PREGAME: Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate. And if you’re not one who partakes, warm Sunday wishes to you.
The Tigers will be taking on the Indians today from Joker Marchant Stadium and the game is on FSN Detroit. The Tigers will send out Yorman Bazardo as they try and assess his place on the roster.
Game Time 1:05
POSTGAME: I caught a good portion of the game today. That’s a first for me this spring. My impressions:
- With the Granderson injury I’m guessing that the Renteria-Polanco-Sheffield-Ordonez-Cabrera-Guillen-Rodriguez-Jones-Inge deployed today will be the “normal” lineup.
- At least it will be that way as long as Inge can handle center field. He did OK today, evening making a diving catch late in the game. But it was a ballsy play that given the timing of the game probably wasn’t well advised.
- Yorman Bazardo looked quite impressive, mixing several pitches and commanding them well. He got Hafner in the first inning on a swinging strike out.
- Really, all the pitchers looked good save for Tim Byrdak. And I can’t comment too much on Byrdak because I happened to miss his inning – I just saw the final results. As he continues to struggle I wonder if his spot is becoming more tenuous?
- Man, does Miguel Cabrera have a cannon for an arm.
This is probably Byrdak’s last hurrah to show what he’s got.
And Leyland just went in for a smoke.
Well, there goes our lead. Score tied 2-2.
Don’t you wish Bautista had that pitch before the Hafner homer called a strike?
Anybody hear about the Cabrera deal? 153 M — Eight years??
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVTf0oy0j1DM&refer=home
http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/03/reports-tigers-sign-cabrera-to-153-million-contract/
Can’t Jones play CF? Why wouldn’t they do that, put Cabrerra in LF, and Inge at 3b?
Yeah, you really have to wonder about Byrdak. I know he was tough last year and I always felt confident when he took the mound last year but he’s really getting hit around this spring. I really have to imagine that they are considering cutting him loose.
Byrdak has had a rough go of it this March. I don’t think he’s in any sort of danger at this point, though. I’m more inclined to trust the 45 effective innings from ’07 when the games actually counted. If he continues his struggles into April, we could have a problem.
looks like inge’s commitment to hitting is short lived. the problem with keeping inge is that leyland will play him to death. i would rather see raburn in the lineup.