OT: Tigers v. A's - 5/19/10
Wouldn't have bothered to post this if it weren't for JV's performance thus far.
7 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks
Most impressively: 82 pitches through 7. For a guy that's averaging over 110 and usually hits that mark by the 6th, you gotta consider this JV's best performance (knock on wood) of the year, despite the low Ks.
If I totally jinx the rest of JV's start, feel free to neg.
Tigers up 5-0, top of 8 BTW.
Eh, mini-jinx. Gave up a run, but still a very good line. Probably Valverde time.
The rookies came up big tonight. Jackson had the clutch RBI, Wells had that RBI double and Worth had 3 hits.
JV's final line: CG, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K. 99 pitches (!!!)
Excellent game from Verlander. I'd love to see more low pitch count games even if it means fewer 10 K games.
Rooks did come up big. Definitely nice to get a win with Cabrera and Boesch going a combined 0-7 and Maggs on the bench.
Ah yeah, I checked the box score before the pitch count was updated. Not quite three exclaimation points worthy, but like you said, i'll still take it.
Tigers now 1 GB of the Twins.
great outing by Verlander. Does what an ace is supposed to do -- stops a losing streak from starting and saves the pen. Terrific stuff by JV.
would say "JV was FILTHY tonight"!
If I'm not mistaken... that's a drink!
DIRTY!
/rod allen voice
He a baaaad boy.
FWIW, when they were showing the clip of the confrontation between A-Rod and Braden, I remember Rod sayign "I'd never do something like that". For a second, I thought they might show the clip of him charging the mound from his days playing in Japan, which is the Royal Flush of the Rod Allen drinking game (not sure how many drinks, but it's more than anything else). Sadly, they did not (at least not until after I fell asleep).
need to do to go down as the #1 Tiger's pitcher of all time when his career is said and done in 10 or 15 years or so?
1) More wins than Mickey Lolich (207)
2) Lower career ERA than Jack Morris (3.73)
3) Win a World Series (all the great Tiger pitchers from Schooboy Rowe to Newhouser, to Lolich to Morris won the World Series)
I would also throw in 20 wins in a season multiple times, but with the modern game I don't know if that's all that probable. Even with all of that though, it's going to be hard to call him the best Tiger pitcher of all time considering we have Hal Newhouser and Jack Morris on our career staff (Morris's late years with the Jays and Indians really tarnished his legacy). Still I give JV a fighting chance at the title-- I would say he has a chance at passing Jeff Robinson at least :)