Tag Archives: come-backs

Questioning the IBB

In my opinion these are the hardest losses to swallow. On a night when the team had to have been tired they really did battle. They fought against a closer with an electric arm and tied up a game in the 9th. But then there was a failure. A failure of execution and of strategy. A game where it seems like the manager let his team down.

I wish that Fox Sports Detroit did a post game with Jim Leyland because I’d love to know the thinking in walking Ryan Garko to get to Nelson Cruz. I don’t always agree with Leyland’s decision making process, but I can usually see his side. In this case I don’t really see another side at all. I’m dumbfounded. Given the effort his team gave him in the top of the 9th, they deserved better.

Perhaps I’m making too much of the IBB. The win expectancy only went down 1% for the Tigers. It was actually the smallest WE event of the inning.

Of course Leyland wasn’t the one who walked Justin Smoak, or Nelson Cruz for that matter. Fu-Te Ni’s control has been poor this season (8 walks and 2 HBP in 6 innings). Ryan Perry has to make a better pitch with 2 strikes to Elvis Andrus. If Perry comes in and doesn’t get Garko out, I don’t have a beef with the manager. In this case though it seems like Leyland walked right into what Ron Washington wanted.

The downside is that I spent 3 paragraphs lamenting negative instead of talking about the top of the 9th inning, which was terrific. The at-bats were all solid. Don Kelly fanned but it took 7 pitches. Ramon Santiago had a 13 pitch at-bat that resulted in an out but had to certainly wear on Neftali Feliz. Austin Jackson was determined to not strike out for a 4th time and put the first pitch in play, and Johnny Damon fought off a couple pitches before getting a bloop hit. And of course Magglio Ordonez with the line drive to right to tie the game. Great stuff that should be remembered.

And we haven’t even mentioned Brennan Boesch’s debut which saw him hit a double and a single (and later make a baserunning mistake). We haven’t mentioned Max Scherzer who went 7 innings and fanned 7 in a quality start. There was quite a bit of good in this game, and the players deserved the same from their manager.

  • It’s a quality start Scherzer because one of the runs was unearned and was the result of a charged error when Alex Avila used his mask to corral a ball.
  • Avila did gun down both attempted base stealers.
  • Scott Sizemore had a rough night at the dish with 3 uncomfortable looking strike outs. A pinch hitting appearance by Don Kelly may have spared him the sombrero.
  • Ordonez looked a little off balance at times on the west coast, but he reached base 4 times.
  • Miguel Cabrera’s 5 game double streak came to an end, but Austin Jackson’s 16 game strikeout streak and Johnny Damon’s 10 game hitting streak are still intact.

Game 2009.007: Rangers at Tigers

PREGAME: The Tigers look for a series sweep of the Texas Rangers this Easter Sunday. The Rangers mashed Cleveland pitching but haven’t been able to muster much offense against the Tigers starters. Today it will be Edwin Jackson making his second start of the season. His first effort was wasted by the bullpen as he pounded the strike zone (67.4% strikes) en route to a 7.1 inning, 89 pitch start.

Kevin Millwood April 6th Start - pitch fxKevin Millwood pitches for the Rangers. He held Cleveland to 1 run in 7 innings on 5 hits, a walk, and 5 K’s. He went with a fastball heavy repertoire (91MPH 4 seam, 90MPH 2 seam), and didn’t seem to get the ball down that well. Still, the results were impressive. Hopefully if he keeps the ball up against the Tigers, they’ll either layoff it or hammer it.

Game Time 1:05

Texas vs. Detroit – April 12, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday

POSTGAME: It’s a good day to be named Brandon. Inge of course due to his 4th homer (and career number 100) to start the 8th inning comeback and his 2 out RBI single to cap it. Plus he threw in a slick play on a bunt to start the 9th. Part of the reason that the Tigers only needed to come down by 4 is because Brandon Lyon came on and retired 6 straight batters on 17 pitches. It was a very nice bounce back outing, and only his second since he blew Edwin Jackson’s last start.

As for Jackson, he wasn’t as sharp as his last outing, but mostly effective. He pitched out of a big jam in the 5th and in the 6th inning he retired the side on 10 pitches, mostly 95mph+ fastballs to put a nice cap on his day.

Kevin Millwood was frustratingly good. It was a steady diet of 89 mph fastballs and curves that had the Tigers completely fooled.

  • Fernando Rodney picked up the save on 5 pitches (and the previously mentioned nice play by Inge)
  • Placido Polanco seems to have his stroke going after a slow spring
  • A couple of awful at-bats by Magglio Ordonez and Gerald Laird in that 8th inning. Fortunately the rest of the team picked them up.
  • Speaking of which, how about the struggling Carlos Guillen lacing a two strike double down the line?