The Finish Line is Near: Tigers 7, Twins 2
by Ian Casselberry on Oct 1, 2009 7:45 AM EDT
in Detroit Tigers News
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PrintIt's so close. So very close. Tiger Town is leaning on the dugout rail in anticipation, ready to jump over it and take the field. And if the Detroit Tigers win one more time, we're going to celebrate.
Right now, all things seem possible. Heck, if the Tigers can beat Carl Pavano, what can't they do?
Pavano's mastery over the Tigers lineup was one of the most baffling aspects of this 2009 season. In five starts against Detroit, he had a 4-0 record and 1.69 ERA. Yet overall, he had a 4.86 ERA coming into Wednesday's game. So the Tigers were probably due to finally get to this guy, right?
Oh, they got to Pavano, all right. And did so early, pouncing on him in the second inning with four runs. The Tigers led off with on two singles and a walk. With the bases loaded and no outs, this would either be a chance to finally lay a smackdown on Pavano or commit an epic squandering. There was no squandering. Brandon Inge stroked a two-run double to left-center. Two batters later, Ramon Santiago singled to drive in two more runs.
But the Tigers weren't done with Pavano at that point. They had five games worth of frustration to take out on the guy. In the fifth inning, Detroit again loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. This time, however, there were two outs, so the squandering would not have been epic. But Magglio Ordonez made sure that didn't happen.
Ordonez jumped on a first-pitch fastball up in the strike zone, lacing into a wide-open gap in left-center field to clear the bases. (As I wrote for one of our overflow gamethreads, is there any more beautiful sight than a ball into the gap with nothing but green surrounding it?) That gave the Tigers seven runs, as many as Pavano had allowed altogether in his previous five starts versus Detroit.
The primary beneficiary of all that offense was Eddie Bonine, who could've used at least three of those runs last Friday in Chicago, but was surely happy with what he received Wednesday night.
Bonine provided a huge scare in the first inning, however, putting five straight Minnesota batters on base. With two runs already in, the Twins had the bases loaded with one out. Imminent disaster? Not this time. Jose Morales hit a groundball to second, which Placido Polanco and Santiago turned for a huge double play. That might have been the ballgame right there, as the Tigers took control soon thereafter.
So very close now. The Tigers' magic number is two. Can they push this pennant race over the finish line this afternoon?
Roar:
With 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Bonine last night, Zach Miner now hasn't allowed a run in his last 12 innings.
And in a non-save situation with a five-run lead, Fernando Rodney got three straight groundball outs to finish out the game.
Comment of the Night:
Paging Kevin Rand. Kevin Rand to the field.
Pavano’s been mauled by a gaggle of determined Tigers. Bring the bandaids.
by wepri31
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i'm really hoping for the win today
also, jeff passan, the yahoo sports writer, did a piece about us today. normally i respect the guy’s opinion, but he’s just bashing us and the twins, heck, the whole AL Central.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Au78nGSeCHWRSlPgIbB0IgURvLYF?slug=jp-tigers093009&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
I Like Pie
Jerk
May he die in a fire with the Yankees and Twinks.
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
Passan writes like a douchebag
Condescending and full of himself
by ryan_matthews28 on Oct 1, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
And we are more than capable of beating the Yankees
You would think Jeff Pissant would be less dismissive after what we did in ’06 and with our top 3 starters on the whole being better in a playoff series. Maybe it has something to do with him being from the cesspool known as Cleveland? 61 years and counting, the Indians will be the new Chicago Cubs in no time and I am more than fine with that.
by ryan_matthews28 on Oct 1, 2009 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
That article pissed me off
He made it sound like the only reason we’re in this race is because we beat Cleveland 14 times. He fails to mention our good record against the AL West, for one.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:10 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I decided on the way in to work
that I’m leaving at noon. Even though i’m in an office all by myself, I’m sure I will call out a few not safe for work words this afternoon, so it’s better to do that from the comfort of my own home. Besides, I know I’m going to be sorely in need of cigarettes for the game.
I already told my boss if we're doing lunch, we have to go at 11
and that I am going home to watch the celebration if they clinch :)
Oooooooooh
Joe Mauer tipping pitches! This video is posted at Twinkie Town, with a comment along the lines of “This is what they’ll use to justify not giving him the MVP”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhWYrmcSDAU&feature=player_embedded
It happens all the time really....
and usually the catcher will meet with the pitcher right there to do quick sign changes. Mauers signal was way to obvious though. Mauer doing the macarena would be less obvious.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
Pretty fascinating stuff
“Game within the game” and all that.
But yeah, I bet this happens all the time, though likely not always as blatantly as Mauer was doing it.
by Ian Casselberry on Oct 1, 2009 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
great video
cool how Laird caught onto it as well. Like Ian said, the game within the game.
Nothing wrong with it either, that’s baseball.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 1, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep, our guys do it too
At least, I noticed Pudge tipping pitches to the hitter when he was on base once or twice in past years. I think I’ve caught Polanco doing it as well.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:29 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, if Rod Allen is to be believed
Catchers and middle infielders tend to be the most proficient at stealing signs.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:37 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I think it's a hoot.
Mauer deserves the MVP, but he needs to learn to be less obvious. But the way Laird picks up on it and adjusts — I love this kind of baseball. As Yogi said “90% of baseball is mental. The other half is physical.”
so i'm up early to try to study for my exam that's at one
and i realized, there might not even be an exam. the prof missed a week at a conference. also, i skipped tuesday’s class to watch the tigers game with you folks, so i don’t know what’s going on. my friends aren’t online and i can’t call them at the moment…oh the dilemna!
I Like Pie
You guys were all over this last night
I couldn’t join in but I did some really quick math and came up with around 2000 posts!
Ian, does any other SNB site have that traffic in one game?
I need to look into that
Some of the other blogs, like Bleed Cubbie Blue, Athletics Nation, and Lone Star Ball, have gotten heavy traffic for as long as I can remember. But of course, interest wanes once those teams fall out of contention.
Right now, we’re looking pretty good. But I’ll try to get some actual numbers on that.
by Ian Casselberry on Oct 1, 2009 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I hung out at DRays Bay during the postseason last year
They were averaging at least a thousand comments a game. But it could’ve just been because it was the postseason.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Hope this picture from Yahoo comes through
I have issues with posting pics here from work computer, but I just love this
without his hair he weighs significantly less...
should make him more affordable.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
I miss those locks
but I’ll take those sweet swings, anyday. I would sacrifice the hair for the hits
I just wish I would stop mixing him up with other guys
I’m serious. There have been several instances where I’ve glanced at him and initially thought I was looking at someone else. Usually I think he’s Raburn, but I’ve also mistaken him for Cabrera and Chad Durbin (that one was really bad because Durbin isn’t even with the Tigers anymore).
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:33 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Today is The Day!
I even threw the dress code out of the window for work today- I wore my jersey and hat. They all know I’m a little crazy anyway.
I don’t know if I’ll get anything done after 1.
whether we do it today or not, I'm totally wearing one of my shirts to work tomorrow
eff it, it’s friday. hehe
lineup is out
Granderson cf, Santiago 2b, Ordonez rf, Cabrera 1b, Guillen lf, Thames dh, Inge 3b, Laird c, Everett ss, Robertson p.
dunno
skip has said in the past polly tells him when he needs a day off, so, maybe that’s what happened.
I don't like Thames at DH.
there must be someone who is swinging better than him right now, maybe Raburn?
My dad told me he's ditching work this afternoon to watch the game
or as he put it, “taking the afternoon off to watch baseball.” This just makes it even more difficult for me to decide if I should to go to my 1-2:30 class. I really should because it’s my most difficult class and I don’t want to miss anything and I don’t have a buddy in that class I could get notes from or anything, so I’ll probably go and be completely distracted the whole time, then race back to watch the rest on TV. Let’s go Tigers!!!
by kendra.michelle on Oct 1, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
If you could text me updates, that would rock
I can surreptitiously check my phone during class. hehe.
by kendra.michelle on Oct 1, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm still debating
I can contemplate during my 11:30-1 lecture (I never pay much attention in there anyway). The decision will probably be made right before the class starts. I feel like Brett Favre…
by kendra.michelle on Oct 1, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
I envy you all
Lab is required. If I don’t go, I fail the class. And even a division title isn’t worth that.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:18 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
So this amused me for some reason
I was standing in line at Magic Wok when I noticed that all the TVs in the food court (which were all on ESPN) were frozen. The image they were frozen on? A shot of Grandy picking up the ball he misplayed in the first.
However, I am NOT amused at the fact that they just turned on crappy hip hop music while I’m trying to study.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 11:17 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
On a day we can clinch? I don’t understand.
by StringTheory on Oct 1, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
WOOOOO
my exam got pushed back to next tuesday! i’ll still miss the first hour of the game, but i won’t be stressed silly!
I Like Pie
So I looked on MLB.com
for the team combined BA’s for us and the Twins…..
This year against Baker the team BA is .358
This year the Twin’s team BA against Nate is .217
I love thosae numbers…. a lot
Well that's certainly comforting
What’s even MORE comforting is the fact that the boss just left for meetings through the afternoon leaving me in charge…heh…
where’s that freakin remote…?
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