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PREGAME: After losing last night, tonight’s game becomes probably more “must-win” than any the Tigers have played this year.
The Tigers will send out the same lineup as last night, but with right hander Justin Verlander on the mound. Verlander faced the Yankees in June and allowed 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks while pitching with a cut on his throwing hand. Justin will be making his first start since the Tigers clinched the wild card on September 24th. Really, it was the last happy day for the Tigers and their fans. Of course he’s a key to the Tigers success tonight so here’s hoping he’s more rested than rusty.
The Yankees will send out Mike Mussina who dominated the Tigers in May as he was an Alex Rodriguez throwing error away from a complete game shut out. Really he’s dominated the Tigers during his entire existence. The current Tigers roster has mustered exactly 2 home runs in their careers against Mussina. What makes Mussina difficult is that he doesn’t seem to fall into typicaly patters. He’s as likely to throw breaking stuff whether he’s ahead or behind in the count. The trick is to get runners on base - which is no small feat. With the bases empty Mussina’s OPS against is a meager 587 but with runners on it is 775.
Tigers Lineup
CF Granderson
2B Polanco
1B Casey
RF Ordonez
SS Guillen
C Rodriguez
LF Monroe
DH Thames
3B Inge
Yankees Lineup
CF Damon
SS Jeter
RF Abreu
1B Sheffield
DH Giambi
3B Rodriguez
LF Matsui
C Posada
2B Cano
Game Time 8:09 Game Time 1:09
I can’t think of a way that bumping the game to tomorrow will materially effect much. It may mean that Joel Zumaya won’t be used 2 innings, but that’s about it. Oh yeah, and I won’t be able to see it because I’ll be at work.
POSTGAME Of all the days to have meetings all afternoon. I managed to catch the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings on the radio. When I went into a meeting to start the 8th, one of my co-workers made a point of walking by the conference room holding up the score each half inning.
I’ll have a proper wrap up in a couple hours. Thanks for all the comments keeping this place humming this afternoon.
{ 209 comments… read them below or add one }
You were talking about the late-inning substitutions the other day and you mentioned that Guillen will end up playing first when we pinch-run for Casey. What do you think about having Pudge rotate to first instead? Which scenario is best defensively? Is Wilson swinging the bat better than Omar?
If he’s so good, why didn’t he start yesterday? No man is an island.
He hasn’t done well over his last 10 starts. If V pitches well, we can win this one.
“Jason Verlander.” Joe Morgan’s an idiot.
He was messing up names for the Twins yesterday too. I am not a Joe Morgan fan, but I do think it’s tough to put so many names in your head for the playoffs is pretty tough for anyone. Still, I’d think a team’s ace should be one of the names you can remember. It’s not like he’s Joe Ledezma or something, his Jason, uhm, Justin Verlander!
What’s our record with rain delays? Seems like we always, always lose when there’s a rain delay.
Not good. Most of the rain delays were over the past few weeks.
What’s the delay about? It’s not raining here in Brooklyn. Get it on!
Go Tigers!
How do you feel about starting the game in Gum Time? With rally caps on already? I’m for it.
Hey guys, How would you feel about a rain out and noon game on Thursday, cut work around 12:45 and watch from your favorite lunch spot. Like base ball was in the afternoon.
They just said they are going to try for 9:30 but also that no one was warming up??? trying to hold viewers maybe.
Adam you seem to be pretty jack up tonight with going 4 for the last nine posts. The Sabre game is on OLN if you need a fix
I’m jacked up. Nervous as hell, too. 5 for 11, Steve.
“What’s our record with rain delays? Seems like we always, always lose when there’s a rain delay.”
I checked out a couple Yankees forums and their fans seem to think Mussina doesn’t pitch well when something out of the ordinary occurs–like a rain delay. So maybe that balances things out.
Yeah, no way in heck they’re starting in 10 minutes.
So it’s either 10:00 tonight or 1:00 tomorrow.
Yeah, Kyle. If the game starts and another delay hits, it would be a huge advantage for us. I’ll definitely take our chances on a long bullpen matchup.
If they start at 10 and then have another delay at 11 so that Mussina and Verlander can’t come back after 3 or 4 innings, I think it’s to our advantage. Our bullpen is deeper.
Not sure who has the advantage if they start at 10 and then have to call the whole thing off.
Great minds think alike, Jeff.
That rain coming at 11 looks nasty on radar. I would not want to risk losing Verlander. Especially, with Rogers planning to pitch game 3. He is terrible at Yankee stadium. I would rather play tomorrow at 1.
Sounds like they’re gonna cross their fingers and start it at 10. I’m off to the bar. Go Tigers!
I think it could actually make sense to send Ledezma out there at the start. You can bring Verlander in in the 4th if it’s not raining with the the hope he finishes the game. If it does rain, you bring him in after the rain. If they don’t start back up, you start him tomorrow. (Avoids possibility of Rogers pitching tomorrow–good point, Mark.)
Probably too far out of the box by major league baseball standards.
Play ball!
Its called off and I agree, why try to play. Keep it for Thursday……… See you at Champps
I already called my boss and told him I won’t be in tomorrow!
Will they still play in Detroit on Friday with no travel day? Is this the type of fluke that explains why it was said that it is much better to play the Yankees in a 5 game series.
Alan MLB shows just that, Game 10/5 in NY and 10/6 inDET
Here’s the problem I have with this rainout: It’s not raining here. This is like a Michigan snow day. They anticipate there’s going to be a ton of snow the night before, so they close the schools. But when they look outside the next morning it’s sunny and the roads are clear… Why not start the game? It wasn’t raining at 8:00p. I live 3 miles from Yankee Stadium and it has not rained anything harder than a drizzle here in the last 2.5 hours. Granted, it looked like the rain in the Bronx was a little steadier than here, but it’s not like it was piling up on the tarp or anything. Why not try to get something in?
I think the Tigers got kinda screwed in the end. I know we haven’t played well after rain delays this year, but all logic points to the fact that if the game had stopped midway for a rain delay, Mussina wouldn’t have come back out and then would’ve gotten to the Yanks middle relief, which is their weakest link. So, the decision to not start the game at all, nevermind finishing it, seems a major advantage for them. Plus, now the Tigers lose the travel day rest, they have to spend another night in the hotel, which regardless of whether the series is 2-0 or 1-1, hurts.
And, all that aside, I’m bitter that I won’t be able to watch the game tomorrow.
Yes indeed. To use the National Commentators’ language, the “Yankees’ Game” will be tomorrow afternoon. For those of you who missed it, the “Yankees Game… against the tigers (little t intended)” will be tomorrow afternoon. This is good for both teams. Mike Mussina is 37 and the Yankees would not want to risk that he exit the game early. Such an event would cause the Yankees to have to go to their bullpen, which has been either “hot or cold”. This postponement is good for the Tigers because Justin Verlander is inexperienced and has never faced this invincible Yankees’ lineup.
Did I mention that the Yankees have a formidible offense? Let’s go to our expert commentators and get their opinion. “To be frank, I am surpised the Tigers even bothered to fly to New York. The Yankees’ team is unbeatable. The Tigers by contrast bribed scoring committees around the country in order to fix scorecards for 94 of their 95 wins.” “Well, I would not go as far as bribed score keepers, and I will admit that, given time, the Tigers might actually develop into a somewhat respectable (not by Yankees standards but by the standards of recent Royals teams or the 2006 Cubs, for example) ball club. Probably not a play off team, but maybe in a three or four years they can aim at 500. But enough about the minor leagues, how about that invincible Yankees’ lineup? Have you ever seen such an offense?” (here follows a rally call of sorts with one commentator asking the questions in lower case letters and all the commentators saying the answers, typed in capital letters, together) “have you ever seen such a potent offense in the long history of professional sports?” “NO!” “whose going to win today?” “YANKEES!” “i couldn’t hear that! with some spirit! i said, “whose going to win today?!” “YANKEES! (this time said with more enthusiasm) “and who is going to lose!?” “……” here silence fills the studio as in their enthusiasm about the Yankees’ omnipotent line-up, the commentators seems to have forgotten that the Yankees are in fact still playing another team. No one, however, at ESPN seems to remember which team that is! ESPN executives call their friends over at FOX. Unfortunately for the predicament at ESPN, the people at FOX all had thought that the baseball play-offs were already over! “Didn’t the Yankees already win the World Series?”, they ask. After frantic calls to the research department, the commentators find out that the Yankees are, it seems, playing the Daetroyt Tiggirs, a tee-ball team. Contented, the commentators resume their discussion of the Yankees’ offense.
The national media in general, and at this moment the national sports media in particular, makes me sick. The Tigers need to win this if for no other reason than to wipe the smug smile from all their faces. In Spring Training, the Tigers were predicted to lose. When they started winning it was a fluke. When they kept winning it was all a prelude to the inevitable collapse. When the slide came, it was viewed as prophecy fulfilled. Now that they are in the play-offs, you would think that the Tigers actually won 15 games this year on occassions when the other team simply decided not to show up.
Knock some teeth out of those bleached smiles! Go Tigers!
Must win game last night… and the Tigers didn’t win :-/
Brian, Nice rip at 11:00 at night. Love the passion. I agree, I live in Rochester NY and its like Yankee land around here, so I have had to hear it every day ALL day since it was decided that it was NYY vs DET. People treat us like hey thanks for showing up but theres the door. It really is a shame that the Yankeee and a few others are allowed to spend so much, yes they pay the tax but it seems that this was not the idea, that a whole other topic for adiffernt day. For now I say lets pack one right down their throughs today.
Steve
Ok- I have a point to make.
2 of the last 4 years the Yankees did not make it past the ALDS. Both times they were beaten by Anaheim. Both times, the Yankees won game 1 (once at home, once on the road).
SO…. It can be done!
-Sam
Random question that occurred to me last night:
I’ve seen an article somewhere on what the best team the Yankees’ $220 million payroll could buy is. What I’m wondering is what’s the WORST team $220 million could buy? My suspicision is that that team would still be a playoff contender.
I was at the game last night.
It was a very unusual rain delay. So let me give you my take on the home-field advantage:
At 8:10 pm, the grounds crew began rolling out the tarp, to the absolutle puzzlement of the fans. No rain! What?
The Yankees could have started this game. It didn’t start (drizzling) until about 8:35 pm, and then it only continued to drizzle lightly until approx. 9:30 pm. They easily could have played through the drizzle. The front blew out, and there was absolutely no rain until 11:10 pm. Again, fans were absolutely bewildered as to why there was no baseball.
Of course, if you start a game and do have to pause for a period, when you resume, you lose Mussina. And who do the Yankees have to go to in that case? Might as well leave Yankee stadium 1-1. Conclusion: there is absolutely no way the Yankees were going to start this game if there was any risk of sitting Mussina due to rain, and allowing the Tigers to exploit their ONE advantage in this series.
The second risk is actually getting in a few innings, and then having to cancel the game anyway, only to start Cory Lidle the next day at 1:05pm. (Again, pretty good chance Yanks leave the homestand 1-1 under those circumstances).
All the Yankee fans I talked to were livid that their team didn’t try to get this game in. It made no sense to them (Of course, since most Yankee fans assume a “W” is a foregone conclusion, and therefore don’t even bother trying to analize or give credence to the opponent) I truly think 99% didn’t understand the huge advantage it would give the Tigers if they attempted to play the game. It made perfect sense to me why the Yankees were milking this very strange, rainless rain delay/cancelation, as a Tiger fan) Nevertheless, we should have played baseball last night. But hey, more power to ‘em. They are hosting us. Wining the division and the achieving the most wins in the American league gives them that right–the ever-sought “home-field advantage” In previous threads I have not held back my opinion about the importance of securing home field advantage. We easily could be in their position if the last week of baseball played out just a little differently, but we’re not.
Let’s hope Verlander can get it done today. (I’m using my rain check, by the way).
Go Tigers.
I am with you T Smith. Let’s hope it backfires.
From Elias:
Wednesday night’s postponement at Yankee Stadium gave us time to take a closer look at Tuesday’s opener. The starting lineup in Game 1 was unlike any other. No, it wasn’t the Yankees’ batting order, comprised entirely of former All-Stars. Teams had posted such a lineup in 15 previous postseason games. The first-of-its-kind batting order actually belonged to the Tigers. It was the first starting lineup in postseason history in which the players in the seventh, eighth and ninth spots all hit at least 25 homers during the regular season (Craig Monroe 28, Marcus Thames 26, Brandon Inge 27).
Wow, cheap shot by the “sideline” reporter Bob Holtzman. The Tigers were frustrated Wednesday not because their pitcher was warming up after the Yankees were informed of the cancellation. No, they were frustrated because of losing the division on Sunday — they only had to beat the KC Royals, a AAA team for pete’s sake!! and they couldn’t do it.
So this had nothing to do with the rain, the MLB, or the Yankees. It had to do with the Tigers choking. Nice analysis, really.
Why do I bother. ESPN is just going to do what I expect anyway.
What a clutch error by Jeter!
19 pitches thrown by Mussina in the first inning. Not too bad. If the Tigers can just keep working into these counts and not strike out when they get there.
Good to see Verlander throwing 98 again
He needs to find the strike zone though.
Alright! Thank you Sheff!
YESSSSS! Verlander was wild in the inning, but I am hoping it is just due to being jazzed up.
First lead of the series!
Gameday showed the second pitch to Jeter was well within the strike zone but it was called a ball. Are we getting squeezed again?
Amazingly, this umpire crew sucks and blows at the same time!
Welcome to the MLB playoffs.
Seriously, can we please get someone behind the plate who calls it consistently for both sides? We would get stuck with McClelland and Diaz behind home plate for the two games in NY.
Travis,
It’s as bad as it looks.
And now the first pitch to Curtis is well out of the zone and called a strike (per gameday). Anybody watching - what is it looking like?
Thanks, I was afraid of that.
Right now, Mussina could practically bounce one into Posada and as long as it trickled over the plate he’d get the call.
We have to get something going against Mussina. Verlander will be out of the game earlier than anticipated due to number of pitches, so it would be nice to have a 2 or 3 run lead.
Pudge needs to come through here.
After that bunt attempt with 2 out and a man on third by Monroe I stabbed myself in the eye with a fork.
Please tell me that didn’t just happen. Can someone explain that call?
DUDE!!!
Can someone please explain that bunt for me!
Between that and the hit and run that didn’t go anywhere on Tuesday, we’ve given up some crucial outs.
Justin looks fierce today.
So that really was a bunt attempt? I figured they just made a mistake on gameday. Trying to squeeze with Monroe?! I really don’t get into questioning Leyland, but that is a head scratcher.
Is Game day current for you guys, mine is at least 1/2 inning behind.
Steve
I’m really starting to dislike Johnny Damon.
I think Johnny Damon is really Dan, who blogs here once in a while
Steve - It is up to date for me as far as I can tell.
LOL - Steve!
Typical Yankee inning. 2 Outs man on that the Tiger pitcher should have gotten out and - bing! 3 run homer.
Inge look awful…
Thames moves over to 3rd…
Let’s see if he can get this run in.
Unbelievable.
What are the odds that Granderson gets this run in? I really don’t think you can bat Inge and Granderson in consecutive spots in the lineup. Way too many Ks.
Nice. Thank you Curtis.
I’m watching this on Gameday and there have been numerous Mussina pitches out of the strike zone that have been called strikes, and numerous Verlander pitches in the strike zone that have been called balls. Does the real thing look as ridiculous? Is the ump really this bad?
Going back to the bunt, the announcers tried to play it off like Monroe was bunting on his own due to ARod playing back. Could be. Either way the execution and the decision were both bad.
It does look like we’re getting squeezed on both sides of the dish. Not sure what we can do about that one.
JV has thrown 92 pitches through 5. Will Leyland let him start the 6th?
This ump is just inconsistent as can be.
He’d better. GO GUILLEN!!!!
Carlos!!!
Is Pudge like 0-7 now? Damn!! I figured he would do well in this series as one of the few guys with playoff experience.
I guess the bunt was Monroe’s idea. Weird.
We can win. We can win. We can win. Let’s win.
Looks like we are not going to get the yanks’ bullpen soon enough again. That’s two innings in a row where mussina has thrown about 8 pitches.
BTW I had a dream the Tigers won today.
Heh, quiet crowd now. Well done Guillen.
I’m forced to watch on Gameday as well, and these calls do not match the given strikezone. I gotta say tho, I’m not impressed with the new “improved” gameday. Its great that they’re finally showing pitch speed and easy access to previous at bats. But the pitch graphic is irritating, I don’t like not having access to the game stats, and not seeing where on the field the ball is hit to. Back to the classic version for me.
Please don’t let us go to the bullpen…please.
Is it almost time to pull Verlander? with 95 pitches or so, and our deep bullpen, i say yes. Definately can’t go out for the seventh inning
He’s staying away from Posada like the plague
Can’t pull him with people on base. That’s disaster.
If he can’t get Cano, pull him.
Did they just pull him in the middle of the AB? Gamecenter isn’t very clear on what just happened.
Anyway. Awesome outing for Verlander…only let the Yanks tag one…for all their runs. I don’t know about Walker right now though.
Verlander is over 100 pitches. I was skeptical of having him pitch this inning, but now that Posada’s on, why don’t we see Walker or Zumaya now???
Nevermind, they just made the change. Heh.
Yep. Right in the middle. 1 and 1.
Is he hurt?
No, Verlander isn’t hurt. Leyland just thought that the last pitch he threw showed he didn’t “have it” anymore.
Why would Leyland do that?
In the middle of an at bat
interesting strategy, Cano is dangerous
give him two right handed ptiches, then finish him off left handed?
does anyone know Walker’s RS/RI for the season. That’s the stat we need to be looking at.
Can these two tool-sheds quit referring to Justin as Jason?
Walker, flyball pitcher gets the clutch gidp.
DP We are out
Huge double play there…nice job Jamie.
NICE!
Looks like it worked out!! Good job Walker!
Sweet DP ball…that’s a walk if Cano doesn’t swing. Let’s see if Thames can tag one now.
Um…oh yeah. Cano is like Pudge - I don’t think either of them has a hit in the series yet.
Wow, you don’t see guys getting pulled in the middle of an AB often. Strange move by Leyland (maybe Walker wasn’t ready when Cano came up to bat?) but it certainly paid off.
Big game so far by Thames.
bunt by inge?
for sure now? huh?
I really enjoy ESPN’s super-slow-motion camera.
GET THAMES HOME!
Great outing for Justin. We needed that.
Wild pitch last inning, passed ball this…it looks like the Yankees are the ones with the yips right now.
That is the best at-bat I’ve seen from Curtis all year!
Fantastic!
Woohoo! Can’t ask to be in a better position than this!!!
YES !!! SAME SITUATION, SAME OUTS!!! 4-3, BIATCHES!
YES!!!!! Granderson triple platers Thames and gives us a shot at another run.
I just yelled so loud I woke up all the guys sleeping in my office
These two suck. The way they on Sheff’s jock for routine plays at 1st??? GTFOHWTS!! Calling Justin Jason. Morgan has always been awful, and Jon Miller still has a great voice, but he’s clearly lost a step in terms of knowing what’s going on.
“Clutch” Curtis!
So much for the $19 Million Dollar Man. The New York staff is starting to look real accessible from here on in the series.
Casey looked like he tagged that one…not high enough though. Dang. I’ll take the one-run lead with our bullpen.
Bottom of the 7th. This may just be the most important half-inning of the game. Then we get their bullpen.
How hard did Polly hit that liner at A-Rod? Can anybody watching tell me?
If we win this game, I think we have the series. And I’m not even kidding. Good chance against Johnson tomorrow, and Wright on Saturday.
It was hard. Almost doubled up Granderson, that’s how hard.
Let’s get this one first.
I’ll worry about tommorrow and Saturday once my heart starts beating again.
Nothing like your best reliever facing the heart of the best lineup in baseball.
Adam, without sounding cliched. Let’s just take it a game at a time. I like our chances overall as I did when the series started. They showed a lot of fight in game 1 despite losing and this game is looking great. Let’s keep an even keel, not get too high or too low. I love this team so much!
I’m with you Nick. To quote Winston Wolf…
Oh right. I can’t really quote him here.
Amen, Nick. Amen. When I start breathing again, I’ll get back to you.
Damn, that’s what I was thinking. Game of inches…
Zumaya needs to come out throwing strikes.
HERE WE GO!!!!
We need a larger lead though…I don’t really trust Jonesy with one run. Not with his recent blown saves.
Let’s hope he doesn’t go straight to Rodney in the 8th.
Swore that was a Monreo home run. Started yelling…then Matsui caught it halfway in. Weird.
What’s wrong with Zumaya’s eye?
103!! 103!! Zoom Zoom
YEAH!!! Thats hot stuff!
Do you pitch him in the ninth? He’s only thrown 20 pitches.
Ouch! Sucks to be Alex Rodriguez so far this series.
ZOOM ZOOM!! 103! Went through the heart of the line-up, like it was the Royals! (Oh Wait a minute)
Good god!!!
What a performance by Zumaya!
Can he come out in the 9th too?
Do you think he’ll be closing games next year?
Joey, isn’t Jones signed thru next year? If so, I think Zumaya stays as set up man next year and then closer in ‘08 and beyond.
Re: Zumaya in the ninth.
I don’t understand the current complex management approach to relief pitching, but since he’s not yet been through a complete cycle of the lineup , it’s hard to understand why he shouldn’t come out for the ninth.
Again, these balls and strikes on gameday look seriously screwed up. Look that way on TV too?
OMG, I’m soooooo nervous! Come on Jones!!
Here we go. Let’s go Jonesy!!!!
Bobber, can’t put JZ in for three innings when it’s something he hasn’t done all year. Plus, having just gone two, he might be available for one tomorrow. Plus, you gotta show some confidence in Jones as your closer.
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 down
omg omg omg omg omg omg
One more boys.
Good points, Paul.
I also notice that Jones’ walks rate is less than a third of Zumaya’s (not that JZ’s is high). A good decision overall.
WOOOOOO