Game 132: Indians (63-67) at Tigers (64-67)

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 5:00 PM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, Aug 26, 2008 7:05 PM EDT

Cliff Lee (18-2, 2.43) vs. Chris Lambert (0-0, -.--)

Just a 1/2 game now separates the Tigers and Indians as the AL Central, with the likely AL Cy Young Award winner taking the mound for the road team, and the home team countering with a rookie making his first major league start.

Cliff Lee has allowed more than two runs only twice in his last 10 starts, but one of those games was against Detroit, who ran up six runs and 10 hits against him in five innings a month ago at Progressive Field. That accounts for the 7.20 ERA Lee has versus the Tigers in two starts this season. In 16 career starts facing Detroit, Lee is 4-6 with a 5.46 ERA.

Chris Lambert joins the Tigers from Triple-A Toledo to take Nate Robertson's turn in the starting rotation. (Francis Beltran was designated for assignment to make room for Lambert and has 10 days to decide whether or not to go to the minors.) Just about a year ago, the St. Louis Cardinals made him the player to be named later in exchange for Mike Maroth. In 26 starts this season with the Mud Hens (including three complete games), Lambert was 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA.

UPDATE: After leaving last night's game early because of back spasms, Carlos Guillen is out of the lineup tonight. Ryan Raburn gets the start at third base in his place.

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1st game the year in person

with a rookie vs a Cy Young candidate it might not be a fun one. But hey Armando Galarraga beat CC Sabathia in his first start this year, so anything possible, right?

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

by rock n rye on Aug 26, 2008 5:32 PM EDT reply actions

Starting Lineups

CLEVELAND

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Franklin Gutierrez, LF
3. Ben Francisco, RF
4. Jhonny Peralta, SS
5. David Dellucci, DH
6. Ryan Garko, 1B
7. Jamie Carroll, 3B
8. Kelly Shoppach, C
9. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B

DETROIT

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Gary Sheffield, DH
6. Marcus Thames, LF
7. Edgar Renteria, SS
8. Ryan Raburn, 3B
9. Brandon Inge, C

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 6:38 PM EDT reply actions

Lambert starts off better than Galarraga did last night

Strikes out Sizemore on a nice change-up.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:08 PM EDT reply actions

A 1-2-3 first inning

Just nine pitches for Lambert.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:09 PM EDT reply actions

Six batters, six outs for Lambert

So far, so good.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:23 PM EDT reply actions

And... Jamey Carroll?

The last guy you’d expect to hit a home run slams one off Lambert to begin the third.

Pitch was right down the middle, no break.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:38 PM EDT reply actions

Kelly Shoppach returns...

After being quiet last night, he resumes his Tiger-killing ways with a solo homer. 2-0 Indians.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:40 PM EDT reply actions

This is now ugly

Marcus is letting balls skip past him in left. Balls going over Curtis in center. It’s all fallen apart in a big way this inning. 5-0 Indians.

Have a good night, folks.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 7:57 PM EDT reply actions

Farewell

Farewell, Chris Lambert, we hardly knew ye.

But the Indians lineup did.

Like, in the biblical sense.

by cherub_daemon on Aug 26, 2008 8:03 PM EDT reply actions

Got here late. Yikes.

Open ended question: Is DD using the last 30 games to truly evaluate and plan for next year, or do you think he is just averting his eyes like most of us are?

One more-was Lambert that bad, or did the two errors open the gates?

by rook34 on Aug 26, 2008 8:11 PM EDT reply actions

tough one

I think he is evaluating and planning, but he’s got a couple other things that he might be doing, too:

Give Sheff at bats, and hope he recovers enough for us to move him.
Same with Renteria.
Allowing prospects he might want to move an opportunity to show themselves to other teams.
Keep his own job (I hope that this is not an issue, but who knows)

by cherub_daemon on Aug 26, 2008 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions

All of the above?

Lambert grooved those pitches that Carroll and Shoppach took out of the park.

But the defense didn’t do him any favors. Raburn let a ball get past him that he tried to backhand, Thames got eaten up by a hop, and Granderson may have misjudged the ball hit over him in centerfield.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Aug 26, 2008 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Leyland

Doesn’t like the expanded roster. He thinks the fans deserve to see the stars plus he feels they owe it to the other teams to use their regular lineup. I don’t see how they can truly evaluate if they are not going to use the players that get a call up.

Lambert wasn’t good. The errors didn’t help although they weren’t the only reason for his troubles.

by ashmark on Aug 26, 2008 8:16 PM EDT reply actions