2007 Season, Game Post

Game 139: White Sox at Tigers

131 Comments

PREGAME Kenny Rogers returns to the rotation tonight. Let’s hope he’s got something left.

For the White Sox it will be Gavin Floyd who made the start of his career in his last match up against the Tigers throwing 6 shut out innings and fanning 6 while walking none.

It’s another intimidating lineup tonight as Magglio Ordonez gets the night off. There’s a reality to the fact his heel is killing him and I don’t begrudge him the night off, it’s just the rest that is depressing.

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Raburn, RF
  4. Guillen, SS
  5. Perez, LF
  6. Rodriguez, C
  7. Casey, 1B
  8. Thames, DH
  9. Hessman, 3B

I’m fighting a cold and am heading to bed early so the postgame won’t be up until tomorrow.

Game Time 7:05

CHW @ DET, Wednesday, September 5, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: As a member of the “Timo Perez, what the hell?” club I need to pause and reflect on his awesomeness. While I still don’t think he should be playing, and I don’t think he should be on the team next year, the guy has produced for the last week or so with the club. And he did it some more last night, with a catch at the wall,and that whole walk-off hit thing. And on a night when nobody could deliver the big hit, Timo did it. So go Timo.

As for the rest of the game, it had a lot going for it. It had some real nice defensive plays like the aforementioned Perez play at the wall, Casey laying out a first, and Polanco saving a single up the middle. It had the return of Kenny Rogers who was stellar, and it had very strong bullpen performances as they maintained the tie for 6 innings. Zumaya was awesome and Fernando Rodney didn’t let his last outing carry over. The Tigers even showed some patience and drew 8 walks, and forced the issue with 5 stolen bases.

Still, all that was kind of overshadowed by their inability to score off of Gavin Floyd, a guy that is awful and yet has allowed 1 run in his last 12 innings against the Tigers.

Nonetheless the Tigers did prevail, and it was largely on contributions from the more maligned Tigers. Pudge looked like the Pudge of old flipping doubles (including his 500th career) into the right field corner. Brandon Inge scored the winning run after doubling as a pinch hitter, and of course Timo!

131 thoughts on “Game 139: White Sox at Tigers”

  1. My TV says that Dodgers/Cubs is on both WGN and ESPN tonight. Is that for real? Why would they do that? Any chance WGN will switch to the Sox instead?

    Get well, Billfer.

  2. Ben, WGN is doing the Cubs game and I didn’t check ESPN so if it is the Cubs game, too, be prepared to strike up the mlb tv or follow along with the comments and gameday.

    Since we’ve fallen out of the race essentially, I’ve actually found joy in watching baseball again. Since this 2 month slump hit I’ve been lamenting every twist and turn of every game. Now it’s just a baseball game since there’s nothing at stake. It’s a good feeling to have back again, though I would prefer they be in the playoff hunt, obviously.

  5. the tribe wins again. can you believe we are 7.5 games out? we need a miracle. btw, i don’t mind the line up tonight…tomorrow we put maglio and sheff in and it really should help…thinking positive here. we can outplay the yankees and mariners…fingers crossed.

  7. Okay, I just got back from vacation over the weekend and I took some time away from my beloved Tigers. What did I miss since last Wednesday?

    Hmm, lets see the standings. . .

    Crap, 7 games back from the Indians. A good guess tells me the Tigers did not fair too well on their road trip.

    I would like to see the Tigers end the season strong and stringing some wins together – playoffs or not if the Tigers are truly back they won’t go down without a fight.

    Lets see some guts here fellas!

  8. Absolute murder’s row tonight.

    Grandy off to a good start, popping out with a 3-1 count. Jeez, how many times have we seen the last couple weeks, squandering a good hitter’s count?

  10. Same as Andrew here, I was away in Atlanta for a week, and things looked even worse when I got back then when I left. Sadly, there was an obnoxious Indians fan at the same convention I was at, and he kept taking waaay too much delight in insulting my Tigers every time he saw me. Jerk.

  11. It’s amazing to me how many players hit their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th home run of the season against us. Cintron last night, and not it’s Richar or whatever his name is.

  13. Regardless, if you take away that home run, this is the nastiest I’ve seen Kenny since the playoffs. 5 K’s in 3 innings and all his pitches have serious movement. If only our pidge-podge lineup could support him.

  14. Granderson needs to get another steal here. I really want to see him get the 20, 20, 20, and 20.

  23. Why is Thames and his HR per 15 ABs batting 8th??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  24. Hoping Grandy reaches the 4:20 mark is about all we’ve got left at this point.

    Looks like we’re turning another palooka into Cy Young again tonight.

  28. I’m starting to come around on Jose Uribe. Rather than hate him, I think I’m gonna start cheering for him. He’s so ridiculous that he’s likable. This starts on Friday.

    (Props to Inge’s sister with the catch there)

  29. Holy cow that sequence with Mario and Rod when that hot girl in the Inge jersey caught the ball was priceless.

    Rod: An Inge fan just caught that ball!……That looks sweet.

    Mario: That drink did too….

    Mario: Lets take a look at Kenny’s pitch count…..

    Mario: Sixty Nine!!!!

  32. This must be kind of like what games in the dead ball era were like – lots of singles, lots of stolen bases, and not many runs.

  33. Kenny was terrific. Looks like we’ll be seeing him around next year. I hope this is the only inning Byrdak pitches.

  34. Vince – this is just Tigers baseball. The performance from Kenny was a bonus, however.

  36. Would it be wrong to think that Thames is really, really, really pressing at the plate right now?

  37. So glad we’re making Gavin Floyd (of the 6+ ERA) look like an All-Star.

    It’s bad enough we have our AAA lineup out there, but that doesn’t mean they have to swing at terrible pitches. WE already have Pudge for that.

  38. Kevin:

    Yeah I know. One game they frustrate you with a complete team meltdown and the next they try to make up for it by puting you to sleep. Good performance by Kenny, but that WSox lineup isn’t exactly Murderer’s Row either. After all, they only managed 3 runs off of Bombedagain yesterday.

  39. I think all that talk about them not having any heart really got to them and now they are all pressing.

  40. Sadly, there was an obnoxious Indians fan at the same convention I was at, and he kept taking waaay too much delight in insulting my Tigers every time he saw me

    Just ask him if he plays the lottery then ask if his number is “1948”.

  43. So far the game looks pretty even with Granderson and Guillen, and Polly, our big guns vs the Sox Thome and Konerko. The others are rooks or just weak hitters. 1-1 tie game in the 8th isnt the end of the world all POWERthings considered along with an absent Maggs. Though Zoom Zoom looks outstanding I believe he’s back to 2006 form or better with that great looking breaking ball. Well I just hope that we can win this one as the Yanks are pulling ahead of the Mariners 4-2 in the 7th.

    BTW, not impressed with Hessman but he did get the job done to tie this baby up.

  45. Up to Thames, man come on do some of that awesome clutch stuff Marcus!!!!

    And intentionally walking Casey i think guillen is on something that may be the final undoing tonite if Thames gets the hot hitting out of nowhere Pudge singled in to make it a 2-1 game.

  57. No breaks once again, and now thats 12 stranded runners this is turning into another KC game not good at all,. You have to score those runs. And yanks have broke it open 9-2, this is a MUST WIN!!! get those bats going guys for a nice walk off win.

  60. So, can someone explain why there wasn’t a take sign on in that situation? Who lets Granderson swing 2-0 with 2 out and the bases loaded in a tied game at home in the 8th inning?

  62. Wow. When the announcer says “Granderson should take one here…” you just assume that the player already knows this sort of elementary baseball strategy.

    But apparently not.

  64. I bet that will be something Granderson addresses next season, but I wish he would do it now. He could walk a lot more if he didn’t swing at breaking balls down and away.

  67. [quote]
    I bet that will be something Granderson addresses next season, but I wish he would do it now. He could walk a lot more if he didn’t swing at breaking balls down and away.
    [/quote]

    That needs to be addressed right now. I don’t have any problem with him swinging at a breaking ball. I have a HUGE problem with him swinging at that pitch when the count was 2-0.

    You can’t win games when guys are playing stupid. Bases loaded? He should have been looking for the walk. Instead he tried to hit a home run. That’s bush league.

  68. gosh, i’ve almost convinced myself if they somehow win this game and sheff comes back and rogers is healthy, we might catch lightning in a bottle. but god, can we squeeze across one run?

  71. Jim Leland said it best about Grandy …..”he tries to please too many people.”

    As we sit here biting our nails, he’s probably on his laptop writing his blog to his “friends” on my space.

  72. I didn’t even notice that Carlos struck out every time up. It’s just another one of those weird anomalies that has been plaguing us. Why can we never have both cylinders firing at the same time? For the love of Skeeter Barnes! Great pitching tonight, and the only reason we haven’t already lost is thanks to Hessman?

  82. Glad cib took the night off. She’d be goin nuts over this game, but I bet wherever she is with her friends, she’s managed to check on the score.

  86. Good lord. Thames just works a walk and Maggs swings at the first pitch. Is is 2002 all over again now? Leyland WAKE UP.

  87. Seriously… I understand that baseball is a difficult sport.

    And if Maggs grounds out later in the count… I can accept that.

    But on the first pitch? Come ON… that’s just another mental error.

  89. Maybe I am overly disgusted with the sorry excuse for baseball this year, but I think this team needs a makeover over the winter. There is a lot of dead weight that is going to have to go. Unfortunately the minors are not exactly teeming with help as far as position players go for next year, so it will have to be done the trade route or FA. Who do we keep as the core?

    Position players:
    Regulars:
    1B ———
    2B Polanco
    3B Raburn
    SS Guillen (?)
    RF Ordonez
    CF Granderson
    LF ———-
    C ———-
    DH Sheffield

    If Guillen moves to 1B, then a shortstop must be found, and there isn’t much to be had via FA. Or if Guillen can play SS one more year, can we push Jeff Larish into 1st? – that might be askinng too much. Give Shelton another shot? – looks like he is in the doghouse.

    C – This is tough, there’s not much out there, but we have to say bye-bye to I-Rod. Wilson is iffy – what to do?

    LF – Maybe some kind of platoon system would work, but LF has been a liability all year.

    Bench
    It sucked this year, with the exception of Raburn coming up and since I propose making him the regular 3B, we need three new guys plus a backup catcher (Rabelo?).

    Maybin starts in Erie where he belongs.

    Pitchers:
    Starters:
    Verlander
    Rogers?

    Keep either Robertson or Bonderman as #4, and either Miner or Durbin as #5. Get new #2-3. Jurrgens and Miller start at Toledo.

    Bullpen:
    Rodney
    Zumaya
    Byrdak (?)
    Seay (?)

    A new closer and a couple of long men.

    Anybody not on the above list is dispensable.

    Leyland can stick around with his feel-good chatter, which the media finds so entertaining, but DD needs to find someone for the dugout who can intelligently fill out a lineup card.

  91. Wow…rookie pitcher in his first big league spot and both Grandy and Polly swing at the first pitch. Is this Little League?

  103. i am happy to admit i was wrong about timo and leyland was right…i hope it stays that way for a long time…also nice AB by inge.

  104. Well leave it to… Timo?

    Hey, we’ll take it! Tigers win in extra innings – woo!

    Plus, this is the first game I got to watch live on my Slingbox from Ohio in some beautifully fluid, smooth video – best investment ever! 😀

  105. Hooray! Now of the boys win EVERY game for the rest of the month, they MIGHT make the playoffs 😛 Hooray…

  106. that was a tough game.

    all Inge detracters it’s yer turn to buy

    all Pudge detracters yer turn next

    Go Timo

    good job Bobby

  108. Tbone, i hear you, we burned our entire bullpen against a crap team, but i’m gonna take it. Now I think Timo should retire before his statistical reality catches up with his selling of his soul to Satan.

  109. Man i know you guys are rough on the guy but TIMO is awesome since coming up. True hes not a #3 hitter and he wont be but i nominate him so far to either plattoon LF or starting LF in ’08. Its his job to lose. Hes been clutch, hitting for average and for Xtra base hits. Bat him #6,7 or even 8 next year. Hes good enough to be on the team. With only one defensive blunder and a bad outing when he first came up hes been doing great since. Thank you Timo for keeping my hopes going for a now 5 percent playoff chance.

  112. I am looking for a middle aged Blonde that sat in Section 133, (about) row 15, Seat 2. She was wearing a white top a blue jeans. She was with a friend in an orange shirt.
    If anyone can help…please post.

  114. Kathy you are a stitch and I need to meet you some day. I did NOT check the score until I got into my car at 11:15 to go home. I really did take this game off and it seems they do better without me!!!

  115. Timo did make an outstanding catch out there in LF and got the big hit along with Inge. Who’d a thunk? Weird game. I still can’t believe we won.

    Hope Sheff’s shoulder is good to go.

  118. Cib, I was afraid you wouldn’t have a good time thinking about the game. Glad to hear you really did take the day off and had some fun. Thank God, we finally won. It was torture.

  119. TIMO TIME!!

    I found myself nervous eating, nervous drinking, just flat out nervous. Glad they pulled it out. I noticed it was Gum Time back in the bullpen.

    I’m still cautiously optomistic. Brandon Inge off the bench? Seriously?

    (I didn’t know this was Craigslist missed connections?)

  120. Oh my god!

    The Tigers have a 1-game winning streak right now! Ya’ll know that if they win tomorrow, then that will stretch the winning streak to 2– the highest they have had since July 19th. (In other words, the Tigers have not had a winning streak of more than 2 games since forever.)

    Time to reserve your post season Tiger tickets. (sarcasm)

  121. Inge is so much better when he gets time off…I’m tellin’ you all, he’d be the best utility guy in the game: go back to Super-Sub!

    Seriously, a much needed win. Now, we need three weeks of the same…

    Nice job – and waaay more than expected – from the Gambler.

  122. The Free Press on line has the late story on the game posted and they are calling it “Timo-mentum!”

    You are right, Kathy, sounds like the 6 innings of 1-1 tie would have killed me off. Fortunately I was at a friend’s house in Corktown, within spitting distance of the old stadium, eating tapas and drinking sangria and keeping my mind off baseball. But not for long . . .

  123. I tell ya Timo is making a case to stay here for at least two years until Maybin is TOTALLY ready for the bigs. Timo’s defense can improve with the great one Van Slyke on the case. His clutch hitting, batting average and extra base hits is just awesome since his call up(forgetting that dismal 1 for 5 game in #3 slot in KC.) Bat him 6,7, or 8 next year and we got ourselves a LF people til Maybin is ready. Sign him to a two year extention for like 500K or 1 mil. thats pretty good for a above average semi power LFer. Timo keeps going hes going to impress more Detroit Fans. If we make it to the playoffs he should be on the roster as the backup OFer.

  126. I tell ya Timo is making a case to stay here for at least two years until Maybin is TOTALLY ready for the bigs. Timo’s defense can improve with the great one Van Slyke on the case. His clutch hitting, batting average and extra base hits is just awesome since his call up(forgetting that dismal 1 for 5 game in #3 slot in KC.) Bat him 6,7, or 8 next year and we got ourselves a LF people til Maybin is ready. Sign him to a two year extention for like 500K or 1 mil. thats pretty good for a above average semi power LFer. Timo keeps going hes going to impress more Detroit Fans. If we make it to the playoffs he should be on the roster as the backup OFer.

    If Timo Perez opens 2008 as a platoon player in LF then the Detroit Tigers are in ENORMOUS trouble. He’s been TERRIBLE in his last 500-some-odd AB’s of his career which outweighs what he’s done since he was inexplicably called up despite having more then enough OFer’s and inexcusably put into the 3rd spot in the order back in KC.

  130. Bill, I’ll gladly buy after the games when Inge hits well, as long as you agree to buy when he’s hitting poorly.

  131. Impressive indeed the way Curtis ‘Mendoza’ Granderson worked the count to 2-0 with the bases loaded against a real live flesh-and-blood major league lefthanded pitcher.And at least the pitch he swung at (and MADE CONTACT with) was in the strike zone.However,I also know for a fact that the Tigers had several right-handed batting pitchers on the bench who were available to pinch-hit for him.Certainly one of them carries a .200 average against LHP.

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