St. Louis @ Detroit GameThread, Jun 25, 2008 7:05 PM EDT

Game 77: Cardinals (45-33) at Tigers (36-40)

by Ian Casselberry on Jun 25, 2008 5:01 PM EDT in News

St. Louis @ Detroit

Kyle Lohse (9-2, 3.63) vs. Armando Galarraga (7-2, 3.03)

Last night, the Cardinals demonstrated why they're one of the best teams in the National League, smacking around two Tigers pitchers who came into the game throwing very well. (For those who still don't believe, Shysterball had a great line today about the Cards in his MLB recap.) Detroit has come back to win their two previous series after losing the first game, however, which says something about how they've been able to bounce back lately.

If the Cardinals are a surprising team, their poster boy has to be Kyle Lohse, who waited throughout the off-season for a free agent contract until St. Louis finally came knocking midway through Spring Training. And Lohse is hot, having won his six of his last seven starts (one being a no-decision) while posting a 2.09 ERA. In only three of those appearances did he allow two runs or more.

The Tigers have their own surprise, however, in Armando Galarraga. And he might be even more surprising, considering his lack of major league experience coming into this season. (At least Lohse had some expectations. He wasn't expected to be any good, but those are still expectations.) Galarraga is also boasting his own winning streak, having gotten the "W" in his last four starts. And over his last two appearances, he's allowed zero earned runs. (Boy, I hope I didn't just jinx the guy.)

The All-Star bandwagon for Galarraga is starting to build some steam, and beating a team like the Cardinals would put a gold star on his half-season resume as Terry Francona decides who to put on the AL squad.

I'll actually be at tonight's ballgame with the Daily Fungo crew, so you guys will have to keep the GameThread lights on for us. (Has it really taken me this long to get to my first game of the season? That's kind of embarrassing.) I look forward to reading people's comments after I get back from the park.

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Tonight's Lineups

St. L:

S. Schumaker RF
A. Miles 2B
R. Ankiel CF
T. Glaus 3B
C. Duncan LF
Y. Molina C
A. Kennedy 1B
N. Stavinoha DH
B. Ryan SS

Motown:

C. Granderson CF
P. Polanco 2B
C. Guillen 3B
M. Ordonez RF
M. Cabrera 1B
M. Thames LF
G. Sheffield DH
E. Renteria SS
I. Rodriguez C

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 6:30 PM EDT 0 recs

Kyle Lohse

I expect his bubble to burst any day now

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 7:04 PM EDT 0 recs

me too

let’s hope Armando’s bubble doesn’t burst sooner…

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Shhh. Don’t jinx this further.

by Grant E. on Jun 25, 2008 7:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yikes.

Not the best start ever. That guy in RF is waaaay to excited to have caught that baseball.

by Grant E. on Jun 25, 2008 7:06 PM EDT 0 recs

At this rate

Carlos will be Gold Glove caliber by the end of the year. Man, he’s really improved at the hot corner.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 7:26 PM EDT 0 recs

Wow

Could hit the plate from 66 feet, but he can gun a guy down from Centerfield

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 7:41 PM EDT 0 recs

couldn’t

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 7:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

bummer getting thrown out at third

but nice to see the score tied up

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 7:41 PM EDT 0 recs

yikes

that was truly awful

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 7:51 PM EDT 0 recs

Tigers trade Bautista to the Pirates

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3460726

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 7:56 PM EDT 0 recs

that's a horseshit call

pardon my french, but Marcus is right to be upset.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 8:05 PM EDT 0 recs

the location of both called strikes according to MLB Game Cast were clearly balls

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

that wasn't hitable even if he had a six foot bat

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 8:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wow this Ump is terrible

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 8:15 PM EDT 0 recs

the Tigers need to win this one

Kyle Lohse is bad. They need to jump all over him.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 8:22 PM EDT 0 recs

Late to the party.

But everyone is right about Wally Bell. He has been unconscionably bad behind the plate. The third strike on Marcus was just an awful, awful call, but the worst call he made was the 2-0 strike call on Maggs in the second. That pitch was over the line on the lefty batter’s box.

by Grant E. on Jun 25, 2008 8:25 PM EDT 0 recs

He got all of that one

That a boy Carlos

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 PM EDT 0 recs

YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 PM EDT 0 recs

POP!!!

there goes the bubble!

http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com/

by rock n rye on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 PM EDT 0 recs

Hope he doesn't get hit next AB

Carlos took an extra long look at that one. I suppose I would have watched if I hit a ball that far, too.

by Grant E. on Jun 25, 2008 8:32 PM EDT 0 recs

Damn

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 8:37 PM EDT 0 recs

fudge

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 8:38 PM EDT 0 recs

time to get another beer I guess

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 8:44 PM EDT 0 recs

grab me one too

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 8:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

delay?

So the GF is watching Tivo’d Jon and Kate plus 8. (Make it stop.)

Any words from Rod and Mario about how long the delay will last?

by tplants on Jun 25, 2008 8:58 PM EDT 0 recs

What happened to.....

mild mannered Marcus. He just lost it, not that I blame him. It was a bac call, but Country Strong went kinda crazy.

by densogirl on Jun 25, 2008 8:59 PM EDT 0 recs

did you see the call?

it was insanely bad. I think Mother Teresa would’ve dropped a few F bombs if she’d been rung up on such a BS call…

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 9:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think he should have done morem I would thrown something

In the word of TheWalrus9 “that;s a horseshit call” best discribes it.

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 9:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

didn't mean to be profane

but seriously, that’s probably one of the 5 worst calls I’ve ever seen.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 10:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

based on the radar I would give it another 10 to 15 min

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch." - Ty Cobb

by miggy4mvp on Jun 25, 2008 9:09 PM EDT 0 recs

not so much...

he says an hour and 10 minutes later….

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 10:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

What's up, sports fans?

Rain? On my Blackberry it just says “delay”

by pfuhrmeister on Jun 25, 2008 9:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Ok, just got back from work, and the Tigers have a rain delay. Even better, my dad returned from his business trip to Arizona with an Eric Byrnes jersey!

Go Tigers!

baseballbrew.blogspot.com

by Tony K on Jun 25, 2008 9:26 PM EDT 0 recs

any word?

is thing going to start soon?

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 25, 2008 9:37 PM EDT 0 recs

looking at the radar

might be another 45 minutes, but after that they should be good to go…

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 9:49 PM EDT 0 recs

radar

i was just looking at the radar and didnt think that long but maybe

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 25, 2008 9:53 PM EDT 0 recs

being conservative

hopefully sooner. Gotta figure it’ll take them 5-10 minutes to get the tarp off and get ready to play…

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 25, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

I guess its ok

I have to eliminate a few poker tables on my screen to make room for espn game day

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 25, 2008 10:00 PM EDT 0 recs

So

Did we draft that Fresno State pitcher? 8 IP, 5 hits, 1ER, 1 BB in a national championship game. Impressive stuff. Congrats to the “Bulldogs” who beat the “Bulldogs”.

PS- I think Andrew Miller was a winner in the championship game after we drafted him too.

by syratiger on Jun 25, 2008 10:21 PM EDT 0 recs