2010 Season, Game Post

Game 2010.021: Twins at Tigers

83 Comments

Check out the post game at: It’s Liriano’s world, we’re all just flailing in it

The Tigers are back in Detroit and they welcome in the Twins. Speaking of people who are back, have you checked out what Francisco Liriano has been up to? He’s sporting a 1.29 ERA and a 2.75 FIP. He hasn’t allowed a homer in 21 innings this year and has thrown 15 scoreless innings over his last 2 starts. Sheesh.

Meanwhile Justin Verlander is still in the hunt for his ace-like ways. While Verlander has given up some hits this year, it was the 4 walks and 125 pitches in 5 innings that was most disconcerting in his last start against the Angels.

The Twins are 2.5 games up on the Tigers and they are pounding the ball with 99 runs scored in their 19 games so far. Theoretically the Tigers could be in first place at the end of the series. In April it doesn’t matter a whole lot one way or the other though so let’s not get too worked up.

Your matchup notes include Jim Thome with 7 homers and 10 walks in his 51 plate appearances against Verlander. Lefties are 1 for 20 against Liriano this year so it’s a good thing Damon is the only hook in the lineup. Magglio Ordonez has a 381/409/810 line against Liriano in 22 PA’s. Tonight’s line up has 23 strike out sin 85 plate appearances against Liriano, and that doesn’t include Austin Jackson.

The lineup:

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

83 thoughts on “Game 2010.021: Twins at Tigers”

  2. Sadly, no Nick Punto (sniff)…he is out with what I could swear the Twins announcers called “a mysterious groin.”

    1. That’s a homer’s way of saying he got hit in the tenders with a come-upper.

  3. Well, whatever it is hopefully Denard Span experiences some groin mystery tonight…

      1. My fear exactly… They need much more effeciency. This team is not going to win anything if the starters continue to throw 20 pitches per inning and only lasting 5-6 innings…

        I hope I am wrong, but I fear this may be another short outing.

        1. I think Leyland will try to keep him in there for at least six innings, but at this pace he’ll be lucky to through the fifth.
          Verlander needs to start pitching in spring training as though it’s April because his career numbers in this month are not “ace” like.

      1. In regards to what? Perhaps it is hard for me to criticize as I am unable to watch the game. I see that Verlander is pitching one heck of a game, but he is throwing a ton of pitches in doing so.

      2. Don’t get me wrong, this start is a vast improvement compared to the previous four starts, I was just trying to be greedy and hoping he’d throw an 8 inning, two runs (or less) game.

  9. Verlander has always been a high pitch count sort, which usually goes along with being a strikeout pitcher. His only walks have been to Thome, with whom, thankfully, he wants nothing to do

  11. We need the bats to wake up…..even though the team didn’t get in till 3 am.

  12. Of course all the JV pitch count stuff is irrelavant if we can’t get a runner past 1st all game

  19. So far this game is about as good as game 163. These guys aren’t just playing another game in April.

  22. I do not understand why Raburn gets the playing time he does in the outfield. Frankly, I don’t understand the playing time period.

    1. Because last year his OPS+ was about 120. Just a mistake, everyone is going to make a few this season. Tough luck for JV, he should have had 6.

      We’ll be alright.

      1. So for this season his hitting has been commensurate with his fielding.

        (Mostly, I just felt like saying “commensurate.”)

  25. This is just so annoying. The Twins, more than most teams, always kill teams guilty of sloppy play.

    Bonine was really effective tonight.

  28. At least Morneau is done for the night. I’d love it if he were done for the series.

  29. Is there a way to surgically remove Raburn’s throwing arm and swap it with Damon’s? Because then we might actually have a left fielder.

      1. Damon is going to look odd with a right arm attached his left side, and it might affect his ability to hit.

        1. Don’t be silly. You swap Raburn’s right arm with Damon’s right arm; that way he becomes a RH throwing LF with a good arm, and, in case something goes wrong, he still can throw with his left arm, sort of…

          1. so logical, and practical. Yet, my way still seems like the better Frankenstein way to go.

  31. I miss the days when we used to hit Liriano hard early in the game…I still remember him sitting in the dugout tearing up after giving up like 8 runs to us or something like that.

  32. I think there should be a new statistic for fielders. Instead of Verlander getting the loss, in the case they do lose this game, Raburn should get the loss. So, whenever Raburn comes up to hit, you will also see his record being (0-1), which I am sure will change over the year, and be reminded of all the plays Raburn has miffed in the OF.

  33. You know, given a choice between a left fielder with no arm who can actually play the position, and a left fielder with an arm who can’t, I’ll choose the left fielder with no arm. It wouldn’t be the first time a successful team had a weak-armed left-fielder.

  34. And the Tigers give another game to the Minnesota Twins. Year after year, its the same thing.

        1. Furthermore I’m well aware of the resiliency this team has exhibited this season. I’m also still watching the game. But 3 errors against the Twins is pretty much the kiss of death, so even if we win, we will have done so only by overcoming the type of ugly play that has cost us against this team year after year. Next time I’ll be sure to fill in all the blanks for those less able to take context into account in interpreting reactive statements!

  36. Amazing what happens when our pitchers proceed to walk two batters per inning, teams tend to take advantage of it…

  37. Just thought you guys would like to know that when you peak over at ESPN for the gamecast, Matt Treanor is one of the stars for the evening: 2-2, HR and 3 ribbies. And they are using his Tiger’s pitcher for added torture.

  38. Hey, Denard Span ejected! Not quite as good as a Mysterious Groin Experience, but a glimmer of hope nonetheless…

  40. Wow, nice pitching by Fu (assisted by the wide zone). Does he remind anyone else of Mowgli from the Jungle Book??

  44. Sure, we walked too many (although the walks to Thome, I’m pretty sure, were semi-intentional. But we gave up 5 hits and 0 earned runs to the hottest hitting team in the league, so you can hardly say our pitching was anything short of excellent tonight.

    It’s just unforturnate that Liriano was in total shut-down mode

  45. Cabrera looked really pissed off about that high and tight strike call and the subsequent K his last at bat. He’s gonna battle right now.

  49. Liriano was brilliant. He’s going to have one heck of a season if he stays healthy.

  50. Pretty annoying game, but typical of what the Tigers do against the Twins. How do they manage to win this type of game every time?

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