PREGAME: The Indians roll into town for the first time this season, but we’ll be pretty well acquainted 2 weeks from now. Seven of the Tigers next 10 are against the Indians.
The Indians and Tigers have of course been hanging tight on top of the Central for the last couple weeks.
Tonight the Tigers will take on Paul Byrd. Last year it was Byrd who pitched the game that inspired the Leyland tirade. The Tigers faced him twice more, once scoring 7 runs off of him (and still losing 12-7 when the Indians scored 7 in the first) and beating him 4-3 in the other game.
This year the story on Byrd is control. He’s walked 3 batters…the whole season. His last walk was April 26th against Texas. Because of the low walk rate, and low strike out rate he’s been pitching deep into games. His last 3 starts have all been 7 innings and he hasn’t even needed 100 pitches to do it.
In terms of individual match-ups, Byrd has owned Magglio Ordonez only allowing 4 hits in 29 at-bats. Let’s hope that changes. It’s just fun to see Magglio do well right now.
The Tigers send out Nate Robertson. Robertson has been battling his last couple starts, and racking up big pitch counts. In each of his last 2 starts he’s topped 100 pitches after 5 innings.
Game Time 7:05pm
UPDATE: Beck says Fernando Rodney is still out. Good thing Bondo went deep yesterday.
POSTGAME: Kathy in the comments summed this one up pretty succinctly:
Between Nate’s so-so pitching, Indians great hitters, C-Mo’s robbed HR we got beat. Good game but we came out on the short end. Tomorrow’s game should be a doozie.
I’d just add that the middle relief actually was pretty good. Ledezma was very strong, and even Mesa did his job.
After a nice lengthy stretch of hitting pretty well, Brandon Inge has ended the bulk of his ABs the last 3 games either shaking his head or flipping his bat in disgust. But it looks like he’s currently the only cold player in the lineup with Craig Monroe hitting a couple balls that were homer worthy and Sean Casey at least picking up a bunch of singles.
The pregame show just showed the Pudge HR off of Fausto Carmona and while I was ecstatic that Pudge hit the walk-off, I felt so bad for Carmona. That was during the week when Big Papi took him deep in a walkoff HR and then 2 nights later he gave up a game winning double to Mark Loretta and like two nights later was 1 strike from closing the door when pudge took him deep.
Why would Nate give Martinez a BP fastball on 3-1? Just nibble, and start with a fresh count against Peralta.
not a great feeling in the first
Wow. Hell of a catch from Michaels in left.
Does anyone else wish Mario would shut-up and let Ernie talk about the game.
Nate is overthrowing….
Pudge almost threw that away!
Our bats need to take over.
Nate doesn’t seem to have his normal velocity. His fastball has nothing on it. Itseems to be coming in flat and at the belt.
Well, it’s only the 6th inning and it could go either way: lots better or lots worse.
Plenty of time left. We’ve still got 4 ABs. What we really need is Ledezma to pitch a few innings so we are not at a disadvantage in the pen the next two games.
Kevin
Save for the 2nd inning, just no offense. Through 4 innings Byrd had only thrown 38 pitches, and 32 were strikes.
Two-out Tiger rallies make the world a better place.
There we go C Mo. We’ll be okay.
Byrd faces 28 batters and only throws 73 pitches, 60 for strikes. A remarkable 2.6 pitches per PA.
Very nice job by Ledezma. And this makes 2 nice outings in a row. Good signs.
Pudge is about to drive one.
…Or he’ll roll one over.
I’m not worried. We’re going to get to Borowski.
I wasn’t worried. Mesa’s in now. Time to worry. You can come back from a 2-3 run deficit. 8 runs is tougher.
Ouch, Mesa. Guess Leyland is giving up on this game. We’ll win the next two.
Froemming hosed Mesa there. Martinez should have been out.
There is nothing that can kill a rally quite like the Craig Monroe-Brandon Inge combo.
Between Nate’s so-so pitching, Indians great hitters, C-Mo’s robbed HR we got beat. Good game but we came out on the short end. Tomorrow’s game should be a doozie.
I can get Inge out:
Feed him something low and outside, he will try to pull it to left, and end up hitting a lazy fly ball to CF.
Brandon: FORGET ABOUT THE HR!!!!
He could be a good hitter, but has one of the worst approaches I have ever seen.
-Sam