Armando Galarraga failed when the Detroit Tigers needed him most.  Is there any other way to say it?

With the bullpen tapped out and everyone's role thrown into chaos after having to pitch 13 innings worth of relief over the past two nights, Jim Leyland called this "the biggest game of the season" for their starting pitching.  Obviously, that was too much pressure for Galarraga to handle. 

The Tigers needed a quality start level of performance from him today, and at least six or seven innings from him to get the bullpen back in sync.  Galarraga didn't even come close to that, with an effort that can't be seen as anything but a failure.  Or is there a kinder definition for a game in which he gave up eight runs and 11 hits? 

Even if Leyland wanted to leave Galarraga out there to just fall on his sword and take one for the team, he was so bad that there was no choice but to get him out of the game.  Only 5.2 innings is not what anyone associated with the Tigers had in mind for today.  Armando definitely heard the drums this afternoon.  He was the drum.  The Indians knocked four doubles off of him, and launched two home runs.  Again, this was in less than six innings of work.

It's no crime to lose a series at Cleveland, especially given how the Tigers have played on the road this season.  But to lose two of three to a last-place team that was just eviscerated by trades before the weekend, and in such lethargic fashion is embarrassing.  Throw in the White Sox breathing down their neck for first place, and it's inexcusable.

Whimper:

That's not to excuse yet another lackluster (a dirtier word is surely more appropriate) effort from a Tigers lineup that continues to let the team down.  (Dave Dombrowski's hair seems to have gotten even whiter after he was unable to nab at bat at the trade deadline.)  Granted, it probably wouldn't have mattered with how Galarraga pitched today, but giving him any sort of run support early in the game could've made a difference.

How does Carl Pavano absolutely befuddle this team?  One run and six hits in eight innings against him today?  In three starts, Pavano has held the Tigers to five runs in 23.1 innings.  By my quick math, that's a 1.96 ERA.

Comment of the Day:

on the positive side

we shouldn’t have to worry about extra innings today

by murrajo

And your runner-up.  It's as good a theory as anything else we've heard.