2008 Season, Game Post

Game 42: Tigers at Diamondbacks

142 Comments

PREGAME: Frequently fans will complain when their struggling team has to go take on the best team in the league. I say bring on the Diamondbacks. It’s not like Arizona is going to “cool-off” Detroit. Might as well play them now because it doesn’t actually matter who the Tigers play given their recent production.

The 0-4 skid is awful. Maybe it’s a case of booty tightness that can only be remedied by a visit from Jason Giambi’s thong supplier. (I’ve been waiting all afternoon to write that)

As for the match-up, it will be Dan Haren for the Diamondbacks and Jeremy Bonderman for the Tigers. We’ll see if Bonderman will be more willing to come inside, or if he’s staying away because he’s lost 2.5 mph on his fastball.

As for Haren, he’s been awesome per usual fanning 4 for every guy he walks and only allowing 4 homers in 50.1 innings this year. And at home opponents have mustered only a .518 OPS though Haren has benefited from an unsustainable .227 batting average on balls in play.

The first pitch is pretty important in general, but the numbers are remarkable for Haren. Batters who see a first pitch ball post a 854 OPS but those who see a first pitch strike manage only a .327. The Tigers have been fairly passive on first pitch strikes this year and it will be interesting to see if they deviate in their game plan to be more aggressive.

DET @ ARI, Friday, May 16, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 9:40

POSTGAME: How do they lose thee? Let me count the ways…

Once again it was another game that flat out blew, and it’s not like the Diamondbacks played well. What team successfully sacrifice bunted leading to one of those manufactured runs? The Tigers. What team failed to properly execute a sac bunt leading to an out at third? The Diamondbacks.

What team made a big baserunning gaffe on a missed bunt attempt? The Diamondbacks.

I don’t want to hear how they did it the right way. The Diamondbacks won because the Tigers once again completely broke down in the field. A lazy effort on a foul pop up by Miguel Cabrera wasn’t costly, but Carlos Guillen and Edgar Renteria failing to call for a foul pop ended up costing Bonderman big. And to cap it off Guillen bounced a routine throw to first which plated the losing run.

It was a punch in the gut killing a team that had otherwise played a decent game. Miguel Cabrera hit a 2 run homer which was the first homer the Tigers hit with someone on base since May 1st and the first homer by a right hander since May 2nd.

Jeremy Bonderman was awesome and deserved a better fate than 3 runs in 6 innings. He was pitching to both sides of the strike zone and mixing his pitching well. Yet he has a very generic no decision quality start to show for it.

This season and this game somehow simultaneously blows and sucks.

142 thoughts on “Game 42: Tigers at Diamondbacks”

  1. In honor of the trip to the US Southwest, I will be partaking of Margaritas this evening while watching.

  2. If the players have to wear the golden thong, I think the coaching staff should, as well. Everyone’s in this together.

  3. Why in the hell is Sheffield playing in LF while Matt Joyce is on the bench? Why is Sheffield playing at all?

    This is really remarkable. From Dombrowski’s offseason trades to Jim Leyland’s lineup decisions…. one baffling move after another.

  4. OMG that is criminal. I don’t want to see Sheff anymore. Make him sit on the bench, perhaps wearing the thong.

    Now I don’t even want to turn on the game. Ugh.

  5. starting sheff in lf is just unbelievable…leyland said he can’t throw properly as if other teams don’t already know that.

    when is mike illitch going to get mad enough to insure that his club is run professionally. the tigers aren’t just a bad club they are a joke at the moment.

    i’m just very disappointed, it’s like mental patients are making the decisions.

  6. Here’s the lineup:

    Granderson, CF
    Polanco, 2B
    Sheffield, LF
    Ordonez, RF
    Cabrera, 1B
    Guillen, 3B
    Renteria, SS
    Rodriguez, C
    Bonderman, P

    Leyland just told Jim Price that the reason Joyce is out is because of how tough Haren is on lefthanders and that Sheff has “a good eye” and maybe can do something with that. (Like take a walk?) He also said Joyce hasn’t seen a spliter like Haren’s and doesn’t think he would fare too well.

    He also said “…I don’t have any answers” regarding the offense.

    I think we kinda knew that already.

  7. According to Jason Beck, Leyland believes Joyce would struggle against the Harren, who is better against lefties. (Okay, Tbone beat me)

    But haven’t we played against other right handed pitchers who are statistically better against lefties where Granderson led off and Jones was in over Thames? Yes, yes we have.

  8. Can’t anybody on this team hit a line drive anymore? I don’t care if it’s right at the left fielder for an easy out, I’d just like to see someone who can center the ball.

  9. Is it just me, or does it seem like Bonderman’s leg kick is different? A little bit higher, perhaps.

  10. Absolutely beautiful inning by Bonderman. Good velocity. More 4 seamers. Good control. Working both sides of the plate. Awesome

  16. Alright I’m here. Man vs. Wild was good. (Had to watch with the Mrs.) Let’s go Tigers. I see Bonderman looks good so far. I’m pumped tonight.

  21. I’ve been preaching it all season. Productive outs. They are so important.

  23. Bonderman has been great, but I would still like to see him get the ball down in the strike zone more.

  24. Jeff,

    I’m with you on that, but if your going to make an out (Sheff) make it productive.

  25. Bonderman’s dealing. Even that walk to Ojeda, he was on the edges but I guess it’s a small strike zone. Here’s hoping he can do it the 2nd time through.

  27. Holy crap. A homer with a runner on base, and a homer from a right hander! First homer from a right hander since Maggs in Minnesota. First homer with a man on since New York

  29. Playing NL teams for a few games, maybe Cabrera can get comfy at the dish finally.

  31. It seems like forever since we’ve had a lead. Two more runs and we’ll have a chance to win!

  34. As far as away play by play goes, Mark Grace is pretty good. He gives credit to the away team just as much as the home team.

  35. I know. I even like watching Bondo bunt. What’s 100 years in the American League? Let’s pick up and move. Except what will Leyland do with all of those extra DHs???
    LOL. I’m giddy. Just so nice to see better baseball.

  36. I will admit that HR by Byrnes doesn’t bother me. At least Bonderman is pitching to contact. No one on base, 3 run lead make them hit the ball. NO WALKS!

  37. Okay. Bonderman’s got to get the first pitch strikes in the lower half, or throw a change or a slider.

  40. Nice comment, Brian Tampa. I agree on Grace, one of the least disagreeable opposing announcers out there, and I say that as a Xtra Innings subscriber that occasionally runs into him for fantasy purposes.

  42. I figured they’d pull Sheff for a defensive replacement, but I didn’t expect it this early.

  43. Sheffield just had an at bat (the strikeout) in the top of the sixth, so there’s no point keeping him in left waiting for the entire order to bat. The third spot might not be up again until the ninth.

  45. I can’t believe that 22-20 is leading the division. That’s horrible. If we played .500 ball we would be 2 games back. Just so frustrating right now.

  49. I would say I can’t believe the D let Bondo down. But I can. Such crap.

  51. Why was Lopez used in middle relief with a four run deficit yesterday? Surely he’s better than Miner for this situation.

  56. This sucks. Way to watch a ball drop between 3 guys and give outs away. Now this game is so tight. Can we just win a game easy. I guess not when your defense is so bad.

  63. That was a horrible call by the umpire before the K. That was a strike looking. Whatever.

  69. Why would they bring in Miner is a pressure situation???? He always does this. He is so unreliable, yet Leyland is in love with him. I just don’t understand that call at all. Now they have little chance of actually winning this game. Unbelievable….Renteria has definitely been a flop trade this year…

  70. Alright time to be positive. Let’s get out of this inning tied, take the lead, and win.

  71. We blow it and then FSN plays “Panic in Detroit” going into the commercial? That’s messed up.

  74. LAME! I’m done with this crap!!! I am not watching this bull crap for a while….I am so sick of this bull! I’m out.

  75. This is just really, really bad baseball. Two muffs by Guillen in one inning gives the D-backs the lead.

  76. Our D is soooooooo bad. Offense is overrated. D and pitching wins. we had the pitching, but no D.

  77. It’s almost hard to believe that the pitchers don’t want to pitch to contact.

  78. This team just doesn’t deserve to win. They don’t care enough to play smart, they don’t work hard, the manager seems more concerned with not hurting the confidence of his players rather than putting guys out there in positions where their can succeed.

  79. its a bit late on this one, but Carlos is no longer “My Tiger.”

    Whats even more painful is that jim will run him out there again tomorrow.

    WTB inge at third please.

  82. It’s time to trade Guillen or Renteria, and put Inge back where he belongs….I’m sorry, the defense is just that bad that I think I can deal with Inge in the lineup. I am so sick of this nonsense….

  84. Offense is overrated. D and pitching wins. we had the pitching, but no D.

    The offense has been pretty putrid in this game, one swing by Cabrera and a few balls that got through the infield. I wouldn’t let the offense off the hook for this one. Nor the relief pitching. This was a collective effort.

  85. Inge at third is the right move. We don’t need every hitter to be a “stud”.

  87. Awesome….any confidence they had in this game, is now gone…as evident by Thames at-bat.

  88. I agree Brian, we have a lot of ‘studs’ at the bat, how about a LITTLE defense. Carlos is in the dirt all the time.

  89. Jeff,

    We live for the homerun. We got it. Now our D lets us down. This is the one game,against Haren, I thought would be tough. We had a 3-0 lead. Play solid D and it’s a win.

  91. Miner had some nice pitches tonight — showed some flashes. But he doesn’t focus on every pitch, and throws a mistake to almost every batter.

    Bonderman deserves apologies from: Renteria, Leyland, Miner and Seay. And if I’m Bonderman, I would tear Rent. a new one.

  92. hahahahaha. Honestly, this is comical. It’s like the first 45 minutes of the first Major League movie, sans the countless one liner’s and the criminal pitcher.

  93. We look like we did during the first couple weeks of the season, just waiting to lose, as opposed to that one good stretch we had where we were scoring a ton and even when we were down everyone looked like they KNEW we could come back.

  94. We live for the homerun. We got it. Now our D lets us down. This is the one game,against Haren, I thought would be tough. We had a 3-0 lead. Play solid D and it’ a win.

    They had three runs by the 4th inning. They’ve not come close to a run since then because they’re making lousy contact. And it’s remarkable how they make many mediocre starters look like Dan Haren.

    If you think Cruceta and Jones are guaranteed to protect a 3-1 lead in the final two innings even with stellar defense, well . . .

  95. Joey,

    That was against the sorry Texas pitching and the bad Yankee team. We can’t beat and good teams.(KC) Ha Ha Ha

  96. I would like to thank whoever invented beer, because I am going to be drinking A LOT of it during this season.

  98. How much more proof do we need of how bad this team really is? I think tonight was it. The 140 million dollar experiment has failed, it is time to start letting heads roll.

  103. Things won’t change until they find somebody that can intelligently fill out a lineup card – if then!

  105. Jim,

    I said it last night. Pitching, speed, and defense wins games. The teams in the AL that are winning have all three. We have none right now. I will say our pitching is coming around, but it keeps getting let down. Speed and defense never goes away.

  106. Why would you put in a reliever with an ERA over 8 in a crunch situation? And how has Sheffield not played himself out of a job? And how has Guillen not played himself away from 3rd?

    I really am starting to believe the game has passed Leyland and his team by. Can we just send him to the minors, and let Parrish and his coaches take over?

  107. This was a meltdown beyond measure and the Tigers do not deserve to win this game. But I’m sorry, the called third strike to Granderson was clearly a ball — and by far. It was not even borderline. I’m starting to think the umps are in on this whole kick-em-while-they’re down thing. The Backs are getting the calls where the Tigers are not. Bondo had a couple called third strikes in the seventh that were called ball three and ball four, which led to the first walk, and eventually the second run (not withstanding the five-out inning).

    I’m utterly disgusted. Either they lose when they show absolutely nothing, or they lose a heartbreaker like this one. At some point you just have to stop taking the abuse and tune it out. This was absolutely and positively a game that we should have won.

  108. I’d almost swear these guys are from the cast of Eight Men Out….or part of the Pete Rose how to get rich quick game of baseball.

  110. An average team (royals) wins this game 3-2 or 3-1. We are below average.

  112. Well, a new nominee for the worst loss of the year, this one surpasses even that blown 6-0 lead at Minnesota. You had a perfect storm of bad hitting, horrible defense, a relief pitcher pouring kerosene over everything, and a manager who thought Zach Miner should be out there in a crucial situation.

  113. Things were starting to go nicely until they traded Grilli. They are suffering “The Curse of Grilli.” At this rate it will take them 80 years to finish above .500

  116. Sky, I hate to break it to you, but fans have been saying that since the 0-7 start.

  117. A 3-0 lead in the seventh. Bondo dealing, and then 2 errors in the inning cost us the game. You can say the hitting was bad, but the pitching was pretty good, and Haren was pitching. I will take 3 runs off Haren when Bondo has given up none. This is a game that has to be won. P.S. Cruceta looked pretty good in the 8th.

  118. Dave BW, I hate to break it to you, but some fans have been saying that since last August.

  120. Hey, they held a meeting and all they could come up with is “we need to relax”. A woman giving birth needs to relax. These guys play a game for a living.

  121. Bondo was still throwing good stuff when Leyland pulled him. The Ump stole one out, and Renteria stole the second, when he called Guillen off that foul ball. When that ball fell, you could just sort of see something die in that team.

    Bonderman should be livid.

  122. It’s long past time for some “drastic” changes (and I don’t mean flipping Guillen and Shelfield in the lineup), but don’t hold your breath.

  123. Yahoo sports says that the Rockies might want to trade Holliday. I say Guillen, Pudge, and Rent-a-reck for Holliday. He is one of the best players in baseball. He can play defense, too.

  124. If I were Mike Illitch, I would insist on including Shelfield and Leyland, or no deal.

  125. Wow. World Series contender? This is now a team where the greatest debate is who has the worst contract: Sheff who can’t throw or hit, Inge who is barely a major leaguer, or Guillen who has pulled the hat trick of playing himself out of three positions in less than a calendar year. This team is like watching a car crash, you can’t look away because it’s hard to imagine so many players looking so old and done at the same time.

    Much like film students watch Ishtar and Heaven’s Gate to learn how not to make a movie, young baseball geeks will study the 2008 Tigers for years to come as a case study in how good on paper doesn’t mean crap.

  128. I wonder if Babcock can coach the Tigers after the Wings win the cup.

  129. the only reason leyland is still managing (and you can bet he will never again manage in the majors) is that dombrowski is refusing to fire him. my bet is that at the end of this road trip the house will be cleaned and the tigers will bring in a manager/gm and this team will start to be run like a professional sports franchise.

    everything in sports is based on competition and performance and that includes playing time…my guess is we only have a very short time to watch, hunches, confusion and loyalty to over the hill players.

    if that doesn’t happen this season will go down as far more costly and disappointing than the 119 loss season. aside from the lions and a couple other dismal teams i cannot think of another professional sports team being so poorly run…this season is reminding me of the 63 mets and some of the seattle pilots teams of a few years later.

  130. Demoralizing. Just demoralizing. How can you possibly believe you can win, when, even when you should win you lose? It’s hard enough to record the wins you’re supposed to win — but when you can’t even notch those in the the column, what else is there to do? The team must be simply devestated. It’s befuddling, really. You got the starting pitching finally coming through, and some other part of the team utterly crumbles. Or, the offense lights up the boards, but no matter. Your starters/bullpen can’t keep the other team off the board. Or the offense and starters decide both to show up, but the defense utterly collapses and gift-wraps a game for the opposition. Or the bullpen can’t hold a lead (but they’ll pitch sub 2.00 ERA when the Tigers are already out of the game). Or the manager will make some assinine decision in a game to close for margin. It’s simply befuddling.

    And the third strike in the seventh called ball three, which led to the walk that started the whole meltdown. If I were Bonderman, I would file a lawsuit. That’s just criminal. Especially after the ball third strike call on Granderson in the ninth. I went back to gameday to see if I may have been over-reacting in my biased frustration, and I was shocked agape at both those calls. Horrible. Just horrible. Game-deciding horrible.

    So horrible I’m begining to sniff conspiracy. What else explains it? Is this all just Bud Selig’s revenge at the way the Tigers blantantly defied the draft rules?

    I’m not making excuses for the hogepoge defense behind Bonderman’s stellar game. But honestly, those calls blew. They just blew.

  131. If Inge woulda been playin’ we woulda won this game and quite a few others

    Talk about Guillen playing himself out of positions?

    What about Miggy? Awful at third, no better at first

    Lost in all of this is that Polanco and Rentaria who both hit above .330 last year are hitting in the .260 and not getting to enough balls

    And Grandy while I love him is stuck at a ridiculous .235

    This game was sooo bad

    Vince I’m a part of your “some fans”

    Still who would they hire?

    Alan Trammel liked to take guys out too late after they blew it

    Leyland has the opposite problem – taking guys out too early

    Where is a manager who takes them out when they are just right?

    I wonder if this guy would suit any of you…

    Won the league championship for A Niagra Falls in 1993
    became a hitting instructor then…
    Won the league championship for the Jacksonville sons in 1996
    In 2005/2006 won the Gov. Cup with the Hens

    Has an 18-8 record with the Mud Hens currently good for a .692 winning% (what we should have)

    Just a thought, I really don’t remember how he was for the brief time he was a manager for us (because I’m a ” youngin’ “)

    But I can’t think of anyone else

    If we have a .390 winning% or anything under .450 for much longer I d be surprised if Leyland doesn’t get canned.

    Then again this team is known to keep guys around long past them being worth a darn, and proving they suck (Neifi, Grilli, Sheff)

  132. P.S. Cruceta looked pretty good in the 8th.

    Most Tigers pitchers have looked pretty good once the team has fallen behind and the pressure is off.

    Again, this was a collective loss. You can’t have 16 of the last 17 batters make outs and expect to hold on to a 3-1 lead, I don’t care if it’s Walter Johnson on the mound for the other team. You can’t have lackadaisical errors in crucial situations and expect to win. You can’t have pitchers who are afraid of their own stuff brought in during crucial situations. And you can’t have managers that naively think “oh, sinkerball pitcher, I bet he’ll get a double play”.

  133. i saw dave dombroski walking around 5/3 ballpark tonight in west michigan. i seriously thought about telling him to fire the entire tigers coaching staff, but didn’t want to be a d-bag. after seeing the tigers lose this one tonight, i’m mad at myself for not taking advantage of that opportunity.

    is anyone starting to think they’re throwing these games on purpose? i smell another black sox scandal.

  134. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. If Guillen is playing the field, be prepared for his defense alone to singlehandedly lose a game just about once a week.

  135. Greg:

    Yup. We’ve gone over this time and time again. Inge should be put in during late innings when we have the lead, or when a pitcher is downright dealing. Bondo gives up two hits into the seventh and can’t get a win. Pathetic. Simply pathetic. I will add though, that when you’re playing Interleague when there is no DH, it becomes harder to carry yet another dead-weight bat on top of the pitcher — which is probably part of Leyland’s decision not to put Inge in there in the seventh. But then again, there are about three or four dead-weight bats in the lineup currently, so why discriminate?

    My guess is Inge would have been playing third in the eighth last night, once we get through the seventh. Like so many other misfortunes that have plagued this team, however, that’s one inning too late and a couple runs short.

  136. Leyland…
    How did moving Guillen to 3rd and Cabrera to 1st make us a better team?

    I do not understand that move, Cabrera has a much much better arm and played 4 season at 3b without any major issue, maybe a few errors here and there.

    We traded for a SS in Renterera and had Guillen who we thought would play 1st what changed? He looked to be coming around before they made the change

    Our defense stinks and is losing game for us. Way to Inconsistent, this is Unreal

    Leyland must do something, be a man, Switch them back or put Inge at 3b, Guillen at DH and Shef to the DL until he is 100%

    DO SOMETHING THIS IS UGLY AND IT GETTING HARD TO WATCH, WHAT A JOKE OF A TEAM !!!!!!!!!!!!

  137. T Smith – If the Tigers send one more hitter to the plate in 7th, chances are Inge would have been in at 3rd because Leyland would have likely pinch hit for Bondo. Instead his spot in the order was leading off the 8th.

  138. David L, my thoughts exactly. Guillen played well at 1B last year and was starting to work things out when the switch was made this year. Cabrera was not great at 3B, but his error totals the last two years (17, 23) rival Inge’s (22, 18). Of course Inge is a better 3B, but you can live with Cabrera there.

    Moving Guillen to 3B was a bad idea because of his history of throwing errors. Those are probably half his errors overall in his career, can anyone find this out? That damn sidearm delivery he won’t abandon is only getting worse from 3B than it was at SS because of the angle across the field. And when you have a new 1B who can’t scoop your lousy throws, it makes it worse.

    Plus there’s this – this year Guillen has hit .379/.468/.636 as a 1B, .220/.277/.271 as a 3B. Holy cow, I can’t even believe it’s that bad.

    Is there any rationale for not switching them back, other than being too proud and stubborn to admit the mistake?

  139. I shut if off in the 8th inning and went to bed sensing it would end this way. I wish Sheff was on the DL. Raburn can play a decent third base and is a hustler and while I still love Carlos, I don’t know what I’d do with him. The camera kept showing Bondo and Inge talking with each other in the dugout and Bondo was furious. It’s gotten real ugly.

  140. If you switch them back, you REALLY run the risk of exposing ameteurs flipping a panic mode switch. This team is already the laughing stock of baseball. I can’t imagine the fodder you’d create, not to mention the signals you send to the players. I can imagine a dialog along these lines:

    “What position am I playing this week, Skip?”

    “Depends how many days you go this week at your current position before you lose a game for us.”

    “Ohh. So I guess that means every other day I should expect a new fielding assignment then?”

    I’m at a loss.

    This was just a horrible loss. A horrible loss.

  141. Don’t worry, they will win a blow out game today. This is their modus operandi. It’s like the kid who cleans his bedroom once a month because he can’t stand his mom’s screaming.

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