Tigers finished the second inning yesterday (if you break the season down into 9 innings, there are 18 games per inning) at 10-8. This inning saw three 3 game win streaks, and a 7 game losing streak. Tigers enter the third inning at .500, and in third place in the Central. They are 5.5 games behind Cleveland, but 4 games ahead of Chicago and 4.5 ahead of the Twins.
The Bizarro Twins take the field against the Tigers tonight. They have had injury problems, Carl Pavano leads your rotation problems, and even Justin Morneau isn’t hitting, as John Lowe points out in today’s column. Even so, the organization knows how to win, so we need to take our swings while they are down.
Liriano climbs the hill for the Twins after throwing an excuse me no-hitter last time out against the meager White Sox. He managed to walk 6 and strike out two on his way to throwing 47% balls over 123 pitches, yet did not allow a hit. A no-no is always great, but I don’t think he necessarily had great stuff. Had last week not gone so well, Liriano might find himself out of the rotation, as he’s putting up a 1.56 WHIP and 24 BBs against only 20 Ks…with the complete game last week. His 9.13 ERA dropped to 6.61 after the outing.
Today’s Playgglio of the Gamegglio is Magglio. Ordonez is a career .327 hitter against the Twinkies and leads all active players with 230 hits, 45 doubles and 145 RBI against them.
– Cabrera (7/20), Ordonez (10/26) and VMart (8/18) all hit Liriano well.
– VMart is on a nine game hitting streak, batting .438 during that time.
– In his last 11 games, Austin Jackson is hitting .341 with three doubles, a triple, a homer and seven RBIs.
Today’s DTW Player of the Game Friendly Lineup is:
1. Jackson – CF
2. Sizemore – 2B
3. Ordonez – RF
4. Cabrera – 1B
5. Martinez – DH
6. Peralta – SS
7. Boesch – LF
8. Inge – 3B
9. Avila – C
Today’s senseless DTW feedback question of the game is: why in the world are airplane seats shaped such that your head is in front of your body?
Porcello’s mission today is to pitch to contact, in such a way that nothing goes to RF.
Hmm….Boesch back in the seventh slot; it was fun while it lasted. However Mags has made it a career hitting against Liriano.
Well, off to watch Wings/Sharks, and no iPhone at the moment, so I won’t be able to follow this one much. The last time that happened, it was a no-hitter. So if it happens a 2nd time, I’m thinking a steak dinner invitation is in order, do you hear me Mr. Porcello?
Was that first pitch to AJax really as far outside as it looks on Gameday?
Maggs has to be taken out of the lineup and sent to the minors to get his swing back.
6 strikes to 12 balls. What would you do on the first pitch?
I blame Vince in MN.
Any update on the rain?
I don’t need that update anymore.
This is making the whole 1st pitch GIDP event even worse.
What the heck is Magglio doing batting 3rd again? I thought it was decided that was a bad idea. And Sizemore really isn’t doing himself any favors. Right now he is looking like a flash in the pan. Soon there will be calls to bring Rhymes back.
LH pitcher. I’m pretty sure Boesch will be 3rd tomorrow. Doesn’t excuse it, just an explanation.
At this point, I’m thinking Boesch stands a better chance….
It’s only against the Twins, they’ll change it when the real season resumes.
Candidate for Post of the Game
Holy crap….I just noticed that Matt Joyce is hitting .356 and is leading the AL. Who did we get for him and why did we do it?
There are several ex-tigers on the leader boards with Joyce.
Granderson – Leading the AL with 11 HR’s
Jurrjens – Leading the NL with a 1.50 ERA
Polanco – 4th in the NL with a.353 Avg
Hope that makes you feel better.
brenden, we got edwin jackson who we parlayed into max scherzer etc
Yeah, forgot about that deal. I just can’t believe he is hitting that well this year. Good for him. Of course, Jackson was great the year we had him, but man, Joyce has turned into a hitter. Of course, Max Scherzer is pretty bad ass as well.
Chalk that one up as a good deal for us, Brenden. You just can’t complain when a deal nets you a quasi-ace still under club control.
On the other hand, if we don’t make that deal, and keep Joyce, it’s an easy guess that Ordonez and/or Raburn would have been cut loose by now.
Cle has won 14 straight at home…
Just got back home from the game after leaving in the 8th inning. Some quick notes:
1. VMart is ripping everything.
2. Cabby is in a slump
3. Even Maggs fouls are ground balls.
4. Brad Thomas sucks
5. Jackson is coming around
6. Lamont really is a horrible 3rd base coach
7. Most of the lineup hit the ball hard tonight (not Inge or Maggs)
8. Porcello struggled a bit with his control, but worked through it
9. Liriano was awful. I think the no-no was a fluke
10. The Twins are fielding a minor league team right now
11. Beautiful ballpark, but the seats are a bit pricey and the concessions are exhorbitantly priced