Category Archives: 2009 Season

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.148: Tigers at Twins

81 Comments

PREGAME: Well, you have to score to win. That “duh” statement looms large with the Tigers being shutout Friday night and facing Carl Pavano this afternoon. Pavano of course has shut down the Tigers in each of 4 starts this year. He’s been good enough that he’s thrown 30.1 innings against Detroit. You’d hope that would be enough for the hitting coach to build a competent and executable game plan for the Tigers to follow.

Justin Verlander had a light day his last time out when he threw only 104 pitches. He did allow 5 runs though in his 7 innings as he was bitten by a one winning offensive outburst. It’s an affliction he’s suffered too many times this year (against the Mariners, the Angels, the Orioles, etc). He’ll likely have to be near perfect today.

Detroit vs. Minnesota – September 19, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: I waited several hours to write the postgame in hopes that I could paint a game story that would make sense. Yet nothing about this game made sense.

Continue reading Game 2009.148: Tigers at Twins →

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.147: Tigers at Twins

146 Comments

PREGAME: Don’t get swept. Don’t get swept. Don’t get swept. That’s basically the message. Don’t get swept. Don’t get swept. Don’t get swept. If the Tigers take 1 they still have a 3 game lead, anything beyond that and they are sitting very pretty. A sweep and Tigers fans will really start to sweat.

The Tigers play their final 3 games in the Metrodome. Thank goodness. Tonight it is Brian Duensing against Rick Porcello. Duensing has only a 3.53 ERA despite allowing 90 baserunners in 66.1 innings. The ERA is probably low because despite the baserunners, he isn’t being hit hard with only 11 extra base hits. He is coming off his strongest performance, 7 innings of shutout ball with 6 K’s against the A’s. He’s been harder early in the count rather than later. The Tigers swing early in the count. This might work out.

The Twins chased Porcello after only 4 innings in his last start in the dome. They knocked him around for 6 runs on 90 pitches. That wasn’t good. Porcello shut the Twins out for 7 innings on 4 hits the first time he faced them. That was good.

Your, “hey it’s another freakin’ southpaw” lineup:

  1. Raburn, LF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Ordonez, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Thames, DH
  6. Inge, 3B
  7. Granderson, CF
  8. Laird, C
  9. Everett, SS

Detroit vs. Minnesota – September 18, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

2009 Season

The bi-weekly freak out

6 Comments

The Tigers just got done playing about a week and a half of their worst baseball. They dropped 5 of 6 to the Royals and managed only a split in a 4 game set with the Blue Jays. They struggled against bad teams while the Twins shaved 3 games off of what looked to be a nearly insurmountable lead. Thoughts of a Metrodome sweep and blowing the division are prevalent. But haven’t we been here before?

Don’t we go through this every couple of weeks when the team struggles, and the division lead appears to be in jeopardy? We look at the recent performance and don’t understand how the team can ever win another game. Remember when the White Sox tied things up just ahead of a 4 game set. The Tigers lead was at its most tenuous then, and the Tigers won the next 3 games.

A couple of weeks ago the Twins were charging and the Tigers dropped 2 of 3 in Oakland. Once again the division was surely lost. Except Detroit took 2 of 3 in LA, split a 4 game set with the Rays, swept the Indians and then went on the road to sweep the Rays in Tampa.

But here we are with 90% of season in the books and people are still caught by surprise with this team on a regular basis. The Tigers are essentially a .500 team. They’ll go on little win streaks where people think they are clicking and then little funks where it doesn’t look like they’ll win another game. They are a couple wins above .500 due to some luck or late inning magic, but the team is average to maybe a little above average. That’s why I don’t understand why a 3-7 stretch should forecast doom more than 146 games should predict mediocrity.

With a 4 game lead the Tigers don’t have to play great down the stretch. They just need to be themselves. There are no magical teams chasing them. With the 3 games in the dome a worst case scenario is that on Monday the Tigers are still in first place. That’s not a horrible place to be with what would be just 13 games remaining.

The above paragraphs don’t make me any less nervous, but it is an excited kind of anticipation type nervousness. Nothing is a sure thing and with only 16 games left either the Twins or the Tigers could get hot or cold. But based on what we know about these teams the odds are that both will remain fairly mediocre. In any case, the last 3 weeks of the season should be interesting. Maybe agonizing, maybe exciting. But don’t put too much into the struggles with the Royals. It was just 6 games.

2009 Season

The 8th inning – 2009 edition

2 Comments

Long time readers of this site remember a feature called the Inning Report. Reader Sam Hoff would break down the season into 18 game segments or “innings.” Why 18 game? Because there are 9 18 game segments in a season. Tuesday’s game against the Royals completed the eigth inning. Sam is still putting these together, but he’s posting them on his site this season. So click through to read The 8th Inning is Over with games through Tuesday.

Despite the recent suckitude the Tigers still managed to post a winning record over the 18 game stretch. And for the 4th inning in a row they were outscored. The 92 runs surrendered was the most allowed over any inning and the 5.28 ERA posted by the bullpen was the worst mark since the second inning.

Offensively the team did okay posting a .355 OBP which was their highest inning all season and the first one over .340 since the 2nd inning. The 85 runs was tied for the 3rd highest total.

Patti Engineering Insight » The 8th Inning is Over

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.146: Royals at Tigers

95 Comments

PREGAME: Edwin Jackson and Zach Greinke today. Prepare to be amazed.

Kansas City vs. Detroit – September 17, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: So was everyone amazed that Josh Anderson was actually able to hit a ball to the wall, let alone over it? Your amazing factoid for the series is:

The Royals have hit 13 3-run homers this season. Five of them came in this series.

This one isn’t worth dissecting. I’ll have more in a “state of the team” type post before the Minny series starts. In the meantime feel free to fret, complain, rationalize, give-up, and stay optimistic in the comments here. I’ll be watching the Ernie video until I’m ready to write.

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.145: Royals at Tigers

54 Comments

PREGAME: Tonight it will be Eddie Bonine and Lenny Dinardo doing that pitching thing. I think the Tigers will hit DiNardo pretty hard and I am certain they won’t hit into 5 double plays tonight. I can’t make guarantees about the Bonine/Royals interaction.

Yes, the game should be the focus tonight. But there is something else really big going on and that is Ernie Harwell returning to Comerica Park to say thank you to the fans. I will most certainly applaud until my hands hurt. I will most likely cry. But I feel compelled to be there tonight to say thank you.

Harwell will address the crowd in the 3rd inning and Fox Sports Detroit will carry it live. I’m sure it isn’t in his wishes to be disruptive in any way. The game at hand always comes first with Harwell. I just don’t know that is possible when the living embodiment of the game shows up to say Thank You.

Kansas City vs. Detroit – September 16, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: I’ve heard this game described as an ugly win. I had some of those same thoughts as first, but I quickly pushed those away. First, all wins are beautiful at this point. Second, while the Tigers did have to rely on the Royals ineptitude to pull this out it wasn’t like the Tigers were making a bunch of mistakes. Detroit played a pretty crisp game with two outfield assists, a caught stealing, and some nifty defense by both Adam Everett and Placido Polanco. They also got the hits when they needed them to capitalize on the Royals mistakes. I see nothing ugly about that at all.

Eddie Bonine did a fine job. He is a spot starter and he gave the team 5 innings and held Kansas City to  3 runs. The numbers weren’t outstanding, but they certainly were acceptable given the situation. That the game was close was more about the Tigers inability to pound Lenny DiNardo. He was followed by Zach Miner who had an easy inning thanks to a nice throw by Ordonez. Seay followed and benefited from a caught stealing in the 7th, and then some magic from Brandon Lyon.

Lyon once again came up big. With runners at the corners, nobody out, and Billy Butler at the plate I was sure that David DeJesus would score from 3rd to tie the game. I didn’t know if it would be a sacrifice fly, a hit, a ground ball double play that scored the run, I was just sure that Butler would get the job done. Yet Lyon induced a come backer, followed by a strike out and suddenly there were 2 outs and thoughts of extra innings didn’t seem so imminent.

  • Granderson had a good game picking up 2 singles against the lefty and then driving a ball to the wall in left center.
  • Adam Everett doesn’t hit a lot, but he certainly makes the most of the hits.
  • There was much rejoicing in the comments about the BOOBs (bottom of the order boys) and it was well deserved.
  • The comment of the night was delivered by Coleman:

    A weird coincidence, Billy Butler shares the same middle name as Carl Pavano, Joe Crede, and Luke Scott, “F’ing”

2009 Season

Tom Gage gets it right about Ernie Harwell

7 Comments

Tom Gage pens a marvelous column about Ernie Harwell and tonight’s events. The itinerary is that Harwell will meet with the team, and then the media, and then take in the game from Mike Ilitch’s suite. In the 3rd inning he will head down to the field, get behind the microphone, and address the fans. Those are the facts, but I highly encourage you to click through to the article below. Gage was masterful in expressing his thoughts and those of thousands. I quoted the end of the article, but really, read the whole thing. I mean it.

Thank you, too, Ernie | detnews.com | The Detroit News

You all, of course, have shown what Ernie means to you. You’ve shown it with your letters to him, your notes, your e-mails, your thoughts, whatever you’ve directed toward him for years — but specifically lately.

Now you’ll be required to make a difficult adjustment when facing the thought of losing him.

Don’t be sad.

He’s not.

He’ll be out there on the field, in front of all of us, celebrating the magnificence of a relationship.

We won’t be entirely successful in not being sad, of course. As Marc Antony said in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, “If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.”

And tears will be shed, no doubt.

But, otherwise, cheer yourself hoarse.

That’s what you do at celebrations.

Cheer — and be happy that you’ve known such a friend.

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.144: Royals at Tigers

92 Comments

PREGAME: Tigers fans a couple weeks ago looked at the schedule and though, “dude we’re playing the Royals at home, that’s like a sweep,” and the dudes probably would have been thinking the Tigers would win. But then the Tigers lost. And Jarrod Washburn struggled in his last start. And Robinson Tejeda was bringing serious stuff in his last start and suddenly things don’t look so bright and shiny. At least not in this match-up.

Maybe the Tigers can learn from their last time out against the Royals though. Like maybe the hitters should try a different game plan against Tejeda and maybe Washburn should try a different game plan against the Royals. (oddly enough Washburn didn’t allow a homer in that game, just lots and lots of baserunners). It is noteworthy that Washburn has allowed homers in every game he’s pitched as a Tiger – except when facing the Royals.

Your, “Drinks are on Maggs, the boy is vesting tonight” lineup:

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Guillen, LF
  3. Ordonez, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Huff, DH
  6. Avila, C
  7. Inge, 3B
  8. Santiago, 2B
  9. Everett, SS

Kansas City vs. Detroit – September 15, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: Washburn is toast. Tejeda is good. Maggs is rich(er). Boras is a clown. At least nobody got hurt.

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.143: Blue Jays at Tigers

72 Comments

PREGAME: After Amber Grand delivered a big win yesterday (with some help from Rick Porcello, the bullpen, and a decent offensive attack) the Tigers will turn to Lori Adams who has a 4-2 record this season when performing the Star Spangled Banner. Sounds like a favorable match-up. Well, that and Justin Verlander taking on David Purcey.

Verlander gunning for a Cy Young (and having to pass Zach Greinke and Felix Hernandez) and Purcey returning to the rotation for the first time since April. Then again, Tigers have made lesser pitchers look great.

Your “Inge isn’t going to get anything good to hit” lineup:

  1. Raburn, LF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Ordonez, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Thames, DH
  6. Inge, 3B
  7. Granderson, CF
  8. Laird, C
  9. Everett, SS

Toronto vs. Detroit – September 14, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: A walk-off FC E-6. Lori Adams gets to stay in the National Anthem rotation.

Justin Verlander had another one of those outings where he has his great stuff. Doesn’t look like he’s going to get touched. And then gives up a crooked number on less than 10 pitches. I don’t get it.

But how about that bullpen. They have now thrown 6 straight scoreless innings and have allowed only 4 baserunners after getting beaten up for 5 straight games. And it wasn’t even the big guns today with Fernando Rodney serving game 1 of his reduced 2 game suspension and Brandon Lyon having worked 3 straight days. This time it was Ni and Bondo and Perry and Seay.

As for the offense, I thought they had let this game slip away when they didn’t make Purcey hurt in the first. Raburn with the leadoff homer and 2 straight walks that never moved. But like in many of the Tigers recent wins, everybody contributed in one way or another. Inge fanned on 2 pitches at his shoulder, but drew the walk and scored the winning run. Granderson got on with an error and later walked. Raburn had 2 hits. Maggs reached base 3 times. Avila with a big pinch hit single. Oh yeah, and Huff.

Honestly I was kind of upset when Huff came into pinch hit. He hasn’t made a great impression with the stick since coming to Detroit. But crow tastes good. Give me seconds.

2009 Season, Injuries, Pitching

Eddie Bonine is your 5th starter

16 Comments

Flashback a week. The Tigers had a big lead in the division and they were surging. Nate Robertson had turned in two solid performances. Jarrod Washburn’s troubles were optimistically assigned to a sore knee that would hopefully be better with a little rest. Armando Galarraga’s struggles were tied to elbow inflammation and with a little rest there was reason to think he wouldn’t be awful. This would be great news to have potentially 6 starters down the stretch with a big lead and 3 key cogs to the rotation having worked more than they ever had and looking for rest. Oh well. It was a good thought at the time.

Robertson has since gone down with pelvic inflammation. Washburn’s knee isn’t better. Galarraga’s elbow isn’t better. And so what may have been 6 is now 3. Washburn will search for effectiveness in the rotation and Eddie Bonine has been promoted to 5th starter for the remainder of the season.

Now remainder of the season could be 1 start, the actual remainder of the season, or something in between. Jim Leyland has been known to make decrees before only to change his mind a week later – at least he isn’t stubborn in that regard. The duration of Bonine’s spot is probably equally contingent on Bonine’s effectiveness and the health of Robertson and Galarraga. Though I suspect that Galarraga returning to the rotation would be a stretch at this point.

Robertson’s problem flared up after his start against Cleveland and he had hoped to make it through 5 innings against the Blue Jays, but it didn’t work so well. Still, if he can get back quickly he could find a spot as a starter.

The bigger downside of all the shuffling has to do with not just the potential effectiveness or ineffectiveness of injured and replacement players, but the increased importance that Verlander/Jackson/Porcello starts take on down the stretch. Extra rest or skipped spots don’t look to be an option for any of the 3 over the last 3 weeks of the season. And with a potential playoff spot and additional innings coming for all 3 pitchers that has to be a concern. Then again, just add it to the list.

2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.142: Blue Jays at Tigers

29 Comments

PREGAME: I was worried last night. The Tigers lost 5 in a row and not even the backwards post could fix things. But this morning I’m at ease. I see that Amber Grand is singing the National Anthem. This is in the bank. No worries. If it seems strange to put the fates of a team in a pennant race on the vocal chords of the National Anthem singer, well then you just don’t understand baseball.

Rick Porcello and Ricky Romero reprise their debut match-up from the first week of the season. But it doesn’t matter because Amber Grand is singing the National Anthem.

Your “Amber Grand is singing the National Anthem so the batting order is largely irrelevant” lineup is:

  1. Raburn, LF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Ordonez, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Thames, DH
  6. Inge, 3B
  7. Granderson, CF
  8. Laird, C
  9. Everett, SS

Toronto vs. Detroit – September 13, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: How ’bout that National Anthem? Money. Money I say. Sure, Porcello pitched pretty good (although he did allow quite a few balls in the air for the 2nd game in a row). And the Tigers hit the ball pretty well up and down the lineup. And the bullpen faced 9 guys and recorded 9 outs (it did take 2 GIDPs but I’m not complaining). But how about that National Anthem?

  • Magglio Ordonez had 3 hits and has pushed his average up to .294
  • Gerald Laird had a couple of big hits, which is nice because he doesn’t get a lot of hits.
  • Brandon Inge seemed to be making a concentrated effort to go up the middle and to the opposite field, and he got himself a couple hits.
  • Cabrera with an infield single and a stolen base. Typical day for the speedster.
  • The Tigers played some nice defense with Ryan Raburn getting it started in the 1st with a nice play going into the wall. Eeverett and Inge also made some nice picks on the left side of the infield.
2009 Season

Reliever Roulette

1 Comment

It can’t be a good feeling for Jim Leyland when ever he ambles out to the mound and points towards the bullpen. It doesn’t seem to matter lately who gets the call, they will invariably allow more baserunners than outs. The numbers posted by the pen during the 5 game losing streak are simply staggering.

In the 5 game skid the bullpen has been called on to pitch 14 1/3 innings in 18 “calls to the pen.” Over those 14 1/3 innings they have allowed 23 hits, 12 walks, and 18 runs. Five of those hits have left the park. Only 8 hitters have gone down on strikes. It is simply amazing that they could perform so poorly as a group. They had to face 79 batters to record those 43 outs – and the last out came on a pickoff where Fu-Te Ni didn’t throw a pitch.

After the Royals series I laid some of the blame on the starters not working deep enough into games and thus exposing the less dependable members of the relief corps to high leverage innings. But in Saturday night’s game Jackson got the ball to Brandon Lyon – who picked up the blown save a wild pitch. And then a tie game was handed over to Fernando Rodney – and he allowed a 2 out 2 run homer. It doesn’t matter who comes trotting out, they are going to allow baserunners.

Of those 18 calls to the pen, the incoming reliever was charged with at least 1 run 10 different times. Miner, Bonine, Perry, Seay, Galarraga, it doesn’t matter. They’ve all been charged with runs in the last week. Ni is the only one to see his ERA unblemished and he even walked one of the 2 batters he faced.

Until the bullpen gets out of its collective funk the starters will need to find a way to pitch deeper and the offense will need to find a way to put games out of reach (in a favorable way). Neither of those events have been occurring and thus you have a losing streak.