2008 Season, Game Post

Game 87: Tigers at Mariners

141 Comments

PREGAME: Armando Galarraga, nominee for June Rookie of the Month honors (you can vote and stuff), takes on R.A. Dickey.

Dickey has spent time in the pen and rotation this year with this being his 6th start of 14 appearances. Righties have a 851 OPS against him but lefties are only tagging him at a 593. As a starter he’s being lit up at a .839 rate.

Galarraga is coming off a very rough start with little defensive support (3 errors, coulda been more). This will be his first outing against Seattle.

DET @ SEA, Saturday, July 5th, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 10:10 – the last one of these for the season

141 thoughts on “Game 87: Tigers at Mariners”

  1. My computer took a dump so I’m using my son’s at his house. Going nuts, needless to say until it’s fixed or I buy a new one. Tigers really disappointed me with yesterday’s game and leaving all those guys on base especially since Kenny pitched pretty good. Hope everyone has a good 4th and let’s hope the Tigers can get one in the win column tonight. Might try and come back tonight to join in. Go Tigers!!!!

  2. i’m in chicago and this place is littered with tigers fans. Hopefully we can find a place to watch tonight. Go Tigers!

  3. Sorry about yesterday’s frustrating loss. I take some of the responsibility. I was out drinking, carousing, generally having a good time, while my Tigers were suffering. That’s not right and I know it. I will make amends.

    Mike R – back to our little mini-discussion on injuries. If Renteria’s pectoral is hurting his play, if Cabrera’s hip flexor is hurting his play, they need to sit or go on the DL until they are better. Playing though some pain is a part of baseball, but if your injury-affected performance is hurting the team and prolonging or outright preventing the healing process, that’s no good. That’s not being a hero.

    The Tigers are getting less than solid performance from Edgar, and less than super from Miguel. “Solid” and “super” are the proper expectations here. Hollimon/Santiago at SS and Thames at 1B are capable, at the least, of providing solid and super. Better to risk a bit of a struggle in July than to risk the complete loss of Cabrera and Renteria later on, I think.

    Injuries suck and I don’t question that these guys are hurting. But injuries are never, ever an excuse.

  7. Dickey threw a crap fastball in an attempt at a strikeout and Guillen hammered it into the right field seats. 1-0 Tigers

  9. OMG I just came downstairs for a Stella, checked the computer and already 1-0!! Thankfully I can roll back the Tivo. Let’s go Tigers!!

  11. Cabrera very nearly made it back to back homers, but Reed made an improbable catch at the warning track. Unfortunately Miggs hit it to the farthest angle of the outfield

  14. I was kind of disappointed in Reed, he had an excellent opportunity there for his second catch-the-ball-then-toss-the-glove-over-the-wall-homer of the season

  15. Well yes 2-hopper to the glove, but then he still would have had to step over to the bag before Ichiro got there….

  16. Jose Vidro is hitting fourth. Just a dynamite batting order you’ve put together, Mariners.

  17. Coleman..it isn’t easy either to hit that ball just right for that to happen and Miggs was right on the money with his part of it

  18. I will be glad to leave these announcer it is hard to stay awake and alert with their exciting play by play monotone

  19. 1st inning.

    2 strike, 2 out HR by Carlos. Long ball out by Gil.

    Galarraga looks good, a number of swinging strikes. Only baserunner on 1B error by Cabrera.

  20. Official Pitch Absorber Gary Sheffield takes his walk, and all is right with the universe

  22. I just saw the All Star lineups, and I’d call it a travesty if I cared about that game at all.

    The strikezone for Dickey is just weird.

  23. Top 2nd.

    Dickey is laboring, 44 pitches, walks Sheff but makes Joyce look like a rookie with K. Renteria grounds to SS on a knuckleball to end the “threat.” Still 1-0 Tigers.

  25. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard fans get so excited about flyouts before”

    Well, as I believe you yourself said…Jose Vidro, batting 4th…

  26. Bottom 2nd.

    Galarraga getting strikes with his slider, then not getting strikes with his slider. Gives up double to Reed and “carefulness” walk to Sexson but gets out of jam after working a little harder than he really should be. 1-0 Tigers.

  27. Are we going to do the “one homer and then take the night off” thing again? Because that was awesome.

  28. the trouble with two “0” after a run is the two zeros are usually f0ll0wed by 4 or more. zeros..

  29. is there such a thing as 3 up 3 down when the Tigers are pitching or just hitting

  30. Top 3rd.

    Dickey throws strikes and has a very easy and quick inning against Tigers’ 9-1-2. Not much rest for Battlestar, he needs to follow suit with his own quick inning.

    Bottom 3rd

    Galarraga is Rollercoaster. 3rd straight inning with 2 on, but he comes back strong to get 3 straight outs, including final swinging K by Beltre. Still 1-0 Tigers.

  31. The Joe pitch tracker on MLB .com hasn’t recorder 5 strikes thisi game for both pitchers added together….ball ball ball ball ball

  35. No chance to lose a glove on that home run. It was pretty cool how Ichiro went up the wall though.

  38. Top 4th

    Miggy slams another one, and this one makes it out in RF. Dickey loses it and walks Thames on 4 pitches, but then gets Sheffield to fly out, and then – again – makes Joyce look totally AAA with the knuckle and curve, 3 pitches, 1 K. 2-0 Tigers.

  43. Bottom 4th

    Galarraga can’t throw a strike to Sexson and walks him again, but otherwise has a much-needed quick and easy inning. But his control is spotty at best, and he’s skating on thin ice that way. 2-0 Tigers.

  44. Edgar 2-0 pitch ball three 12 inches inside excuse me you grounded out on it…my bad

  48. BTW, “Battlestar” may be one of the worst nicknames I’ve ever heard. Just sayin’. To each his own, I suppose.

  51. the ok thing about sending Sardinha was if he held at third we don’t get him in anyway with less two outs…might as well send him

  53. Miggs flies out with the bases jammed. Another big missed opportunity. Can we please score on something other than a bomb?

  54. Eh sardinha had rounded the bag by the time ibanez got it. It seemed like a defensible decision by lamont to me…

  55. Top 5th

    Dickey can’t throw the knuckleball for strikes. Sardinha and Granderson reach. Polanco puts a knuckler into LF, but Sardinha is gunned down at the plate (why?). Carlos walks to load ’em up for the smasher! But Dickey pulls a Galarraga on Miggy, though Gil sends it to the track in RF. Oof. Can’t fault Miguel (injured? huh?) tonight – he’s slamming them.

  56. It’s beginning to look like the ’08 slumping offense. Absolutely no timely hitting and tons of missed opportunities.

  58. Imagine how good beltre would be if he had to play for a contract every year. He’s the anti-hossa.

  59. That felix comprendes commercial with jj putz is great…mariners commercials are always kind of funny.

  61. Bottom 5th

    AG miraculously retires Suzuki, then promptly gives up 2 singles. Second and third, 2 out, command nowhere in sight, 3-0 on Beltre, he accidentally throws 2 strikes before escaping damage once again when Beltre grounds to SS. AG getting by on grit and luck. Can he get through the 6th before balls start leaving the park? Still 2-0 Tigers.

  62. Armondo has skated on thin ice all night….. really struggling to throw strikes. But still getting it done under pressure situations.

    And how about Adrian Beltre. Twice he ends the inning with two in scoring position. This game will be decided by who chokes the least.

  66. Top 6th

    An inning that starts well ends badly. Dickey has nothing left. Thames walks again to lead off, Gary should have punished him but flies out to LF instead. Then sleeping Marcus gets picked off. Joyce breaks Las Vegas by actually making contact with a Dickey pitch. 2-0 Tigers.

  68. Chris what was even stranger about the steal attempt is Joyce hadn’t come with in 6 inches of a pitch all day so it couldn’t have been a hit and run

  69. Bottom 6th

    AG falls behind a batter for the 40th time tonight but gets the 1st out. He stuns by throwing strikes to Sexson, confusing the man into a popout. Then – as expected – ball leaves field of play, courtesy of Mr. .176. But Betancourt is retired, and the lead is safe. Thank you, Armando, good night. Write when you get work. Tigers 2, Mariners 1.

  74. Top 7th

    Edgar sees a first pitch he knows he can hit for an out and does not disappoint. Sardinha goes deep but not deep enough. Curtis tells me he’s the best 2-strike hitter on the team and then proves it with a double to the LF corner, but Polly doesn’t come though with the Polly thing, and a much-needed insurance run dies on the basepaths. Tigers 2, Mariners 1.

  75. We’re wasting Renteria in the starting lineup anyway, we need him available as a pinch-hitter in case we get the bases loaded.

  78. I swear Ichiro has been up every inning, no wonder he has so many hits, I think that was his 8th at bat already

  80. Random opinion: they should outlaw those shin guards everyone wears, they slow the game down by a few seconds when the guy has to unstrap it after he gets on base, plus severely bruised shins are part of the game.

  82. Oh it looks like defensively Sardinha does have a weakness, he seems to have apprenticed at the Miggs School of Popups

  84. Bottom 7th

    Rodney comes on. Yields a 1-out double to Lopez. Sets up Ibanez nicely with a hard fastball before getting him to pop out on a changeup. But Polly makes and error on Vidro’s in play, and it’s 1st and 3rd. But Fernando gets Beltre to ground to SS for the force. Whew. Tigers 2, Mariners 1. No thanks to the defense tonight, I gather.

  85. Yeah coleman I was thinking that pop was much more of an adventure than it needed to be

  86. Hell while they’re at it, outlaw the one long sleeve too. Sorry Clete, but I’m sure you’ll be just fine without it…

  89. What Joe Mauer again? I thought we already decided to pitch to his sideburns…

  91. I wonder if Smoking Man ever has dreams of bases-loaded triple-steals, with Ordonez stealing home, Cabrera stealing 3rd, and Thames swiping 2nd…

  92. Top 8th

    Guillen flies out deep CF. Cabrera nothing but good tonight, ready to go on a tear, gets on with a single. Clete, PH for Marcus, hangs tough but eventually succumbs to very good pitching by Batista. Gary gets ahead 3-1 but then wastes it on ground ball out. Tigers 2, Mariners 1.

  94. I’m encouraged by Rodney. His cap is listing toward straight. And his hair has begun to develop attitude.

    Also, his pitching is better…

  95. Shoot me, a sub .200 catcher is generating more offense for the worst team in the league than our 130mm lineup

  97. hey Crooked hat we are so happy you are back saving this team with your horse**** pitching

  100. for mlb.tv members, did the seattle announcer just say “the mariners win it” on accident , thinking it was the 9th? swear i heard it, what a jerk

  102. Looking at the replay that wasn’t such a bad pitch….178 Catcher Man is just on tonight…with 1st base open I wouldn’t have pitched to him…except that would have brought up Ichiro for his 10th AB of the game…

  105. Bottom 8th

    Rodney not exactly masterful. Reed seemed to wait on the changeup that he lined deep to Joyce. Fernando then pees his pants and walks Sexson. PR in, stolen base. Then FR serves up HR #2 to the slugging Clement. Is he tipping his pitches, calling them out, what? With the game blown, it is now safe to get Betancourt to ground out, but Suzuki bunts for a single before – at last – the next guys flies out fairly deep to LF. Not real impressive Fernando. A few more strikes that weren’t so hittable would have been nice. Mariners 3, Tigers 2.

  107. If these Mariner announcer guys ever get fired from this gig, they have a career ahead of them doing PGA telecasts…

  110. BREAKING BALL in there for a strike

    Come on coleman, these guys add color like a fine painter

  111. two straight to these stiffs ….April May games all over again same old BS….can;t field…can’t throw strikes…can’t pitch in relief…can’t hit will runners on…no fire……..pathetic

  112. I absolutely knew that Cabs’ missed opportunity with the bases loaded would cost them this game. Never had a doubt.

  113. “Come on coleman, these guys add color like a fine painter”

    Oh, sorry I didn’t realize they were announcers of color.

    Obviously, golf is out then.

  114. Just frustrating. After everybody knew that JL left kenny in 1 batter too long yesterday then he states it to the media today, he does the same thing with Rodney today. C’mon, just look at his pitch count at the time.

  115. Manager Jim Leyland isn’t going the say that the extra work is the cause, but as long as Rodney is succeeding, they’re going to keep up the pregame routine.

    “Based on his last couple outings,” bullpen coach Jeff Jones said, “I think he’s really, really close to what he used to be.”

    gee guys thanks this is good to know. 2 Quotes from Tigers Live

  116. Top 9th

    Joyce does a nice job of waiting it out to 3-1 but is retired nonetheless. If i was Renteria, I would feel some pressue to coe through here, but I know I couldn’t possibly pop out foul to 1B on the second pitch quite as masterfully. Confidence-inspiring Pudge come on to pinch hit. Ignores the hittable first pitch (patience – yummy!) and swings at the inside pitch that gets him to pop out so reliably, Good job. Mariners 3, Tigers 2, done.

    Cabrera, Guillen, good. Everyone else, bad. Mostly. Thank you, Rodney. Blown game for a sub-.500 team that is again starting to look as though it belongs there. This is the Mariners, people. Had they won 2 in a row against anyone before this?

  117. Go have a smoke Jim; you deserve it. Boy these guys are exciting. That killer instinct makes my heart sing. I hope we face the Rays in the first round. We’ll show them.

  119. Brandon Morrow is invincible right now. hopefully he won’t be available tomorrow.

    I’d love it if Edgar Rent-a-retard were to be released tomorrow. I am sick of his hole in the order and in the field.

  120. “If I was Renteria, I would feel some pressure to come through here, but I know I couldn’t possibly pop out foul to 1B on the second pitch quite as masterfully”

    Unforgivably stupid typo caught too late, now corrected, sorry.

  121. The team should be back to their hotel about 11:30 pm, hit the bar for a couple drinks and the late movie in their room. Jimmy will be standing out on his balcony having his last smoke for the night, taking in the cool summer air. Ain’t life grand when you’re a pro ball player and one of the most respected managers in the game. Life just does not get any better. Go Tigers. I know the team is trying it’s very, very best and I wish them all the luck in the world. Many are called, but few are chosen.

  122. Ron, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They still think they’ve entertained us by merely playing.

  123. Ok, I am really starting to just get simply frustrated with JL. Ive praised him for everything and also contemplated some of his decisions but he is getting worse. From Tigers Live:

    “JL isn’t going to use Zumaya, Rodney and jonesy like in ’06 he wants one of them fresh for the next day…” -R. Allen

    Well two things to that quote:

    1) Why would you not use them like you did in ’06. They were a 7,8,9 inning knock out punch? It WORKED in ’06 why not in ’08.
    2) We do have another knock out pitcher in the bullpen in Dolsi. If JL wants to keep them fresh why not put Dolsi in the 7th and then Zoom/Rod in the 8th or vice versa? That is the worst plan of attack for late inning winnable ballgames.

    Secondly my assumption that Renteria would be good to grab in the off-season is quickly coming to an end 1 for 19 is completely inexcusable. Trade deadline is coming up how about two B level prospects for Renteria to a NL team hopefully we can get that many for him from a NL team needing a SS. But with DD in love with his ’98 Marlins I don’t see it working out like that. Fans its another year of Renteria if DD has anything to say about it.

  124. Dave BW

    It’s not that Battlestar is supposed to be an apt nickname. It’s the slight humor of phonetic similarity. It has caught on to some degree because nothing better has been put forth. I shall try.

    I suggest Mr. Potato Head. Galarraga’s head, although well-shaped, is clearly much larger than Polanco’s.

    Mando is logical but quite lame. Ditto for Golly, Raga, ‘Do, Rags, Arms, Arm, Army, and Gol (1-5-3 DP, Gol to Guill to Gil…by golly).

  125. Sean in IL wrote:

    Sorry about yesterday’s frustrating loss. I take some of the responsibility. I was out drinking, carousing, generally having a good time, while my Tigers were suffering. That’s not right and I know it. I will make amends.

    Mike R – back to our little mini-discussion on injuries. If Renteria’s pectoral is hurting his play, if Cabrera’s hip flexor is hurting his play, they need to sit or go on the DL until they are better. Playing though some pain is a part of baseball, but if your injury-affected performance is hurting the team and prolonging or outright preventing the healing process, that’s no good. That’s not being a hero.

    The Tigers are getting less than solid performance from Edgar, and less than super from Miguel. “Solid” and “super” are the proper expectations here. Hollimon/Santiago at SS and Thames at 1B are capable, at the least, of providing solid and super. Better to risk a bit of a struggle in July than to risk the complete loss of Cabrera and Renteria later on, I think.

    Injuries suck and I don’t question that these guys are hurting. But injuries are never, ever an excuse.

    Sean … I simply disagree. I’m not saying that the injuries are the reason we are a disappointment as a team this year, but they are one aspect of that.

  127. And the Tigers rested on the seventh day and sometimes on the first thru the sixth day and were eventually banished from the garden only to return with bigger contracts and lackadaisical play to further smite their fans hopes and dreams.

  128. Wow that suked, I was like who the hell is CLEMENT?! I don’t think any of the mariner fans around us even knew. Both of those shots were no doubters, none of the outfielders moved on the first one and Joyce just kinda turned and walked a few steps on the 2nd jack. Unreal. Maybe tomorrow we need to pitch to Sexson!

    Side note: last season I noticed Nate signing balls with his right hand but pitches left, tonight I noticed Todd Jones was signing with his left yet pitches with his right…

  129. Sean:
    “It’s not that Battlestar is supposed to be an apt nickname. It’s the slight humor of phonetic similarity. It has caught on to some degree because nothing better has been put forth. I shall try.

    I suggest Mr. Potato Head. Galarraga’s head, although well-shaped, is clearly much larger than Polanco’s.

    Mando is logical but quite lame. Ditto for Golly, Raga, ‘Do, Rags, Arms, Arm, Army, and Gol (1-5-3 DP, Gol to Guill to Gil…by golly).”

    Well, I say: Migs, Maggs, and…**RAGS**.

    Of course you could always be more formal and go with Do Rags. (No no, it’s pronounced “DOE Rags…”)

  130. JKPO:

    “Side note: last season I noticed Nate signing balls with his right hand but pitches left, tonight I noticed Todd Jones was signing with his left yet pitches with his right”

    And speaking of side notes, Inge signs balls with his left hand–and right hand–at the same time! While juggling them!

  131. I think you should lay off the big, misshapen headed players who are some of the most talented and hardest working guys and focus on some of the pin heads who are dragging this team down.

  133. Sean —

    That was a different David that criticized the nickname. But seriously, it sucks. 🙂

  134. Joey —

    Clement is one of the best catcher prospects in baseball. Those Mariner fans you were around should be ashamed of themselves.

  135. That just sucked. I can’t believe I could have been sleeping but I watched that. I don’t ever want to see Rodney again. I am sick of seeing Grandy just standing on second base doing nothing for the rest of the inning. That game should have been like 12-2. I don’t think I can watch today, I need a rest from this. Unreal.

  138. judpma: “I am out today …can’t take it anymore..my only avenue of protest”

    That’s not true…you could go out carousing and partying like Sean C and cause them to lose that way instead of by one of the usual methods.

  139. I saw all of last night’s game, and the obvious factor was how badly we need Ordonez in the lineup.

    I would have had Rodney pitch the 8th too. It gets ridiculous these days – a pitcher gets beat, and people say, “Someone else could have faced that batter!” That’s why we have such long games and so many pitching changes.

  140. Tigers have only one allstar this year, Carlos Guillen. And he wasn’t voted in. It is mandatory that each team have at least one representative, a token representative and Guillen is it. This certainly is justified since nobody has had an outstanding season on the team and many Allstar type players have regressed significantly (Cabrerra and Verlander, in particular). Perhaps the only “snub” is Polanco, but the 2nd base position is pretty crowded. But for the most part, this Allstar situation reflects the real reason why the team has been so far bellow expectations: the overall under-performance individually of nearly the entire roster.

    Last two years, the Tigers were heavily represented and the team went on to have very disappointing 2nd halves. Hopefully this Allstar selection marks the reversal of that trend.

  141. “I would have had Rodney pitch the 8th too.”

    I agree. It is disappointing that Rodney blew the save, but the reason why this team lost last night is the ineptitude of the offense. The bottom of the order (6-7-8-9 hitters) did absolutely nothing: 1-15 with one BB for a .066 BA & .125 OBP. When a pitching staff gives up only 3 runs and the offense has opportunities, it’s the offense.

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