Total Buzzkill: Twins 8, Tigers 3
by Ian Casselberry on Oct 1, 2009 6:15 PM EDT
in Detroit Tigers News
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PrintThe storyline was laid out perfectly. All the Detroit Tigers had to do was follow it. But they don't do so well with that.
Sometimes, that's not a bad thing. If the Tigers simply followed the path that was drawn out for them before the season, they wouldn't be playing for an AL Central division title. But this afternoon, with a sellout Comerica Park ready to celebrate, it was most certainly a disappointment.
Detroit had a chance to score more runs on Scott Baker in the first inning, but stranded two runners on base. They took a 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Gerald Laird, but Baker didn't allow anything else from there. And one run wasn't nearly enough offense with the way the Tigers pitched this afternoon.
The Twins jumped on Nate Robertson in the third, as three singles, a hit batsmen, and a sacrifice fly resulted in three runs scored. That turned out to be a lead Minnesota never gave up. Denard Span drove in another run in the fourth, and a three-run margin was plenty against a Tigers offense that had no spark.
But the Tigers still arguably had a chance while down by three. At least they did until the eighth inning. Casey Fien got two outs, but also put two runners on. Bobby Seay came in to face Span, but walked him on six pitches. Seay probably should've been taken out from there. If the idea was to keep him in for Joe Mauer, well, Seay still had to get Orlando Cabrera out.
Seay didn't get Cabrera out, serving up a bases-clearing double that put the game out of reach. With the score 7-1, Jim Leyland apparently felt Seay might as well face Mauer. At the very least, he could end the inning, right? Not so much. Seay hung a slider out over the plate for Mauer to smack to the opposite field, driving in one more run.
The Tigers showed a faint pulse in their half of the inning, scoring two runs. But by then, it was far too little, much too late.
So the AL Central is still up for grabs. The Tigers had a chance to shut the door on the Twins, but instead let them get a foot in. And Minnesota very likely won't be taking it out. Detroit could still win the division by winning two of three this weekend from the White Sox. Or this could be resolved with a Tigers win and Twins loss. (Zack Greinke might be able to help Detroit out with that on Saturday.)
Detroit's gratification has been delayed, and who knows for how long? But hey, at least this weekend's last three games will be interesting.
Comment of the Day:
Not the best time...
For Nate Robertson to remember he’s Nate Robertson…
by moonshineboy
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At what point was that picture taken?
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions
well, we got our split.
It doesn’t feel that way.
by rook34 on Oct 1, 2009 6:32 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Hmmm...
While I was eating lunch today (before the game), I noticed the fortune in my fortune cookie said “Keep your nose to the grindstone.” Ironic, considering how this game turned out.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
i think we can get danks and garcia.
Peavy just scares me to death. We weren’t even competitive with him in Chicago.
by rook34 on Oct 1, 2009 6:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
This was not Robertson's fault
He gave us a quality start…6IP 3ER.
Fien and Seay put it out of reach, but the offense once again didn’t get anything going.
No, it's not the storybook ending
we envisioned after last night’s game. But if you’re MN, you have to win all your games and the Tigers no more than 1 just to force a playoff. Lots of pressure.
Boy,
those first two innings were fun!
Guess I’ll try again next year.
:’-(
I don't have a signature.
Did Baker and Pavano switch bodies?
Other thoughts:
1) This is nitpicky, but once Orlando Cabrera hit the bases-clearing double, WHY would you even bother pitching to Joe Mauer?
2) I can’t really comment on the offense, cuz I was only able to listen to the first two innings and the ninth inning. The Tigers had a lead when I left for lab. By the way, despite the score, I still would rather have spent my afternoon with you guys than do a mock counseling session with a TA on Enablex and Temazepam.
3) Hopefully, Bobby Seay was just rusty, cuz yikes. He hadn’t pitched in a long time, I’ll give him that. Then again, it had been even longer since Armando Galarraga pitched (September 17th) and he pitched quite well.
4) If we want to take something positive from this game, hey, Perry, Ni, and Galarraga all looked good.
5) Quit walking Nick Punto.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
5) Quit walking Nick Punto.
No kidding. One thing we Twins fans agree with you guys on – Nick Punto sucks. I don’t understand why pitchers walk him. Pitch in the zone to him, you’ll get him out all the time.
Then again, I also don’t understand why we signed him to such a big contract…
by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Oct 1, 2009 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Help, please
Could someone explain this Jason Beck tweet to me:
Angel Hernandez warns #tigers and #twins after Mijares throws behind Everett. Leyland argues and is ejected. Bobby Higginson not involved.
I’ll probably feel really dumb after finding out what he’s talking about, but I’d still like to know.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
from what i recall
baker hit thames in the head with a pitch. later on, he almost hit him in the head again. thames responded by glaring then sliding hard into second after he got on base, and was called out anyway. I believe he may have chirped a bit from the dugout. unsure.
mijares then threw behind everett, not immediately after that; i forget how much time had passed. everyone was warned. leyland argued, was ejected. next half inning, delmon young comes to the plate, bondo hits him behind the knee with the first pitch. bondo ejected, laird argues and is ejected, mcclendon (acting mgr) appears to be ejected but is allowed to stay since I guess we had no one else to manage.
I don’t know what bobby higginson has to do with anything? was that a joke? no clue. someone let me know if I missed anything, I just woke up from a nap.
Yeah, I watched those innings on MLB.tv replay and saw all the ejections and stuff
It’s the Bobby Higginson reference that I don’t understand.
Also, I guess if McClendon were to get ejected, probably Larry Parrish becomes acting manager?
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah I guess that'd make sense.
I’m wondering if bondo and laird are gonna get handed suspensions. who knows.. bondo we can do without, but not laird.
If Laird were to get suspended (which I can't imagine happening, but I've been wrong before)...
Is there any chance he could appeal it? They wouldn’t make a decision regarding an appeal over a weekend, and that would at least put it off until next season.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow
For a team that just saved itself from elimination, Ron Gardenhire is not pleased at all.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
interesting.
I generally am not a fan of Gardy, but he was awfully stand-up there.
by rook34 on Oct 1, 2009 7:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Classy words from Gardenhire
Also, I never remember a guy visually getting upset with his own pitcher for getting beaned in the middle of a game. You figure that’s usually a brief 5 second conversation in the clubhouse, “Hey, don’t get me hit.”.
considering the score...
there should have been now throwing at our guys going on. Even if Thames did a hard slide at some point.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
since I didn't watch the game yesterday...
I didn’t find out about this until I read Jeff Passan’s article about it and it left me very confused. It was a horribly written article in my honest opinion. So thanks for posting this link. It helped me figure out what happened.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
bummer
This team hasn’t followed the script all year long, so I suppose I was silly to assume they might now.
Although this morning if I could have reached through my television screen I would have throttled that Mike Greenberg guy. He and the other Mike were yammering about baseball and the Greenberg one said dismissively that the division races were essentially all over with the Tigers win yesterday. I know they are both football idiots, but they couldn’t be bothered to check the Twins’ record the last few weeks and each team’s record against their next opponent? Morons.
"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill
that show should be renamed
Mike and Mike and the NFL. They are awful. Biggest marks for their own publicity in history.
by rook34 on Oct 1, 2009 7:35 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Hernandez was a douche
Can we strike him from ever umping this team again?
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
We've gotten some crappy umpiring recently
That crew in Cleveland wasn’t exactly pinpoint.
Can you guys come up with some GOOD umpires that you know of? Hopefully they’ll be in this weekend’s crew.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
There's no reason to panic
Minnesota doesn’t automatically win their next three games, they have to play them out. Greinke will give them a tough time to sweep. I can’t see this coming down to the last game of the season.
I'm not panicking
The Twins NEEDED at least a split – really three out of four, and they didn’t get it. They are still at the disadvantage because they are a couple games behind and are in the position of needing help.
If the Tigers take care of their own business, they will be just fine. The outcome is theirs to control (and just as the Twins face Greinke again, the Tigers have Verlander in another game, too).
It would have been fantastic to just put an end to all the drama right now, but oh well.
"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill
i am slightly panicked.....
Due to Peavy. If we can somehow win tomorrow, well. We will know soon enough. But Peavy just scorched us a week ago.
by rook34 on Oct 1, 2009 9:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, if our pitchers can hold down the Sox offense, we'll still have a shot against the Sox bullpen
Peavy can’t stay in there forever.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions
plus we might get lucky
He might take a comebacker off his pitching elbow and have to leave the game in the second inning when his elbow swells up to the size of a watermelon.
"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill
That's logical.
But logic has failed me. The Royals should be able to at least score on the Twins. Blackburn faces Greinke, and he’ll be throwing on 3 days rest.
Yeah, who are the Twins throwing at Kansas City this weekend?
ESPN has Manship going tomorrow (ERA over 5, but he’ll be up against Lenny DiNardo, so KC’s best chance is probably gonna be to outslug Minnesota and get Billy Butler up there as many times as they can). MLB just keeps saying TBA.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 1, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess my one real concern
The Greinke game, cause I think we all figure it’s a sure thing he’s gonna shut them down and not shit all over the place.
Worst Birthday Ever...
10 Hours of work, no clinch, and my new apartment has fleas…
Peavy vs. Tigers--Fun Facts from Baseball-Reference
Like Carl Pavano, I decided to look up Peavy’s career numbers against the Tigers, and here’s what I came up with that I thought was interesting (I’ll have Edwin Jackson vs. the White Sox in a few minutes):
Few Tigers have a significant number of PAs against him.
Miggy can’t touch Peavy. He’s 2-for-19 with 9 K’s.
Polanco is the only Tiger with good numbers against Peavy (8-for-13).
Aubrey Huff is 0-for-11 against Peavy. I only mention this because I am wondering how he managed to get that many ABs against Peavy in the first place. Suffice it to say, Huff is unlikely to start tomorrow.
The only Tiger who has homered against Peavy is Inge (that was obviously not this year).
Only two Tigers have RBIs against Peavy: Inge (2) and Everett (3). With Polanco having such good numbers against him, I wonder why he doesn’t have any RBIs?
No Tiger has ever been HBP by Peavy.
Peavy has never faced Laird, Raburn, Thames, Clete, or the September call-ups.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
On that note, I'm going to bed, trying to not throw up.
We will need to play a seriously clean game behind EJ, keep the ball in the yard, and get into the Sox bullpen to win tomorrow.
Edwin Jackson vs. White Sox
Again, these are career numbers:
Alex Rios doesn’t hit Jackson particularly well from an average standpoint (7-for-30 with 8 strikeouts), but six of the seven hits that he’s gotten have been for extra bases.
Sox that hit Jackson well: Pierzynski (.318), Podsednik (.429), Quentin (.333) and Beckham (.375)
Sox that have homered off Jackson: Podsednik, Pierzynski, Dye, and Rios.
The only two Sox that have faced Jackson and have not struck out at least once are Gordon Beckham and Josh Fields.
Jackson has never issued an intentional walk to any Sox player.
Jackson has induced at least one GIDP off the bats of six different White Sox.
Alexi Ramirez is 0-for-15 against Jackson (He is the only White Sox player who has faced Jackson and has not gotten at least one hit).
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
Yes, it is baseball-reference
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 2, 2009 6:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Completely and totally off topic
Go see Zombieland.
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
for some reason I have Michael Caine's voice in my head
“Why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves back up.”
http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com
by rock n rye on Oct 2, 2009 8:54 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
If they keep picking themselves up,
Then why aren’t their arms strong enough to drive in more runs?
"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill
I swear
If we lose to Peavy tonight, and the Twins come back and tie us (which is very possible given their favorable matchups against the Royals), I’m going to hate Ozzie Guillen even more. I didn’t think that was possible.
A lifelong Tigers fan
if the tigers can't beat the white sox this weekend
place blame where it belongs
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 2, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
i would certainly blame the tigers,
But I would hate the sox even more.
by rook34 on Oct 2, 2009 10:29 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Thursday's Game
Leyland will take care of reporting umps that can’t do their job. Big issue is the White Sox seem to take aim at the Tigers, Ozzie held Peavy over several days. Tigers stood up for themselves, if you don’t you get run off the field.
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