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PREGAME: Am I crazy for being geeked about this stretch of games? Given the way the Tigers have played lately I probably am, but I guess I’m anxious to see what the team is made of. I’m not going to take the position that the season will be decided over the next 2 weeks, that’s just silly. Unless the team is 4-9 or worse, or 9-4 or better, their status probably won’t really change. Still, the chance to see them take on the teams they are competing with for playoff spots should be exciting.
It starts tonight with Jeremy Bonderman. As much as baseball is a team game, Jeremy Bonderman is going to be critical to the team’s success down the stretch. With the injuries to Rogers and Miller, the Tigers need to get consistent efforts from Robertson, Verlander, and Bonderman. The other 2 have at least given decent outings of late, whereas Bondo has been in a tailspin. He’s giving up a ton of hits, more walks than normal, and not striking out many while racking up big pitch counts. And of course there’s that pesky first inning issue which has become ridiculous as of late.
He’ll be face by C.C. Sabathia. The Tigers knocked him around pretty good the last two times they faced him, and chased him after 4 innings in July. We’ll see if the Tigers are a little extra juiced to face C.C. after he predicted a title for the Indians earlier this month.
Marcus Thames will play left field instead of his usual post at first base against the left hander. Carlos Guillen will man first with Omar Infante at short and Ryan Raburn at second. Curtis Granderson gets the start in centerfield. Jason Beck reports that the Placido Polanco and Craig Monroe are battling the flu. Let’s just hope it doesn’t spread.
For the Indians Travis Hafner, bad knee and all, will be in the lineup and bat 5th.
Game Time 7:05pm
DET @ CLE, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Game Preview - Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: Nice. I was IM’ing Ian of Bless You Boys and in the 9th inning I commented that regardless of the outcome I was happy with the team’s performance. There was sweet defense, the offense chipping away at a pitcher with his A game, some nice bullpen performances, and most importantly a strong start from Jeremy Bonderman.
Jeremy Bonderman had a bad 2 batter sequence where he shook off a change up and instead h is Casey Blake with a fastball. He then fell behind Grady Sizemore 3-1 before surrendering the homer in the first. After that he picked up 3 ground balls, 2 for outs, and the inning was over. He induced 8 ground outs, 2 infield pop outs, and he fanned 8. So the outfielders weren’t really tested during those first 7 innings. Bondo needed an outing like that, the Tigers needed an outing like that, and I think all fans needed an outing like that.
- Tigers pitchers fanned 14 Indians tonight. Three of those K’s were by Fernando Rodney with the winning run on 2nd base. One of those was by Tim Byrdak with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out. And one was by Todd Jones with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out. That’s slamming the door.
- Of course Byrdak needed a little help slamming the door and he got it from Curtis Granderson who preserved the lead going into the 9th by making a fabulous diving catch on a sinking liner from Travis Hafner. It was on par with his catch this past Saturday and a catch he made against the Twins in that 1-0 Sunday Night game.
- Omar Infante turned in some nifty plays at short and reached base 4 times. Nice from the back up infielder.
- Magglio Ordonez is doing his best to make it an MVP race. I still think it is A-Rod’s right now, but Magg’s recent surge has closed the gap. His slugging is back over 600, he’s only 6 behind in RBI, and he holds a big advantage in batting average and OBP.
- Brandon Inge was 0 for 5 with 4 K’s, 2 of the check swing variety.
- Fernando Rodney has made 5 appearances since coming off the DL. He’s faced 16 batters, and only 2 have reached base while he has fanned 7. Tonight his fastball was sitting in the 96-98mph range. But with 25 pitches I don’t know if he’ll be available tomorrow.
- The roster move that was made to accomodate Jair Jurrjens was Yorman Bazardo being optioned to Toledo. But there will need to be another move to free up a spot on the 40 man roster. (actually 2 to make room for Rick Procello)
{ 176 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow - how about that infield!
Re-stating the obvious: we need Bondo to keep those slumping Indian bats in check. And with tomorrow’s pitching matchup giving a big edge to Cleveland, tonight’s game is that much more important. Go Tigers!
Well myself, I haven’t been this stoked to watch a Tigers game in a while…
I’m excited too. My prediction: Bondo pitches well, but Sabathia is a little better. Indians take tonight’s game, 4-2. I want to be more optimistic, but CC is tough at home. I think the Tigers take tomorrow’s game, however.
Please, Bondo. Give us a clean first inning.
Come one Jeremy.
Incredible.
This is ridiculous. Bonderman cannot get out of the first inning.
…and we find ourselves down early, AGAIN
Sorry, I don’t mean “can’t get out of the first inning”, I mean “can’t through the first with getting shelled”.
Hey man, if it stays at 2 I’ll be happy.
I still like my idea of trying to pitch a reliever in the 1st…. this is absurd.
Can we get Billfer to cover Bondo’s first innings from now on?
great, meanwhile CC could pitch for 12 innings at this rate
At least the Tigers have gotten the benefit of some bad umpiring.
This is getting ridiculous. Maybe a post about Bondo’s stats in the 1st vs. the rest of the innings? Or maybe I missed that one. But really…. we are starting ALWAYS down a run plus when Bondo starts.
Brandon just swung at ball four twice.
I don’t know that you could say we’ve gotten the benefit of bad umpiring. If the ump had walked Sizemore like he should have, he would have never hit that 2 run jack.
Good point, Ken. I guess I wasn’t thinking.
Bonderman almost looked like a real pitcher that inning.
Bonderman has actually looked very good. He had a bad combination between the HBP and the Sizemore homer, but he has 6 K’s and 5 groundouts in 4 innings.
First all the injuries, now the flu; am I totally crazy to think that our team is just under a dark cloud this season? There seems to be some new horror every day. Guess I’m just having a bad spell. I won’t post anymore….
as bad as it seems for us…it’s no better for the indians…different problems but problems just the same. bondo looks good tonight…win or lose if he finishes with a quality start it is good news for the good guys.
Mario, every night at US Cellular is mullet night
Yep, Bondo has been sharp. Hopefully the bats can keep getting to CC, who’s been sharp also.
unexpectedly great game from Infante so far. Incidentally, I keep forgetting Kenny Lofton is on the Indians now. Did they forget what decade it was or something?
hmm…do you think they know how to pitch left handers against granderson? Those low and away bombs completely own him.
too bad they didn’t get more there. CC is a tough matchup for Granderson.
Not sure about walking Nixon there…
Barfield hs delivered big hits for this team.
Ha!That’s why I’m sitting here!
Mad props to Bondo. Esp. considering the 1st inning, he could have collapsed. Instead, he gets us thru 7, on the road, vs one of the best in the league. Well done.
I’ll take Chris Gomez in the game over Ryan Garko any day. Same goes for Betancourt over Sabathia.
Win or lose, there is something positive to draw on the game. Bondo came up big. He needed it, the team needed it, the fans needed it.
They go with their lights-out set up guy in the 8th. We go with a LOOGY
Hello, tuning in late, What is the Polonco.
2-2 great game
Hello, tuning in late, What is the deal with Polonco.
2-2 great game
flu
Byrdak was brought in to go after Sizemore & Hafner, let’s see it now Byrdak.
ouch
This is kind of a high leverage situation. Maybe a good time for Rodney? Or just stay with the guy who walked 2 in a row. Good idea.
&%#@!@*@*1!! Byrdak!!
Walking two in a row!!!
Go Get Byrdak Jimmy!!!
-Sam
Why is he still in there????
Bewildered by the decision to leave Byrdak in here. Right-handed batter, can’t find the strike zone. Leyland’s playing for extra innings apparently.
Better, 10 K’;s on the night
Got lucky against VMart. Let’s see it against Hafner
W O WWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwwwww
Holy freakin catch Grandy.
Wow!!! That was worth more than 3K’s….
What a catch! couldn’t have happened at a better time.
Pheeeeewww!!!! Had me nervous there!
If we can pull this off with the lineup we’re throwing out there against CC, we may still have a chance this season.
WOOOOOOWWWWW…….game saving catch, biggest and possibly best catch by Granderson all year……this one has a playoff feel for the first time all year.
curtis bails out the bullpen go curtis
now for a homer from Marcus
or Inge
Look at it this way, as long as we get through the 9th, we have the top of the order for the 10th.
Not
Is that the same Chris Gomez who played for us about 15 years ago, with Cecil Fielder and the gang?
What a fantastic, game-saving catch by Granderson. Unlike many so-called “web gems”, this came in a do-or-die moment. If Hafner’s ball lands safely, game over.
How is is possible there is no bunt here
Peralta can’t bunt, apparently.
Wak here for the DP ?
Wow this is cool.
we have really needed this Rodney
Give that man a CEE gar
Rodney was dominant after that bloop double….he’s on fire right now.
WOW. I don’t know what to say. Is Rodney back? I’ll put him up against Betancourt, or that inning anyway. Fanfreakintastic.
Rodney is my hero… but so is granderson.
Betancourt is simply lights-out……
Nice work from F-Rod. Boy, have we missed that.
Let’s get them right here!
That was a great duel: Rodney vs Peralta
Lets go T I G E R S
Borowski is rollercoaster 2
This whole game has been a pretty good pitchers duel
Nice
Raburn is my new hero… I can’t make up my mind
Fernando Rodney — Wow. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen his arm so electric since he’s been in Detroit.
And there is nothing that can be said about Grandy’s catch. I thought 100% that ball was dropping. No way he was going to get there. And then he does.
Great AB Raburn, great AB.
Way to step-up, RR
I’m surprised that Sheff has never killed anyone with a line drive. Unreal how hard he hits the baseball.
Let’s go TIGERS!
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.
What is it with closers in non-save situations? Borowski really isn’t all that good anyway.
MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmags
MAGGLIOOOOOOOOOOO.
I forgot what this sort of game feels like.
I think that catch by granderson was better or on par with the catch that robbed willy mo pena of the home run.
Oh and as i am typing MVP, I mean Maggs belts a homer
HAHA! MAGGS! Thankfully the Tribe have their own back of the bullpen issues.
And Todd Jones might not even appear. What fantastic hitting from all 4 batters thus far - each better than the last.
I’ll give this one to Rodney. He breathed life into this team.
no-doubter
The magic is back… at least for one game
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not sad anymore
MAGGS!!!!!
Joe Borowski = Todd Jones for Tribe fans.
Wow we needed this,
Right, Chris in Nashville. Borowski is no closer. The Indians are stupid for not making Betancourt their closer…
Rock on Maggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you think tribe fans feel the same way for borowski as jones when he blew that game for detroit in the same stadium
Borowski is like Jones, a lot of his bad numbers stem from a few shaky outings early in the year.
No, Mike in CT. Jones is far in away better than Borowski…. Come on Indians, stick with Borowski over Betancourt…. We Tiger fans like it this.
Maggs is RED-Freaken-HOT right now.. And hopefully we will see Shef & Carlos get going too.
2 comments:
Rayburn’s performance the past month or so creates an interesting situation for next season.
Is it possible that Borowski is worse than Jones?
Jones is far and away better? really? Peep their numbers side by side here.
What the hell?
Can Rayburn play short? and move Carlos to 1st
Pudge is ready to melt down every time a call goes the other way.
YEEEAH!!! Go Tigs!!
Maggs has to be neck and neck with A-Rod this year for MVP. You can even argue Magg’s numbers are even more impressive given the fewer home runs.
How on earth did Sizemore make the All-Star team ahead of Granderson? The difference between the two has never been so stark as tonight.
Please, no repeat of June 1….Please…..
Inge: 17K in his last 35AB
For those wondering: Pudge @ 2B, Thames @ 1B, Infante up. Infante hits it hard, but high & hanging, to left-center. Sizemore drifts back, to the track - and the ball hits the heel of his glove. Pudge breaks for home and gets nipped at the plate.
Yeah they’re relatively analogous. Both not particularly suited for the closer roll. Give Jones the edge in ERA and Borowski the edge in K/BB. Pretty bleak numbers anyway you look at it.
I said way back in May that MVP had to be A-Rod and I still fully believe that. His season, aside from the batting average, bests Magglio in every aspect.
Todd Jones if you blow this…
And Jones is making me really nervous right now.
Smoke em if you got em
This is when Jones scares me. He normally throws strikes. Wild jones is trouble jones.
I’m about to eat my words…….
Oh hell. I’m back to where I was in the beginning.
Jones has got this. I feel it. No need to worry.
I don’t know why Jones is in there with a 4-run lead anyways. It’s as if Leyland wants to purposely mess with his head.
Flashbacks to June 1….dear Lord, no.
Long strike 2.
wow… that was wayyy to close.
These guys have clobbered the ball against Jones! Good god. If he doesn’t get Victor out, the hook needs to happen.
I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that K.
The game is over! TIGERS WIN!!!!!!!
Just another Todd Jones outing. No biggie.
How good does this feel? I can’t remember the last time we had a dramatic come-from-behind win that meant something.
Woo-hoo! What a game…
How huge is that win?
never in doubt.
Great team win!!!!
awesome. big games from all pitchers–Bondo, Rodney, even Jones (exorcising the demons of 6/1/07). offense is showing signs of waking up.
great win. Jurrens winning tommorrow would be icing on the cake.
To Mike R: If Maggs keeps up his pace and the Tigers win the central he will win the MVP. A-Rod will go into a slump most likely…
WTF is with Jones and non-save situations? Every time this guy has a four run lead he insists on making things interesting. When its a one run lead I feel much better about RollerCoaster than I do when its a three or four run lead. Even though the Tribe didn’t score, Jones still elvated my heart rate significantly. Thanks TJ, the ol’ ticker really needs the extra stress.
Either way this could be an exiting MVP race…
Maggs giving Granderson the props for the game = awesome.
The A’s started Hannahan at 3rd today. That just reeks of desperation.
hello! miss me?
I was at a cigar dinner for work at some country club on commerce road…way out there in BFE…too rich for my blood but had an awesome filet (freeeee)…but got to see almost all of the game! WOW!
Who feeeeeels good tonight baby!?
It’s fun to be jumping all around among doctors and such…
ha ha Leyland after the game about Jurrjens:
“I dont know what the hells gonna happen”
Headline on Baseball Musings:
Poke by Pronk Procured
Just saw the replay again. What a catch. Looks like it’s going to drop for a hit right up until the last couple steps.
This was billed as the game of the year for the Tigers, which was probably hyperbole. The way it played out, though, it could well be the turning point we all look back to.
But back to work: hopefully the Tigers can grind out some runs vs. Carmona and Jurrjens can keep it close tomorrow night.
So who gets dropped from the 40-man roster to make way for the 2 new pitcher?
Granderson is going to be a Tiger for a long, long time. He’s amazing. I’ve looked at that catch 5 times. How’d he catch that?
boombatti: 1) A-Rod’s best month is August. He could separate himself from Magg’s, though Magglio’s showing now signs of slowing down.
ARod beats Magglio in Slugging by 32 points, has more RBI, more HR and more stolen bases.
With runners on: ARod is posting an 1.164 to Magglio’s 1.085.
RISP: ARod leads with a 1.079 OPS to Magg’s 1.054.
RISP w/ 2 out: ARod is posting a 1.303 OPS to Magg’s .820.
Bases Loaded: ARod is posting a 1.242 OPS with 2 Slams, Magg’s has a .398 OPS with 1 RBI.
Close and Late situations: ARod is posting a 1.134 and Magg’s has a .710 OPS.
7th inning or later: ARod is posting a 1.143 OPS to Magg’s .797.
In the “clutch stats” (I’m not a huge proponent of calling anyone clutch for more then a year as it varies year to year. For evidence, see: Craig Monroe.) Magg’s is edged out or flat out whipped by ARod, coupled by leading Magglio in half of the traditional stats.
Also, Magglio’s BABIP is an astounding .380 and ARod’s is just .298, his lowest since 2004, meaning he hasn’t had the luck on balls in play that Magglio has.
This isn’t a rip on Magg’s, but A-Rod’s season is astounding, too.
Best game of the year (besides the no-no).
Anyone got another choice?
Since the Jones/Leyland debacle on 6/1 we have won 5 of the last 6 against Cleveland.
Walewander, the only one that comes close is the 13th inning game winning single from Pudge vs. BOS just before the All-Star break.
Grandy’s catch was the #1 web gem on sportscenter tonight, beating out a couple of other outstanding diving catches from outfielders tonight. Curtis has been my Tiger since his debut, and man is he fun to watch or what!
Quote: “Grandy’s catch was the #1 web gem on sportscenter tonight, beating out a couple of other outstanding diving catches from outfielders tonight. Curtis has been my Tiger since his debut, and man is he fun to watch or what!”
Great catch, great ballplayer.
Wow, what an important win. Hopefully the flu doesn’t pick some other Tigers too.
The story of Bondo and his “1st Inning “problems continues. But this time he was sharp for the other 6 Innings yesterday.
Good Luck to Jair Jurrjens for his MLB Debut today. Maybe the Tigers can “solve” Carmona again
That’s a really swell analysis and all, Mike R, but I don’t think MVP voters really look at all that stuff. They’ll look at the traditional stats and they’ll look at where the Tigers and Yankees finish. If the Yankees continue their surge, then A-Rod’s lead in HRs and RBIs will probably be enough. If the Tigers win the Central and the Yankees miss the playoffs, then Ordonez will get the nod.
just an interesting note here on the morning after, on the pre-game I heard it reported Bondao had stated that he was “trying to do too much; pitch them too fine”.
which I find very interesting as Nate Robertson had made the same remark and then pitched better in has next outings
too, it’s the same thing our announcers have been saying: ya gotta go after the hitters. make them swing at something that ain’t easy to hit. fast balls can be a good thing, but a fast ball with a little later movement on it is devastating. Curve is still a good pitch but still it’s gotta have some bite to it. I still like a good curve better than this split finger. splitter seems to get in the dirt a lot; it’s a real gambler’s pitch
I agree with Mike R. Barring a giant slump, A Rod has to be the MVP. I’m perfectly happy with Maggs being the second best player in the AL. I also think Polanco wins the batting title and finishes third or fourth for the MVP due to that and his errorless streak.
Best Tigers baseball since the Boston series before the break. Couldn’t have been better. Dominance by Bonderman, shut-downery by Rodney, good defense, timely hitting. For at least one game, they are the Tigers they should be.
Oh yeah, it’s obvious but I like to say it:
Tigers pitching retired the last 29 batters without giving up a run.
Niiiiiiice. 9 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Bonderman/Byrdak/Rodney/Jones. A little over a regulation game. No runs.
I would also like to start a petition for Polanco to cough on Grilli. A lot. Here’s yet another way for Placido to contribute.