Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers GameThread, Jun 9, 2008 7:05 PM EDT

Game 63: Indians (28-35) at Tigers (26-36)

by Ian Casselberry on Jun 9, 2008 5:01 PM EDT in News Comment 53 comments

Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers

Cliff Lee (9-1, 2.45) vs. Dontrelle Willis (0-0, 4.50)

You know what? If the Tigers don't win tonight, it's not good enough. This team needs to start making a push in the AL Central and splitting a series with the club directly ahead of them isn't going to accomplish that. Greedy? A bit overambitious? Hey, the Tigers haven't given us much this season, so we have the right to ask for more. We've been expecting it ever since April.

But it's probably not going to be easy against Cliff Lee, whose numbers make him look like an early favorite for the AL Cy Young Award. But maybe - just maybe - the Tigers are catching Lee on a downward trend, as his last two starts haven't been of award-worthy consideration. In road starts against the Royals and Rangers, Lee gave up a combined 10 runs and 19 hits in 11 innings. For what it's worth, Lee hasn't won in his last five starts against Detroit.

Dontrelle Willis makes what presumably will be a full start tonight, after being limited to four innings in a "piggyback start" with Armando Galarraga last week. Willis pitched pretty well, allowing just two hits and no runs with three strikeouts. He did walk four batters, however, so control is still an issue.

With a night game, we'll hopefully have a strong GameThread tonight. I'll likely miss the first few innings as I'll be indulging my inner NPR listener and attending a David Sedaris book signing in Ann Arbor. After I'm done sipping my latte and trying to look cultured, I'll join the fracas at the end. (I probably shouldn't have admitted all of that.) Considering the Tigers have won the last two games with me away from the discussion, however, maybe this will be a good thing.

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This game means A LOT!!!!

I have been looking forward to this game for most of the day, but feel like I am going to just be angry before its over…dont get me wrong I really hope they can crack Cliff Lee. This game is very very important in my eyes because NOW is the time. Take 3 out of 4 and then win the first game of the White Sox’s series and you have two chances to take a series against the division leader. Most people call us dreamers for thinking their is even a chance they could turn this around…but most teams in the past who have fallen all the way to ten games back of 1st did not have the type of talent we have on this team. If their ever was a team capable of playing .650 baseball over the last 4 months of the season it would be the 2008 Tigers but has to be done tonight!!!! would be nice to see them get a couple runs in the first and start feeling good about them selfs..Go Tigers!!

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

This is THE important stretch. They have to show fight (and bats!) right now. This could be the run that we have needed to rebound. Ten games out at this point isn’t huge, especially with the OZ running the circus on the south side. Hopefully the storms that just came through Indy don’t stretch their way into Detroit. We already have massive (!!!) flooding in Indiana and Naptown just got 2 inches in about 1/2 an hour.

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 5:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WEATHER

OH man I would be bummed if it gets rained out…I have to work till 9 pm tonight and I was counting on this game to get me thru the last few hours of work..Just checked the weather and their is a Sever thunderstorm watch for Detroit right now.

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

well Ian

I’m be going fishing and trying not to smell, er, cultured. Have fun! Let us know how the book is too when you’re done with it.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by MackAveKurt on Jun 9, 2008 6:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Way to lay down the law, Ian.

I completely agree with you.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

BALLS

This could get ugly, early…get the ball over the damn plate!

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 7:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

well..

he got it over the plate, huh.

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Raise your hands.

Who thinks that we’ll win this game now?

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

at least

Dontrelle got 2 strikeouts…

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Always a silver lining

And Lee wasn’t even close pitching to Edgar.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this season

I’ve become an expert on silver linings

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well think of the positive

atleast we are not facing a really good pitcher tonight, because we always suck against any good pitcher

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 7:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FAT CAT

wow Cabrea left runners in scoring postion, so not like him to do that…he has been clutch all season long!!

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 7:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, he at least swung the bat….

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shoppach

Can that guy run the bases any harder?

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 7:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

oh God

the prospect of watching Dontrelle fight Steve Blass disease for the next 3 years is nauseating.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

C'mon Jim.

Get him out of there.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

when?

so how long will jimmy wait to hook him?

by HavocRox on Jun 9, 2008 7:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My Lord

why cant I just turn it off and walk away…better yet why cant I just put them away for weeks…I am so tired of this painfull season, but no matter what I do I am stuck with this garbage till september..I cant NOT watch baseball for a summer..they make me so mad

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 7:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Where is Hernandez?

So as Orel Hershiser continues to go over Wills’ mechanical problems, how has Chuckie never gone over this?

42% of his pitches are blatantly wild. This is high school JV-level stuff.

by TFerg1103 on Jun 9, 2008 7:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

willis

at this point he doesnt deserve a minor league contract this guy was terribly over rated

by HavocRox on Jun 9, 2008 7:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My God, this is awful...

I’d laugh if it wasn’t so sad.

Willis is struggling horribly. He can’t throw a strike without it being a meatball.

All I keep thinking is “Steve Blass Disease.”

waynefontes.com sidelionreport.com

by BigAl on Jun 9, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

all im thinkin is “trade bait”

by HavocRox on Jun 9, 2008 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who'd want him?

He can’t throw strikes, and is owed $29 million dollars over 3 seasons.

Willis is literally and figuratively untradable.

waynefontes.com sidelionreport.com

by BigAl on Jun 9, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now we know

What it would have looked like if Chuck Knoblauch had been a pitcher.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

DTrain to the DL

make up some bogus “tired arm” excuse and don’t let him see the field again until he gets this wildness behind him.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

so he most likely wont play again. he has been wild his whole career

by HavocRox on Jun 9, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

2005

he walked 55 in 236 innings. This wildness has developed over the last few years.

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could vomit

by ThaWalrus9 on Jun 9, 2008 7:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's a shame...

The amount of players that we included in the deal to pry him and Cabrera away from the Marlins. I still think that Cabrera will eventually settle in and be a very productive player but what would the cost for just Cabrera been? Could the Tigers have held onto Miller? No matter what Willis did rookie year, you can’t deny that Miller is a better pitcher right now.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 7:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the sad fact is, if you were once a marlin and played for dombrowski and leyland, they want you in detroit. how many marlins do we have now? sad just sad seems domrowski is doing what smith did years ago, he would only trade with his former teams, astros and padres.

by HavocRox on Jun 9, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's see...

Sheff, Edgar, Willis, Cabrera, Todd Jones, we used to have Jock Jones, Pudge, Robertson, am I missing anyone?

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hell, I'm a better pitcher right now...

I agree with you on Miggy, he’s going to hit, and hit a ton. He’s too good, the stats don’t lie. Alone, he was worth both Maybin and Miller.

But Willis? I can understand taking a shot on him, as he’s only a couple of years removed from winning 22 games. The mistake was the 3 year contract extension before the D-Train proved he could still pitch.

waynefontes.com sidelionreport.com

by BigAl on Jun 9, 2008 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't matter.

The Marlins refused to move Cabrera without Willis. Probably they saw the writing on the wall and decided to move his salary.

by cherub_daemon on Jun 9, 2008 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

8 RUNS, 4 HITS

Pretty much sums it up…

by Zappatista on Jun 9, 2008 7:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

MAYBIN

That deal is going to haunt us so bad…Cameron Maybin is going to be a superstar

by PBURGTIGER on Jun 9, 2008 8:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather

Trade prospects for proven players. You never know what “can’t-miss” guy will miss. There are stories all over baseball of people that have all the tools and are highly-rated and never pan out. I think that Cabrera is one of those guys that had proven production at the major-league level and I still have faith in him. Willis on the other hand, needed to prove that he could still be an effective pitcher. He wasn’t the past two seasons and he hasn’t been this season (obviously). If it was possible for the Tigers to make that trade for less if Willis wasn’t included, they should have gone that route. I guess hindsight is 20/20, but like Al said, the team should have let him pitch in the AL for a while before they gave him an extension.

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To win it all...

In a league with the Red Sox and Yanks requires a big gamble every now and then. We made one. As of right now, sure, it is a miserable failure. But we do not know what will become of Maybin. Personally, I think we might miss Miller more. But you never know.

We gave it a shot-it has not panned out. Miggy could still be Manny Ramirez. We just do not know right now.

by rook34 on Jun 9, 2008 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

77 strikeouts

222 at-bats in AA.

He’s going to have to fix a few holes in his swing pretty good to be a superstar.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by MackAveKurt on Jun 9, 2008 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I got home from my own baseball game, turned the TV on, saw 8-0, top 2, turned off the tube, not watching. I no longer care.

Go Tigers

by Tony K on Jun 9, 2008 8:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Should I be rooting for the Tigers or the rain?

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 8:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's more silver lining.

This might be the last time we see Dontrelle Willis north of Toledo.

by bradm on Jun 9, 2008 8:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

For his own health,

let us all hope it is the last we see of him anywhere for a long while.

by rook34 on Jun 9, 2008 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Keep raining.

Please, keep raining.

by rook34 on Jun 9, 2008 8:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Come onnnnnnn, rainout!

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 9:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

do they start the game at 8-2

I honestly can’t remember if they start the game at 8-2 or just begin it over…

by busta on Jun 9, 2008 9:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

From the MLB Rulebook.

4.10
(a) A regulation game consists of nine innings, unless extended because of a tie score, or shortened (1) because the home team needs none of its half of the ninth inning or only a fraction of it, or (2) because the umpire calls the game. EXCEPTION: National Association leagues may adopt a rule providing that one or both games of a doubleheader shall be seven innings in length. In such games, any of these rules applying to the ninth inning shall apply to the seventh inning.
(b) If the score is tied after nine completed innings play shall continue until (1) the visiting team has scored more total runs than the home team at the end of a completed inning, or (2) the home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning.
(c) If a game is called, it is a regulation game:
(1) If five innings have been completed;
(2) If the home team has scored more runs in four or four and a fraction half-innings than the visiting team has scored in five completed half-innings;
(3) If the home team scores one or more runs in its half of the fifth inning to tie the score.
(d) If a regulation game is called with the score tied, it shall become a suspended game. See Rule 4.12.
(e) If a game is called before it has become a regulation game, the umpire shall declare it "No Game."
(f) Rain checks will not be honored for any regulation or suspended game which has progressed to or beyond a point of play described in 4.10©

by Grant E. on Jun 9, 2008 9:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs