PREGAME: I’ll be honest with you. Going into this series I didn’t have big demands. As long as the Tigers didn’t get swept, I figured things would be okay. However, with that requirement out of the way I’m going to greedy and ask for a series win.

Tonight it will be Nate Robertson taking on Scott Baker. With the lefty on the mound today there is no Joe Mauer or Jason Kubel for the Twins.

Baker is riding a 4 game quality start streak, but he’s racked up pitch counts of over 100 by the sixth inning in each of the last 3. That typically isn’t a problem for him against the Tigers who seem to swing early and often against Baker. Baker sports a 2.28 ERA at home with only 2 of his 10 homers allowed at the Metrodome. Miguel Cabrera is out of the lineup so it will be Grandy in center and kids on the corners.

1. Granderson, CF
2. Polanco, 2B
3. Guillen, 3B
4. Thames, 1B
5. Joyce, RF
6. Sheffield, DH
7. Thomas, LF
8. Renteria, SS
9. Rodriguez, C

Expect the Twins to test Marcus Thames at first base with a handful of bunts.
DET @ MIN, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: Well, the defense was good. The Tigers turned 5 double plays, including 3 in the first 3 innings. Clete Thomas chipped in a nice diving catch on a foul ball. Of course there were plenty of opportunities for double plays because Nate Robertson (and later Zach Miner) was pretty awful. It was the first time this year that Robertson didn’t make it through 5 and the first time he allowed more than 5. He basically pitched from the stretch all night.

Meanwhile Scott Baker was quite good. He seemingly was ahead of most Tigers hitters either 0-2 or 1-2 and that’s a tough way to hit. It explains why the Tigers were probably going after so many first pitches. From a pitch count stand point that made Baker work, but that’s because they were missing or fouling off those first pitches.

The Tigers got decent middle of the order production with multi hit games for Guillen, Thames, and Sheffield. But run scoring was limited because Granderson and Polanco combined to never reach base.

But all good things must come to an end. Time for a new winning streak tomorrow.

PREGAME: The Tigers and Twins with their records sufficiently padded against the NL, will do battle tonight in the Metrodome. The Tigers will be without Magglio Ordonez. But the Twins placed their right fielder on the DL yesterday as well. Of course Michael Cuddyer is hitting 252/324/376 this year so it isn’t really a fair trade off.

The Twins of course are one of the hottest teams in baseball and had a 10 game win streak snapped on Saturday. Somehow the Twins are scoring at the same rate as the Tigers. I say somehow because while the Twins have an above average batting average they have a below average OBP and as a team they are only slugging .399. In other words they are giving up 50 points of OPS to the Tigers. Their secret is a .313 batting average with runners in scoring position. That leads the AL by a ton with the White Sox second at .284.

As for the Twins pitching staff, they aren’t helped by their below average defense. Opponents are slugging .440 against the Twins which is highest in the league and they have a pretty pedestrian 5.7 K/9. But they are a half walk better per game in not allowing free passes than the next best team.

The pitching match-up tonight is lefty Glen Perkins and righty Armando Galarraga. Galarraga will be facing the Twins for the 3rd time after losing the first two match-ups. He’s also coming off his roughest start of the season. Glenn Perkins has allowed 3 runs in each of his last 4 starts, but the length of said starts ranged from 5 to 8 innings.

For more on the Twins check out Seth Speaks, Stick and Ball Guy, and Twins Geek and Twins Territory.

DET @ MIN, Monday, June 30, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 8:10

POSTGAME: I think this is the definition of “gutting one out.” This game was a lot of ugly for the first 6 innings of this game from a Tigers standpoint. Armando Galarraga was pitching pretty well, but was getting little defensive support. There were 3 errors and a misplayed ball by Ryan Raburn. The Tigers also failed to cash in on an early 2nd and 3rd – 1 out situation. And they lost their clean-up hitter to injury. Yet some late inning magic leaves the orange and blue striped protagonists feeling good.

A one out single by Curtis Granderson (2 more hits off of a south paw tonight for Grandy) in the 7th mercifully chased Glen Perkins and the Tigers got busy on the parade of arms brought out of the Twins bullpen.

Matt Joyce came off the bench and tripled in the tying run in the 7th inning continuing the string of big freakin’ clutch hits from players on loan from the Mud Hens. And it was Granderson picking up his 3rd hit (which pushed his average over .300) to give the team the lead.

It was a very nice performance from the Tigers bullpen with Casey Fossum retiring 4 batters and Joel Zumaya pitching under some duress after a couple cheap hits in the 9th to get the 1.2 inning save.

PREGAME: Ah, good old game 81. The halfway point in the season. The point at which we can just multiply everything by 2 to see how the final numbers will look.

The Tigers try to close out the first half in style by capping a sweep of the Rockies. They’ll be going up against Greg Reynolds. Reynolds has some pretty scary peripherals. He’s given up 10 homers in 50.2 innings, which is almost as many guys as he’s struck out (15). That could be helpful as the Tigers trot out a lineup that most likely won’t have Magglio Ordonez or Pudge Rodriguez.

For the Tigers it will be Kenny Rogers. He was on the hill for their last loss, the series opener against the Cardinals. Rogers had trouble with his command and seemed to labor through his 5.1 innings.

Angel Hernandez will be the home plate umpire which should lead to lots of frustration for everyone. I’ll be listening to this one on the radio as I head back from Indianapolis, which may be for the best.

COL @ DET, Sunday, June 29, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 1:05

POSTGAME: I listened to the first 8 innings of this one. Let’s just say I wasn’t surprised when Dan and Jim were reporting that both umpires were upset with Angel Hernandez before the first innning had finished. By all accounts Kenny Rogers didn’t have an easy time of things, and From the Copa’s labeling of Rogers outing as Rasputin-esque seems accurate.

The Tigers offense were warming up for a rout in the first inning before things got tricky. Hits were abundant, but they were all singles save for a check swing double from Hollimon. That is until Dane Sardhina came up with his first big league hit, a 2 run triple. I have to admit I was wondering why Leyland wasn’t pinch hitting.

And props to Todd Jones. Leyland stuck his neck out running him out there 18 hours after Jones was rocked for 4 runs by the same team. Okay, maybe it was a stupid move. But Jones delivered a 1-2-3 inning bringing the first half of the season to a pleasant conclusion.
OOPS UPDATE: How did I forget the 2 innings that Freddy Dolsi pitched? The New Sexy, Freddy Solid, pitched 2 perfect innings with 3 strike outs. I had been lamenting his lack of K-ness of late and the trifecta today were his first since June 10th.

PREGAME: Once upon a time the Tigers were within one game of .500. With the team playing good baseball I figured that by the end of a 3 game series with the Twins (who weren’t the streaking Twins we see now) that they’d be well on their way to a winning record. Yeah, no so much. So it is with some trepidation that I view the next several games.

Marcus Thames, who Jim Leyland said wasn’t quite right, should return to the lineup tonight. As should Edgar Renteria. But in their absence the kids (Clete and Hollimon) did okay the last few games.

Jeff Francis takes the ball for the Rockies. The Royals blew him up in his last start and Francis is susceptible to the long ball with 16 homers allowed this season with 9 coming on the road where he has a 6.07 ERA. Slightly interesting, statistically insignificant factoid: In 16 starts this year the hitter leading off the game has reached base 9 times with 4 extra base hits. Good boding for Curtis Granderson to continue his hit streak?

Justin Verlander turned in a frustrating yet dominant performance in his last start against the Padres. The 10 strikeouts were good. That they came in only 5.1 innings was kind of amazing, yet problematic. It took Verlander 115 pitches to record those 16 outs, due in large part to a lot of full counts and 5 walks.

COL @ DET, Saturday, June 28, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: With ratings starting to sag it could be the end of Clete and The Shef. However the network may have another show in the pipeline tentatively titled Miggy and the Scrub.

Ryan Raburn acted the role of clean-up hitter tonight, even though it wasn’t by design. Raburn subbed in for an injured Ordonez and had the first big hit of the night in the form of a grand slam. He later walked and scored the winning run when Miguel Cabrera doubled him home in walk-off fashion (that darned first pitch swinging after a 4 pitch walk). The third walk-off win in the 5 games of the homestand so far.

• Todd Jones blew the save. The first time he’s done so this year and here we are at the end of June. Part of me was upset, but that part kind of went away. Jones hasn’t pitched that good this year, even by his standards. But he’d always found a way to not give a lead away until tonight.
• I particularly liked the moment in the post game celebration where Jonesy was hanging back, outside of the mob. But when Cabrera broke free Jones was standing there with open arms.
• When I started to think about the postgame write-up as Jones melted down, I was going to de-emphasize the Jones part and point out how many extra runs the Tigers left on the bases. A growing trend as of late. But it’s the 3rd such time I’ve had those thoughts of late and yet the team has scored at least 7 runs in each of those games. Maybe I’m just getting spoiled with all the opportunities that the offense is generating and should be focusing on the positive.
• Jim Leyland thought Marcus Thames would get 2 hits tonight, and indeed he did.
• Unfortunately Curtis Granderson had his 15 game hitting streak snapped.
• Verlander’s outing was reminiscent of his last time out. A decent number of K’s, a walk or two too many, and a pitch count that kept him from getting through 6 innings.
• Fernando Rodney seems to have found his old form. He did allow a walk, but that was it in a 12 pitch inning.
• Oh yeah, and the team isn’t under .500 for the first time since the morning of March 31st.

PREGAME: Ooohhh, subplots abound. There’s that whole Jim Leyland quitting on the Rockies thing, but he’s already made his one statement about that. Plus there is that Jason Grilli commenting on team chemistry thing, and the fact that he pitches awful at Comerica Park.

Of more concern though are the Tigers simultaneous marches to mediocrity and contention. The Tigers are 2 games below the .500 mark and Sunday marks the end of the first half of the season. If Detroit can somehow muster a sweep, they’d be +1 for the first half which isn’t a big deal on its own. But given the struggles of the first 2 months would be a mighty accomplishment.

The Rockies have lost their last 4 and are 15 games below .500. Tonight they send out Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenz has been on a bit of a roll of late allowing only 3 earned runs in his last 3 starts. He strikes out a fair amount, but walks a batter every other inning.

For the Tigers it will be Eddie Bonine making his 3rd career start. The red flag with Bonine in the early going is that he’s allowed 3 homers in his 12.1 innings. And those innings came at notorious non-homer parks Comerica Park and Petco.

COL @ DET, Friday, June 27, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: I’d laud the outstanding efforts of Eddie Bonine and Curtis Granderson, but I’m leery. I touted Gary Sheffield’s awesomeness only to see a GIDP and a K in a hitless stat line. Maybe I should just let Bonine’s 8 innings of 1 run ball and 17 ground ball outs speak for themselves. And offensively, how much commentary is required when a player puts together back to back 4 hit games and extends a hitting streak to 15 games? Those kind of accomplishments don’t need to be propped up by some blogger. They stand on their own.

I will just reiterate a statement I made a few days ago. Watching Granderson go to third is a thing of beauty. There is that moment between first and second when you just know he’s going for the triple. It’s all so smooth with perfectly turned angles to the bases that an engineer can appreciate. But there’s still something about that moment when despite the smoothness, there is that one explosive step where he seems to get an extra gear as he braces himself to round second and head to third. Simply a joy to watch.

• The Tigers plated 7 runs, but it felt like it should have been so much more. Like Wednesday’s game I can’t really bag on an offense that racks up 15 hits and forces a starter to throw over 100 pitches in 4 innings. But this game seemed like it had double digit runs written all over it.
• Joel Zumaya had a nice outing. Sure there was the double and wild pitch. But a swinging strike out is what we really were looking for. Most important were no walks allowed.
• Oh yeah. And Clete Thomas reached base 4 more times. That’s not too shabby.
• Now if only the Twins would lose.

PREGAME: The teams have a 12 hour turnaround for today’s game. It will be Nate Robertson and Todd Wellemeyer, both of who I would guess didn’t stick around for the end of last night’s tilt.

Wellemeyer has a 3.67 ERA for the season and he’s striking out a little more than 2 batters for every one he walks. But in his last start he was lit up for 3 homers and 8 runs in 3.1 innings. It broke a string of 6 straight quality starts. Wellemeyer is a righty, but righties have hit him better this year with a 721 OPS for the right handers and a 663 for the hooks. I’m not sure that Jim Leyland saw that when he decided to play Clete Thomas instead of Marcus Thames in left today. For his career the numbers are strikingly similar for both sides.

Nate Robertson won his last time out despite allowing 5 runs in 6 innings.

And you guys will see me popping into the comments throughout the game today. For a change I’m not working and can actually watch and comment along.

1. Granderson, CF
2. Polanco, 2B
3. Guillen, 3B
4. Ordonez, RF
5. Cabrera, 1B
6. Thomas, LF
7. Sheffield, DH
8. Hollimon, SS
9. Sardhina, C

STL @ DET, Thursday, June 26, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: CLETE! SHEF! SERIES WIN! The Tigers snuck away with one today. Nate Robertson wasn’t getting hammered, but he was pitching under stress all day. He only had one stretch where he retired more than 2 batters in a row. But through either luck or skill or Cardinal ineptitude he kept St. Louis off the board with the exception of an unearned run.

The Tigers squandered several chances of their own early on with the middle of the order failing to cash in on several opportunities. In the end though the Tigers came out on the right side of a bases loaded walk.

• I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Tigers are a better team when Gary Sheffield is hitting. He had some rough ab’s early on with a DP and a pop out, but when the team had to have a homer Shef delivered. The Tigers were down to their last slugger with Hollimon and Sardhina up next. After the long foul I figured that was the ball. For him to do it again was incredible.
• And how about Clete Thomas. I was one who was expecting Marcus Thames to pinch hit in both bases loaded situations. Yet Leyland stuck with Clete and Clete didn’t chase balls in either at-bat and walked in two runs. Is it possible that left field, which was a vat of suckiness early in the season, is now a fountain of glorious production?
• Stuff evens out in baseball. Granderson had a few hard hit balls find gloves lately. Today he had a few weak hit balls find holes for a 4 hit day.
• Fernando Rodney flashed signs of the plus reliever he’s been in the past. He pitched out of a tight jam and then retired the side in order the following inning. Five up, five down.
• Polanco and Thames ejected in the same series? Polanco didn’t really have an argument because it was a good pitch, but he got tossed quickly. The umpires did not have a good series. I don’t know if one team got hurt more than the other, but it was an awful display of officiating.
• And another nice outing for Bobby Seay who allowed a 2 out walk but nothing else.
• It was nice to see Mike Hollimon get a couple hits. I have no problem with him trying for third on that play in the 9th inning. He was barely out and if he makes it the Tigers have the winning run 90 feet away with 1 out. I like the aggressive baserunning so just tip the cap to the Cardinals who did it right in nailing him.