2010 Season, Game Post

Game 2010.006: Indians at Tigers

93 Comments

PREGAME: The Tigers go for the sweep behind the arm of Justin Verlander. Dan Dickerson was kind enough to tweet exactly what I was looking for to summarize Verlander and Cleveland:

Verlander v. Clev. pre-2009: 6.70ERA in 15GS, Tribe hit .271 w/ .475SLG. 2009: 4GS, 4-0, 0.90ERA, Indians hit .157 w/ .196SLG, 41K in 30IP

Westbrook makes his second start of the season and only  his 2nd start since Memorial Day 2008. He allowed 9 White Sox baserunners (4 via the walk) in 4 innings on Opening Day and 5 of those came around to score.

Your Damon-less lineup is:

  1. Jackson, CF
  2. Kelly, LF
  3. Ordonez, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Guillen, DH
  6. Inge, 3B
  7. Santiago, SS
  8. Laird, C
  9. Sizemore, 2B

Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers – April 11, 2010 – MLB.com Preview

POSTGAME: Through the first turn in the rotation, each of the starters gave their team a chance to win. Hopefully Verlander’s 2nd start isn’t a harbinger of the next 4 pitching performances. Fortunately though the Tigers offense managed to be both frustrating and dynamic all at the same time and they plated 9 runs to complete a comeback from a 5-1 deficit.The first thing to jump out is that the Tigers left an island on base. The maximum number of runners a team can leave on base in a 9 inning game is 27. The Tigers left 18, two per inning. The sort of performance that drives fans crazy. At the same time though, the Tigers created 29 baserunners in the game (18 hits, 9 walks, 2 HBP), the sort of performance that should have fans salivating and should quell the majority of those frustrations. This is a day that every one who grabbed a bat reached base at least once, and even Gerald Laird managed a hit.

The Tigers didn’t cash in as often as they probably should have, due in large part to the fact that only 2 of those 18 hits were for extra bases. And Shin Soo Choo’s gun in right field certainly helped to limit the scoring. After he gunned down Donnie Kelly, Gene Lamont was hesitant to start that windmill.

Give this offense credit for not chasing pitches, and being patient, and not mailing in at-bats even when the score was pretty lopsided. Even when they would plate runs only to see the pitchers give them back the next inning. It was a heck of an offensive performance, regardless of the opponent.

  • Verlander. Sigh. He had the velocity. He was throwing strikes for the most part (68%). And he did settle down. But man, that first inning.
  • I don’t mind Lamont waving home Kelly. I typically prefer to make the other team get you out, and credit Choo with the laser. I love Kelly going in hard at the plate though.
  • I was at the game and was sitting along the third base line so I can’t say whether Sizemore should have had that ball in the first, but from what I heard he should have. It was nice to see him start to spray the ball though and he came up with 3 hits.
  • Austin Jackson came up to bat in 4 consecutive innings.
  • I liked Leyland’s pinch hitting decisions. I was surprised though to see how long he stuck with Bonine was got rocked in his first inning out there. Even as the team was coming back, he stuck with Bonine. In the end Eddie through 49 pitches, on a day he was asked to warm up 3 different times.
  • Defensively, Brandon Inge looked like “Brandon Inge – defensive superstar” for the first time this season with 2 slick plays.

93 thoughts on “Game 2010.006: Indians at Tigers”

  2. Pingback: 04-11-10--DETROIT VS CLEVELAND--1:05 PM - Page 2 - MotownSports.com Message Board

  4. Kelly batting 2nd? Its starting to seem like Leyland doesn’t realize he’s not obligated by league rules to bat people in the same lineup order as the players they’re replacing.

  5. I like him batting two. That might keep him from being a BOB failure. So go ahead Don join the HOGS!….. Besides, JL has those lineup cards run off at Kinkos months at a time and it is easier just crossing off one name than switching everyone around

  8. Verlander stinks again today!!!! He was getting 2 strikes on the batters but can’t put them away and now a grand slam. It is going to be a long afternoon!!!!

    1. yud think for 18 million you’d get all nine moths of the season out of someone instead of 8

  9. V. does not seem to like April. It’s hard to not be annoyed with this really bad control he is showing. His only excuse is that Sizemore’s failure to make that early play cost him a lot. But he just has been unable to throw a strike when he needs it. Can hardly call this man our “ace” today.

  11. What is Verlander’s deal? Man alive, this guy cannot pitch in April…Maybe its the “April in the D” song that gets stuck in his head and throwing him off…

  14. Do we have another six run inning in the cards like the season opener?

  15. my gosh at least give him a chance to score…Lamont the throw got there yesterday….poor coaching

  17. Well Kelly got his first hit, that leaves only Raburn and Laird as the finalists for the Treanor Trophy.

  18. thats why I ‘m sticking with this game to witness first hand it Laird can ago an entire season without a hit

  21. Okay, so, I can’t watch the game, so maybe someone who is can answer this questions:

    Is Westbrook really pitching that well to get 6 strike outs or are the Tigers just swinging at some really bad pitches?

    1. Westbrook is pitching just like he always does. He throws only enough strikes to get batters to swing at the balls. If the Tigers would have taken every pitch he has thrown today they would have 3 k’s and 7 walks or HB

  22. I thought my computer slipped in to slo-mo but then I realized it was Guillen slowly walking to the plate slowly striking out and slowly dragging back to the dugout……

  23. Bonine = Bonehead

    Some of the individuals on this pitching staff need to learn to throw more strikes…

  24. Let me be a rare voice of optimism: Verlander pitches like crap twice and we’re 4-2. I’ll take that week any time.

  32. Guillen is in one of his swing just to swing funks,,,he deosn’t look like he has enought energy to even swing at the balls he has been swinging at…..first pitch was way low swing number 1,,,second pitch was boarderline away but not a good strike pop out to the SS …..

  33. Even the outs the Indians are making against Bonine are crushed. I saw enough of him in the 6th.

  35. Won’t let me post duplicate comments, but Maggs should be looking dead red for a fastball…

  37. Just one of those games. It’s gonna happen from time to time over six months.

    If anything, we’re swinging the bat much better early in the season than most expected. Maybe we’ll pull this out, it’s at least been very exciting. But at worst, like stephen said, JV starts the year with a 9 ERA and we are 4-2. And How.

  38. I agree Kevin. And with a few obvious exceptions, I’ve been pretty damn impressed by the approach our hitters are taking today. Showing some patience. Laying of garbage. Getting on base. We just haven’t had that big hit yet.

  44. I thought .000 was a little low for Laird’s average…. .056 is just about right.

  54. I can’t believe they would pinch-hit for Laird now that he’s on a hot streak…

    1. Or a WP.

      Man, imagine what’s going on the ClevelandIndiansWeblog right now…

  59. Just wow…I swear I’ve seen this before, from the other end…nothing like the Walk-off Wild Pitch

  63. I guess I need to remember this one when we lose the next one the same way. Glad as I am, I know so well how Indians fans feel.

    It wasn’t pretty but it counts!

  65. Just got in after a busy weekend in which I missed Friday’s and Saturday’s games and everything today except the 9th inning – f’ing incredible! And the Twins lost.

    1. Oh, that’s awful–you missed the Laird single. Who knows how long you’ll have to wait to see the likes of that again.

      1. As long as the EM remains awake to the possibility of pinch-hitting for him at a crucial moment, I’ll be okay with it.

  66. Actually on the verge of feeling bad for Cleveland…

    Okay, well not really. I love sweeping these guys!

  71. Man, so THIS is what we were missing–guys taking walks, working counts (Jackson walking twice–I mean, I don’t have the numbers here, but can anyone say with a straight face Granderson walked twice in one game) and making guys make their pitches. Outside of money/lineups/aura, when it comes to the Yanks and Bosox, working counts is a key component to their success. Watching your own pitcher walk guys/throw a bunch of pitches can suck the momentum out of your team. And Inge working that right-center gap is very nice to see. Working counts, going with the pitch to the opposite field, Miggy walking 3 times….and we win a game we should have lost 9.5 times out of 10 but win it on two guys (Damon and Scotty Sizemore) winning it by laying off pitches. What gives?

  73. man, that was incredible. The Cleveland staff just outright sucks. Can’t we change the schedule so we can play ’em all the time? Please don’t leave, guys…… 🙂

  74. after the dust has settles how about Maggs and Miggy….so far. Miggy gets on base 6 times today ..Maggs clutch….this is going to be a good year people!

    1. I’m psyched so far too.

      When Magglio came into camp with bulging biceps and a smile on his face I knew we were going to get much more power from him than we got last year. I think he might be like he was in 2007 season where he hit .363, 28 HR’s, and 139 RBI’s.
      Cabrera has taken it too another level too. Anything Maggs can do, he can do better.

  75. Through the first 3.7% of the season this team save for Verlander is much better than expected.

      1. And the good news is that the Twins lost 19 games in the standings yesterday.

        The bad news is that in the World Series we will be facing the Giants and Renteria with his .524 BA and 135 RBI.

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