PREGAME: Every once in a while I’ll pull up a stats site called Dougs Stats. I like it because he has leaderboards for the last 20 games, and it can be interesting to look at. I bring this up because tonight’s starter, Chad Durbin, has posted the 10th best ERA over the last 20 team games in the American League. (equally surprising is that Jeremy Bonderman is 8th worst). Not a bad stretch for a replacement 5th starter.
He’ll need to be that good again tonight as the Red Sox send out Curt Schilling who is having a typical Schilling season with a 3.63 ERA.
The Tigers will keep most of their starters in for the second game with only Marcus Thames spelling Craig Monroe and Mike Rabelo catching for Pudge.
Game Time 7:05pm
POSTGAME: Now this one hurts. So much to like and not like about this game. Certainly the final score falls into not-like.
- Do you get pissed at an offense with 8 extra base hits, and 4 walks against Curt Schilling? An offense that kept putting runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs? An offense that kept driving the ball hard and probably could have had a few more hits is one to get mad at?
- I guess maybe you do when only 2 runs are plated. Gary Sheffield and Marcus Thames in particular missed some choice oppotunities.
- Do you cheer or jeer Brandon Inge who homered and drove in half the runs, but also fanned 3 times and made an error that resulted in the tying run?
- I certainly won’t get mad at Chad Durbin who turned in another fine effort, even if he walked a few too many for my liking.
- Okay, I can just be mad at Ledezma. Even though he induced weak contact for the tying run, he put the tying run on 3rd with a walk. And then it became moot in the 7th with the home run
- And when the team struggles, Jim Leyland seems to over-manage. Taking out Curtis Granderson who had doubled twice, walked, and made a diving catch in favor of Omar Infante was simply bizarre. Yes a sidearm lefty is a tough match up for Curtis, but Leyland did exactly what Francona wanted him to do.
Frustrating day to say the least. You’d like to say a 3-4 road trip to the Metrodome and Boston is acceptable, especially since the Tigers had to patch rotation together. And on the surface it’s not so bad. But given that the starting pitching was pretty good (save for Vasquez), and that the offense generally hit the ball pretty well, it seems there should have been more. And that’s what makes it hurt. Today’s game was there for the taking, and the Tigers just couldn’t put it away.
12-9 victory. Remember where you heard it first
I’ll take it.
I am concerned this is not a good matchup for Durbin, who has his struggles finding the strike zone against a very patient Red Sox lineup. So we may NEED double-digits to win this.
2 on, Placido up to bat.
Wow…here I am at 7:45 in the morning, in Singapore, watching the game live on ESPN with Mario and Rod! It’s the first Tiger game they’ve shown over here this year, and even gave us the Detroit announcers. Nice. Now just win.
Aw, man. Missed opportunities. Lots of work for Schilling, but we’re maxed out on runners LOB.
I decided to change my luck and just listen to the radio. Is it working?
Schilling hasn’t thrown over 103 pitches in a start this year. Two or three more good ABs and he doesn’t see the fifth
I was going to be pissed if they told Inge his home run was only a single.
The injustice of it!
Even if we lose both of them, at least they’ve been fun to watch.
What a yard sale by Hinske! Jeez. Got to tip your cap, ’cause holy crap.
That catch the Boston guy made was spectacular, I have to say. This game is certainly entertaining, however, I’ll sleep better tonight if we win.
How about all the high-scoring-predictions? Where are your runs nooow?
Still 2-1 in the sixth.
The runs are resting in the right arms of Grilli and J.C. Romero. Patience.
Bud Selig is lying.
Our guys are gonna freeze to death just standing on base.
What is he lying about, praytell?
Selig is right about the WBC. All the naysayers had egg on their face. I personally think its great.
Grandaddy inc!!!! and we don’t have wimps that lie on the ground for two minutes after diving.
he is fibbing about tv ratings..holy sh** what a grab by Granderson…
granted hinski did land on the warning track
we can’t give up infield singles like that
the red sox would destroy us in a bench clearing brawl…
I wish that Rabelo had the traditional catcher’s helmet like Pudge, he looks like he belongs down at the Joe.
BRANDON I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW EVEN THOUGH YOU HIT A HOME RUN!
Ledezma. God help us.
we simply can’t have this everytime from him.
C’mon Ledezma, I REALLY want this win. 2 outs man, you can do it.
I quit.
Dang these Red Sox will do anything for a run. I’m only listening, did that play look as cheap as it sounded?
I was wondering the same thing, Anne.
Thank goodness. That could have been SO much worse.
They basically ran right into Polanco as he was charging for the ball – he had to jump out of the way and then couldn’t get the ball cleanly. Cheap.
It looked pretty bad.
yes, it was that cheap
Yes, it was pretty cheap. The umpire, the runner — everything except a rusty sink — was in Polanco’s way as he attempted to field the ball.
Listening to that 3rd out nearly gave me a heart attack.
i thought that was gone
How is it possible we have eight extra base hits and only 2 runs?
I thought a bunch of right-field outs were gone. Casey’s bases loaded flyout, Youkilis Guillen’s last one. I mean…the wind must really be doing stuff.
As Leyland would say, “they gotta close the deal”.
Gameday shows that Thames just saw 4 pitches right down Broadway in the tightest grouping I’ve ever seen. What’s his deal? Couldn’t catch up to the heat?
Gameday sucks. The last one was way outside.
This is why I have you guys.
As for Gameday, I should say when Ledezma was pitching last inning and threw three balls in a row right on line with the hitter’s head so Rabelo had to jump up and catch them?
Gameday put all the pitches right on the outside edge of the strike zone.
Good night!
Get Ledezma off my team. NOW.
Who’s warming up? Mesa? Be careful what you ask for…
37 baserunners in his last 13 innings of work for Ledezma per Dickerson and Price. They sound disgusted.
Last I heard, Grilli.
These games are so painful. The Red Sox should feel BAD that they’re winning. Seriously, I hope they do.
Mesa pitched in the AM game, Ben. I’d assume he’s not available for the PM tilt.
Mark, are you watching this game? Why should the Sox feel bad when we’re the ones who have loaded the bases twice and couldn’t get a run in. That’s just not closing the deal. It’s pathetic!
holy Sh*t! Granderson looked pissed after geting hooked. He had the face of that horror flick doll, Chucky.
I know one of the ideas for keeping the season away from winter is to play more doubleheaders, but personally I can’t take too many days like this. Completely stressed out.
This..is..so…frustrating…
Sheffield killed us this game. 0 for 4 with 8 LOB?! Are you kidding me?
I think I have been magically transported back in time to ’05…. The LOB curse strikes back!
at least we don’t have to face satan closing the 9th this 2nd game…
Anyone else notice Gary taking all the really choice strikes (arguing them sometimes) and then chasing everything else?
I hope our boys at least take out this (seemingly inevitable) loss out on the Cards. That would feel good.
3 doubles in a row coming at us
or not
Welcome to 2nd place, boys….
i prefer to call it the wild card….
AHHHH, 3-4 on the road trip though, overall not too bad. They saw go 500 on the road, win series at home. Win a series, lose a series. Oh well. life goes on.
It’s like he’s turned into a right-handed Sean Casey. Strikeout, Groundout, Pop out, Fly out, Groundout.
You killed us today, Gary. Killed us dead.
I’ve noticed, Adam. He hasn’t done sh!!.
Evidently, he’s returned to his slump. Can’t see the ball.
A long, agonizing day to be a Tigers fan. Would have been easier to take if Miner and Durbin had just gotten lit up.
It is encouraging that Durbin seems to have the stuff to be a legitimate big league pitcher–when he throws strikes, at least.
Hopefully, a return home will get our mojo going again . . .
JML, wouldn’t you have taken 2nd place in 2005? LOL. Looks like it will be back and forth all summer. Hopefully.
Sure, but it’s NOT 2005. 😉 However, the boys really reaped what they sewed today. That many LOB is just BAD. They asked for it, they got, second place. Thankfully it’s only 2nd place on May 17. 🙂
Traveling through boston, hit both games today. Great effort by the spot starters (though Durbin may be here for a while). Our middle bullpen is downright disgusting. Remember the good ol’ days of Jamie Walker and a good Rodney? I used to love the 6th, 7th and 8th innings. Now I cringe.
Hm…turn down the temperature, and our batting goes to hell. A frightening correlation!
Yes, it’s still only May and I hope they can get it together. The first game today is the one that killed me. I thought we’d win at least one of these games today. I’m also very disappointed with Sheff.
Heh, my buddy in NYC warned me about Sheff…”You’ll love ‘im, you’ll hate ‘im, you’ll love ‘im, you’ll hate ‘im…”
Hm, the post game show is reviewing how when Grilli leaves a team they win big. Well, if that’s all it takes, toss him!! 😉
Last year, for the most part, they were just a bunch of nobodies who played their hearts out. That’s what I miss.
Boy, this is the most depressing sweep since, uh the Red Sox swept the Tigers post all-star break 1988 which was the beginning of that team’s long slow decline. I don’t think that the case here, the ’88 team was ollllddd…. It’s just killer to only give up 6 runs in a doubleheader at Fenway and not get a win.
We didn’t really get swept…
It just sucks because in each game the Red Sox only mustered 6 hits and won both.
Terrible loss…this one’s so disappointing. So many wasted opportunities.
I am really trying to accept Gary Sheffeld, but he seems so set on extra base (namely, homeruns) hits that most of his plate appearances seem ridiculous. He swings so hard he falls out of the box about fifty percent of the time.
I guarantee that singles from Gary are fine with most of us.
Pitchers have seemed to catch on that if they pitch two pitches inside and then move outside, he is an easy out.
Ordonez is doing great, but at the same time too much pressure is put on him to clean up after Gary’s messes of a strikeout or pop out. Ordonez cannot go 4-4 every night.
Let’s start focusing Gary on contact, because he can be a great contact hitter. Too much pressure has been placed upon him to hit homeruns instead of just making contact.
I am sure if he starts putting bat on ball he will do great service to us.
I agree with you there, Shane. But, honestly, I think he puts that pressure on himself. He needs to make adjustments and just get himself on base with a lousy single as Leyland calls them. He’s swinging like a crazy man.
The man does have a .362 OPB. So he is getting on base. He is what he is and by the end of year I think we’ll all be glad we had him.
And I do think his patience at the plate has rubbed off on some of our other hitters.