OT: AL Central
It was a nice afternoon watching Oakland pound Minnesota. It was even better tonight watching Galarraga dominate Seattle hitters. Then Bobby Seay came along. And now the White Sox have come back from 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. I know it's only July and that the Tigers bullpen have been pretty solid so far. But it's frustrating as hell when your team was a few pitches away from taking a 3 game division lead, whereas now it's probably going to be 1. Here's hoping for a tigerific weekend series.
Yea especially after the zumaya show against the yankees in the 1st game after the break. Bobby Seay has been good all season though so give him a break. The real question is why did Leyland pull Armando?
It's because Bobby Seay has been great in those situations. He is a sit. lefty and was brought on to face Ichiro and Branyon. Nine times out of ten he gets Branyan, but it was just a bad bad pitch. It wouldn't be so bad if the Sox lose, but it isn't looking that way.
Baseball is an up-and-down game, it's a long year. Variance should put the best team forward barring injury (Aramis Ramirez wtf.)
It's going to be like this the rest of the season.
is not the relief pitching, it's the fact that the Tigers can't seem to score runs to save their soul.
I still think those bats are going to wake up. We got a taste of it last night.
You can't really blame the pitching when the hitters generate a single run.
How often do MLB teams win when they surrender only two runs? It's got to be 75% of the time or more. Yet the Tigers have somehow lost three times in the past week while giving up that many.
I just wish we'd employ some more small ball like it seemed we were earlier in the year when the bats go cold.
UM Grad Clayton Richard is scheduled to start for the Sox vs. the Tigers on Sunday. With four games, this has the potential to be a big swing for the team prepared to grab the ring. With Quentin back, and Bartolo Colon getting back to speed in the minors, things are continuing to look good for the Sox.
The Sox are finally starting to play the way people expected earlier on. The Twins aren't too far out either. Should be a pretty good race from here on out.
The Twins have the easiest schedule as well because they're done with the AL East beasts.
If Quentin stays on the field for the Sox, barring a move by the Tigers the Sox will pass them. Better offense (having replaced Fields and Wise/Anderson in the lineup with Beckham and Quentin) and deeper pitching (though Verlander is clearly the best starter on any of the three contenders). Jackson is going to fall back some in the second half and they're (appropriately) trying to limit Porcello's innings so that they don't Dusty his arm, and in any event he's not been as good lately either. Unless Galaragga and someone else can step up in the second half, I don't see it.
But as a Sox fan I don't actually expect Quentin to stay on the field. That injury hurts like hell and can recur at any time. I suspect the Twins are going to take the division.
I couldn't agree more. The Twins have exited the difficult part of their schedule and have shown at least decent pitching throughout. However, there are so many games between the White Sox/Tigers/Twins, that it is still very much in the air. Advantage Twins at this point, just based on schedule and that God-forsaken Metrodump they play in, as it is where wins go to die.
I agree with most of what you say on the Sox, as I am a Sox fan myself. Quentin is such a huge question mark, it is borderline impossible to expect much out of him. But the way the lineup is set up now, with Beckham and Getz starting to pick it up at the back end of the lineup, you have to be encouraged going forward.
It's going to be a three-way dogfight the rest of the way, and this weekend's series is big, but it certainly isn't quite make or break yet, especially if neither is swept.
I hate to pile on the same topic, but the problem is NOT Bobby Seay. He has been maybe a top 5 7th/8th inning guy so far this year in the AL. Tonight his 21 inning scoreless streak was broken. It was going to happen at some point. Pulling Armando at 100+ pitches was the right call, putting in Seay was the right call. The problem is not getting more runners across the plate.
Also, why the hate for Anderson on the board tonight? He is young and has some things to learn, but is a wicked fast runner on the base paths. We got him for cheap and whenever he is on 1st base he altered the pitching game. Can someone let me know why he isn't liked by the majority of the community? (Maybe I'm mis-reading this...)
Because he does nothing right. He can't play the field very well, his baserunning is awful, and the guy is the most impatient guy on the team. He is hitting 240.
Yes when he gets on base he can steal 2nd and make a pitcher think, but why not work the count and swing at better pitches.
Maybe if he is on base more but he is a crappy player.
awful baserunning? How's that?
Brandon Inge routinely hits .240, boots more average plays than just about anyone else but he is deified in this town. Therefore, the anderson hate doesn't add up.
Coming in as a pinch runner and getting picked off???
Yeah Brandon does not make a lot of routine plays and hits 240, but this year he is are best hitter witha guy on 3rd, and most RBI's on the team.
Edit: dammit Inge. Why would you throw that?
GO SOX
The Tigers are combining 2006-caliber pitching with 2003-caliber hitting. This is unreal. How in the hell can a first-place team 90 games in be this shitty at the plate?
yeah 2 fucking hits today.
Because they've pitched well (third in the league in runs allowed per game) and the team that may be imminently joining them in first place has been every bit as bad with the bats? As of the end of yesterday's games the Tigers were actually averaging more runs scored per game than the White Sox (though the White Sox offense has been considerably improved lately and should be even moreso with Quentin back).
Also, Seattle is the best in the AL by about two tenths of a run per game in pitching, which isn't going to help any offense look good.
And now i'm watching Mark B throw a perfect game.
Jesus Christ, 4 times in one week? If this doesn't motivate Dombrowski to make a deal, I don't know what will.
Ugh, to Buehrle as well---that means a nicely rested bullpen for the weekend.