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Game 24: Angels (14-9) at Tigers (10-13)

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers, Apr 25, 2008 7:05 PM EDT


Ervin Santana (3-0, 2.67) vs. Nate Robertson (0-2, 7.48)

Okay, let's see if we can get through today without another network outage!  According to Tech Lord Trei, we're still in "test mode," but everything should be in working order - at least for the SBN baseball sites - today.  Fingers crossed, and good luck charms rubbed.

(Hello from Asheville, NC, by the way, where we're scouting out possible future living for Mama Cass as I slowly make my way back up to Michigan.   The plan is to be in Lexington, KY by game time, so maybe I'll be able to participate in the GameThread tonight.  Although Kurt has raised the point that I might not be allowed back in the state of Michigan, let alone open thread participation, as the Tigers have played quite well in my absence.)

After the Texas Rangers helped everyone in Detroit feel better about baseball again, we should find out how much of the Tigers' success is due to the Rangers' ineptness and how much is due to the actual improvement we've been waiting to see.  But Detroit has also swept two straight series at home now, which might be something worth mentioning.

Amazingly, the Angels still insist on pitching Ervin Santana on the road, despite one of the scariest home-road splits you'll see from a starting pitcher.  Santana's road record over his four-year career is 12-21 with a 6.92 ERA.  But that could be old news, as Santana has actually won his first two road starts this season, at Minnesota and Texas, giving up just five runs in 13 innings. 

Santana would be excused, however, if he still had nightmares about the last time he pitched in Comerica Park.  I was actually in attendance that afternoon, so the carnage is particularly vivid in my memory.  The Tigers beat Santana like a dusty rug on a clothesline, tagging him for eight runs in just 3 2/3 innings.  Both Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield (neither of whom might be in tonight's lineup) blasted home runs, en route to an eventual 12-0 victory.  I almost - almost - broke my rule about leaving games early that day.

But maybe I shouldn't be quite so boastful about this evening's match-up, as Nate Robertson has his own bad history against the team that comes to us from Orange County.  Though his last start against the Angels was in Anaheim, Robertson was pounded like pizza dough nonetheless.  Over 5 2/3 innings, the Angels scored eight runs and 10 hits, which took care of any "tough luck" laments for that particular game.  Robertson has never beaten the Angels in seven career starts, posting an 0-4 record and 8.91 ERA.

Halos Heaven provides the SB Nation opposing view for this weekend's three-game series.

0 recs  |  Comment 15 comments

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Polly...

is he going to play back to back?

Also, SB Nation needs to go down about 7:04 PM…..

by Zappatista on Apr 25, 2008 5:54 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Asheville, huh?

Back in high school, we were doing a section in English about BF Skinner and thoreau, about what your ideal world would look like, and I ended up choosing Asheville for the location of the heaven on earth….largely because the weather totally matched what I’d consider perfect.

by ahtrap on Apr 25, 2008 5:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Swannanoa

I went to college in a small town just outside Asheville.

by pfuhrmeister on Apr 25, 2008 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hopefully, Sheffield can make it back tonight

He’s hit Santana pretty hard in his career (6-10, HR, 2 RBI and a walk) and we need all the help we can get considering what Vlad has done to Robertson when they’ve faced each other (9-16, 2B, HR, 6 RBI’s and 2 BB’s). Scary stuff right there.

by Grant E. on Apr 25, 2008 6:14 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Ask and ye shall receive

Sheff batting third. Guillen out, though (Miguel at 1B and Inge at 3B)

by Grant E. on Apr 25, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Lineups

LA
3B Figgins, Chone
LF Matthews, Gary
RF Guerrero, Vladimir
CF Hunter, Torii
DH Rivera, Juan
SS Aybar, Erick
C Mathis, Jeff
1B Kotchman, Casey
2B Izturis, Maicer

Detroit
CF Granderson, Curtis
2B Polanco, Placido
DH Sheffield, Gary
RF Ordonez, Magglio
1B Cabrera, Miguel
LF Jones, Jacque
SS Renteria, Edgar
C Rodriguez, Ivan
3B Inge, Brandon

by pfuhrmeister on Apr 25, 2008 6:49 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Let's Comment While I Still Can...

Nice start to the game..Go Tigers!

by spartyboy40 on Apr 25, 2008 7:10 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Both pitchers look awfully sharp to start this game

Hopefully the Tigers start working counts and run up Santana’s PC.

by Grant E. on Apr 25, 2008 7:25 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Gameday

Looks like it’s hung up in the bottom of the second

by pfuhrmeister on Apr 25, 2008 7:32 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Santana

it’s going to be tough to touch this guy tonight.

Nate really needs to give us some good innings. He can start by getting out of this one.

by LosTigres on Apr 25, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

And we’re going to have to now.

by pfuhrmeister on Apr 25, 2008 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

This could get ugly fast

And the way Santana is throwing, it could be a tough night.

by pfuhrmeister on Apr 25, 2008 7:53 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Pistons at the half

Down by four, 44-40—Hamilton – 16 points, Rip and Tay carrying the team right now

by Grant E. on Apr 25, 2008 8:06 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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