2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.162: White Sox at Tigers

178 Comments

PREGAME: Well here we are. Game 162. Will there be an ALDS Game 1 or a Game 163 or is this it? We all know the deal, the Tigers haven’t been out of first place since May 9th. Yet way too eerily much like 2006 the Tigers could find themselves looking up at the Twins for the first time on the last day.

The Tigers do have some things working for them today. Justin Verlander is pretty good and he’s been very good when the Tigers have most needed him. It’s a matter of whether or not there is a limit on how many times the Tigers can go to the well.

John Danks is going for the the White Sox. The Tigers have only faced Danks once this season and could only muster 2 runs. The Twins faced the Danks 2 weeks ago and rocked him for 7 runs and it was the only time he had allowed more than 3 runs since August 6th.

Finally, I thought it was a waste when I heard that Amber Grand would be singing the National Anthem today. It turns out that this may be the Tigers best move with Grand posting a 6-1 record this year.

Chi White Sox vs. Detroit – October 4, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME

[audio:http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/onemoretime1.mp3]

The Tigers finally played the game that fans had been looking for. Too bad it took them 4 tries to get it right, but they got it right just in time to extend the season.

Justin Verlander came up big. He was unusually efficient. Whether that was Verlander or a White Sox lineup that saw Scott Podsednik DH’ing remains to be seen. Regardless, and despite the fact that Jim Leyland left him in a couple batters too long, Verlander only enhanced his status as a staff ace and an elite arm in the American League.

The offense was led by the corner outfielders with Ryan Raburn and Magglio Ordonez both having big games and big hits. Raburn homered twice, walked, and singled. After his second homer he trotted out to left field and received a standing ovation.

Ordonez came up his 4th time needing a triple for the cycle. That was going to be highly unlikely so he settled for a single and took his 4 hit day.

If the pitching and hitting weren’t enough, the Tigers even played some of their old fashioned solid defense. Curtis Granderson made a game-saving catch in the 8th inning laying out to catch a shallow pop-fly. Adam Everett looked exactly like the elite defender the Tigers thought they were getting. Everything was good.

Even Fernando Rodney, asked to get 4 outs actually got 5. And he did so efficiently not allowing a ball out of the infield in the 9th inning and only the bloop that Grandy snagged in the 8th.

And Amber Grand raised her record to 7-1.

Below are a couple shots from the game today (click for bigger images).

178 thoughts on “Game 2009.162: White Sox at Tigers”

  1. Prediction. JV again delivers. The Tigers score more runs today than the last two games.

    3-2 Tigers!

  2. Looks like a guaranteed win for the Twins today.

    K.C.’ starting pitcher has an ERA of a 11 over the past two starts.

    1. Hochevar is pretty bad. His last two have been awful, but the game before he threw a complete game 3-hit shutout against the Sox.
      I wonder how well Pavano will do on three days rest?

    2. Ridiculous. There’s never a guaranteed win in baseball. What if KC gets hot and puts 10 on the board today? You just never know.

  3. To put the days proceedings in perspective – the Lions have won a Divisional title more recently than the Tigers. We’re going to need some offense and a little help from the Royals to avoid an epic collapse.

  4. Lineup is out….Raburn leading off in LF, Guillen at DH, Granderson seventh. Everything else the usual.

    At least Ozzie Guillen doing us a favor, the bottom six of the CWS lineup — Kotsay, Rios, Ramirez, Castro, Lillebridge (who amazingly Rod said was “a tough guy to pitch to” even with his sub-200 BA and 1 RBI on the season. Do I smell a Polanco replacement?)

  5. I want to say this before the game. It is unreal the amount of negativity in Detroit. The fans have never embraced this team. All year long its been-we aren’t good enough, the pitching stinks and we can’t hit. Every player has heard it from the fans-You suck____! Cabrera is hitting 300, 100+ BBI’s 33 HR, he gets booed, same for Inge-near 30 hr, he gets booed, Rodney-booed enough said, Leyland-manager of the year-fans hate him, Thomas + Rayburn-not good enough, Ordonez-fans didnt want him re-signed. Galaragga-booed, Verlander-last season booed + terrible things said about him. Detroit deserves the Lions-winless last year. Next year the Tigers will not even be in the race-White Sox with addition of Peavy will be the favorite.
    I have heard several fans say they are going to today’s game + if the Tigers get behind they are going to boo. Thats their right but what does that say? The Tigers fans are the real embarrassment, not the team. Being in a pennant race is not a right, its something that should be enjoyed. The Twins fans are just the opposite of the Tiger fans. Plus, last year for the Dome. They deserve the playoffs and it looks like they will get it!

    1. It’s kind of hard to say that the fans haven’t embraced the Tigers when, despite the economic hardships, they’re averaging over 30,000 a game.

      Internet forums often seem negative, but that’s just a function of the ‘vocal minority’ — people don’t feel the need to post when everything is going swimmingly.

      “The Twins fans are just the opposite of the Tiger fans”

      That’s because the Twins are in the opposite situation as the Tigers, if the Twins were seemingly choking last minute after leading the division for most of the season, I think we could expect a similar reaction.

      On the other hand, the Twins are the one team in baseball that ‘knows how to play the game’, so I suppose its fair to assume that their fans are the only ones in baseball that ‘know how to support the team’.

      1. As a Twin Cities resident, I assure you that Twins fans can be fickle too. One of the nicknames I hear often around here is “The .500 Boys”, as in the team is always just good enough to not look bad.

  6. Sorry Joe, but this is a mediocre team, has been all year. Based on production, they should be behind both the Twins and the White Sox. Fans don’t embrace mediocrity that quickly. I think people in Detroit are knowledgeable enough to know what this team is. There’s also the issue of every time this team has expectations they fold up like a tent. They get out to a huge lead in the division in 2006, only to melt down the last month. They win unexpectedly in the playoffs (with no expectations), and everyone thinks they’re a shoe-in to win the series only to put on the most pathetic display that I’ve ever witnessed in the World Series back to 1979. They roll off to a huge start in 2007, expectations build, then melt down. 2008? Don’t even get me started. I think fans here are a bit tired of it, and don’t have a ton of faith in the team.
    Thing is, the games played between the lines by the guys on the field, not those sitting in the stands. Telling us whether we “deserve” to have a winner or not is beyond ridiculous. From 1989-2005, Detroit fans were privileged to witness one of the biggest disgraces in the history of the sport. Yet we’re still here. So if I were there I’d probably be booing as well, I feel we deserve better. There’s always another point of view.

    1. Supposedly he’s going to explain the situation after the game. If it really was nothing more than a scratch from a dog (as Miguel says) you would think everybody wouldn’t be so mysterious.

  8. Its tough to try to watch this game and the Lions game. Obviously this game is much more important but the Lionss are actually winning right now. Somehow. And its not everyday that you get to witness a Lions victory.

  12. Wow, I was hoping we would bust this game wide open.
    At least we got 1 run and Verlander on the mound!

  18. No ‘Y’!!! No ‘Y’!!! No ‘Y’!!!

    Rescue Raburn! (Hey Smokey, maybe you shoulda been playing Raburn the last few days…I’m just saying…)

  19. I don’t think its impossible for the Twins to lose today. Mets lost last year at home on stadium closing day with playoffs on the line. Twins bullpen is a wreck, they gave back a 4 run lead yesterday and 7 of a 10 run lead the day before. And Pavano isn’t Verlander in the guts department.

    1. The fact this is Pavano NOT against the Tigers should have Twins fans sweating…

  20. Simultaneously the Lions force the Bears to punt. Not to sure whats going on here, but I like it…

  21. I think the White Sox lay down from this point. They start calculating that they can be back in Chicago by 5pm and start their offseason and figure ‘hey, we took 2 out of 3, our work is done.’

  24. If the Tigers make it to the playoffs, Ryan Raburn gives me hope. He’s been clutch this season!

  25. White Sox jet already on the tarmac at DTW. This game could be over by 320. Verlander dealing and Chicago offering ‘lets get home so we can watch 60 Minutes and Murder, She Wrote.

  26. Nice at bat by Brent “Tony Gwynn” Lillibridge

    Laird! He is on fire gunning down runners lately

    1. Yeah, beggars can’t be choosers, but I really like Verlander not to throw another 120 pitches today. He’s a horse, but we don’t want a horse that’s been rode hard and put up wet for the playoffs.

  28. If Cabrera did get into an altercation, I’d like to see what happened to the other guy’s face. Probably had more damage than a scratch.

  32. Is it too early to start counting down outs? 15 more and we live to see another day.

  33. I don’t know if I mentioned it but Luke Hochevar is a fine, fine young man and does excellent work. Handsome too, I might add.

    1. Wow I didn’t know that Magglio could still hit a ball that far. Dude has been clutch lately.

  37. Magglito! Glad to see your average back to where it belongs! Go Tigers!

    1. You know, when someone mentioned the possibility (over a week ago, I think) of the Tigers having the potential to play a tiebreaker game at the Metrodome I honestly didn’t think it would happen.

      Of course, there’s a lot of game left here and up in Minnesota.

  43. I think the Royals are already thinking about the offseason. Twins nearly batted around in the 1st. Not that I expected any help from them today – the Tigers made their situation what it is.

  44. I hate the Twins, I HATE the Metrodome, and I can’t believe we’re going to have to go back there again.

    1. It’s a bad dream. I’m thinking about going to the game too. Think my Grandy T-shirt will make me any friends?

      NO YYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!

  50. I recall the ’87 LCS when the Tigers dropped two in the Twinkie despite the good pitching of Alexander and Morris. I see the fans already have their Twinkie towels…barf!

  52. It is Detroit´s fault but still ,what the matter with Kansas?. In 2006 they played until the last out and received( latter given back) their 6 boxes

  55. Yeah, Leyland has already said it will be Porcello on Tuesday.

    If they make the playoffs, it would probably be Jackson on Wednesday and Verlander on Friday. (Depending on what the Yankees choose.)

    1. The Yankees said that they would take the extra day off. Not sure where I heard it, though, but it was a bit ago.

  56. I think Mickey Caberra and Mags are the only Tigers batting above .300 for the season? Curtis needs to start getting on base where he scores runs and stirs things up.

  57. Renteria make that play?

    To all the angry fans…this team not as sexy as last year’s, but don’t tell me you can’t vibe with these results!

  60. Tie run at the plate.Settle down team and slow down as we are winning.

  63. Every start by Verlander he’s left in an inning too long. I was going to write that I hate that there’s going to be another game in that damn metrodome, but now I’m worried that my smug and irritating Twins fan “friends” are going to make my life miserable if we blow this game.

    If we eke this out and the Twins game goes as expected, any Tigers fans want to join me in that damn dome on Tuesday?

    1. First, I am not at all sure the Tigers will win today. Even if they do, the best thing to do is make a large bet on the Twins in the playoff game. At least you’ll pick up a few bucks for the misery.

      1. I am scared to hope. All I can picture is Joe Nathan in that damn god-awful dome. But I still can’t give up on the Old English D. Especially when so many of the guys step it up at different times. Like Mr Raburn today.

  65. Our home plate umpire is kinda tight. 4 outs to go and Verlander has finally tanked. Great job JV as you did what all asked of you. Like all the other games it is BP time to close this.

  67. I’m going to go on a limb and predict 3-run home run. Because blowing a game that we were leading with the final 12% of the game to go would perfectly encapsulate the Tiger’s last 3 weeks.

    {edited to say, I’m glad I was wrong.}

  69. Granderson!
    Now, partial exhale. Can we get Rodney a bitmore of a cushion?

  73. Grandy may have just saved the day. But there is still the 9th and now that it really counts I am not at all sure Rodney will come through. He always gets by with getting in trouble, and sooner or later it is going to bite him in the backside.

  76. AAAAAARGGHHHH! Nice finish by Laird anyway – at least he tried to dislodge the ball. I wish Raburn had done that to Mauer when the Twins were in town. I want someone to unload on that guy…

  78. It was the right play to send Laird, but it was typical of the whole season that the Tigers could not push that across with less than 2 outs.

  79. That last at bat by Polanco tells it all. He is the one guy you think will make the kind of contact to just easily score a run. No dice. A lousy short right field bloop and a double play. Great way to lead into the top of the 9th.

    This is absolutely the worst scenario possible. Rodney having to hold the in the bottom of the 9th in a critical game…….the critical game. Makes me terrified!

  80. Me too James. The key is to keep Nathan (and the fans) out of it by scoring early and often. Hard to do in that T-Dome. But first, let’s take of business here. Too bad the blonde-head catcher wasn’t in to take Laird’s slam. Good play on both sides.

  81. Why did Cabrera come off the bag??!!!

    At least he held that one. Relief!! Who’s going on Tuesday?

  84. Rodney scares me to death, he is Todd Jones long lost brother! Verlander did a great job today but I , for one, was dissappointed that he didn’t acknowledge the fans who all stood to cheer him when he walked off the field! Anyone know who the Twins are pitching against us Tuesday?

    1. Mr. X, that’s like saying that the Germans performance was clutch at the Battle of The Bulge after the niggling losses at Normandy and on the Eastern Front.
      Clutch will be beating the Twins in Minnesota, not winning one of three at home.

  88. Yes! Go Tigers and Twins!

    Game 163!

    The Ultimate Fight to determine who earns the right to get slaughtered by the best team in baseball!

    I love it!

  92. Baker is scheduled for the Twins on Tuesday.

    Tigers have only won twice at the Dome this year. T5 7-1 Twins right now – looks like they’ll have their work cut out for them. Hopefully the Royals can at least mess up the pen a little but the off day is going to save them anyway.

    Just no Kelly in the field on Tuesday!!!

  93. Real credit to the much and overly maligned Rodney. He very solid 4 outs.

    For Tuesday, Jim should forget about the left/right stuff. I would go with:

    Raeburn LF
    Polanco 2b
    Ordonez RF
    Carbrerra 1b
    Granderson CF
    Guillen DH
    Laird C
    Inge 3b
    Everett ss

    Porcello-P

    1. agree…raburn must play. Can’t afford any more disastrous defense in the outfield. of course, nobody can figure out leyland.

      1. Granderson leading off, Thomas batting third with Maggs on the bench and Huff hitting 5th.

    2. I agree however, JL should also pay attention to who is hitting during this pressure stretch and who isn’t. The line-up should be more like:

      Raeburn LF
      Polanco 2b
      Granderson CF
      Ordonez RF
      Carbrerra 1b
      Guillen DH
      Laird C
      Inge 3b
      Everett ss

      Porcello-P

  94. Two more days of this toxic feeling in my stomach….is that a good thing?

    C’mon Royals.

  96. Looks like there will be a game #163. All I can say is that they better eat their Wheaties.

  97. Let’s collectively hope that the curse of Brett Favre screws over the Twins, and the extra day off cools off their momentum come Tuesday afternoon. After the Tigers swept Tampa, the day off certainly played a role in slowing them down.

  98. So does anyone want to try to explain how the same team can lack the mental fortitude necessary to win a non-must-win game yesterday and then suddenly have the mental fortitude necessary to win a must-win game today? Was Knute Rockne in the clubhouse today?

    It seems pretty simple to me that the matchups favored us today and they haven’t the past few days.

    1. Perhaps a day game helped? Going back to the 2006, the carry-over players didn’t fare too well in the rain and cold.

    2. Jeff, your arguments grow beyond tiresome. You’re right, we’re all wrong. Enjoy your night.

      1. That’s some serious gall there, Stephen. You post no fewer than a handful of posts every single night and most of them sing the same, very negative tune. Yet, I’m the tiresome one?

        1. You have a point. Your posts are now as equally tiresome as my own posts. Lets have a one game post-off on Tuesday. Winner gets the right to play the formidable Mr. X in a best-of-five post-off.

          1. Ok, but let’s mix it up. The winner is the guy that posts the fewest uninsightful posts.

    3. I will give you that facing Peavy is tough but getting almost shut out by Freddy Garcia is just our inconsistent and pretty crappy offense just not coming through again.

      1. Garcia’s no Cy Young, but he’s no chump either. But yeah, our offense average or worse. That’s not news and it’s not “choking”. It just is what it is. Being surprised by our offense having a bad day (or even a bad week) is like being surprised when Shaq misses a free throw.

    1. It is considered a regular season game. So same rosters as they have had the past month.

  101. Royals squandering another big lead, maybe this ends today. Jeff, if the Twins blow an 8-1 lead at home, is that because of the match-ups or because their collars are tightening?

  102. If we lose tomorrow no matter how we do it we actually lost this in the past few weeks with our inept play versus crappy teams like the Royal, Jay and White Sox. Hopefully we can do it tomorrow but you have to feel like our time in running out.

  103. If it counts for anything, perhaps now the “pressure” switches over to the Twins on Tuesday since they “should” win the game at home. At this point everyone expects the Tigers to lose, so maybe that’ll help them.

  104. Twins bullpen, except for Nathan, is terrible. The Royals have tying run on on-deck circle.

  111. Over this season I have been keeping a list of games should of won and games shouldn’t have won. While certainly subjective and open for discussion, my list of games are:

    Should have won (7): Games # 2, 10, 32, 88, 92, 117, 148
    Shouldn’t have won (6): Games # 7, 28, 36, 96, 136, 143

    Again, while subjectively determined, it seems to balance out with us only getting hurt one time over the shouldn’t have won. (Also I was in Sweden and Norway for three weeks of the season so my analysis during that time was lacking as perhaps game 75 is also a shouldn’t have won candidate?)

    The last game the Tigers should of won was Game #148 when Verlander pitched in the Twinkie Dome. In the bottom of 8th inning with one on and one out when Kelly lost a flyball in the Dome ceiling allowing runners at 2nd and 3rd instead of two outs and a runner at first. Verlander walks Mauer to load the bases and the next batter hits a bloop single to score two. That one hurt!

    And finally, Granderson’s beautiful catch in the ninth inning of game 28 saved the 1-0 win for Verlander and put the Tigers well on their way past Cleveland.

    So let’s hope the baseball gods balance this thing out in game 163 with a shouldn’t have won win. That would be a great way to leave the Twinkie Dome!

  113. Mr. X I love your cock-eyed optimism. And sorry about the fastball in the ear hole comment. Coleman got dusted off the next post by TBone and instead of being mad at Tbone he started pointing at me, saying I’d brought it on myself! Coleman can get angry quickly! I had to have my web provider apologize to your web provider and ever since I’ve been in a commenting slump.
    Lesson learned.

    1. I don’t care if optimism makes me look foolish. I remember sitting in a bar back in March telling some of my friends how the Tigers could win 1st place with Inge at 3rd and with Rodney as our closer. They all laughed loudly in my face.
      Well after 162 games the Tigers are still in 1st place.

      1. 1) Who are you friends? It wasn’t THAT much of a stretch, if you know MLB.
        2) If you really DON’T care when other fans here (some more than others) think you’re overly optimistic why feel the need to defend yourself?

        My 2 cents.

  114. Now I can only hope that Twins fans final memory of the Metrodome is the Tigers celebrating a division championship. Stupid Metrodome.

  115. A reporter for USA Today tweeted that the Tigers clubhouse found out why Miggy has bruises and scratches on his face and are apparently PO’ed. Curious to hear what all the hoopla is about.

      1. Via http://www.detroit4lyfe.com –

        A fake Jim Leyland twitter account says this –
        “I don’t have to say anything about Cabrera’s wounds except that you don’t steal a grown man’s last cigarette and get away with it.”

        Terry Foster’s twitter account has this to add –
        “Hey gang. I am hearing from my bar sources about a fight involving tigers” – Miggy in a bar fight?

        DD knows what happened according to Jason Beck –

        “Dombrowski on Cabrera: ‘We had a conversation of a personal nature. I am aware of what took place.'”

        1. Haha I like that…Ol’ Smokey drops Cabrera with a little Marlboro-Fu…sends a message to the team they better stay in line…

  117. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am sick to my stomach knowing that we have been in first place all this time to potentially lose it all on Tuesday. If we lose, Leyland should be fired. The bottom line is offense, We dont have much of it which explains why we were outscored this year. That is ridiculous for a first place team. we have the pitching, but we have too many guys batting under .270. I dont care how good of defense you play. If you cant get a hit 27 percent of the time, you dont need to be in the major leagues. I just want them to win the division, because we all know they don’t have the offense to win the whole thing. 2006 dejavu but if we lose this time, there is no playoff.
    Dave Dombrowski better go after some guys who can hit. The twins were +42 and were -1. I like Laird and Everett. But lets face it, they cant hit. For those of you who remember the 84 tigers, everyone knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were gonna win it all. No questions asked. In game 4 vs the twins, i would of thrown edwin, verlander and porcello at those twins. All of our best hitters would of been playing. I got one more beef, then im done. Why does Leyland take guys out of the lineup in a middle of a game when they have been hitting well? If your feeling it your feeling it, that ball is looking like a basketball and leyland playing statistics. Im a tigers fan but Gardenhire is better manager hands down. He plays small ball the whole season, not just at the end. I am not going to be a happy camper if we lose the division. Im sick of hearing 1987.

  119. As I have said all week, the hitters will win or lose this for us. Hitters showed up today…….and presto we’ve got a win. Need to put at least 5 up Tuesday in Minnesota. Last three days: 3 runs, zero runs, 1 run. Result: three losses. That is all.

    1. Actually, it was pitching and some timely defense that won this game for us. We lost those 3 games because we gave up 21 freaking runs. 1 run is sometimes good enough to win a game. 0 runs sucks, but it will give you extra innings and a home field advantage if you blank them too.

  120. Hi Billfer great photos from the game. Thanks for sharing them as I especially liked the photo of Laird coming home. It appears that Castro already had the ball when you took the shot. Both guys made professional plays.

    For some other Tiger photos see my brother’s link at: http://gallery.me.com/formercav#100671 against the Royals and http://gallery.me.com/formercav#100643 when Verlander had his season highest KS’s (13) against the Rangers.

    Let’s leave the Twinkie Dome a mess,

    RKT.

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