2009 Season, Game Post

Game 2009.037: Rangers at Tigers

58 Comments

PREGAME: Six weeks ago a Rangers team riding a 3 game win streak came into Comerica Park and got swept. Tonight a Rangers team on a 7 game winning streak returns to Detroit.

These aren’t your typical Rangers. Sure, they still slug the snot out of the ball (their slugging percentage is 32 points higher than the 2nd ranking team), but now they can prevent runs as well. The Rangers have a 4.54 team ERA. While it significantly outpaces their 5.11 FIP, there is some realness to it because they rank 2nd in terms of defensive efficiency.

In other words, Dontrelle Willis will have his work cut out for him tonight as he makes his second start. Willis didn’t have his control problems last time out, but he wasn’t fooling the Twins either and came out after 4.2 innings. He benefits in one respect that Josh Hamilton is out of the lineup, but the Rangers bring a lot of thump in Ian Kinsler and company from the right side.

Brandon McCarthy gets the nod for the Rangers. He has been susceptible to the long ball with 10 homers allowed in 38 innings. While 7 of those homers have come in Arlington, he still has a OPS allowed over 1.000 on the road. Lefties have also beaten him up pretty good so Jim Leyland has 5 in the lineup tonight.

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Thomas, RF
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Larish, DH
  6. Inge, 3B
  7. Anderson, LF
  8. Laird, C
  9. Santiago, SS

Texas vs. Detroit – May 19, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

58 thoughts on “Game 2009.037: Rangers at Tigers”

  5. D-Train turns around and has an awesome 2nd inning.

    Damn Wings. I’m talking to myself.

    Oh good, peoples are here.

  8. LOL

    “Quit iiiit!”

    Rod does lots of strange voices, but that one…wow…

    1. That’s one of the very few disadvantages of Cabrera. He’s unable to go first to third on a single, and he can’t score from second on most singles.

      Edit: Oops. Wrong spot.

  10. Willis looks fantastic right now. His stuff is consistently good and he’s pitching with confidence.

  11. Willis is nothing like the wild, jumpy, and twitchy pitcher that he was last year. He looks so calm right now you can hardly tell it’s him.

    Just Amazing. 5 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, and 0 runs. Also he hasn’t allowed a base runner since the 1st inning.

  15. Nice catch by Anderson! Willis with yet another clean inning. This is bringing a tear to my eye.

  16. That won’t be a web gem, but that was a great catch by Anderson. Could Willis single-handedly shutout the Rangers?

  20. That Jones walk pitch was a strike. Check Gameday. It’s IN THE BOX.

    Thanks so much, Umpo.

    1. I kept waiting for the punch-out. It was right at the belt line and, as you say, in the zone. Jones didn’t deserve a make-up call. The ump missed a strike in the zone in his last at-bat too.

  21. Wow I go out to dinner after following D-trains struggling in the first and come back and he hasnt given anything up! YAY!

    1. Don’t know many of those (but I don’t know that many Tigers fans in my neck of the woods).

      I do know that I’m not eager to give Brandon Lyon a 7th chance.

  26. a Hunge, does anyone ever think what it would be like to stand in there and see what 100mph looks like?

  29. This combined 1 hit shutout was the most satisfying Tiger game I’ve watched since the 2006 playoffs when Kenny Rogers shutout the Yankees..

    1. The game in Cleveland where Grandy made the game saving catch to rob Sizemore was a better… But this one is really good, too.

  34. I watched that and I still can’t believe it. Like Grienke, it’s so amazing to see a guy really conquer his demons. It’s almost hard to think of this outing in baseball terms. Just the pure drive to fall so far and come back, it’s kinda amazing.

    That said, If Dontrelle can be half this good going forward, the Central just got a lot more interesting.

    1. Interesting? Nobody else has a chance if Dontrelle can stay on (assuming JV, E-Jax, and Porcello don’t crash and burn).

  35. I cant stop thinking how good we could be if Dontrell is for real and Bondo comes back to anywhere near is old self. Could be a good staff this year with low mileage on Dontrells and Bondos arm to go deep into the year.

    Add in Maggs and Carlos getting off the dime and we could be tough.

    Liking what I see, hoping for more, as long as the Tigers keep winning and I have a job, it will be a really nice summer.

    Steve

  36. That was the 6th shutout the Tigers pitching staff has thrown this season. The defense has really made a huge difference.

    1. So has the pitching coach. Or at least whatever it is that has the staff throwing more strikes this year.

  39. Did someone hack into sportsline? It says Willis went 6.1 and allowed only 3 baserunners!

  40. I’m, like, shocked and stuff. Dontrelle partied like it was 2005. And Zumaya. Yeah, he throws real hard.

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