Billfer likes long walks in Comerica Park. Check out the 
Subscribe to the feed
PREGAME: The teams have a 12 hour turnaround for today’s game. It will be Nate Robertson and Todd Wellemeyer, both of who I would guess didn’t stick around for the end of last night’s tilt.
Wellemeyer has a 3.67 ERA for the season and he’s striking out a little more than 2 batters for every one he walks. But in his last start he was lit up for 3 homers and 8 runs in 3.1 innings. It broke a string of 6 straight quality starts. Wellemeyer is a righty, but righties have hit him better this year with a 721 OPS for the right handers and a 663 for the hooks. I’m not sure that Jim Leyland saw that when he decided to play Clete Thomas instead of Marcus Thames in left today. For his career the numbers are strikingly similar for both sides.
Nate Robertson won his last time out despite allowing 5 runs in 6 innings.
And you guys will see me popping into the comments throughout the game today. For a change I’m not working and can actually watch and comment along.
- Granderson, CF
- Polanco, 2B
- Guillen, 3B
- Ordonez, RF
- Cabrera, 1B
- Thomas, LF
- Sheffield, DH
- Hollimon, SS
- Sardhina, C
STL @ DET, Thursday, June 26, 2008 Game Preview - Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: CLETE! SHEF! SERIES WIN! The Tigers snuck away with one today. Nate Robertson wasn’t getting hammered, but he was pitching under stress all day. He only had one stretch where he retired more than 2 batters in a row. But through either luck or skill or Cardinal ineptitude he kept St. Louis off the board with the exception of an unearned run.
The Tigers squandered several chances of their own early on with the middle of the order failing to cash in on several opportunities. In the end though the Tigers came out on the right side of a bases loaded walk.
- I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Tigers are a better team when Gary Sheffield is hitting. He had some rough ab’s early on with a DP and a pop out, but when the team had to have a homer Shef delivered. The Tigers were down to their last slugger with Hollimon and Sardhina up next. After the long foul I figured that was the ball. For him to do it again was incredible.
- And how about Clete Thomas. I was one who was expecting Marcus Thames to pinch hit in both bases loaded situations. Yet Leyland stuck with Clete and Clete didn’t chase balls in either at-bat and walked in two runs. Is it possible that left field, which was a vat of suckiness early in the season, is now a fountain of glorious production?
- Stuff evens out in baseball. Granderson had a few hard hit balls find gloves lately. Today he had a few weak hit balls find holes for a 4 hit day.
- Fernando Rodney flashed signs of the plus reliever he’s been in the past. He pitched out of a tight jam and then retired the side in order the following inning. Five up, five down.
- Polanco and Thames ejected in the same series? Polanco didn’t really have an argument because it was a good pitch, but he got tossed quickly. The umpires did not have a good series. I don’t know if one team got hurt more than the other, but it was an awful display of officiating.
- And another nice outing for Bobby Seay who allowed a 2 out walk but nothing else.
- It was nice to see Mike Hollimon get a couple hits. I have no problem with him trying for third on that play in the 9th inning. He was barely out and if he makes it the Tigers have the winning run 90 feet away with 1 out. I like the aggressive baserunning so just tip the cap to the Cardinals who did it right in nailing him.
{ 384 comments… read them below or add one }
Welcome to the Tigers Sardhina. Just don’t screw up.
If you’re going to have Hollimon and Sardhina in the line-up, you MIGHT want to add some pop by playing THAMES, Leyland!! You old fogey!! Are you putting Marcus in time-out for his little tantrum yesterday? You wouldn’t do that to Sheff or Maggs! Not to mention Pujols is back in. I don’t like the looks of this one.
Chief, optimism and encouragement are thy names.
Thames didn’t get suspended did he? I didn’t see a bump last night.
saving Thames for pinch hitting late inning heroics?
Ken, I’m with you on playing Thames considering that Holiman and Sardhina are in the lineup. Although Edgar hasn’t hit for crap lately, so no big loss at the plate in that regard, but K-bot was really heating up.
Thames needs rest. His defense has been a joke lately.
I’m only catching this on Gameday, so what is with the infield singles? Has Nate been hit hard?
Ken - Curtis, Carlos, Magglio, Cabrera, and Sheffield provide a decent amount of pop. Yeah the bottom 2 are weak, but this is still a strong lineup.
Neal - The Pujols hit was hard. The Burton hit went to no man’s land between Cabrera, Nate, and Polanco. The Glaus hit was a check swing single between Polanco and Cabrera that didn’t even make it to Ordonez. So no, he’s not getting hit hard.
3 hits no runs. This game is in the bag.
“Thames needs rest. His defense has been a joke lately.”
Define joke and lately. Where’s the optimism, Chief? Spend it all on Sheffield?
Well I suppose Nate survived the first. He wanted to get his BABiP numbers out of the way early. Now he can feel free to cruise until the fifth.
That catch that Thames didn’t make yesterday definitely classifies as a joke.
Nice hit Curtis. 14 straight.
I think Curtis is getting it figured out again. That bodes well.
Billfer: doesn’t that make it even more reasonable to want a true glove SS with the lineup we field next year (essentially the same as this year’s without Pudge)?
Real response, Thames has been hot, he’s probably still pissed off from last night, and wants to smash the ball today and catch it to make up for last night.
How can THREE batters hitting over .300 fail to at least move Curtis up? Seems like it happens all too oftem.
Yesterday Thames dropped a ball. Also it seems to be taking him more time to get to balls hit down the line or in the alley. I don’t think he’s giving it 100% or maybe he’ just slow or tired or inured. Something ain’t right with him. He blew up at the ump and got thrown out the game Yesterday too. That just ain’t right. His head ain’t where it should be for whatever reason it may be.
Rod on Wellemeyer: “Look at those shoulders! You know he has got to get his sports coats tailor-made.”
As always, Rod Allen provides invaluable insight. The man is the Edward R. Murrow of color commentating.
Nate’s getting hit hard this inning
Rod has a mancrush
Wellenmeyer doesn’t strike me as a sports coat guy.
Neal: I don’t care too much about the balance of glove versus hit as long as it’s a net positive for the position. Save more with the glove than you give away with the bat or vice versa.
Yikes, this is getting scary.
Ooooh! Gameday’s in 3D now!!!
What’s wrong with Nate? This is not his pattern.
Just another one of those 11 pitch bases loaded innings.
Another huge DP. Love the way that works. 5 hits in 2 innings, but no runs.
wow HUGE DP.
5 hits, no runs thru 2? That’s even worse than the Tigers’ 6 hits, 1 run thru 2 yesterday.
Oh yeh, the gods are with us today.
Billfer - same sentiments. This year the AL SS’s have been weak offensively so this is a position where Edgar should stand out, just hope he gets his bat going, like the way Curtis seems to be putting it together.
This is my first game in a while that I’m following along on Gameday. New and improved (?) with animated batters and a bit of depth perception in the field!
Now if they would only dare bring back the strike zone…
Clete Thomas drops a single in the game’s second Tigers hit
GameDay doesn’t work on my work computer, so I have to use crappy ESPN GameCast. Bleh.
On a side note, no one in the Tampa dugout is talking to Matt Garza through 4 innings…
Clete is good.
Tbone — also, the batters are now all of an indeterminable skin color.
That’s just Sheff being Sheff for you.
4 innings is a little early to be thinking about a no-no. 6, maybe.
oh dear god the color of mario and rod’s shirts are destroying my eyes
What’s with the Lab scientist uni’s on Gameday?
By golly, Polly.
The fans must be roasting out there today. I’d rather wait out a 2+ hour rain delay than get baked in the sun.
Nate almost falls down while striking out Glaus
ooo I love the new GameDay!
I guess we can add Ludwick to the list of “Players the Tigers Recently Gave Up On Who Turned Out To Be Unexpectedly Well Above Average”
Gameday’s new look is nice, except the uni’s. It looks like t-shirts and slacks, couldn’t they make it look more like MLB?
Mario claims that Santiago came to Comerica today wearing a large red sequined hat. He says it “looked good on him”, though this seems highly unlikely.
Who’s going to get off the .000 OPS first, Holiman or Sardinha?
they did Gameday like that so Don Imus can’t tell what color the players are…no discrimination that way
A big shouldered guy wearing a red sequined hat would make him squeal with delight.
a routine ground ball to second base and the Tigers turn it into a INFIELD single to first BASE
Real slacking on play by play and updates, once again. I don’t know what I’m going to have to do to motivate this team. I think they’ve stopped listening to me. I’m befuddled.
Sean- have you never been married or had kids?
From: always befuddled.
There’s not much to update you on. Nothing is really happening. Isolated hits here and there, but neither team can string a series of hits together.
Sean C, I agree. I’m trying to keep up on gamecast, and though I’m farther ahead than you, we need the PBP from the guys with eyes on the game. . .
Neal: Ha! Well, I’m not saying it’s anything new. I was married, but I think I was befuddled even before that.
Okay, now Garza is through 6.
Garza though 6, still unblemished
whoo hoo, K for Kennedy and a ground out. How many ground outs is that for Nate? He must have the sinker working
Tom: An ally! You can be my Chuck Hernandez.
Better get THIS leadoff double in.
Can Carlos move him along?
No runs on 7 hits through 4 for the Cards. Oof.
Sean C: Thanks for nuttin’
Okay - two chances to get him home…
Wellemeyer threw a fastball too low in the zone and Polanco smoked it for a double.
Just joined the fray, is Nate sharp today? Quite a few hits, only 1 walk and a couple DPs.
Also, what is it about playing during the day at Comerica that leads to low-scoring games?
and thanks to Wellemeyer for moving polly along
Polanco is tagged out at home because Maggs hit a liner straight at Ryan
OK, Tom, who do you want instead? McClendon, Lamont, Jones, Van Slyke, Hal Naragon. Those are your choices.
I don’t know about you guys, but I hate to see Leyland lose to LaRussa. This series is big for me.
is this less tha 50-50 getting the run in from 3rd no outs 3-4-5 hitters
…wow.
Cabrera strikes out after swinging for the fences on three out of four pitches
Polly thrown out at home? Yeesh. Yet another in a series worth of baserunning blunders
Well that mini-rally got killed in a hurry.
story of the year right there that inning !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well that inning was a complete waste. How many guys are we going to get thrown out at home?
Has a tiger on 3rd scored this year on a ground ball to the left side of the infield? Maybe it’s just my impression, but it seems like a sure out for us to go on contact.
you guys watching, was it close, or just a baserunning brainf&#t?
Hanley Ramirez homers, ending the Garza no-hitter
Be strong, Nate. It’s about time he hits cruise mode. Isn’t it? He got the other stuff out the way.
what is going on with gameday? I just had the top of the 4th end on 2 outs, and the bottom of the 4th just show the third out.
It wasn’t really a baserunning blunder. Maggs just happened to hit exactly where Ryan had positioned himself.
And Sean, I’ll take take Mayo Smith. He may be dead, but he hasn’t made a bad decision all season. . .
Can’t complain. The Redbirds aren’t getting clutch hits either.
Make sure it says “Live” in teh top left, not “Archive, click here to return to live” or something
“story of the year right there that inning”
judpma, Son of Sky. (jk)
tom -unlike usual where the runner is out by 50 feet this one was only out by 10 feet
Man on first, one out, Pujols at bat
I think this body is being a bit idealistic when they dump on Renteria. If you look at his #’ he is mid to upper level of all SS that play on a an every day basis. He is a smart SS and I’ll stick with him until I’m shown a player that can bring the whole package, which the Tigers don’t have in the organization and don’t have the ability to trade for. Plus I’ll take him at SS IF this team makes the playoffs any day.
Good one, Tom. He’s not dead, though. Runs a clinic up Minnesota way, I hear.
Gameday is working for you guys? I can’t even link to it from mlb.com — still shows the game on the schedule as opposed to “live”.
Nate’s playing with fire here.
thanks, judpma. halfway between a brainf&#t and just a bad play, i guess
Pulols nearly hit a home run, but somehow it only ended up as a single.
I wonder if in press conferences you are allowed to ask Jim “why do you send that runner from third everytime on a ground ball despite having the slowest team in the history of baseball and getting that runner thrown out 100% of the time”….Jim’s answer is__________________________________________
Nate Rogers needs to keep that ball down.
Yeah, Rod and Mario’s shirts are disturbing to me as well. They are bright orange, but just one tiny shade different from one another. It looks like somebody upchucked their Orange Julius into the booth.
How in the hell can you expect a team to win when you have at least 4 chances to score a man from 3rd with less than two out and do not do it once, except with an inning busting DP?
AND THE ONES FAILING ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR BEST HITTERS!
Sky is here. The sky is falling and a Detroit win is virtually assured.
Big K there for Nate!
Glaus strikes out. If I’m correct in my lip-reading, he was not pleased.
ah, sky, I was wondering where you were.
Nate induces a pop up. Inning over. Nine hits, no runs for the Cardinals
I can’t believe he got out of another one.
No runs on 9 hits through 5 for the Cards. Unbelievable.
St. Louis is all, “Oh yea, we can strand runners too!”
The record is 14 hits in a 9 inning shut out
Nate squeaks through that one.
His WHIP this game is 2.0 and he hasn’t allowed a run. And somehow only thrown 72 pitches. Amazing. I guess we’re not the only team that can’t get a big hit.
if you go to Yahoo Gamechannel the game works just as good if not better than Gameday
judpma: is Yahoo Gamechannel in 3-D? haha
one thing Nate is doing lately is making the pitch he needs when he has too..always had a problem with that but last month is has made those pitches for the most part
Dylan-the Tigers aren’t even in 3d you have to score runs to get the true effect
OH MY LORD Hollimon got a hit!
Dear god Hollimon (finally) got a hit.
“the Tigers aren’t even in 3d you have to score runs to get the true effect”
Whoa! Good stuff.
It sounds like Nate is in his best 2006 “Bulldog” form. Seemed like he only got good when there was a guy on third with less then two out - which is a description of today’s game so far.
The journey to 3000 begins with a single hit.
No dice for Sardinha, though. On to the 6th
How did this guy give up 8 runs in his last outing? He’s cutting us up something fierce.
i have a bone to pick with Gameday. The earhole is on the wrong side of the helmet. . .
“The earhole is on the wrong side of the helmet. . .”
I hope someone got fired over that.
Dave: it’s the little things. . .
Btw, Ankiel hit about a dozen foul line drives at my section on Tuesday. I yelled, “Rick Ankiel, why do you hate us??!?”
I want to know what Polanco’s head looks like on Gameday. Also Larish’s helmet. Is Brandon Inge still black?
well, still, except for the pujols bomb, most of the hits have been on the ground
This is the first time Nate has retired more than 2 in a row.
Nate has a .258 BAbip on ground balls. That looks incredible to me.
Sean, it appears that Polly’s head should be on tethers in the Thanksgiving Day parade. . .
I’m just pleased that one of our last two hitters actually got the ball out of the infield.
That was only Hollimon’s 10th at-bat. It hadn’t been that long.
those guys on Gameday look like they are in the Navy…none of those guys can knock in a run either
Tom - Really? Do they show the tethers, too? I’ve got to look into this Gameday thing.
Wow, fast inning by Nate.
Billfer, you said earlier that Nate wasn’t getting hit hard. Any signs of weakening?
Nate is on Fire. Surprised by the pitching change.
“That was only Hollimon’s 10th at-bat. It hadn’t been that long.”
Ah, but expectations were high for the heir apparent to… to…
The “helmet” looks like something out of Ernest Goes To Fantasy Camp. And every player has some sort of strange, shadowy facial hair.
The pitchers perspective is back along with an upper deck kinda view!
allright, fresh meat on the mound for the cards. lets get some hits!
I have a feeling this one is going to come down to our bullpen having to protect a 1 or 2 run lead.
Zumaya probably isn’t available, so I’m going to say that Rodney comes in and pitches well in the late innings to protect the lead and get it to Jones. We need that.
thanks very much, Grandy. Very coachable. . .
Wellemeyer’s OPS the third time through the lineup is 826. Hence the change.
I am watching this on gameday… Does anyone know why the Cardinals took out Wellemeyer?
ah, it seems I am a little slow! Thanks for the answer.
Curtis gets another off a Lefty.
Larue had a hard hit ball, but outside of that only Pujols has been smoking it.
Polanco kicked out for arguing balls and strikes
Polanco can’t move the runner, again.
Attempt a steal or something, Jim.
Wow, two ejected for arguing strikes in two days. Watching on GameDay and it looked low, how did it look live?
Placido ejected!
what’s got into the quiet ones?
I’m not watching but I can already tell you what Mario said: “And that’s a rare strikeout for Polanco”
thanks, billfer. frustrating having to watch gameday. . .
Polly ejected? Holy cow, this is incredible. Gameday shows the pitch at the knees, was it close?
wow, two days in a row we get a guy tossed.
low and a little wide but definately low
Polly will be lucky if he is not suspended.
The pitch looked pretty close on Gameday.
That looked like a pretty good pitch so I’m not sure why Polanco was arguing. But even more surprising that he’d get himself tossed.
Dumb thing for Polanco to do. We needed him in this game.
after that ump last night Umps should be tossed out just like players and managers are……that dude last night wasn’t even close…brutal..all night
Oh for the love of Stan Papi, Chipotle Head just got himself all suspended and whatnot.
Throwing the bat could be the cause. One thing to argue, another to toss a bat in the umpire’s direction.
I agree you can’t go that far to get tossed
suspended? for what? did he bump?
It looked like the ump possibly fell for the “raise your mitt into the strikezone post-catch” move, but it was really too close for me to say. It looks like a good pitch on gameday, at any rate.