PREGAME: The Tigers welcome in the Colorado Rockies as their first interleague opponent. The Rockies have struggled this year, but their pitching has actually been pretty good with a 4.27 FIP which coincidentally is the same as the Tigers.
Tonight’s starter is Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez walks a batter every other inning, but he also fans nearly one an inning and has allowed only 1 homer in 46 innings this year. He’s thrown 4 straight quality starts and has allowed just 6 runs in his last 27 innings. The walks have also been under control of late with a 22:6 ratio.
Rick Porcello gets the ball for the Tigers. Porcello has also been rolling allowing just 2 runs over his last 3 starts.
And on a related note, Rod Allen will miss his 2nd game as he attends his youngest daughter’s graduation. In his place will be Dan Petry. Does anybody else remember a certain game where Petry filled in for Allen? It was also on a Friday night. Give up? It was the Yankees game that ended at 3:30 in the morning.
Oh, and GO WINGS Colorado vs. Detroit – May 22, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME: It was a beautiful night at the ballpark, especially for those who appreciate stellar defense. This game had a reel full of web gem type plays. It’s probably best to just watch the highlights but here is a quick run down:
- Inge charges and barehands a ball to make a play look easy.
- Josh Anderson throws a seed to the plate to end an inning and save a run
- Brandon Inge runs to left field to snag a foul ball with his back to the basket
- Miguel Cabrera fields a ground ball along the line, spins and touches the bag and fires home to turn a 3-2 GIDP
Rick Porcello certainly appreciated the help, but he was pretty good on his own as well. He was very efficient up until that 6th inning when struggled a little. But he finished with 6 innings, 1 run, and another quality start.
Inge crushes a ball to right center for the big hit of the game, and it was even a pretty good pitch, so Inge deserves all the credit on that one.
The rest of the offense can be largely attributed nice baserunning. The first run was set up when Gerald Laird hustled to go first to third, and then nicely read (with some help from Placido Polanco) a wild pitch to score the first run. Later in the 8th inning the Tigers twice broke up double plays with hard slides (Polanco at third and Larish at second) that allowed a 4th run to score which proved to be the difference because…
Joel Zumaya wasn’t good. He was on in place of Rodney who had pitched the previous 3 days. He was wild and very fastball happy. He couldn’t find the curve ball and make a 3 run lead with the bases empty into a 1 run lead with runners at the corner. Unfortunately Perry was used 2 innings and Zumaya threw 31 pitches so both are likely unavailable for Saturday’s game.
Comments
50 responses to “Game 2009.040: Rockies at Tigers”
“has allowed only 1 homer in 46 innings this year”
C’mon boys. Let’s increase that by 300% or so…
We faced him last year and did pretty well: 4IP, 9H, 4ER. Although last year was a drastically different lineup.
This sounds like it will be a tough matchup tonight, but these boys have shown an amazing ability to scratch out enough runs to win lately no matter who they are facing. I’ve got another good feeling about this game. (Easy to say when you’ve won 6 in a row)
Jimenez is occasionally tough. He might have the best pure stuff in the NL. He’s right up there with Lincecum and Billingsley. But he can be really wild. Hopefully they don’t go up there hacking.
Ha. The headline for the Rockies’ official game preview is “Notorious ex-Tiger Grilli returns to Detroit.”
Grilli. This is my fondest memory of him….goggles.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2006/10/09/2003331077
Blah. He’s all over the place. Granderson and Polanco needed to take more pitches.
I am not looking forward to when both Guillen and Ordonez are playing the corners. Another great outfield assist saves a run.
Guillen and Magglio are never going to get their jobs back in the outfield…
@ Brian P: I wrote that before I saw your comment believe it or not
A little ignorant here….
Anybody know what Petry does on a daily basis. He doesn’t seem that bad behind the mike, and I have fond memories from the 80s.
Oh, and, go Inge!
Binge! and the opposite field no less…let’s see what kind of response Curtis comes up with…
I think we might have Joel his 300% HR increase…
Man, Inge hit a really great pitch there.
Nice BINGE!! Yeah I’m not looking forward to Maggs and Guillen playing in the corners and Thames at DH. I’m alright with one of the three at DH but I’d rather see Raburn, Anderson and Clete in the field.
Sorry, Ramon. There’s no utility player batting title.
Petry is much better than that joker from last night.
D has been the difference, no doubt. I don’t expect Guillen to see much time in the OF. Maybe he’ll spell LF, 3B and SS from time to time b/c Leland is loyal, but he really has no spot on this roster anymore.
I’d love to Maggs to get hot so that we can shop him around.
“Leyland.” Though I’m thinking of removing the ‘y’ permanently, since he seems to interject it every night.
I don’t expect to see Guillen ever playing the infield over Inge, Everett, or Santiago. I’d guess some sort of platoon of LF/DH with Guillen, Thames, and Thomas, depending on their production and who’s on the mound.
But what do you do with Josh Anderson? Platoon him with Maggs? Maggs isn’t gonna go for that.
The Kid dodged a bullet there. I like the fact that he is a groundball pitcher – with decent defense he should be able to pitch out of a lot of jams.
Huge double play back there to get Porcello out of the jam. He definitely has poise.
One is never enough…Inge makes his 2nd Leftfield catch of the season…
Now that I think of it, it would probably be much easier to trade one of the young guys than Maggs. I’m wondering if we could get a MR for Raburn or Clete.
More D, I love it.
Hell yes Laird… I miss three games and all the sudden the Tigers are in business. I’ll take it.
As Steve Berthiaume might say: Ryan Perry, how’s your command, please?
D is back in the D, and it sure beats April in the D….
This is a great game. Nice defense. I’m glad I’m up here… the other mcb. sounds kinda steamed about the Red Wings game he’s watching in the basement.
The Rabbit lurks
If there is a loving and just God in this world, Jason Grilli will come on in relief and we will destroy him.
Why is Perry back out? Upon further review: Whatever. I’ll shutup.
Ok, Dan, Helton’s days of being Pujols lite are a bit behind him…
In other news, I think I’m going to start a group known as “Porcello’s Pumas”. I’m not old enough to be a cougar, so, it works.
The Other Kid has another nice outing. You have to wonder what Perry will be like when cuts his walks down.
YES!!! GRILLI!!!
Yes! Grilli!
GRILLI! I’M SO EXCITED!!!!
Mario thought Clete might bunt. But Jim knows better than to give Grilli a free out.
Hurdle?! Why?!
I love the random hecklers shouting out “Grilli sucks! Grilli is the worst!”
Grilli leaving so soon? BOOOO
Please! Joel has been ugly, but that was strike three to Stewart.
ZuZu got robbed on that call to Stewart. Should have been ballgame.
Ballgame!
Thank goodness! Now I guess I have to join the disaster in the basement with the Red Wings.
Notice that the winning run was off Grilli?
I guess Zoom Zoom wanted to try riding the rollercoaster tonight.
Todd Jones-Rollercoaster1
Fernando Rodney-Rollercoaster2
Joel Zumaya-Rollercoaster3
Great game. I go tomorrow, hopefully Armando will be able to give them a QS.
I love hard slides+D+Speed+Pitching. Awesome.
I hate to be negative but I thought they’d win 6 or7 this home stand, I hope I’m wrong.
YES!!!!!! :YES !!!! The Tigers win their 7th game in a row. Maybe it’s the beer, but I can’t remember the last time we lost.
Mr. X: I doubt the quantities of beer were noteworthy…you didn’t even let us know that their “magic number” is…