2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.014: Tigers at Angels

176 Comments

PREGAME: Tonight it will be lefty Joe Saunders taking on Justin Verlander. Verlander is coming off a remarkable start in Seattle where he was pretty much untouchable except for an awful 5th inning. Still, his velocity, command, and breaking ball were encouraging.

Saunders has only fanned 7 batters in 20.2 innings with 6 walks and 2 HBPs but he’s posting a nice 2.18 ERA because he’s only allowed 13 hits so far.

The Tigers will send out:

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Ordonez, DH
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Guillen, LF
  6. Laird, C
  7. Inge, 3B
  8. Raburn, RF
  9. Everett, SS

Game Time 10:05

Detroit vs. LA Angels – April 22, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: This probably deserves a more thorough analysis, but I have to be at my day job in 5 hours. So this is what you get:

  • Verlander not so good. The Angels worked him like they did Galarraga the night before. Of course they had help in the form of Ryan Raburn who totally botched two plays (and minorly botched a third). Some of those runs should have been unearned but a disappointing Verlander outing regardless.
  • Rincon allowed a run, and on that run he didn’t do too bad. It was a chop infield single and a double on a nice pitch. But then a wild pitch and 2 walks later I had lost all sympathy.
  • The top of the order really got it going with the top 5 being on base 14 times
  • Angels have the most generous scorer ever. It’s kind of a joke really
  • Adam Everett had 3 “hits” and played some nice defense.
  • The big rally in the 7th was bizarre. Hits went exactly where they needed to go, including another en-Inge-matic hit where he dribbles it somewhere and it results in runs.
  • Rodney didn’t really struggle, but the 9th was way too interesting. An infield hit, a double play, a couple bloop singles, a well hit double a wild pitch and then it was over. Good night.

176 thoughts on “Game 2009.014: Tigers at Angels”

  5. Oh, nice, I had no idea there was MiLB gameday. Glad Zoom is looking good, we could use his 2006 self.

  17. He can throw all the fastballs he wants right now if he can locate it. He better switch it up the second time around this time, though.

  21. i’m wondering if there’s something wrong with jv that hasn’t been found. maybe he has an anxiety issue too?

  30. Not Justin’s fault. He had pitched three outs – Raburn’s “allowed hit,” contributed a lot to this.

  33. Not to mention the Angels have been patient both nights (and fouled off nine in JV’s first). Armando only lasted five innings last night and I think he got good defense.

  34. What is it with there being no defense behind Verlander in all of his starts and then Verlander having a meltdown? I am so sick of this crap. I’m beginning to wonder if Verlander will ever be right. Looks like Saunders is getting settled in. This game looks a lot like last night already….

  35. can’t only have gameday. if it’s the wind he has to know how to adjust. which looks like saunders is able to do.

  36. Tigers pitching can’t adjust….Angels pitching can….that is the trend I am picking up here….

  37. Verlander didn’t have good command that inning which was a part of the pitch count problem. The other problem was needing 4 outs.

  38. CCS’ ERA after 4 starts last year: 13.50.

    CCS’ ERA when he was traded: 3.83.

    I guess we can hope.

  39. i’m telling you. verlnader ain’t right. i disagree that he’s had any quality starts. and i do think he’s had a decent amount of support behind him. no excuses for a full lousy year and a seriously bad start. something’s wrong.

  40. Verlander will probably settle in…but will the offense be able to pick him up at all? I have my doubts after last night….

  41. Come on guys, it’s been one inning. Where’s that fightin’ spirit we used to have? Everyone’s so darn fatalistic.

  43. Wow…..this is really looking like last night….No quick innings for our pitching…. The angles are working on schooling us again…just like the last 7 years.

  44. @adam: basing my judgment on the horrible starts from a season ago and the clear lack of improvement thus far. Not basing it on one inning.

  50. Looks like Grandy was safe there. Hopefully it won’t hurt us too much.

    And it did…

    Sorta…

  60. rayburn must have caught verlander hitting on his old laday or something …which may be the only thing he caught!!!!!

  72. Look at that Curtis ‘nothing more than a platoon player’ Granderson go and smack the snot out of that offering by a lefty.

    Atta boy Curtis!

  78. looks like we acquired jason tyner from the brewers for nothing…sending him to toledo.

  79. Verlander has stopped dominating hitters, and by a long shot. So long, Ace, we barely knew ya.

  80. One more fail of a start and something has to be done to Verlander. This is ridiculous.

  83. Verlander was just leaving his pitches up in the middle of the plate. He’s still getting good movement though. We’re only down by 2 runs. I’d like to see the Tigers grind this game out for a win.

  87. We need to quit talking about how many outs Raburn made Verlander get and start asking why he couldn’t get them when he knew he had to.

  88. Spank him. Something, seriously. I don’t know, but wow. 15-day bs-DL stint if it continues.

  89. “Look how straight his balls go – yeah, they’re really flat.” A female in the vicinity. About Speier.

  90. I think we’ll get another 2 runs, but I don’t think the Angels are done either.

    Verlander will get it figured out. Just a bad spell.

  91. And I am with you Mr. X, I will be in this game till the end hoping they can pull it out. Bullpen probably needs to pitch a 4 inning shutout though.

  93. LOL when I first saw Anderson was going to steal I was thinking whats the point we have 2 outs with Everett up. But Everett came through with that single, nice job.

  94. @David

    I was merely asking about it I heard alot of bitching about Raburn and I can’t watch the game.

  95. I’ve got my pick for who leaves when Zumaya is healthy….Rincon….Bull pen lets us down again…

  97. Verlander needs to be a little more wild or more perfect to be effective. When he’s in between wild and filthy, he gets the snot kicked out of him more often than not.

  106. Billfer’s right about the defense for Verlander though…even Inge has had no web gems for him and one bounced throw to the plate…maybe there’s some sort of negative energy out there when he’s on the mound…

  107. There’s still a lot of outs left here, and Cabrera may burn through one of their bullpen in one AB…

  112. Inge could open this game up like a can of something or another here, and I hope he does cause the on deck circle’s got GIDP sitting on it….

  115. Wow, clutch by Inge. What happened to Shields? Maybe this is finally the year where his arm falls off, a la Scott Proctor or Eddie Guardado.

  116. Man Inge has just been clutch this season! Him and his force-field (one or two more these and I won’t even be joking about that, I mean I don’t remember ever seeing anything like it…)

  128. yah but Maggs cant GIDP there…and im not greedy…we still have 9 more outs to go if necessary

  130. I’m not in favor of Perry as the set-up man at this point. Too wild, though the K of Matthews was nice. I’d prefer Seay for now.

  131. Defense? By everett?? No error??? I must have fallen asleep on the couch because I am dreaming.

  132. @tom – He plays defense, unless the score is tied or it’s a one run game. That’s when he boots it.

  133. did anyone notice (not trying to jinx it or anything): Everett’s average is .308

    haha i was so shocked when i saw that, hopefully he can hit at least over .250, although that’s wishing judging by his career stats

  134. @Tom, Ryan: it just occurred to me–Everett’s defense is Inge’s fault (so is Santiago’s), they are close enough to suffer from the same force-field effect that works in his favor when he is batting. I suggest whoever is at SS play close to the bag…

  135. Or that Inge is at .306? (Much of that is arguably due to infield non-errors, however.)

    Still, it’s nice to see.

  136. Well, Everett has a whole career of being an excellent defender. The fact he had a couple rough weeks is more the outlier.

  137. Just for fun, if you include the Proximity Effect on his teammates as well as his plate appearances, so far Inge has been involved in 44% of the American League Shortstop errors so far this season…

  138. @coleman-

    In support of your theory, note that everett was at a maximal distance from inge when he gloved that ball…

  139. It’s been nice having Seay come in and knowing we aren’t going to be walking guys…he’s starting to remind me of the 2006 Jamie Walker…

  141. I’m sure the pitcher’s under instructions here, whatever you do, don’t throw Inge anything he can bounce to shortstop…

  143. Inge! He better watch out or they’re going to start pitching to him like he’s babe ruth

  144. @coleman

    don’t jinx it! im enjoying our decent bullpen, as im sure u r too!

    last year when jones blew that game against the white sox i punched a hole in my basement wall!
    no more bad bullpen, it kills me!

  148. Good point, bilfer. He has been an excellent defender in his career, particularly in his Astros days.

  153. @billfer

    True, everett has had a rough few weeks. I am more impressed because guys are coming back into form – guillen and grandy are hitting. Everett defense. Even zumaya is looking good. If only JV amd maggs follow suit soon.

  156. It’s still early, but I’m guessing that the bottom of the lineup hitting can be dropped way down the list of concerns for this season. As of yesterday (so not including tonight’s onslaught) Detroit’s 7-9 hitters had an OPS of .809, best in baseball (their 3-6 hitters: .806).

  161. For those of us “watching” on gameday…how straight is Rodney’s hat tonight?

  171. I am a young man but I will have a heart attack if the “closer” starts doing that on a regular basis.

  173. ok phew!

    good win by coming back

    pitching has to be better tho

    for once, however, when JV is pitching against the other team’s best pitcher, id like him to outpitch the other for once.

  174. Well, to get anywhere you’ve gotta win some ugly. And lest anyone forget last season–it beats the hell out of LOSING ugly!

  175. From Angels Stadium.
    ..the streak ends at 10 in a row for us at this stadium…. the curse is over…we are pumped up for tomorrow now..the next streak breaker is no series wins since 1970….go Tigers

    funny how everyone here is crying about the Angel bullpen…we just laugh!!!!!!

  176. lets get a series win!, caught the 9th.

    Inge hits another hr, Rodney looked bad

    Scanning these comments doesn’t make me feel so good about Raburn, or Verlander for that matter. Coleman that random factoid about Inge is not surprising to say the least. It is very interesting though. I know it is still very early anybody want to put an over/under on his HR totals for the year? (assuming health)

    Every day it is looking like he is going to break his career high. Right now he is on pace for 58 hrs! lol. Maybe he’ll hit 30+. 😉

Comments are closed.