5th Inning Meltdown: Mariners 6, Tigers 3

by Ian Casselberry on Apr 18, 2009 1:20 AM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

These are the kinds of games that just make you hate life. Or baseball, at least. For four innings, Justin Verlander looked unstoppable. More specifically, unhittable. Everyone watching the game was having flashbacks to June 12, 2007, as the Mariners couldn't touch anything Verlander was throwing.

Just as we were wondering whether or not to mention the words "no-hitter," however, Adrian Beltre ended such thoughts with a leadoff double in the fifth inning. And that's where it all fell apart for Verlander and the Tigers. Five of the next six batters reached base. (And that one out was on a sacrifice bunt.) Four runs scored. The Tigers' 3-0 lead was gone. Seattle added a fifth run when Verlander threw a wild pitch, completing the meltdown.

A shell-shocked Tigers team couldn't even put up a fight after that.

Whimper:

How does someone go from completely dominant to batting practice machine in one inning? How often does a pitcher have a no-hitter broken up, then has to pull himself back together to still try and win the game? But it's not like Verlander took that into the seventh or eighth inning. It was the fifth. He wasn't even on the board for a win yet.

Verlander's defense most definitely didn't help him out. But he seemed to let those misplays get to him, rather than shake them off. Mentally, he just crumbled. Even though he pulled himself together to pitch 2.1 more innings, it was too late.

Turning Point:

This one absolutely, positively turned on one play. In that nightmarish fifth inning, Yuniesky Betancourt hit an easy ground ball to Brandon Inge. But with plenty of time to make a sure play, Inge bounced his throw in front of Gerald Laird, preventing a tag at the plate. And Russell Branyan was total meat. It wouldn't even have been a close play. Instead, the Mariners scored their second run, and had two more outs remaining.

Comment of the Night:

He oughta go slap Inge across the face
by spotstarters

I'd love to complain about home plate umpire Mike Dimuro giving the low strike to Seattle's relievers when he wouldn't give it to Verlander in that fifth inning, but that nothing to do with the final outcome. The Tigers beat themselves tonight. (And blew chances to add to that 3-0 lead.) The Mariners continue to find ways to win. What a gut punch.

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Verlander

on his knees….blowing it.

Motown String Music

by Packey on Apr 18, 2009 1:26 AM EDT reply actions

Inge.....

,,,,,,Defensive play with the throw to the plate with his bad throw to the plate is what caused the meltdown I think…..Ig he makes that play Tigers win…..Just my opiniuon.

by BennieBladesFan on Apr 18, 2009 4:59 AM EDT reply actions

Oh well.....

…..its only 1 game…..You have these kinda games guys,

by BennieBladesFan on Apr 18, 2009 4:59 AM EDT reply actions

I loved watching the game

from a baseball fan’s view. When it’s my Tigers, it hurts. There sure was a lot of drama last night and now we know why Seattle has the record they have. It almost had a playoff feel to it. I am glad Verlander wasn’t yanked early like Jim would have done last year. Let the guy learn to pitch. Verlander has always come off to me as a little arrogant, but that’s just me. It’s a shame about the throw to home plate, but people are going to make mistakes every now and then. Hope we get ‘em tonight. Oh, and Seattle’s BP ain’t too shabby.

"It's designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything is new again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops, and leaves you to face the fall alone". A. Bartlett Giamatti

by densogirl on Apr 18, 2009 8:28 AM EDT reply actions

It was definitely a fun game to watch. The stakes were just a bit too personal to say I “enjoyed” the outcome.

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Apr 18, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

your friends in seattle

are going to make you wear a mariners jersey now, aren’t they?

Mack Avenue Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Apr 18, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

A couple points

The Tigers runs also came courtesy of some shakey defense (very generously scored as hits) on Guillen’s infield hit in front of Beltre and Inge’s bouncer into the 5-hole that Betancourt misplayed. That said, the Tigers wasted a golden opportunity to score more runs that inning and chase King Felix, leaving them loaded. These blown opportunities do not go unpunished against a hot team that’s feeling good about themselves.

As for the nightmare inning, Inge’s poor throw was a big play (he has waaay to many poor throws for a guy with his arm & reputation), but the larger factor was Verlander letting his emotions get in the way. He lost his command, stopped attacking hitters, often going to three ball counts, and basically huffed & puffed his way around the mound until he got the 2nd out. His lack of composure was the problem in turning a leadoff double on a pitch that was nearly past Beltre into a 5-run inning.

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by rings on Apr 18, 2009 9:59 AM EDT reply actions