The Tigers pulled off the Grand Sweep in stunning fashion, sweeping their 4th consecutive Central series (and back-to-back Sox-series-sweeps) with 2 9th-inning pinch-hit home runs, the first time that has been done since…well, I don’t know. That’s harder to look up than you would think.
The Tigers have won 12 in a row, even overcoming a Daytime-Bad Penny start, have everyone contributing, have a Cy Young pitcher, even Ol’ Smokey is on a roll. Their team batting average for September is .326 (Their WORST regular in September, Austin Jackson, is hitting .278). Their team ERA is 2.90 What could go wrong?
Oops. Justin Verlander is featured on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated. At least they waited until the division title was no longer in doubt before unleashing the jinx.
You know who else is having a good season? Over 139 games he is hitting .305 with an .864 OPS, with 29 HRs and 95 RBI. Answer below.
The Tigers could take the field tonight with a magic number of 1, as Max “Clinch” Scherzer looks to solidify his spot in the playoff rotation. It might be helpful if his spot in the postseason rotation were to fall on home game dates: Scherzer’s ERA at Comerica this season is 3.66, on the road 5.09.
The forecast in Oakland calls for 50% chance of Clown Show: The A’s lead the AL in errors with 119, and have 9 in their last 7 games.
Magic Number: 2
Best Record Standings:
NY Yankees 90 58 —
Detroit Tigers 87 62 3 1/2
Boston Red Sox 86 62 4
Texas Rangers 85 64 5 1/2
Player of the Pre-Game: Ryan Raburn
The mystery player’s “season” above is Ryan Raburn’s career numbers for August-September. Detroit needs to find a Chris Shelton-type early season guy and do a seasonal platoon in 2012. Sure, he isn’t in the lineup tonight, but there’s always pinch-hitting.
Today’s Baker’s-Dozen Lineup:
- Austin Jackson, CF
- Magglio Ordonez, RF
- Delmon Young, LF
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B
- Victor Martinez, DH
- Alex Avila, C
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Wilson Betemit, 3B
- Ramon Santiago, 2B
With no intention of jinxing the game, I already have champaign on ice and if they pull it off will also pull down and have a brewe from my Dad’s Detroit Tiger ’68 mug! I only drink from that on Opening Day and when they win the division and are in playoffs. Good luck Boys…make numder 13 special!
We’ll drink it tomorrow OTFiM
What’s nice is how tonight’s lineup has offensive threats from 1-9; some of the sinkholes from earlier in the year (A. Jackson, Ordonez, Santiago) are rounding into shape nicely, and trade acquisitions Young and Betemit are anchoring the Core Four.
Our Tigers interest me from the “optimal lineup construction” school: you shouldn’t hit your four best batters 4th-7th, but Leyland’s don’t-mess-with-success approach has obviously worked of late and the top three spots are starting to do damage.
JaKKson 4 for 34 with 17 Ks in last ten games is more like April Austin at the moment, but Maggs is still blasting singles at a decent rate and Young has been an immense improvement at No. 3. Raburn should be getting more ABs because he is the real Mr. September.
AJax now has 21 Ks in his last 41 ABs.
Why does it seem that AJax is looking at me when he’s swinging? Have a 60″ Panasonic and it’s about 10′ from my Lazy Boy. Every time he swings he pulls his head out and it looks like he’s looking at me! Watch how Cabrera and VMart swing. Their eye is on the ball. Inge does the same, but when he connects his eye is on the ball.
Used to be fun to watch Pete Rose in any ball game. His eye was on the ball from the first pitch till the last, on the bench, on the field, and especially at bat. He’d watch it from the pitcher’s hand to his bat or to the catcher’s glove and then when the catcher threw it back to the pitcher.
Think AJax needs to watch Major League and do 25 pushups every time he hits a ball in the air. Last week he hit two infield ground balls and reached base on both.
Hire Ricky Henderson for a week!
KJax is angling for the sombrero tonight
Scherzer angling for the pitcher’s version.
Seems like the Rangers are doing their part. Let’s hope the Boys can do theirs.
Bless you Boys!
I’m not sure I understand the desire for the Rangers to be picking up a bunch of games in the quest for 2nd best division record.
PHToy was just referring to the magic #. I think we’ll end up alright.
Yes, this was my point. Everyone should wait until they cross the finish line before thinking about different possibilities that will come afterwards. Personally I have confidence in the boys and don’t really care who they face in the playoffs. If they play as well as they can, they will be okay.
Eh, I don’t think we need to cross the finish line first. We have to win one more game to make the playoffs… this year. I was really hoping Cleveland would take a couple from Texas. We only have a one game lead on them as of now (but tiebreaker in hand).
Below has been pretty awful lately (not that he is getting that much work). Is he pitching himself out of the playoffs?
I get that bad feeling that this is where the streak ends.
Too bad the streak had to end against Oakland. Now all of the talking heads will just point out that the Tigers were just beating up on their awful Central opponents. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted! Go Tigers!
Coleman- here is your answer to the last time the Tigers hit 2 pinch hit homers in the same inning… never.
http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2011/09/ryan_raburn_alex_avila_make_de.html
Quite a few firsts for the Tigers this year.
Good find.
Hopefully this will serve as a wakeup call that they are not invincible. 🙂
As Leyland would (and probably will) say, “We ain’t done nothin’ yet.”
For those of us that wondered what Leyland was doing during the year with his constant line up changes, take a look at the Yankees. During the year I thought it was great that he had the same team on the field in just about all their games. Watched a Yankees game earler this week and saw the results. They have a LOT of banged up key players. Grandy is playing like he’s hurt, ARod is hurt, Tex is hurt, catchers are all hurt, L & R fielders are hurt.
With Jim’s use of his bench players, all of the Tigers seem fresh. Cabrera could possibly use a day or two off. Ever watch his games? He never has a chance to sit. He’s on the field just about every game & he’s on base about every other inning if not every inning. When he’s not, he’s on the bench resting and smiling!