Toledo – DNP

Erie 9, New Hampshire 6
Chris Maples had 2 doubles and a homer. Andrew Graham had 3 hits and ahomer. Virgil Vasquez allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Daytona 3, Lakeland 1
Jeff Larish went 2 for 4 with a double. Eddie Bonine allowed only 1 run on 5 hits over 8 innings. He walked none and fanned 9.

West Michigan 7, Fort Wayne 6
Cameron Maybin was 2 for 5 with 2 doubles. Mike Hernandez added 3 singles. Sendy Vasquez went 6 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits. Orlando Perdomo allowed 3 runs on 2 walks and a hit without retiring anyone.

Oneonta 3, Aberdeen 2
Scott Sizemore was 2 for 4. Brendan Wise pitched 8 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk. Brett Jensen pitched a scoreless 9th to pick up his 12th save and drop his ERA under 1.00. He has fanned 23 and walked 3 in 18 1/3 innings.

GCL Tigers 13, GCL Yankees 1
Eleazar Aponte was excellent. He allowed 4 hits over seven innings while fanning 8 and walking no one. Luis Arlet and Michael Sullivan each had 3 hits and Gorkys Hernandez added a 2 for 5 effort.

PREGAME: Wil Ledezma will be making his first start since June 4, 2005 as he fills in for Justin Verlander who is experiencing fatigue.

He’ll be opposed by C.C. Sabathia who the Tigers beat in Cleveland 2 weeks ago when Verlander outdueled him.

Brent Clevlen will be making his first Comerica Park start this afternoon.(thanks for the heads up Dillon)

Game Time 1:05 pm.

POSTGAME: I caught the bulk of this game on the radio while driving back from a weekend in Indianapolis (see, I went on vacation and kept the blog alive) and actually saw none of the game with the exception of what they showed on Baseball Tonight. But one didn’t have to see the game to understand exactly what kind of performance Wil Ledezma turned in. With 5 2/3 shut out innings, he just didn’t do as good as could be hoped for, he did as good as anybody else could have done as well. He took the game deep enough that a normal bullpen rotation could play out, and now everyone (save for Ledezma) will be available tomorrow night.

And surprise, surprise, Craig Monroe knocked in the deciding run in a one-run game. Meanwhile C.C. Sabathia, who committed the error that eventually led to scoring opportunity, has to be looking at his offense and saying “Do Something!” For the second time in a row against the Tigers he pitched quite well with nothing to show for it.

Of course the happy tone of this update was made possible by Jamie Walker and his punch out of Travis Hafner with the bases loaded.

PREGAME: Kenny Rogers gets another crack at the Indians after being knocked out in the first inning 2 starts ago. His one start since then wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t good. Rogers allowed 5 runs in 5 innings and walked 4. Of course the start looked worse due in large part to Dmitri Young’s error prone game and the Tigers whiffing against Casey Fossum.

Paul Byrd hasn’t done too well himself. The Tigers got him for 7 runs in 3 innings that same night Rogers got rocked, and he allowed 6 runs in 4 innings agaisnt the Red Sox in his subsequent start.

Game time 7:05pm

POSTGAME“: Another early deficit, another dramatic late inning homer in front of a raucous sell out crowd. But first things first – thank you Kenny Rogers. The first inning looked bad, but he settled down and gave the team 7 innings on a day when the bullpen was short. He also ensured that Wil Ledezma will have some back-up in case he falters in his Sunday start.

As for the late inning dramatics, the Tigers went down to their last out after a lead off bunt by Brandon Inge, a failed sacrifice by Curtis Granderson, and a force out by Placido Polanco. And then Pudge took the first pitch into just about the same spot as Monroe’s homer the night before. What was fun both nights was watching Pudge jumping around like a little leaguer as he circled the bases.

In the end, the Tigers notch another over their AL Central foes.

PREGAME After a 4 game sabbatical against the Devil Rays, the Tigers return to AL Central competition. They’ll be facing the Cleveland Indians tonight and the Tigers currently lead the season series 9-4.

Jeremy Bonderman will be starting for the Tigers tonight. Bonderman is of course coming off the Sunday heart breaker at the Metrodome. The last time he faced the Indians he was shaky with his control early on, but powered by a big offensive first inning picked up the win.

Cliff Lee will take the mound for the Indians. He gave up 6 runs in 4 innings to the Tigers the last time they met, but only one of those was earned.

Game Time 7:05pm

POSTGAME: I missed the 2nd thru 6th innings of tonight’s game. Fortunately I saw the ending. Craig Monroe is raking to say the least. And he certainly has developed a flair for the dramatic. Given how that inning was going, I thought it just wasn’t going to be the Tigers night. What with Magg’s double being swallowed up by Choo on a diving play, Carlos Guillen putting one just outside the right field foul pole, and Monroe putting one just outside the left field foul pole. But Craig really did “straighten one out.”

Much props to Sean Casey finding the gap and knocking home two runs and Todd Jones with an uneventful ninth including a strikeout of Travis Hafner.

Roman Colon kept the game close enough after coming on in relief of Jeremy Bonderman.

And speaking of Bonderman maybe someone who saw the whole game can chime in. I missed most of his innings, but I wonder if it was either physical fatigue after a longish outing pitch count wise, or mental anguish after the Minnesota 8th inning, or he just didn’t have his stuff.

But 2005 minimally will go down as the most successful Tiger season since 2000.

PREGAME: The last game of the road trip is here. The last of 7 straight dome games is here. It’s time for the Tigers to come home.

Nate Robertson will take the mound for the Tigers. Jason Seo, who has given up 18 runs in his last 3 starts, will pitch for the Devil Rays.

The next Tigers win will mark their most successful season since 2000 when they went 79-83.

Game Time 7:15

POSTGAME: Nate Robertson turned in the best pitching performance of the series, but has nothing to show for it. The Tigers bats were stymied by Jason Seo, save for a Craig Monroe opposite field shot. But the Tigers put up a good fight on a game that would easy to concede coming at the end of a long road trip. The Tigers set up the drama the way it had been occuring all season, but new Tiger Sean Casey couldn’t come through. Or as Lee said – There was no joy in Mudville.