PREGAME: I’m heading down for my first back to back games this season. I saw Nate pitch bad last night, and I already saw Justin Verlander pitch poorly this week, so I’mdue for some decent baseball right?
It will be Dennis Sarfate who will try to stymie the Tigers for 7 or 8 innings until the Tigers make some late noise. Sarfate strikes out a batter an inning, but walks nearly as many.
Game Time 7:05
BAL @ DET, Saturday, August 16, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: Nice win. Nice offense. Nice pitching. Mostly good bullpen-ing (an 8 pitch save for Rodney -woo). Other than a Carlos Guillen throwing error leading to 2 runs, it was a pretty clean game for the Tigers.
But I pretty much missed it. I had tickets to the game. Went to the game. Left before the game started. My son, who hadn’t been feeling well all day, got sick before the game started. He and I got to go on the field with a ton of other kids and coaches for Troy Baseball Booster day. While waiting in the bowels of the stadium, the number of people, the lack of air movement, and a stomach bug resulted in him puking in a groundscrew dumpster. So I apologize to Heather Nabozny and company, it was the best we could do under the circumstances. I think he may have topped his sister using the visitor clubhouse bathroom when she just couldn’t hold it anymore. This is the kind of stuff you just don’t get in the game stories from the beat writers.
Oh, and Edgar Renteria fanned 3 times and popped up a bunt for an out. I think that’s as close to the golden sombrero you can get with you actually getting it.
So in what inning will Verlander get to his 100th pitch? I’m going to be optimistic and say the 6th.
Bilfer where are your seats, we are here too.
They are playing like a last place team.
They are closer to last place than first. A lot closer.
I’m so depresssed. Saw the first run, got excited, went out to run an errand, now 2-1.
I’m going to do some laundry now.
Some good things to look forward to in 2009:
1. Armando Galarraga will be in the rotation all year.
2. We’ll get higher draft picks than we expected.
3. Bonderman should be back.
4. Zumaya should be healthy.
5. Verlander will likely be over his bad year.
6. Cabrera will likely have a better start.
7. Todd Jones will not be back.
8. Kenny Rogers will not be back.
9. From among Joyce, Larish, Thomas and Clevlen we will likely get a couple of pretty good players.
10. Willis may have his act back together.
11. Placido Polanco, the consistent one.
12. This division still isn’t very good; it’s winnable.
Bad things:
1. Sheffield $14 mil.
2. Carlos Guillen signed through 2011 and looking OLD.
3. 2 more years of Nate Robertson.
4. Catching will be miserable.
5. Rodney will likely always be an injury-prone mystery.
6. The bullpen will still have holes.
7. No SS unless we make another trade or sign a FA.
8. Maggs will hit but he will likely vest for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and I don’t know that he’s worth another $30 mil beyond 2009.
9. Tigers have to find a way to beat divisional rivals.
10. Leyland seems burned out but I think he will be back.
Come on, kids! Back to back Cabs/Guillen homers! Fun!
Former Tiger prospect Randor Bierd is now pitching in relief. Letting Bierd go in the Rule 5 draft when our 40 man roster was full of dreck was just… yeesh
Jamie Walker has grown an unfortunate mustache.
Dave, I think it’s pronounced “molest-ache”…
Nice easy game for the Tigers. Verlander pitched well and the Bullpen held up. I really liked the line-up too.
Is 110 pitches too much, Billfer? Man, you are right about a lot of things, and you’re probably right that Verlander shouldn’t be pushed past 120 often if at all, but I have no problem with him throwing 108 pitches every start (like he is now). 130 was probably a bit much but he’s recovered nicely and I don’t think that averaging 108 is outrageous or anything.
Nicely played game to everyone except Guillen, who needs to learn what we all did in little league – don’t throw sidearm.
I don’t have a problem with him going 130 pitches as long as he’s feeling fine. I don’t think there is much to pitch counts as all, there isn’t evidence that keeping to 100 pitches means a thing.
I like this take from Joe Sheehan on babying pitchers: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7858
I don’t have a problem with 108 at all. But as I posted earlier, when he starts getting into the 1-teens then his results this year anyways have shown there is a price to pay in the subsequent start.
I don’t know though that I want him going 108 every start.
Was at the game tonight
Guillen hit every ball hard as heck
almost had 2 doubles and a sharp single to go along with his HR (his D wasn’t so great)
Shef should be gone (I’ve said hes been hurt since opening day) I cannot stand him
Farnsy was hit really hard
It was nice to see Jamie Walker get em 1-2-3
Wow, 15 posts….That’s the lowest I ever remember seeing and I first noticed this site in 2005
Yeah, who would have thought that we wouldn’t be playing meaningful games at this stage in the season? I thought I was guaranteed a playoff berth before the season started. On paper we looked diabolically good. I know money doesn’t buy happiness, but I at least thought you could buy a division title with it. Wrongola.
I posted that mindless comment only to inflate our comments count. And this one too. Sheffield blows.
Bilfer , ah kids will be kids. Lucky the dumpster was handy. Hope he’s feeling better.
Even with a win tonite, not too much you can say about their play without it being overkill.
Yep the Renteria trade for JJ is looking good
Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies will be available next year. Any chance we get him?