Game 70: Tigers (32-37) at Giants (30-40)
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 9:01 PM EDT
in Detroit Tigers News
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PrintDetroit Tigers at San Francisco Giants, Jun 16, 2008 10:15 PM EDT
Justin Verlander (3-9, 4.65) vs. 
Tim Lincecum (8-1, 1.99)
Now that the Tigers have figured out this winning thing at Comerica Park, they travel to California for six games and see if their roll can continue in the Pacific time zone.
First up, the San Francisco Giants, who are currently 10 games under .500 but generally playing better than was expected of them before the season. A big reason for the Giants' success is the pitching of Tim Lincecum, who's been spectacular. He's only allowed two total runs in his last three starts (21 innings), yet only has one win to show for the effort. Lincecum has also thrown 15 consecutive quality starts, going back to last year. Should we mention that he's striking out almost 10 batters per nine innings (9.6)?
Justin Verlander isn't quite on the same kind of streak, but he's never lost in Interleague Play. He's won all seven of his starts, posting a 1.99 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. Verlander is also coming off his best game of the season, a complete game four-hitter vs. the White Sox. Of course, Verlander had the good stuff that night, but he also finally received some overdue run support from his lineup, which had to have helped his confidence.
I don't know if this Vernor's thing is going to work outside of Detroit, especially since I'm not sure if you can find it anywhere in San Francisco. But as you know, ginger ale has been very good to us over the past week.
McCovey Chronicles, a SB Nation institution, has your opposing view for this three-game series. I'm going to try and stay awake for these west coast games, and hope some of you guys are crazy enough to join me in the GameThread.
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Starting Lineups
DETROIT
1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Carlos Guillen, 3B
4. Magglio Ordonez, RF
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
6. Marcus Thames, LF
7. Ivan Rodriguez, C
8. Michael Hollimon, SS
9. Justin Verlander, P
SAN FRANCISCO
1. Fred Lewis, LF
2. Ray Durham, 2B
3. Randy Winn, RF
4. Bengie Molina, C
5. Aaron Rowand, CF
6. John Bowker, 1B
7. Rich Aurilia, 3B
8. Omar Vizquel, SS
9. Tim Lincecum, P
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 9:02 PM EDT reply actions
Agreed....
Probably come down to one big hit or one big mistake. Let’s hope it’s a big hit by our guys. Tough assignnment for JV tonight, though. Lincecum is flithy.
Zumaya's line tonight
One inning, one run allowed on two hits. Two strikeouts.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 9:39 PM EDT reply actions
Francisco Cruceta also pitched a scoreless inning, with one walk.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions
while we're all waiting for the game to start
allow me to recommend this video which sums up a very interesting article by Gregg Easterbrook (of Tuesday Morning Quarterback fame) about the possibility of a space rock striking Earth:
Man, Easterbrook totally ruined ‘Armageddon’ for me.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Could Tim Lincecum look any younger?
looks like he should be getting ready for prom, not pitching in the majors
you know there's a winning streak
when the comments hit double digits before the game starts!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 16, 2008 10:11 PM EDT reply actions
Has there ever been a game in history...
That featured two power pitchers who were skinnier that Verlander and Lincecum? They both have such electric stuff but neither really look like they throw as hard as they do.
haha, good question
Pedro vs Randy Johnson sometime (I am assuming they faced each other at some point)?
Well...
At least Guillen didn’t ground into that double play.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 10:20 PM EDT reply actions
After
he threw 4 straight balls, CG was up there hacking at everything. Maybe he should have batted righty against him!
I realize that Lincecum is excellent...
But the Tigers really need to sweep this team. Molina batting cleanup? BENJI Molina? And on Tigers Weekly, Ryan Field said that “The Tigers will travel to beautiful San Francisco to take on Randy Wynn and the Giants.” Randy Wynn? Really? That’s the best that the Giants can come up with?
That's what I was thinking
Is this really an MLB team? Obviously their pitcher is excellent though, so that’s all it takes.
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 16, 2008 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
it's felt like that a few times this year
Unfortunately the Tigers looked like the 100 run offense in many of those games!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 16, 2008 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Baseball Tonight
Watching it now and Buster Olney just mentioned that Brian Cashman may be fired if the Yankees miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Let me speak for baseball fans everywhere when I say “Screw the Yankees and their sense of playoff entitlement.”
Marcus Thames
His last SIX hits have all been HRs. He’s the Cris Carter of the MLB: “All he does is hit home runs!”
Shoot, it’s too late to make my joke about Thames staying in the lineup, isn’t it?
But for superstition’s sake…
Yeah, I think Marcus Thames should stay in the lineup.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 16, 2008 10:40 PM EDT reply actions
on a related note
at this point, Ryan Raburn should take a picture of Leyland in the shower and try to blackmail him with it. Seriously, WHAT does Rabrun have to do in order to get regular playing time?
That's an image
we could all do without, thanks!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 16, 2008 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
oops, 12 hours and counting workday talking
Thought for some reason Sheff was back up with the big club already…..where’s that happening, Toledo?
Yeah, that’s my guess.
Check out www.spotstarters.com for more news on the Detroit Tigers.
by spotstarters on Jun 16, 2008 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions
who the bleep is hollimon? I mean, I’m a guy hanging out around a Tigers blog, and every day there’s some kid in the lineup I’ve never heard of….
No f'ing way
I’m watching MLB’s livestats…. did he seriously just hit another????
how can
they possibly take him out of the line up? the guy is raking.. 7 hits, 7 homeruns
Jeff
that’s a better comparison.
Check out www.spotstarters.com for more news on the Detroit Tigers.
by spotstarters on Jun 16, 2008 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Marcus Thames has 72... and they're all poisonous
http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/
Hot tamale
To paraphrase the no-hit wonder, Aaron Carter
Plunk after Plunk
Slam after Slam
Everybody say it
Marcus da Man
Tough call
Looks like Molina could’ve missed Pudge, but hard to tell from the two angles they’ve shown.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:02 AM EDT reply actions
By the way...
Are these kinds of calls subject to review if MLB adopts instant replay?
Okay, the angle they just showed from the first base side looks like Molina tagged Pudge.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep
Just home run calls. That’s the way to do it. Though I don’t think it should be adopted during this regular season.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
So if Rodney's in the dugout...
Does that essentially mean he’s not pitching tonight? Not that I would recommend he comes into this game.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:06 AM EDT reply actions
Only seven pitches. Yeah, Dolsi might pitch the 8th, with Rodney on stand-by.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
everything I know of Leyland
says he’s not afraid to throw a guy out there. I say Rodney gets the 8th.
Regardless of how this game turns out
Four runs is the most Lincecum has given up this season.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:15 AM EDT reply actions
Ok
I know I’ve been the biggest proponent of the sad reality that Dolsi may be sent down, but let me say here and now I don’t think he should be. Freddy Dolsi has a major league arm and should be pitching the 6th the rest of the year.
So we were both right
Here comes Rodney. Dolsi left kind of a mess for him.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:25 AM EDT reply actions
See
A nice low leverage situation for Rodney to get comfortable.
One change too many?
That was a shot. John Bowker?
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:30 AM EDT reply actions
I shoulda said it at the time so it wouldn't look like back seat driving
but that was retarded to put rodney into that situation
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 17, 2008 12:32 AM EDT reply actions
Ugh
They have given up a lot of 2 strike hits today.
His fastball looks outta control right now
doesn’t seem to have command over it (at least as of now)
Brian Wilson
19 of 21 in save opportunities.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:35 AM EDT reply actions
Only 4 runs
I had a bad feeling going into the inning given they have only won 2 games all year when they have scored 4 runs or less.
Man oh man
That really couldn’t have gone much worse for Rodney.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:39 AM EDT reply actions
Maybe he didn't have to...
But Rich Aurilia doesn’t exactly appear to run hard.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:40 AM EDT reply actions
Well, now...
This has become interesting.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:51 AM EDT reply actions
Yep
He stayed in there and fought out the at-bat.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions
How many other shortstops make that play? Even at Vizquel’s age?
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 17, 2008 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions
He may not be the player he once was...
And he is just dreadful with the bat, but he sure is fantastic defensively.
Dolsi left two runners on, right?
so his runner was the game winner
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 17, 2008 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions
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