OT: Tigers 8/23
This is the rubber game. The Tigers have have lost their last 10 series on the road or something like that.
Right now, it is the bottom of the first. Tigers up 1-0 with runners on 2nd and 3rd, two out. Porcello just threw a pitch to the backstop, but it bounced off the backstop and back to Porcello, so the runner from third couldn't score. Holy lucky bounces Batman! And the A's just grounded out to end the inning.
August 23rd, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^
Oakland just tied it up on a broken bat single.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:00 PM ^
Theres 4 runs for Oakland, guess this one's over.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 PM ^
Man I was really hoping for a series win this weekend. Then Miner happened, and now it looks like Oakland will pull out the series. Once again, our offense is making Brett Tomko look like a Cy Young pitcher (1 hit to Grandy). We can take consolation in the Orioles beating the Sox though.
Like I mentioned a week ago, the Twins are not out of contention though they played poorly. They just swept KC and have won 5 of 6. Next, they have Baltimore coming into the dome while we travel to LA. Hopefully Verlander and Jackson can have repeat performances against that potent team.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 PM ^
Tomko is just showing great stuff today. There's nothing our hitters can do, he's unhittable today. Just ask Rod
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^
His stuff is pretty good, but I think him being unhittable says more about the Tigers than his pitching. The Huff experiment isn't producing any results so far. Maybe there's a chance Tejada could come, but I think some other poster mentioned that this was unlikely.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 PM ^
That was in no way serious. Idk if you are from the metro-detroit area, but the FSN Detroit broadcaster is notorious for acting like every mediocre/bad pitcher that shuts down the tigers is pitching the game of his life. He will never just admit that the tigers can't hit.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:19 PM ^
I'm from the area, but don't watch the broadcasts too much. I know he isn't a great pitcher, but he had a good outing against NYY last week so I'm just giving him the benefit of a doubt.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 PM ^
Adam Everett has been pretty good defensively, but his offense seems to get progressively worse. It seems something is wrong with his swing the way he predicably K's at the plate.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:56 PM ^
Brett Tomko had 8 Ks in 6 innings of work. BRETT TOMKO.
What a joke.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:03 PM ^
Do the Tigers always make mediocre pitchers look like all-stars, or is it just me?
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:09 PM ^
Based loaded, no result.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:11 PM ^
Once again Leyland trying to get cute by pulling Granderson because they brought in a left handed pitcher, so the A's manager just put in a right hander, effectively taking Granderson out of the game.
I know Granderson has been awful against lefties but i'd rather have him batting than Raburn, especially considering his HR today accounts for 1/2 of our runs in this game.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:21 PM ^
Co-signed. What else would the Oakland manager do in that situation? Though had Raburn hit a GS, then things would be different. No Grandy now.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:31 PM ^
I'm sorry, but you're just wrong. Granderson cannot ever be allowed to hit against a lefty late in a close game that the tigers trail in. Granderson vs. Lefties is literally the very worst hitter on the team.
August 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 PM ^
Bingo.
Granderson started turning it around against lefties last season (.259/.310/.429), but he's become absolutely awful again (.178/.257/.256).
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:21 PM ^
Granderson and Thomas have swings that are too long, isn't the hitting coach supposed to be working on correcting this problem with them? We hear about their poor mechanics but never any word that coaching is on-going to correct these deficits.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 PM ^
How Lloyd McClendon is still the Tigers' hitting coach is beyond me.
Another thing: Why in the hell does Leyland continue to bat Clete Thomas in the 3-hole? Coming into today's game, Thomas' line in that position is as follows: .214/.313/.321 with 32 Ks in 131 ABs. Not that he's been much better anywhere else.
August 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 PM ^
did you watch the game? clete batted 2nd today with polanco out of the lineup. that said, i think leyland would like to bat cabrera, guillen and huff 3-5. but unfortuneately guillen and huff haven't produced any better than thomas.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:36 PM ^
not every player can be perfected, you understand that, right? No hitting coach out there is going to get Granderson to hit lefties. Ryan Raburn, Clete Thomas, and the like were always marginal major league talents, they're struggling because they are under-talented for major leaguer baseball, not because they are poorly coached.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 PM ^
actually, i think the lefty-righty platoon possiblities on this team can mask the lack of talent the players have on an individual basis. guillen/raburn; mags/thomas; huff/thames. however, it would be nice to have another sure 30 HR guy to protect cabrera. unfortuneately, the tigers were a bit cash-strapped this year.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:53 PM ^
I agree, there are lots of platoon possibilities. The one issue is that your lefty lineup gives you an outfield of Thames and maggs in the corners with Clete in center. That's terrifying.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:19 PM ^
actually, i would never platoon granderson. he's too valuable defensively, even if he can't hit lefties. mags or thames would DH in the scenario you mention above.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
Gotta hand it to Perry for keeping us in this one.
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:51 PM ^
Just another solid late game bullpen move by Leyland.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 PM ^
What the hell was he supposed to do???
If you're going to bash on Leyland for making standard bullpen decisions, at least explain why you think they were wrong and what you would do instead.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 PM ^
i do think leyland waited one batter too long to replace ni. but no matter, ryan couldn't get anyone out today. i can't fault leyland for this one. porcello (and ryan) just struggled against that AAA lineup today.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:56 PM ^
Ni has been excellent against left handed hitters all season, yet Leyland pulled him for the right handed Perry when 2 left handed hitters were coming up. The result of this mistake was 4 runs.
Yesterday, Leyland put Zach Miner out there in a tie ball game, something he should never ever do.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 PM ^
If you're unable to separate the quality of the decision making-process from hindsight, your analysis is useless.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 PM ^
it's not hindsight.... i would never want to see Zach Miner come in during a tie game unless all of our other pitchers are unavailable
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:19 PM ^
It's ok to question him, even I do, but this team is in first place. Not very many people thought we would be in this position. Just enjoy it.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:51 PM ^
It sucked. Cust catches fire, and that's about it. The A's are a terrible team, but they're playing well right now in spite of themselves.
The Coliseum was like Tiger Stadium West, though.
August 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 PM ^
Brett Tomko, Tomo Ohka and Jeremy Sowers have shut down our lineup. This is past the point of ridiculous. If it wasn't for Cabrera hitting one halfway to Alcatraz today, this game would have been embarassing.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:56 PM ^
I swear one night we're going to see one that reads:
Who is the best football coach in Michigan history?
A) Fielding Yost
B) Bo Schembechler
C) Fritz Crisler
D) Brandon Inge
And somehow 98% of these jackasses are going to vote for Inge, and Rod and Mario are going to sit and giggle about it.