OT: Tigers v. Royals (and Indians/Jimenez @ Rangers) - 8/5
The "A lineup" is out there, for all you Leyland watch dogs: Jackson, Boesch, Ordonez, Cabrera, Martinez, Peralta, Guillen, Avila, Betemit.
Ricky P is straight up dealing - faced the minimum through 3 innings, 1 H, 3 K.
Meanwhile, the tribe is up 3-1 at Texas and is threatening. I don't think they're going to go away as easily as many thought.
I agree, this is going to be a tight pennant race all the way until the end. I'm pretty confident the Tigers will pull it off though.
Wow, Avila just hit a bomb, and I mean a BOMB to straight away center. Probably a 450+ homer.
3-0 Tigers with Porcello cruising. Meanwhile the Tribe is also cruising, up 5.
I came here half expecting to see RIK PORSELO HAZ NO-NO GOIN THRU 1 LOL
Tigers have a ton of games against the division, so it's theirs to win or lose it seems. Here's to winning the Central for the first time!
The tigers should have fired Rick Knapp a long time ago the rotation (except Penny) has been really good the last month.
He's not a Cy Young candidate anymore like he was whenhe came up with Florida... he's a 5-7 inning veteran who will give up 3-5 runs... in other words, 85-90% of the time he gives your team a chance to win. I'll take that in a 4 or 5 starter. In today's game you need a dominant ace starter who gets around 20 wins, a 2 & 3 slot starter combo that will win 30+ games between the two fof them, and a 4 & 5 starter with a .500-ish record with around 10 -12 wins each. You get that, you then need 10-20 wins from your collective bullpen. That's a formula to make you a consistent playoff contender in every division in baseball except the AL East.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
You, my friend, have just disected the science of pitching.
August 6th, 2011 at 12:09 AM ^
You really think it's because of Knapp?
Porcello and Scherzer are talented guys. They were bound to get it together.
Of all the teams in the central not named KC, I'm least worried about the Indians.
Really? I think you can stick a fork in Minnesota. Cleveland is the closest and therefore worry me more than the Sox, but, all said, the division is the Tigs to lose at this point, and I don't think they will.
Porcello has been damn impressive recently.
Damn impressive.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
Roll tribe
August 5th, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^
If blowing two-run leads in the 9th is rolling then yes, roll tribe.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
i dont understand why leyland keeps bringing him in if he has truly sucked this year outside of april and may
August 6th, 2011 at 12:25 AM ^
Agreed. I wonder what Phil Coke's stats are with inherited base runners. It seems like every other outing he comes in and gives up a base hit or a walk.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
Well Jimenez looks impressively mediocre tonight.
5 IP, 7H, 4 ER, 3 BB, though 7 K.
I'm happy with Fister.
August 5th, 2011 at 11:20 PM ^
Barely know her...
August 5th, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
The awesome relief has killed them again. /facepalm.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:57 PM ^
Boesch with an RBI single in the 10th! Nice to see Boesch continuing the clutch ABs. What a year he's having.
August 5th, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
I was thinking the exact same thing. I want to see him wearing the Olde English D for many years to come!
August 5th, 2011 at 11:12 PM ^
Tigers win 4-3.
August 5th, 2011 at 11:18 PM ^
Incredibly efficient save from Papa Grande. 7 pitches, all strikes, 1-2-3 inning. Can't do it better, and he's the best in the business right now!
August 5th, 2011 at 11:32 PM ^
Michael Young with a 2-out, 2-run shot to tie the game with the Indians 7-7.
Me gusta.
August 6th, 2011 at 12:16 AM ^
This is just about average for Indians fans. Hopefully the team doesn't blow this game.
Edit: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
August 5th, 2011 at 11:49 PM ^
Personally I don't care either way. I kind of want the rangers to lose so that we get closer to squeaking by them for division series home field advantage vs. yankees/ red sox
In other baseball news, the Pirates apparently haven't gotten over that controversial 19th-inning loss just over a week ago. They've now lost eight straight. Yikes.