds
In fact, I guarantee a Tigers victory by 5 or more. This is a retirement match. I will retire the Charly Streetgang moniker from this message board if it doesn’t materialize. I know, I know….no…it can’t be true….say it aint so…
The Granderson comment was serious.The LaRussa thing was tongue-in-cheek.
Charly SG, speaking of your moniker, I was thinking that in light of your comment the other night, maybe we should start calling you Charly Suite-gang (as in luxury suite)…
I just turned it on here at work to see something worse than new episodes of Simpsons and McCarver’s commentary, the War at Home!! Are we in a rain delay?
I doubt even the cast members and their families even watch this show.
What’ the big deal about calling it off and waiting until it clears, MLB wants 160 games and three rounds of playoffs, hey big surprise its cold and rainy in the northeast and mid west at the end of October.
I love ball but the World Series should be complete before hockey starts. Why not have the players play in better conditions. Are we after a solid World Series Championship or stats that can be compared for the next million years. How about a few more double headers if the games need to be played.
Most of us grew up listening to our transistor radios on the school bus after school. Who can argue with Bud Selig? Baseball is a money making machine that no matter what they shove down our throats we accept ie 8:30 starts,Long season, Fox, Tim McCarver. We never can do anything about these things. Now Fox comes on and tells us that the “rain front” will be through in about an hour and we will start then. Thats really great, The whole atlantic coast has to go to bed to work Thursday and the game will start after 9:30. This is completely BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGUS. Whether the Tigers are in it or not. How many people are going to stay up and watch the game — your team or not. Is Neifi in charge of this?
I agree….
The post season is making me look like a crack head…broke, dark circles under my eyes and very unproductive at work
I guess for once its good being a Tigs fan on the left coast.
Do you hear that? It is hundreds of little kids going to bed. Well I guess they always have football. Thanks Selig.
Hey, I am following from Tokyo…it is just after 10am here, so I don’t mind the delay much…although, I prefer that games end prior to my lunch time. 🙂
maybe the game is set for 830 p.m, Shawn’s time.
Hey Selig, I’m billin’ you for the 8 Ball and required cab ride to Brightmoore that I will need to actually stay up and watch this game…
So they are going to play the game in about an hour? Nice, I get out of work in about 40 minutes.
The delay is disastrous for me! I took leave today so I could watch the game live here in Singapore and then this happens…And I have an appointment at 12:30. So the delay isn’t good for all living in Asia Shawn…:)
Why in the name of all that is good and right in this world is Major League Baseball insisting that the “show must go on?”
This is stupid.
What time is it in St. Louis? Are they an hour behind Michigan?
Sorry Cameron…that really sucks…
You know, this is the second time I’ve skipped my Wednesday night class to watch a playoff game this year. The first time was the game in NY that was rained out…. now this… maybe someone’s trying to tell me that I shouldn’t be such a truant.
St. Louis is an hour behind Michigan. That is a late night even for them out there.
Is there evidence to prove that Selig had a lobotomy performed on him by Pete Rose during one of their meetings?
The smartest thing to do would be to call it and play tomorrow.
Maybe the Tigers will go on another tear after this rain delay and finish this out in grand fashion. They won what? seven straight after the Yankee rain delay?
The Tigers did win seven straight after the rain delay against the Yankees. Is this game still gonna happen? THis rain delay is going on over two hours.
Lets go, let’s play, I think the Cardinals are delaying it on purpose, because they are quivering in fear, because Superman, I mean Bonderman, is pitching today.
The word is that the weather is only going to get worse over the next few days; that’s why they’re trying like crazy to get this one in. I agree with them. I was really looking forward to a couple weekend games Detroit. Two rainouts would make that impossible.
But you guys are right; the season shouldn’t last this long. 140 regular season games would be enough. I can’t bitch too much about the start times though. I think Oakland had to start all of their games at 1:30 PDT. It’s hard to balance 4+ time zones.
Jojo, I doubt the Cards have any more say in this than we do, but it would definitely be in their benefit to delay these games. They would LOVE to have Carpenter pitch 3 games in the series. Not likely, but possible.
Game was just postponed, btw.
Excellent day to take leave…This was an excellent day to take leave! Oh well. Maybe the rain can help us shift momentum.
sim
Its a gonner, see you Thursday.
Steve
Check out he front page of ESPN right now. They mistook Craig Monroe for Granderson because of the hood he’s wearing. Cmon you ESPN nerds, you should know a Monroe nose from a Curtis nose by now.
*** They would LOVE to have Carpenter pitch 3 games in the series. Not likely, but possible. ***
Maybe as a reliever in a game 7 after several days of delay.
He pitched Tuesday. 3 days rest = pitching on Saturday. 3 days rest = pitching on Wednesday. That would require 4 rainouts.
Ok, ok. Listen to this.
Tomorrow’s game gets rained out, ok? OK????
Kenny Rogers, on four days of rest, pitches in place of Bonderman.
Bonderman pitches game five.
Verlander pitches six. Most likely we lose this game.
Game 7 – Kenny Rogers pitches again.
It’s the Lolich scenario, and with the rain delays, I like it.
Leyland said that no matter when the next game is Jeremy Bonderman will be the starter.
Well that’s why we’re going to lose. Except if we don’t.