PREGAME: Yorman Bazardo will make his second career start, and like his first it will come against the Twins. He wasn’t dominating by any means, but he held the Twins to 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings on 4 hits and 2 walks.
The Tigers will be up against Matt Garza. In his last start against Detroit the Tigers worked 4 walks and combined the free passes with 4 hits to plate 4 runs. Garza typically doesn’t make it out of the sixth inning before running his pitch count up into the 90’s.
Game Time 7:05 but there is a chance of thunderstorms.
MIN @ DET, Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: Very nice start tonight for Bazardo who kept the ball out of the outfield for the most part. He induced 14 ground outs, and the few times he got into trouble he was able to get strike outs with his change up. Most impressive was the back to back strike outs with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd.
The Tigers bats came alive in the 6th after killing rallies with double plays in 3 straight innings. A 3 run inning turned a tight game into what would become a laugher. The biggest blast was a Magglio Ordonez moonshot that made it to the aisle way that bisects the pavillion in left field. It was his second hit of the night pushing his batting average to .359. Add in a Granderson triple and it was a pretty nice night for the Tigers.
Hi! Anybody watching?
This article says that the Tigers could be interested in trading for Edgar Renteria and moving Guillen to 1st base.
Count me out 100%.
Can you believe it? Brandon got a hit.
Watching/Gameday. I’m at work, so.
Looks like the Yankees are closing it out for us. Feels kind of like assisted suicide.
T-MO for C-MO!
I agree about T-MO. If he does well in ST, put him on the roster. He’s been great for us.
Maggs is the Man.
Hi guys. The kids were using the computer for homework of all things. That HR was ridiculous. If all these guys can stay healthy I feel good about next season. There were just too many cumulative DL days this year. I love how our team is playing to win each game no matter what.
And Grandy triples. What a night. Too bad it’s the night we get mathematically eliminated.
Yeah I’ve always hated math.
There was an article on the Tigers web stating that Zoom already sent his TV back home. Guess he didn’t figure on watching any more this season. Kinda disappointed me to read that.
The Devil Rays just got a Grand Slam to take a 6-5 lead aginst the Yankees!
Keep hope alive…
OH MY GOD. THE D-RAYS CAME BACK.
Carlos is just so dramatic at 1st. I truly wish he would take the switch gracefully.
Just tuning in here to catch the end of our shutout, the D Rays big inning, and believe it or not a meaningful Rockies game this late in the year. It could be a fun baseball night!
Sorry I missed Grandy’s triple, though.
If Tampa holds on, the Tigers magic number is down to 10 (including the one game playoff). Gotta believe, right?
Gotta hope, Ryan!!
Unreal. This makes last night’s game all the more sickening.
Kathy, I agree RE Carlos at First Base. It’s like he’s belonged there all along! Why won’t he accept his fate as future 1st baseman??
I loved the radio call of the Maggs home run and Grandy’s triple. This truly has been a spectacular individual-stat season.
Rod Allen said Carlos is a proud man. Plus he’s been outspoken about wanting a gold glover to replace him if he’s moved to 1st. Ramon Santiago doesn’t have a gold glove but he looks like a stud out there. Looks like the Yankees are winning.
Hey anyone here thing we could do a Maybin for Kazmir swap, I think the Rays are lacking in young 5 tool outfielders.
Heck throw in Timo and Infante.
I just watched C-Mo hit one out for the Cubs. He looked just the same, the same look, and stance. They lost though.
David – D Young and Upton?
Good to know so many are still holding on. I’m here. Always.
Woo hoo! D Rays win.
Still alive!!! Okay, let’s be realistic. But, hey, still alive!!!
Tigers still alive! D-Rays walk off HR
WOOOO!
You know, it feels nice that they are still in fact alive. Yeah, yeah, it’s a big time long shot, yet there is little feeling in the back of mind that says “baseball ain’t over yet for the Tigers, the games still mean something.” And I’m glad for it.
The last thing the D-Rays need is outfielders.
Lol I know thats why I suggested it, with Crawford, Baldelli, Dukes, Young Upton etc.
but then again the way they’ve been general managed maybe we could pry kazmir or shields from them for maybin and infante and bazardo. apparently they like 5 tool players better than pitchers
one can dream…
Throw Leyland in the deal too.
Re: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/SPORTS02/70925058/0/SPORTS02
Holy crap, I know I’m coming to this late, but it’s like this guy hacked into my brain. Agree or disagree, but the fact this column only was written in a small paper in Monroe suggests that the current beat reporters are the journalistic equivalent of the 119 loss Tigers.
God, how nice would it be, and not so hard to imagine, this team winning 3-4 more games and beng right there the last weekend?
We’re still alive! It’s time guys…put on your rally caps. Pray for a miracle. Don’t change your underwear. Grow a playoff beard. Tigers just need four more wins and 5 more Yankee losses and we play them, winner takes all! It can happen, right?
That Free Press piece is sorely lacking in realism/logic. Bonderman’s never been overworked? Does pitching 230+ innings last year count? You want the starters to work more–but not get tired arms?
Leyland shouldn’t rest his players (meaning Pudge, I assume) in day games after night games? Almost every manager in baseball rests his catcher in that situation nearly every time. Does the fact that our veterans have generally avoided major injuries the last two years count for anything?
Leyland isn’t perfect, but no major league manager is. Once again, I must ask who people think is preferable? Joe Torre–who has hung his best player out to dry in the media? Tony LaRussa–who makes lineup decisions based on six-at-bat samples?
And to bash DD is ridiculous. The man is 90% responsible for turning a 43-win team into a 90-win team.
Whether or not one agrees with Meade point-by-point,the issues he raises are all arguable.In fact,I’ve read many of them debated on this very blog,e.g. Inge,Monroe,etc.
While generally speaking both Dombrowski and Leyland deserve applause for their role in the resurgence of the Tigers,neither of them are above reproach,particularly Leyland for his stubborness and his seeming habit of managing by astrology.
One Dombrowski ‘screw-up’ I would point out is not Young’s departure,as Meade wrote about,but the release of Pena in 2005.
I does kinda hurt to see Pena absolutely thriving with the Rays, plus he’s such a likeable guy.
Kyle J:
The point to the piece is JL is a “push-button” manager — not that he shouldn’t rest players. I think the piece is firmly grounded in realism/logic. I will provide one example — although there are countless others:
1. Game one in the recent series against Cleveland — arguably the biggest game of the year for the Tigers, i.e. their last push to make a legitimate playoff run. Tigers up 5-2 (I believe) after seven innings. Rogers dominating. Here we have a situation where Leyland is managing with “urgency” — he wants this game. So what does he do? He goes with “his formula” instead of analysing the specific situation at hand — he puts in Zumaya in the eighth (this, afterall, is “the formula” that worked so many times for the Tigers in late innings in 2006. He makes this move despite the fact that 1) the Indians own Zumaya virtually everytime they face him 2) Rogers was dominating (whether he could have gone another inning or not isn’t really the point — I say put him out there for another 10 pitches, but if not, there is a whole host of arms in the pen not named Zumaya) and 3) (this is the most important point) the formula itself worked and will work when Zumaya has 103 mph stuff, with decent control. It is a formula for disaster with spotty control coupled with a 96 mph fastball. In fact, a 96 mph fast ball from Joel Zumaya is fodder to a fast-ball hitting team like the Cleveland Indians. I wasn’t surprised at all when the Indians plated three runs before the Tigers could record six outs for the W. Apparently, JL was.
Grant it, this is a “hind-sight” example — and one can always second guess any decision. But the point is, JL was going with his formula instead of managing. And I don’t think you rest your marquee players and go with a Mud-Hens team in a must-win game — regardless of situation. I agree with the journalist. There is a time and a place to rest players — sometimes they need to go the extra mile in certain situations in September, in a pennant race, especially when the team plays with no urgency at all in the last half of July and throughout the month of August. If you want the luxury to rest in September, I suggest you win in July and August.
I agree with you that you don’t necessarily bash DD — I like and support DD — but DD isn’t above critique either — he’s made some gaffes in his tenure, cough, cough — Inge contract — cough, cough.
Change of pace. A little something for us ladies:
http://ladiesdotdotdot.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/bringing-the-heat-detroit-tigers-bonus-granderson-interview-and-player-yearbook-photos-included/#comments
T Smith quote: don’t think you rest your marquee players and go with a Mud-Hens team in a must-win game — regardless of situation. I agree with the journalist. There is a time and a place to rest players — sometimes they need to go the extra mile in certain situations in September, in a pennant race.
Totally agree with that one 100%
T Smith, Agree 1000%.
Oh, cib, I loved it. Fine as wine in the summertime.
maybe we can beat santana today, and howell and kaz can keep the bombers at bay
might make for an interesting weekend
The Devil Rays haven’t had a terrible front office. They have drafted immensely well (you’re bound to when you’re drafting that high consistently) and they jipped the Mets in the Kazmir deal. They’ve stockpiled a lot of good young position players and the good young pitchers are on their way right now. They have one of the top 25 prospects in baseball entering 2008 in Jacob McGee — kid is an absolute stud of a pitcher.
About the only thing that can be said negative about their Front Office is not spending enough money to fix the bullpen year in, year out, but I think that comes from mandates from the owner as I don’t think they want to spend money. If they spent money, though, they could contend in 2008.