2008 Season, Game Post

Game 33: Red Sox at Tigers

114 Comments

PREGAME: It will be Daisuke Matsuzaka taking on Jeremy Bonderman. Matsuzaka shut out Detroit for 6.2 innings despite walking 4 the last time the two teams met. Bonderman is coming off a start where he went 7.2 innings and only allowed 2 first inning runs to the Yankees.

The Tigers unveil their new look lineup which has Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield flipping spots in the order. Matt Joyce who has been with the team about 2 hours will get the start in right field while Sheffield will man left. (I’ll have extended comment on this later tonight)

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Guillen, 3B
  4. Ordonez, DH
  5. Cabrera, 1B
  6. Sheffield, LF
  7. Joyce, RF
  8. Renteria, SS
  9. Rodriguez, C

BOS @ DET, Monday, May 5, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: Well, they grinded out at-bats. Matsuzaka made lots of pitches and the team drew 10 walks. The trouble is they only had about 5 line drives (the same number that Jacque Jones had this season BTW). The Tigers couldn’t muster an extra base hit meaning it was hard to get people in motion. And with out a speed team the Tigers are more reliant on things like the hit-and-run. But with a pitcher nowhere near the strike zone, it’s a tough play to call.

Highlights were a Marcus Thames pinch hit single and a Curtis Granderson diving catch. And Jeremy Bonderman fanned 4 while only unintentionally walking 1. A definite improvement. Unfortunately Clay Rapada and Todd Jones allowed runs to score as the bullpen has allowed runs in the last 4 games. I just dont’ know where this team is headed.

114 thoughts on “Game 33: Red Sox at Tigers”

  2. I think we all were, Deaner. I can’t remember ever seeing Sheff in LF, hope he’s good.

    Pitch like an ace tonight, Bondo. You da man.

  3. No matter how bad Sheffield is in left field, just remember that Jones was worse. Plus, I’m not sure Sheff is going to be all that bad. If you can steal 20 bases, you can track down fly balls.

    I hope Bondo pitches well tonight, and I’m confident he will.

  4. Is Joyce going to be a full-time starter?

    This lineup is strange. Very strange. Not drastic, really, and not at all what I expected.

    If Sheffield really wants to play LF, which is what Beck’s blog makes it sound like (maybe just for tonight, who knows…?), then we should be able to keep Maggs in RF, move Carlos to DH, and have Inge back at 3B, which in all common sense is our best lineup, assuming everyone’s healthy. But common sense isn’t really Leyland’s forte when it comes to lineups.

  5. Sheff is a decent OF, but it surprises me that Joyce is in there and Maggs is the DH. I agree with Cecil that Guillen needs to be the DH at this point (as he has turned into a butcher in the field) and we need Inge’s defense back at the corner. Hopefully tonight’s changes are just the beginning of the shake-up.

  6. i am super pumped for tonights pitching matchup and this being a national broadcast.

    the bonderman jersey is donned.

    LETS GO TIGERS!

  7. For what its worth, Cleveland cut Jason Michaels tonight.

    Also, the new guy Joyce, is a lefty so that’s probably why he’s in the lineup.

  8. I wonder if Maggs’ knees are barking and that’s why he’s the DH over, say Guillen. Pure speculation, but that’s one plausible explanation.

    We are an old team, we should get used to “day-to-days” and trips to the 15-day DL.

  9. I got the impression from the official release that Magglio was DHing for tonight only. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team didn’t have a full-time DH for the rest of the year, and rotated it among a few players – Guillen, Magglio, Cabrera, and Sheff, and when one of the infield spots is open, Inge plays 3rd.

  10. about all this lineup stuff. isnt it fairly obvious the tigers are going to have quite a rotation for the season? most any of these guys can play OF 3rd OR DH and even 1st, they will always be rotating around.

  12. Rotating DH – well, when you have 3 of them (Cabrera, Guillen, Sheffield), what else can you do?

  13. Nice to see Bondo helping opposing hitters their first HR and RBI’s of the season.

  14. Does Pudge need contact lenses? That was three feet off the plate and he swung.

  15. Which pitch are you referring to, Mike? I didn’t seem him swing at any balls.

  16. what an absolute joke this strike zone is. Dice-K is all over the place and he’s getting both sides of the plate. Bonderman isn’t getting the same calls.

  18. What a great at bat by Carlos. But one of these walks needs to cross the plate.

  21. Two terrible ABs by Maggs and Cabrera. Only Maggs swung at a strike, and he missed a 90 mph fastball right down the middle.

    Ugh-ly

  28. This team is nothing short of a disappointment. They show absolutely no urgency…If this keeps up, it is going to be a long season…

  31. It’s hard to believe all the air has already left the balloon from that Yankees sweep.

  35. And from Granderson, the only player on the team who seems to know he’s good.

  36. I agree with the no sense of urgency comment. They are showing nothing. Sad that our only started with an ERA under 4.00 is from Toledo. What does that say about Chuck Hernadez?

  38. Well…Chuck Hernandez was formerly with the Devil Rays…so he’s got that going for him.

  39. Totally agree. At some point the coaches have to be accountable. It’s their job to get the team prepared. Very few times have they looked prepared. They look like a last place team.

  40. Does anybody else think that we are back to our horrible early April team. No hitting, no offense, terrible fielding, bad starting pitching and shakey bullpen…. Oh yea, and getting swept by our divisional rivals as well.

  42. Yep…sounds like early april to me…should be a wonderful month of baseball if this keeps up….by the way…my extreme pessimism is back….

  43. Interesting point about the coaching…most teams seem to have copious books of notes and charts on every player, yet Leyland still seems to always want to go with “feel” or the status quo from 20 years ago. Of course, from a layman, this is impossible to gauge.

  45. What the hell? Just got home from family function stuff. Turn on the tube and its 4-0. Then Grandy got a hit. Hoping I can bring the MOJO.

  46. RE: MikeInCT’s point that the only quality pitcher is the one who has NOT been coached by Chuck Hernandez.

    This is a good point and Hernandez’s job should DEFINITELY be in jeopardy. For all the hysteria over the offense, it’s the Tiger’s starting pitching that’s been the culprit. They have sucked, without any equivocation. Verlander, Robertson, Bonderman, et al: ERA’s of 6+, no Ks, loads of BBs.

    (I went to the game against the Twins on 4-14 and I sat directly behind the Tigers’ bullpen. Watching Bonderman warm-up, I swear that there seemed to be a real disdain between him and Hernandez. If you saw them on the street, you’d have thought they were two guys who hated each other.)

  47. Time to watch the 4th qtr of the Pistons game. Getting sick of men left on base, and 2 out hits with runners stranded.

  52. Funny line…in John Heyman’s daily baseball take on SI.com, he labeled Grilli as “a talented pitcher.”

  53. Too bad about Joyce, he had a good swing on that pitch. We can still win this game, we’re into the sketchy Boston bullpen. Bondo needs another good inning here.

  56. Boy this team just sucks…another error, which will probably lead to another run

  59. Overall, not as terrible outing by Bonderman as I thought it was going to be. Not great, but not terrible.

    Now if we could ever get our offense going

  60. Wow, an intentional walk that works out as planned. Must be a first for the season.

  61. we might get a shot is the sox throw out lopez or delcarman before papelboner.

  62. if you looked at the two pitchers lines at this point and didn’t know the score you would swear the tigers were leading by a comfortable margin.

  64. yeah…even with the two homers, Bonderman really didn’t pitch that terribly…which is probably a sad indication of our staff at this point. and if pudge swings at another first pitch he ought to be fined.

  66. somewhat comforting, the white sox have slipped to 14-15 and are losing right now 1-0 in the eighth to the jays.

  68. 10 games ago I was hoping for .500 at the 40 game mark. After the Yankees sweep that looked easy. Not sure now. This team has taken on the personality of Todd Jones. UP DOWN UP DOWN

  69. for all his bluster today, sheff seemed to really trot after that ball by pedroia, huh?

  70. 5-1? Yeah….it’s over….14-19 and slipping….I turned it off…this team has some serious issues to fix….

  71. Well, the Tigers can easily score the runs, and they have done it in late innings already this year. I don’t think its happening against Boston’s staff, though.

  73. Suddenly, our bullpen stinks AND our offense is non-existent…. This is a hopeless situation

  74. maybe not discussed yet, but cutting jones probably screws with the team psyche. this is a pretty fragile group to begin with and cutting a player this quickly sends a message through the clubhouse, coupled with the grilli deal, that you’re next. it’s pretty clear the move, at least tonight, did not rally the troops.

  77. I’m not real worried yet, just a little. I will say one thing. Thank God the Wings and Pistons are still winning. It’s still early in the season and our division is so close right now.

  90. First the intentional walk that works, and now a successful pinch hitter! JL has the strategy going tonight. Let’s hope Edgar can knock in the tying runs.

  94. It was Thames, Chris. Not Joyce. And Diarrhe-I mean Renteria ends another rally. Maybe he’ll start one up next half-inning with another error.

  97. pretty sound decesion…put jones in and have him give up a homer. smart.

  98. I had a pretty good fealing that ortiz was gonna homer off of stitch…of course I think my hope of coming back in this game was lost a while ago.

  101. if i ownred a baseball team and decided to spend $140 million on payroll…i would spend more than $70 million on pitching…if i could get the arms i might go as high as $80 million.

  102. Hopelessness is probably the strongest word for how I am feeling about this season…

  103. Well, there we go folks…. Back to Strugglesville….

    I mean, just look at these two teams. They should be in different leagues. They are in different leagues. If we don’t get swept in this 4 game series, I will conceder it a success. But not to worry folks. We got our Stopper/Ace Verlander pitching Wednesday.

    What a joke this team is.

  104. Well, that drastic change did not work. Tomorrow Leyland forces the entire team to grow beards in hopes of runs.

  106. Man, these guys are exciting. How about that Granderson catch; and did you see the kid in right field dive for that ball? Unfortunately, our rentashortstop had a little bit of bad luck but that’s baseball. Oh yeh, crashing against the left field fence, Sheff showed he can still play defense. This team is going places.

  107. Tomorrow Leyland forces the entire team to grow beards in hopes of runs.

    Good one, Shane. I get a good laugh out of this loss, anyway, and I didn’t even have to watch it.

    Leyland is toast.

  108. I could not watch the whole thing. I want my 2007 Tigers back. These guys are not a team.

  109. Chris –

    Are you honestly under the impression that Verlander’s no-hitter was a fluke? He hasn’t had a good start but there’s plenty of time to turn it around. Before you point to his 1-5 record…look at his run support: 7 starts, only two where the team scores more than 2 runs. Even if his ERA were sub 3.0 he’d likely have the same record. The runs (if they do come) also tend to come late in games, combine that with the fact that JV is usually pretty money in the early innings and I’m starting to think he’s wondering why his team isn’t doing more to lift him up.

  111. Hate to say it…but Henning (DetNews) is right:

    “Leyland’s problem is getting the right blend of offense and defense on the field. His conundrum is that he has a surplus of offensive players who probably best function as DHs and first basemen.”

  112. If cutting Jones screwed with the team’s psyche, they should have cut Shefield too cause it needs a drastic shake-up. This “team” needs half the heart of the pesky Twins.

    I hope Bonds doesn’t get added to this mess.

  113. Bonds? Oh, man. That would be insane. Let’s field an all-DH team, why don’t we?

  114. C’mon guys, do it for the city. You’re team has been around since 1901. Have a little PRIDE. You know what that means?

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