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PREGAME: The Tigers have assured themselves of a series win. That’s good. But it’s not good enough. Can we hope for the s word? A sweep? We’ve seen flashes of good play before, let’s hope that they can keep it going for an afternoon tilt.
It’ll be crafty lefthander day at the ballpark. All kids under the age of 14 get to take home a tantalizing breaking ball on the outside black. Kenny Rogers and Mark Buehrle do battle today.
CHW @ DET, Wednesday, June 12, 2008 Game Preview - Baseball-Reference.com
Game Time 1:05
POSTGAME: So bummed I missed this one. I was at a conference learning about business intelligence and analytics. Interesting conference but it pales in comparison to a 1 run pitchers duel where the good guys won on a walk off from one of the maligned new stars of the team.
Kudos to Kenny who joins Verlander in slipping that ERA under the 5.00 mark. Not stellar by any means (the season, not the game), but rapidly improving. Polanco, Guillen, and Ordonez are all over .300 now. Things are starting to look like normal.
The Tigers did what they had to do in this series. Yet they are still 8 games in the red (both under .500 and in the standings). Still when it comes to the sweep you can put it on the boooaaarrrddd YES!
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Long time no talk to, Bill. Just wanted to let you know that Tigers Weblog is being featured right now on Baseball Nooz. If you get a chance, check out Tiger players in our new Mashup feature.
Keep up the great blogging work (and good luck to Detroit the rest of the way).
Regards,
Walter
lead editor
“http://www.baseballnooz.com/”>Baseball Nooz
The last 7 days or so…..is it just me? Or is Carlos Guillen looking like a major league infielder for the first time in a looooooong time. Accurate throws, making routine plays….shocking. He’s even bending over for ground balls. He hasn’t done that since 2005.
I love it. Can it really last? Let’s hope so.
I guess we can assume that the hemmroids have been … uh…taken care of.
Last time out against the White Sox, I count 4 first pitch strikes (along with 2 first pitch outs) from Rogers in 4+ innings. He just didn’t have it. Plus it was cold and windy that day. Plus it was a Sunday, in Chicago. 4 of his 5 runs allowed came on one pitch, after 2 walks and an infield single.
I like Kenny’s chances today. I’m not making any predictions, though. It’s Mike R’s turn today, I believe.
For the White Sox, the end is nigh. Mark Buehrle shall be destroyed. No quarter shall be offered. John Danks and Gavin Floyd shall wake up in a cold sweat for the rest of their days, terrified that they came so close to destruction themselves and yet grateful that the heavens for whatever reason chose to spare them from their comrade’s fate. After today’s game, such will be the humiliation that US Cellular shall be sown with salt so that no team may ever take the field there again.
Ladies and gentlemen:
SS Renteria
2B Polanco
3B Guillen
DH Ordonez
1B Cabrera
LF Thames
C K-Bot 3000 (the older one)
CF Clevlen
RF Raburn
versus:
SS Cabrera
CF Anderson ??????? How is he not batting like 11th?
LF Quentin
DH Konerko
RF Dye
3B Crede
1B Swisher
2B Ramirez
C Not Pierzynski!!!!!
Cautiously optimistic.
I am not sure what the deal is with Leyland, but I have a theory! First he says Cabrera and Guillen will be fine at 3rd and 1st respectively, them flips them. Next he proclaims Thames to be his full time LF only to throw Guillen out there. He also said Grandy will see more lefties. Then it was Inge to get more time at 3rd, but next tells everyone Inge and Pudge will alternate in the catcher spot.
The theory is Leyland wants to confuse and exhasperate the media and public from ever asking him any questions concerning the team, ever again! Seriously, I see Grandy is out of the line up against Beurle and wonder why? He hit .300 off of him last year with a HR. If there was a type of lefty to hit against, Beurle is the guy. Yes, Raburn needs some time to play but you are going for a sweep and I would want my best overall player out there. Give Grandy sunday off against the kid Kershaw.
That’s it - Dave BW is the official predictor. The Oracle. The Soothsayer. The Prophet Of (Not Our) Doom.
Ryan - “K-Bot 3000 (the older one).” Sweet.
I guess we should start posting on this thread now, shouldn’t we? Anyway, I just wanted to bring up how much I like the phrase “no quarter”. Kudos, Dave.
K-Bot 3000’s code:
10 Walk to plate
20 Swing
30 IF everyone is angrily yelling at you, GOTO 40
ELSE GOTO 20
40 Sit down in dugout
Could somebody better than me with computers please create a “batting eye” macro? I’m pretty sure I can hack Pudge.
Mike R has not chimed in. Hurry, someone step up to the plate.
Ok Dave has it.
Ron - Dave covered it nicely, I think.
Even though the Tigers can’t win with Pudge in there.
That outburst shall be stricken from the record.
Kenny better win a gold glove this year. Have you seen any other pitcher defend as well as he does?
It’s ridiculous.
Nice catch, pitching, everything. Good start.
I hope K-Rog picks someone off today. If I’m not mistaken, he is 1 pickoff away from tying the all time record for that (Mark Langston, I think).
Here comes the two run jack…
I hope Rogers gets the no-hitter on the anniversary of the last one. Would he be the oldest?
I think Nolan Ryan threw his last no-hitter at age 58.
And by the way, Sean, thanks for the jinx…
No, Chris, that was his first one.
I’m not following the game and actually wasn’t positive Rogers HADN’T given up a hit, so - jinx removed.
Is it wrong of me to say that I HATE Joe Crede?
I hate him, too, Chris. What did he do this time?
Okay, I have to go to class in Ypsilanti. Don’t screw this up, guys (I’m looking at you, Sean)!
Dave BW, excellent southern baptist minister prediction. Hopefully you will prove yourself the prognosticator of prognosticators. Sean C, thank you for conceding the list thing. I needed that. Also, I DO NOT like Ryan Raburn. I immediately frowned upon seeing him in the lineup, and then he immediately put us in the hole by trying to glove a ball against the wall. He best have at least one RBI today if he doesn’t want me to stitch a Raburn voodoo doll. I took witchcraft in college as an elective.
Hey, what did I do? Gee whiz.
(sulk)
Rogers has 15 putouts this season.
He also has just one chance less than the leader, Brandon Webb. Maybe you’ve heard of him.
Can you please return our mojo please. Raburn error. Awful third strike call on Miggy. Maggs robbed of a lead-off single. Thames wiffs on the high heat. Damn you, Ra!!. Take your ultraviolet orb of desolation elsewhere.
“Take your ultraviolet orb of desolation elsewhere.”
Instant classic. Are you in cahoots with T Smith and Coleman, Ken? Actually, that was almost a Dave BW line.
Sounds like Raburn is making the least of his chances. Too bad.
Sigh…perhaps the malady is photosynthetic in nature?
Make up time for Ryan.
Actually, I must finally confess, Sean C., as I can no longer carry this burden of guilt. I, Coleman, and T Smith are one and the same. I just had to use pseudonyms so I wouldn’t seem like a huge nerd with an exhorbitant amount of posts.
My foreboding kept me away earlier…then when I saw the lineup, the forboding became more like a sense of doom…see there are a couple of Tigers at least doing better in day games, Granderson and Inge for instance…oh…fine Captain Lucky Strike, ignore my advice for the special diurnal lineup, you showed who runs this team! Oh, but at what cost…
Ken - Pseudonyms! I should have tried that.
Granderson out WAS a strange call.
Read the injury updates and noticed it did not include that Wilson is out for at least another year, tore another ligament, and his career may be over. Good thing nobody wanted Inge.
Neal - They should have kept Rabelo.
How?
Sean, for pseudonyms to be effective you have to vary the posting styles somewhat. For instance, when I post under Ken from Cincinnati I dumb down the posts significantly.
Pseudonyms indeed! I only use 100% genuine nyms.
[Cue background music...the sounds of John Denver fill the room..."sunshine, on my shoulders, makes me crappy..."]
OK, here ya go:
Kenny Rogers:
W-L record: 4 - 4
Day games: 0 - 4
Night games: 4 - 0
We like our hits with noone on base
I noticed on the trade rumors link that the Tigers may not be on the hook for Renteria’s buyout for next year, the Red Sox are on the hook for it.
How hot would he have to get for the Tigers to pick up his option, like they did with Pudge. Oh, never mind.
We are double play machines
Neal - They - seriously - should have made taking Inge desirable for the Marlins. Somehow. Or just dealt someone else. Rabelo was serviceable, Pudge was fading, and Wilson no guarantee even then. Very bad to just “throw in” Rabelo like that.
Ken - I hadn’t noticed the dumbing down. No offense to your other pen names, of course.
Could be another short game.
Way to strike with the song parody, there, “Ken Coleman.” And so soon after your last post.
What’s going on, folks? How bad is it?
NOONE!!!!
hey, just got onboard. I see on the gamecast that rayburn turned a double into a triple defensively. wha’ hoppen?
Methinks I faile to understande the terme “NOONE.”
Looks like Buehrle is carving them up today. I have faith that they’ll get to him, though. “Magglio Ordonez” and “epic HR” will be used in the same sentence at some point this afternoon.
That sucked. Our lead-off singles are proving quite inconsequential. I swear, if we get shut out today I will be forced to blot out the sun over Comerica. How shall I accomplish this? The Mr. Burns technique? A self-constructed dome of foil, gum, and popsicle sticks? An extremely large Halloween fog machine? Roseanne Barr singing the national anthem at every home game?
Because it’s well past noon.
Sean it’s only 1-0. Tigers have 4 hits, Sox have 2. Remember your stat?
Sean, I’m not even sure the entire Marlins roster makes what Inge does. They would have asked us to eat 90% of his contract to take him.
Sean, isn’t it you, who usually bangs the “shutout” drum?
Ken: go with the Burns technique. “For years mankind has yearned to destroy the sun. I’m going to do the next best thing - block it out.” Excellent.
Thanks, Chris. Everyone is sure pessimistic for (merely) 1-0 Sox. Have a little faith, people.
Down 1-0. GIDPs and K’s eating us alive.
looks like Kenny is being economical - 65 through 5. Like that! not quite as good as JV last night, but acceptable. Now for some consecutive hits by the Tigs
So far this game has been predictably–exactly according to trend–bad. Is there no ray of darkness to give us hope?
And Sean, don’t go wishing Inge on the Marlins now, he may be the only one who can save us from this sunsucking disease (if the good Captain will unleash him)
“They would have asked us to eat 90% of his contract to take him.”
It would have been worth it. Pudge would be on the bench and soon traded, no 3B controversy, Cabrera would be settling in there OK and Guillen back to form at 1B.
Chris in Dallas,
Ha! Nice quote. That really brings it to life.
This whole day/night thing is beginning to become a nuissance. Did they all become cocaine addicts in the offseason? They no like-y bright lights…
Since it’s almost the halfway point of the game, and we’re kinda stinkin’ it up offensively, isn’t it time for someone to resurrect the ‘daytime hex’ theory?
whoops, Chris’s clicker finger is faster than mine. . .
I like what I’m hearing about Kenny. 65 through 5, 1 run. There’s a lot of hope left. If we (they) can’t get to Buerhle, we’ll (they’ll) get to their… um, never mind.
Ugh. Another strikeout has been foisted upon us by the mighty Mark Buehrle. Top of the order will be up in the 6th, though. 5 runs will follow.
If we all sing “25 or 6 to 4″ in unison on my count, this game is a Tigers W. Ready?
That was pretty funny what Dan Dickerson said on the radio “Behrle with the windup….Clevlen struck out the first time……….oh, and he strikes out again”
consecutive hits to the shortstop wasn’t quite what I had in mind. . .
Well, it’s only natural to be more pessimistic in the gloom of daylight.
Chris makes a good choice for optimism though–Locks-of-Sampson and Carlos the Butcher are the only guys immune to the sunsucking malady (except for the aforementioned bench-sitters, Inge and Granderson)
Ok, tigres. When I return from Chipotle, I expect to see runs. At the very least I expect to see news of an approaching solar eclipse.
Took Pudge 5 seconds to run to 1st using the One Mississippi, Two Mississippi timer.
And yes Kenny’s pitching seems encouraging–yet there’s still that 0-4/4-0 thing staring me in the face. I’m afraid he is a Pitcher of the Night.
Kenny’s at 76 through 6. What’s the Pull spot on Jim’s KR Pitch-O-Meter?
I’m afraid of the 1-32 record when they don’t score 5 runs.
He’ll let Kenny go to 100, I say. Seriously.
Rally Time?
I’m just hoping Polanco gets on, cause the solarproof duo follow…
been nice if Polly would have singled LAST TIME up!
K-Rog should at least get through 7 today. Then we’ll see Freddy Solid.
Not to be overdramatic, but by my calculations this is the ballgame right here…
When was the last time we had a runner not go station to station??? Are we that slow, or that inept, or both?
I’m going to start calling Polly ‘Craneo Deforme’. That means ‘misshapen skull’ in Spanish for those of you who are curious.
I’m not talking about that particular play.
Alright, thanks for your optimism Sean. A fly ball here gives us the lead.
El Carnicero strikes! 1-1 game.
I am talking about that particluar play, Carlos single.
Nice AB by Carlos to tie it up…
It’s great to have a switch (Day game/night game) hitter! Nice going Carlos! And we got our other switch hitter up now
Rats. could have really used a long fly ball by ordonez right there
And a crappy one from Maggs to leave Polly at 3rd…
What are the odds of an eclipse during Cabrera’s AB?
Man, we have a lot of middle-of-the-order LOB’s.
jeremy - I think it’s 1-34 at less than five runs. Time for win #2!
As the calming sounds of John Denver follow Cabrera back to the dugout…
OK, the eclipse was a longshot, but I was trying to be positive at least…
OK for the rest of the game I’m going to pretend I’m Ozzie Guillen in my posts. Be warned. This team is playing like horse*&%^. Can’t even get a &*$% runner home from *$&#* third base with one &$^#% out.
Compare this game to the April ones vs. White Sox, and take heart. Night and day. Mostly.
Pretty good, Chris. Were the *&^%’s in a Spanish accent?
It’s hard to score 5 runs or more without hits. And it’s hard to get hits with bats softened and de-natured by the ultraviolet rays. (OK, maybe something photosynthetic)
Extra innings loss? OK!
Coleman, hate to rain on your daytime parade, but I think the reason that Inge and Grandy are riding the pines is that they both are posting OPS’s against LH of:
Inge OF .476
Inge 3B .409
Granderson OF .544
I guess Inge hasn’t caugt a day game yet.
It is a bit sad that despite one of his better performances in a long time, K-Rog may still be on pace for a day-game 0 - 10 this season.
Pudge, our speedster, watch out.
Granderson and Inge both hit well-to-OK against Buehrle, Neal.
Raburn is really struggling right now. He’s becoming a big liability, especially when he starts and gets more than a couple of AB’s a game.
Just thought I’d throw it out there. Trying to understand Lucky Strikes reasoning.
There you go Cptn Smokey found a way to get Grandy batting in the 6 spot
Neal points out:
“Coleman, hate to rain on your daytime parade, but I think the reason that Inge and Grandy are riding the pines is that they both are posting OPS’s against LH of:
Inge OF .476
Inge 3B .409
Granderson OF .544″
First of all–please do. Rain, I mean.
Secondly, looking at those stats…I’ll take it.
OPS in day games:
Thames .459
Polanco .470
Cabrera .587
So it’s a lesser-of-two evils kind of thing. But if you play Inge and Granderson, they may get ABs against other pitchers. But the other guys will be playing in a day game all game long.
Alright, top of the order lets get Rogers some runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I could be wrong however. But if so, don’t let it be said that Ken Coleman from Cincinnati can’t admit his mistakes.
Is this Hockey, is Leyland playing for the tie? Don’t give up a run. Don’t we have have to outscore the other team? I think scoring runs would be good way to do that. I understand taking Thames out when we are ahead, but when it’s tied up. Is he that big a defensive liability?
Whoa..2 consecutive starts where the starter works through the 8th? What’s Leyland thinking?
Coleman, if this keeps up, those guys will be playing in night game.
Lets do it for Kenny man! Do it for Kenny!!!!
Ol’ Captain Lucky Strike is starting to feel…”confused”…that crazyman with his daytime nightime nonsense…what if he’s right?? Cabrera and Thames sure do seem to be swinging like they are photo-…like they have that thing wrong with them…oh hell, I was gonna make a defensive change anyway, get Thames outta there…where’s my smokes?.,..
Do you think they’ll have to use this thing I’ve heard of called the “bull pen” any time? I hear it’s neat.
Roller Coaster time.
We couldn’t squeeze one more inning out of Kenny?
I guess my Outsiders impression wasn’t enough to inspire them. Looks like its gonna be a walkoff win today boys!
tom: of course that post was in a *&%*$ Spanish accent you *$&#^ piece of horse*$^#. (That was Ozzie talking, not me)
“Coleman, if this keeps up, those guys will be playing in night game.”
You might have something there…so the old fox is shifting gears and covering all options now huh. Only a matter of time before he starts mumbling about Inge is the best daytime 3rd baseman in the game and starting him in LF
OK since it’s a foregone conclusion that Jones will give up a run here, it’s time to second guess. Where is Freddy Solid, dammit?
Okay - pick your walkoff candidate…
I choose Grandy!
Dotel has only given up 1 HR in 30 IP. He’s due.
Lets end this before Jimmy puts Jones out for a second inning.
OOOOOOOOOH that looked out on game cast! don’t know how close it was on tv…
Freddy Sol we could use…
I swear by Helios Grandy is going to win this one…else Inge pinch hitting in later innings.,..
HELL yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damn - Grandy didn’t even get a chance!!
MIGGYYYYYYY!!!!
Miggy!!! Walk-off home run!!!
This is the turning points, boys.
2-34, Baby!
WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Attaboy Miggy!!!!!!
GIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I’, begining to think that this Cabrera guy is pretty good
I will refer to my 3:09 PM post to say that I called it.
gamecast says walk-off for cabrera
Back from Chipotle just in time to see the walk-off. That gave me chills. Booyahhh.
Put that on the board and smoke it Hawk!!!! YEEEEESSS!!!
I don’t think his 255 bothered him running around those bases…WWWWWWWooooooooWWWWWW
Ken: Chipotle rules. Those burritos are the size of Polanco’s head.
feel a little bad for KR, though
Is this for real? Series sweep, Miquel walkoff, a win scoring under 5 runs. Hope they don’t wake up.
Dammit. Joey the K beat me to it. I’m going to do it anyway…
You can put it on the boooaaaaaarrrrrddd - YES!
who are these guys????????????
Chris in D,
Awesome job calling that HR, but nothing is as big as Polly’s head.
If Demon-of-the-Night Cabrera can win a game with a walk-off, maybe that breaks the spell? Or maybe Smoking Man broke it when he pulled Thames? Or between innings Cabrera cast an anti-spell spell? And now they will as soon win as lose these day games, and this awful period will just seem like a bit of a daymare in hindsight?
Chris in Dallas,
“Ken: Chipotle rules. Those burritos are the size of Polanco’s head.”
And if you throw your burrito against the wall they are the shape of his head as well.
Awesome win by the Tigs - can’t say enough about Kenny’s pitching, and for Miggy to win it in the 9th at home is the icing on the cake. Now let’s hope the boys do better than they did after the Yankees series and use this week as a springboard to repeat their recent success in interleague play out west.
How close was Maggs’ blast in the 9th?
I think WE bloggers broke the daytime spell by beating a dead horse to exhaustion. I’m pretty sure Ra or Helios or whoever was like, “This just isn’t funny any more. I mean a few eclipse and vampire jokes are amusing, but this is just retarded. I’m ending the misery today.”
Maggs blast looked good at first but he got a bit too much air under it and the sun held it up
I have been screaming and jumping around my office like a little kid. Good thing my boss is gone. :-p
Riley, it was to the warning track, but coming off of the bat I, Rod, Comerica, and Maggs all thought it was gone. It got caught in a wind coming directly in from left field.
What if they start losing the night games now?
Sean, why you gotta break balls and rain on the parade?