Billfer likes long walks in Comerica Park. Check out the 
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PREGAME: It’s a beautiful night here in Detroit and a pretty good pitching match-up.
Daniel Cabrera stymied the Tigers the last time they met allowing only 2 runs and no walks as he pitched into the 8th.
Jeremy Bonderman has pitched very well for most of the season, save for the first couple innings of his last start. He’s sporting a K/BB ratio of 29/4 which should have earned him a win or two at some point.
Game Time 7:05pm
UPDATE: Okay, 45 minutes after commenting on how nice it is it becomes really overcast. I need to pay attention to the weather. Is this the game where the Tigers come out gangbusters and put a bunch of runs on the board for Bonderman, only to have the game rained out before it becomes official?
POSTGAME: Bondo gets a win - in start in which he probably had the least command. Funny how baseball works out.
Miguel Tejada provided the spark and Sheffield started the fire. (look at me with bad metaphors). With Tejada getting upset at an inside pitch, Daniel Cabrera retaliating against Sheffield (who went on to score), and then Bonderman re-retaliating against Tejada again, the Tigers got fired up.
Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez were only retired one time between them. The combined to draw 4 of the Tigers 8 walks.
And the bullpen made a lead stand up, without a lot of effort. Wil Ledezma put a couple runners on with walks, but a failed sacrifice and 2 caught stealings were a nightmare for those who are proponents of small ball.
Fernando Rodney got the save in 2 1/3 innings with the only runner coming on an error by Brandon Inge.
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
Can’t we make Bonderman a setup man? How about this — Billfer pitches the first inning every fifth game, and then Bondo takes over in the second?
anyone else having problems watching the tigers on brighthouse today? they have the sound of an NBA game but the video of the tigers! its tough to watch!
Granderson walked?!?!?!?
Go PlaPo!
I don’t think the walk is all that surprising. He was second on the team in walks last year, with 66 (Guillen had 71).
His low BB total so far this year is probably due to how well he has been swinging the bat, rather than a lack of patience on his part.
Wow!
Thanks for the “no walks” jinx on Cabrera, Billfer!
It’s nice to look up at the board and see that the Tigers managed 2 runs on 0 hits. Hoping Bonderman can settle down some now that he knows he’s got some offense working for him.
My FSN+ has video and no sound. So it’s like being at the ballpark, but i’ve got my back to the television so I have no idea what’s going on. Tejada looked pissed in the dugout.
Any one happen to know the record for broken bats in one game?
A lot. Love the Sheff payback there…
A retaliatory plunking comes around to score the go ahead run. Fun times.
A lot will be made of Bonderman’s first inning, but he didn’t pitch that bad. He struggled with command, but none of the balls were hit hard, they just found holes.
Hey guys, Just tuning in. I hope the get this in with a win. Bondo is looking decent.
Does anyone know what the deal with Casey is?. Dont get me wrong I like Marcus in the line up, he just needs more time at first base to be a better fielder.
Steve
Casey had the flu. He is feeling better, but Leyland held him out of the lineup.
Also: Billfer’s comment provides more evidence for the alleged Billfer jinx.
I love when the bullpens clear.
And playing the role of Kyle Farnsworth-Joel Zumaya.
I like what Bondo did there, except for coming in towards Tejada.
Hey, would YOU want to get into fisticuffs with anyone who looks like Joel Zumaya?
Ha.
I love the way pudge never backs down. Way to back up your boys.
And the moral of the story is, don’t plunk Gary Sheffield.
Payback is a bi___!!!!!!! Wat to go Sheff!
That got me fired up for the wings game.
Oh YEAH. What was the distance? There was no time between the crack of the bat and the “touch ‘em all” call on the radio.
I want to see that on Baseball Tonight.
I want to see that later on Baseball Tonight.
Ben, don’t know the distance, but it would have been a home run even before they moved the fences in.
Love the way Gary gives it all back.
They said 418
Sheff finally hitting over 200
Maybe that’s what Sheff needed to get on the right track — to get just plain pissed off.
I was hoping Bondo would’ve spun and gave Tejada point and a wink after that K to end the top of the 5th. And that the Ump would’ve let Cabrera say something to Sheffield when he came around 3rd. Would’ve liked to see what happened then.
And I’ll take Zumaya and Rodney in a fight over anyone on Baltimore. They look like they’d cut some people.
Go get him now. I was actually surprised he came back out.
I was surprised he came out, too. Especially with Ledezma warmed up and a LH leading off the inning.
It took them 25 games but they’re beginning to look like the Tigers of last year.
I’m not old enough to remember guys like Johnny Bench, but if there’s been a better catcher in baseball history (save for folk-lores of Negro-leaguer Josh Gibson) I have not heard of him. With the amount of games he’s caught, how well he still hits, and how long he’s sustained his high level of defense (and catching the majority in the Texas heat and in the Florida humidity for a year), it’s staggering to think about.
Roberts was safe, Tigers caught a break there. The ball was in time if Polanco catches it in front of the baseline.
Pudge…made almost all of the outs that half inning.
I say almost because of that first foul bunt, where he gunned to second just for fun.
Granderson looked like he was up there swinging blind that time.
Where’s the Polanco streak at, billfer?
Well, wherever it was, it just ended.
Nooooooooo. Not the swing and miss from Polanco!
I think I jinxed it…sorry.
Aw, a swing and a miss for Polly. Awesome streak.
I love Sheff’s hustle thus far.
Man, Sheff is dialed in tonight.
For those of us stuck following games on gameday, the in-game highlights are great, hopefully enhanced gameday is in the near future.
Thames!
Leyland taking note of Guillen’s arm there, switching for Perez.
I think it’s just more his pattern of taking out Thames with a lead, especially since he’d just batted.
Come-on Rodney,
Get the last out here. You’ll get the save!
-Sam
Wait, why would he get a save? I’m so confused when it comes to saves.
Question regarding when Thames starts at 1B and then Leyland makes a late-inning replacement. Which is better defensively:
Neifi at SS and Guilen at 1B
-or-
Guillen at SS and Casey at 1B
I’m late to the party, but is Bonderman finally, finally going to get a decision? And a win to boot. (Knock wood).
Zoom and Rodney in a fight? Brrr, I hope they’re on our side.
Greg: Guillen’s arm has been weak lately - many of his throws are off-line and too slow.
Bondo wins. . . . . on a day where he gives up 4 runs.
Nice that Bonderman gets a win when he wasn’t at his best. Makes up for one of the 3-4 wins he deserves to have at this point.
Definitely not one of Bonderman’s best games, but you take what you can get.
I just read that Maggs is the AL player of the week for. Well-deserved.
Casey was unavailable tonight as he has been battling the flu.
Rodney gets the save because he finishes the game and pitches more than an inning (the minimum requirement) having entered with less than a 3-run lead.
He got the old Goose Gossage save pitching 2.1 innings.
-Sam
I want to sweep the O’s badly.
How do you sweep someone badly? How about we sweep them handily?
Credit where credit is due: Rodney has pitched well over two (count ‘em!) straight games. My jury has been back for quite awhile now, but he’s still there, and it’s nice to see his confidence back.
Good to see Sheff trippin’, too.
For fun: Today was the first time my daughter and I were on a broadcast: if you watch the bumper coming back in to the top of the 3rd (0:53 for you TiVo’ers), we’re hiding like babies under an umbrella. My daughter LOVES the games, and we frequently walk over and catch quite a few every month… and with a new 5-day-old baby, my oldest and I will be at more games than ever.
Bobby-it’s so great you and your daughter go to games together. Some of my best childhood and teen-age memories are going to Tiger Stadium with my dad. Congratulations on the new arrival.
Thanks, Anne! We live right next to the park, so she’s always bugging me to walk over and grab seats - especially for fireworks nights (but we watch them from the porch regardless).
I share those memories wih you, Anne… I think a lot of us do. They’re what made us Tiger fans, eh?
How cool to live next to Comerica! Is it ever a problem on nights when you don’t go to the game? IE noise or traffic, or daughter not wanting to go to sleep?
Occasionally, we have some traffic issues, but the noise is never a problem — especially for Abby, who sleeps like the proverbial log. She loves watching the crowd march to and from the games, and watches all the games with me.
It was hilarious last night; she was screaming “Good eye, Sheff!” and the people around her were cracking up. Kids are awesome.
She’s a smart girl. Sheff does have a good eye.