2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.085: Indians at Tigers

54 Comments

PREGAME: Talk about some tough pitching match-ups. The Tigers just got done facing Zach Greinke and now they welcome in Cliff Lee. Lee was knocked around by the White Sox two starts back, but that is really on the only blemish in his last 5 games. He has 85 K’s and 31 walks in 120 innnings. The last time the Tigers faced Lee he was outdueled by Justin Verlander.

Tonight Lee will face the Tigers other ace, Edwin Jackson. Jackson has been effective lately, but not as dominant as he was earlier in the season. Jackson has walked 4 batters in 3 of his last 5 starts.

Cleveland vs. Detroit – July 10, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

HEADS UP: I’m going to be watching part of this game from the FS Detroit truck. I’ll have some updates on Twitter (@billfer)

54 thoughts on “Game 2009.085: Indians at Tigers”

  2. I hope so, it would be nice to see him get a win before All-Star break. I would love to see a sweep and end the first half on a good note. Maybe it could lead to a hot start to the second half, which is at the Yankees!

  3. im confused…id it Lee or Pavano?mlb.com and tiger website have Pavano in their preview writeups

  4. Not really related to the Tiger/Indian series this weekend (it kind of is if you think about it), but if you ever needed a reason to dislike Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson (and really who does like this guy that is not a Chisox fan?), read this blurb from the twincities.com. Harrelson is interviewed about the upcoming Twins/WhiteSox series this weekend and basically dismisses our Tigers as a player in the AL Central race.
    Link: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_12798258.

    1. I don’t see Chicago even being .500 team at the end of the year. They have a really tough 2nd half schedule. 54 of their remaining games are against .500+ teams. About half of those games are vs NY, Boston, TB, and LA.

      The Twins might be tough to hold off. Only 39 of their remaining games are against .500+ teams, but the majority of their games are away from the Metrodome.

      The Tigers have 46 remaining games vs .500+ teams, and we have a home field advantage in the majority of those games.

      KC plays 61 games vs .500+ teams and most of their games are on the road.

      Cleveland has 56 games vs .500+ clubs.

        1. Not my job to police this site, but you make us look like douches with comments like that. Not to mention disrespecting the family involved in the accident. However, its a free country. Or is it?

          1. Sorry if it offended you. Billfer can delete it; I can’t. Won’t bother you anymore.

            Later guys. Go Tigers.

          2. You don’t bother me, and in general I’m all for hating on Hawk, just not like that. I half-way hoped he’d keel over after all of his “Hell-yeahs” the other night when ‘Paulie’ belted 3 HR 🙂 In the end its just a game, kinda.

  6. The Tigers need to get to Lee early and get him out of there. He’s their best pitcher; after that the falloff is pretty dramatic and the bullpen is pretty bad. Jackson has to bring his A-game though because the Indians offense is potent – no free passes please.

  7. I loved that home-away graphic because we have played so many more games on the road this year. Gives me hope that we could avoid the second half slump that has plagued us time and time again…

    Anyone have data on how many home/away games we had played at the break over the last few years?

  8. The bottom half of Cleveland’s line-up is rather weak. Their 8th and 9th hitters are at the Mendoza line.

  9. What is Garko doing in RF diving for that ball. Man, that looked horrible. What is he doing if RF anyway?

  10. Josh Anderson with some clutch hitting. The bottom of our line-up comes threw once again.

    1. daY OFF for Grandy until Andeson got hit in the elbow last time up so He’s out of there ..was playing center..

      1. Really? The guy is 28, and it’s 3 days before the All-Star Break. I know he’s playing in the ASG, but that’s just plain weird.

        1. Granderson has been slumping and Lee is a lefty. So it’s really not that weird.

    2. this game used to be in the bag……I disagree with putting in Zumaya move totally..just to go on record

      great pitching change getting Zoom out of there…just to go on record again

  13. I would have let Jackson start this inning. He had 15 more pithces in him. It’s just not the right move. One walk by Zumaya and I pull him.

  14. I think Zumaya hurt his “Guitar hero” thumb so they aren’t taking any chances he might be on the Video game DL for the all star week

  16. It’s nice to see that the new guy (Ed-Jack) never got the memo that Shoppach is supposed to kill us…

  25. I like Marcus Thames. And Clete Thomas takes another AB away from “Vesting Option” Ordonez.

  27. Unbelievable

    however great win for Jackson…..Good to see him get a win in this game!

  28. why, no matter what this year’s records show, am I always afraid to death when Rodney has to end a game like this? why does he justify my fear so often? is it me or anyone else suspect he has some issues in his head that affect his late game control?

  29. What an easy win. The Indians didn’t have much going for the entire game.

    Meanwhile, the Twins and White Sox are battling it out with each other. It couldn’t be any better for the Tigers right now.

  30. Jackson is our ace. He has been extremely consistent all season. Has he had an outing where he didn’t give the Tigers a chance to win?

  31. What a true ace. He’s going to be a stud for years to come, as long as he doesn’t pull a Carmona on us.

  32. Guys, guys, Jackson is great, but let’s not confuse ourselves and try and say that he’s better than Verlander, because he isn’t.

    1. Statistically speaking, after an equal number of starts Jackson leads in all categories with the exception of Ks. Jackson has allowed 12 fewer earned runs than V, accounting for his ERA of a run less.

      1. Jackson has been more consistently very good. Verlander has been more dominant (ie literally un-hitable – at times) and has had several blowups.

    2. Actually I expect Verlander to emerge as the Ace (well maybe they both are, but Verlander is the Ace of Spades*)…and I think it will partly be spurred on by the performance of Ed-Jack and the murmurings of questions of acehood.

      I don’t think Verlander wears unquestioned acehood well.

      *Random Motorhead reference

  33. I have to update my post, since I was looking at Ed-Jack’s Baseball Reference page and noticed he rates as second closest in similarity to…Dick Pole. I think in an acehoood tie you’ve got to give the nod to the one with Dick Pole similarity…well, OK, Verlander scores Jack Morris on his similarity list so maybe that’s worth an extra point also…this acehood thing is complicated…

  35. Watched the game from a sports bar at Cedar Point – Cleveland commentators were ripping on Miguel Cabrera after he made that awesome dive to his right then throw over to Jackson for the out…they were saying they couldn’t believe he got to that ball, calling him a mediocre first baseman. Unfortunately he couldn’t hold that low throw from Inge later in the game – that just gave the commentators more fodder for their theory that Cab is merely mediocre at first.

    I was imagining Rod and Mario pointing out how much Cab has improved since he started at first and that he’s only gonna get better in time.

  36. @ MCM

    That’s exactly what they said…I believe a future gold glove possibility was mentioned.

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