Shutdown in Seattle: Tigers 2, Mariners 0

by Ian Casselberry on Apr 19, 2009 10:00 AM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

Have I admitted how wrong I was about that Matt Joyce-Edwin Jackson trade yet? I feel like I have, but just in case, consider this another mea culpa. (And I'm sure it won't be the last of this season.) Where would the Detroit Tigers be without Jackson in their starting rotation right now?

Erik Bedard pitched well for the Seattle Mariners, giving them a third straight quality effort as he held the Tigers to one earned run in seven innings, with eight strikeouts. (Bedard has 23 strikeouts in 19.1 innings on the season.)

But in a good ol' pitching duel, Jackson was just that much better, allowing just five Seattle hits in 7.2 innings. And though Jackson may have tired out by the eighth inning, when Jim Leyland finally took him out of the ballgame, he was still throwing hard, touching 97 m.p.h. on the radar gun. It was a dominant performance, and fortunately, Detroit's lineup provided just enough offense and didn't let him down.

Roar, young man, roar.

Turning Point:

Seattle had a chance to take the lead in the fifth when Yuniesky Betancourt flied out to center field. Jose Lopez tried to score on the shallow fly ball, but Curtis Granderson gunned him down at the plate, getting the Tigers out of the inning and preserving Jackson's shutout. Detroit then took the lead in the sixth.

Granderson's throw was also a nice counterpoint to Friday's game, which also turned on Betancourt putting the ball in play and the Tigers trying to make an out at home plate. This time, Gerald Laird got a chest-high throw, instead of a ball in the dirt, and was able to tag out the runner.

Comment of the Night:

an im from my sister:

"itchy" just ran a little far away for the one pitch though. it wasn’t that close…but he does act like a complete girl in the box
like his knees come together and he swings his hips….plus i’ve always thought his butt looked like a middle-aged mother’s….

by wepri31

It was kind of a sleepy night (these west coast game times are a killer), but the Tigers' pitching - kudos also to the bullpen, who threw 1.1 innings of hitless baseball - made it much easier to snooze peacefully after this game.

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Comments

I LOVED THE JACKSON....

…….Trade from day one!!!!….You dont just pick up a 14 game winner like the Tigers did for nothing…..IT WAS A NO BRAINER!!!!…..GO TIGS!!!!!

by BennieBladesFan on Apr 19, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

not to take anything away from the jackson trade

but let’s not forget dontrelle willis.

by wepri31 on Apr 19, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

What About Willis....

…..He will be back starting soon……He will take Porcellos place……..No one is forgetting that Willis is the man.

by BennieBladesFan on Apr 19, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm sorry for not being clear...

I meant that the trade for Dontrelle looked fantastic…right up until he started pitching. He’s very much not the man at this point. We’re all very happy with the way EJ has been pitching; he has been the opposite of Willis.

by wepri31 on Apr 19, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

There's a difference, though

If you look at the numbers, Dontrelle was clearly on the decline before he got here, and Edwin was clearly on the upswing. It’s not as surprising as it seems.

by Trysdor on Apr 19, 2009 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

No

That’s just not going to happen unless things change dramatically.

by TigersTyler on Apr 20, 2009 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions

I am officially eating my words

on the Jackson-Joyce trade. I was also very high on the kitten savior and was sad to see him go. If this is the Edwin Jackson we got (not the guy with the ERA over 5), it’s a steal for Dombrowski. These are the types of moves he’s made that separate him from past failures (who will not be named) as GM.

by handsomerob1 on Apr 19, 2009 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

I am happy to have expressed extreme early confidence in EJ by drafting him in 2/3 Fantasy Leagues (and would have gone 3/3 if someone didn’t beat me to the punch.) As for the D-Train trade, forget not that MCab was a part of that, and makes it a good trade for the Tigs even in D-Train never pitches another inning in the majors.

by John S. on Apr 19, 2009 2:21 PM EDT reply actions