OT - 9-17-12 Tigers vs White Sox. Must win for Tigers

Submitted by Blue boy johnson on

Must win game for Tigers and a crucial game for White Sox. Tigers will either be one game back or 3 games back after today

Fister matching up with Quintana

Tigers up 3-0 in the 3rd, but these Sox are tough, and now have bases loaded with one out to start the bottom 3

MGoCombs

September 17th, 2012 at 3:48 PM ^

It's never over until we're mathematically eliminated, but I agree that it would be difficult not to feel like it's over. We have to play one of the hottest teams in baseball (granted, at home) and the White Sox have a series against the Royals. It could easily be 4-5 game difference a few days from now. Baseball is crazy though, so you never know.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^

have series against the Angels and  Rays down the stretch. That LA series is on the road I believe. Chicago has the slightly harder schedule down the stretch, Tigers have one series against a team above .500, Chicago has two. I wouldn't say it's completely over if they lose this game, but it is about as close as you can get to it being a must win game.

Fister's not very sharp today. Chicago now has runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Fisters out, Alburquerque's coming in.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^

that could have ended the inning goes through Prince's legs into the dugout. 5-4 Chicago. Hard to fault Infante for the throw, that takeout slide was nasty. It short hopped Prince , but in a game like this he needs to be able  to make the tough play and dig that out.

WMUgoblue

September 17th, 2012 at 4:12 PM ^

Well the 5th inning has been the bane of the Tigers existence the last 2 days. Omar's inability to turn a DP is just baffling , 8 errors since joining the team?? Unreal how bad this defense is.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^

that take out slide was pretty nasty, difficult not to come up short on that throw. I would agree however, that his defense has not been what I expected. He seemed to perform much better  as a fielder in Miami and Atlanta.

I would also like to point out that despite the Tigers defense being bad it could be worse. They are 8th in the AL and fielding percentage, and around 16th or so in the MLB. Of course, part of the issue at a couple of spots is a lack of  range, still there are several teams that have committed more errors. So like I said it could be even worse.

WMUgoblue

September 17th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^

Fielding % isn't really indicative of good defense, what's really a telling stat is that the Tigers lead the AL in unearned runs.



Look I dont want Dombrowski to go all 2009 and employ players like Adam Everett and Jaque Jones but upgrading shortstop and Right Field seem like absolute musts.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^

with 20 or 30 or more errors, but yet the Tigers have 20 or more unearned runs, part of that equation is how those other staffs have worked around errors. Also I would like to point out that for the first half of the year, the pitching staff wasn't any better than those other components, at least statistically.

I don't disagree with your overall point about what the Tiger's major issues have been, but like I said the unearned stat is not strictly a metric that only pertains to defensive performance.

WMUgoblue

September 17th, 2012 at 4:36 PM ^

Well it's certainly getting bleak, still cannot believe how this game turned. 3-0 with Fister on the mound and he suddenly loses command and can't throw strikes, and the defense strikes again in a bad way. Fielder with some poor, poor swings too.

Moonlight Graham

September 17th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^

lethargic moments from this team, I'd almost rather they miss the playoffs and end Leyland and McClendon's regime. Yes, they need to rearrange the roster a bit but they could also use a reboot at Skipper: Kirk Gibson would be perfect, but maybe they could also take a run at Francona, or lure Macha or Maddon away. 

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^

be torn. Anything can happen if you get into the playoffs, as evidenced by some of the teams that have ended up winning the World Series recently.

As far as questioning these team's effort or suggesting they haven't been giving 100% I don't buy that. I don't think effort has been issue, in fact I think trying to hard has been part of the issue for some of the players who haven't performed. Guys like Boesch have looked like they have been pressing all year and simply trying to do too much.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^

for Oakland tommorow. 6-0 with a 1.77 ERA. Of course, Scherzer has been pitching as well as anybody, so at least there is that.

 Chicago now has runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out. Tigers have to hold this to a one run game.

MGoBlue96

September 17th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^

by the White Sox, runners out at 3rd before he scored. Not sure what Wise was thinking, and the runner wasn't running hard either.  Hopefully they can take advantage of it.

JHendo

September 17th, 2012 at 5:49 PM ^

Fairweather fans don't root for their team during a 119 loss season like I did, so I've earned the goddamn right to throw a hissy fit about the Tigers.  Just in a season like this where they have a World Series caliber roster and rotation and constantly blow it with their poor play and decisions (by coaches and players alike), my heart can't take watching them play down to their opponents' level any more this season.  So what I'm saying is, because the Royals and Twins are teams they should handedly beat, but will most likely play tight, from this point on I will cheer and get angry at the boxscore on ESPN at the end of the game, but not from in front of my tv.