That Bunch of [Expletives] Won: White Sox 8, Tigers 4

by Ian Casselberry on Sep 27, 2009 7:25 PM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

This whole season hasn't been easy for the Detroit Tigers, so why should its last week be any different?

With a chance to win two out of three in their final road series of the season, and the possibility of adding a game to their lead over the Twins in the AL Central, two of the Tigers' most dependable pitchers let them down. Edwin Jackson pitched well for five innings, allowing one run and two hits. And the Tigers' lineup twice gave him a narrow one-run lead.

But beginning in the sixth inning, Jackson left the ball up in the strike zone (perhaps a sign he was tiring out), and that got him in trouble. Alex Rios led off with a double, Scott Podsednik followed with a triple, and Gordon Beckham hit another double, resulting in two runs and the White Sox regaining the lead.

Jackson stayed in the game for one more inning, perhaps an attempt by Jim Leyland to see if the Tigers could at least tie the game and take Jackson off the hook for a loss. (Or Leyland didn't want to tap out the bullpen any further, after almost six innings of work last night.)

But he had to come out of the game eventually, and with Brandon Lyon pitching two innings on Saturday, Leyland had to use Fernando Rodney. (Rodney also needed the work, having not pitched since Thursday.) Using him in a non-save situation (as his 5.40 ERA under such circumstances indicates) is often playing with fire, and the Tigers got burned for it this time.

As was the case on Thursday, Rodney had trouble locating his fastball. When he did throw a strike with it, he left the pitch out over the plate and gave up singles to Mark Kotsay and Alexei Ramirez. But Carlos Quentin waited for a change-up, and when he got one low and away, Quentin took it opposite-field for a three-run homer. That put the ballgame out of reach. No expletives from Ozzie Guillen tonight.

Fortunately for the Tigers, the loss didn't cost them any of their first-place lead, as the Twins lost 4-1 to the Royals. (Atta boy, Zack Greinke!) That reduces Detroit's magic number to six, with Minnesota visiting Comerica Park for the next four games. The biggest series of the season begins tomorrow night.

Purr:

Curtis Granderson appears to be finding his stroke when the Tigers need him the most. Grandy went 3-for-4 today with a home run, giving him six hits in his last two games. Maybe the Tigers need to hypnotize him and convince Grandy he's playing in his hometown for the next four games. At least when he's at the plate.

Comment of the Day:

Be careful what you say when Rodney comes into the game...

If we're already losing and can't seem to put together any of our own runs.....

he can’t really make it worse.

by wepri31

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Comments

Inge needs a rest

I’m a big fan of Inge – but I can see that he is playing hurt and he needs a rest. Leyland thinks he does not have anyone else who can play third. I say he should move Cabrera to 3rd for a few games. Cabrera can play a decent (not great) 3rd base. There are at least 3 players that can cover 1st, Guillen, Thames or Huff.

by Richgreer on Sep 27, 2009 9:06 PM EDT reply actions

He'll get his rest when they clinch

He had a terrible weekend at the plate. To go 0-13, especially considering that the lineup put up 20 hits last night, is ridiculous. I’ve never been a huge fan. He’s overrated defensively (he’s made spectacular plays along with blowing an equal amount of routine ones) and his plate discipline is atrocious. Post-All Star break he is batting .186 with a handful of HRs and doubles. For the season among qualified players he is only one hundredth of a point above having the worst batting average in the entire MLB. THE ENTIRE MLB. With 7 games left I doubt Leyland will make a move. I wish he would though, since I think Dlugach or Raburn (despite the KC overtime loss) would be fine in a spot start.

by ryan_matthews28 on Sep 27, 2009 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Not to beat up on Ingey, but today...

after Carlos’ sac fly, with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd, I think we all knew Inge would fan. It was a matter of it would be swinging or looking.

Leyland will stick with what got him here. Hope it works.

by rook34 on Sep 27, 2009 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions

That does bring up something

What’s the deal with the high amount of strikeouts looking recently? We all know Inge swings and misses a lot. It’s something he’s done his whole life and it’s something he’ll continue to do regardless of the average/power numbers (which I still believe if he’s healthy would lie somewhere between the first and second half). But lately he’s taken a lot of called thirds. That’s not normally his game.

http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com

by SabreRoseTiger on Sep 27, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions

It's funny you'd say that

The only difference I can discern from his plate discipline info (from Fangraphs) is MORE swings outside the strike zone

by happydrifter on Sep 28, 2009 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Headscratcher

Overrated defensively? Blown routine plays? He’s above average on range factor both per nine and per game (he goes for plays other league 3B wouldn’t dream of chasing) and he’s on the money in fielding percentage league-wide.

Has his bat gone silent in the second half? No question. Anyone that didn’t expect Inge to level out to his typical batting level was kidding themselves. It was a “nice while it lasted” scenario.

Now isn’t the time to start a kid at the hot corner. Raburn has played six times at 3B this year (starting four) and committed four errors. His range factor is over a full point under the league average for both measurements. Small sample size? You bet. However we all know that Raburn is much more suited for the outfield, and he’s actually above-average per nine out there league wide. Dlugach has no major league service to really use, and only played in three games for AAA Toledo this year at 3B. He committed two errors. He’s much better at SS, posting a respectable fielding percentage with only 24 errors in 533 chances.

While I understand the frustration of Inge’s bat (I believe that the only place you can really hide a crappy bat is at catcher, so having a poor hitting 3B is just bad form) but it’s not like he’s the only one out there that hasn’t been hitting. He is the last one to come around, it seems, with Granderson starting to tweak his swing and making contact. The Tigers don’t have much else to use at 3B, and we’re going to do what we’ve done all season — use the tools we got to scare the shit out of their fans for three hours every *#&#@$ night.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Sep 27, 2009 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Further, Inge is fifth in MLB in 3B UZR this year

in — for him — an average defensive season

by happydrifter on Sep 28, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

If we want the D at 3B

Why not go with Brent Dlugach?

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Sep 27, 2009 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Wepri meant it more about the lack of offense

the Tigers didn’t put up much scoring threat most of the game and 4-2 may as well have been 8-2 at that point.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Sep 27, 2009 10:22 PM EDT reply actions

Is our division the only one in MLB that hasn't clinched?

http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com

by SabreRoseTiger on Sep 27, 2009 10:27 PM EDT reply actions

AL west and NL west haven't

technically

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Sep 27, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions

No

We’ll probably be the last, though. Only clinched ones are the “well, duh” divisions.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Sep 27, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions

my hope is to clich ahead of the NL wild card

but really, my hope is just to clinch, period.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Sep 27, 2009 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

People, we are still going into tomorrow 2 up. Technically all we have to do is split the next 4 with the Twins.

We go into the weekend still 2 up and sweep those FN Whitesox at home!!!!

Tammy

by VegasTigers on Sep 27, 2009 10:47 PM EDT reply actions

Jebus, I sure hope so.

As sick a feeling as a tight pennant race is, I can think of a bunch of team’s fans that would love to have this particular brand of nausea right now – including the entire city of Chicago, the NL part of New York, DC, Pittsburgh, the state of Florida …

It could be worse. The Tigers could be playing out the string with no hope for the playoffs.

This is definitely better.

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 27, 2009 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I scored it as "worried"

I love it that the Tigers are home for the rest of the season, that helps in ways that no one can really figure out but shows up in the scoreboard.
I like the pitching match ups. Porcello, Verlander and even Bonine look good. I’m worried about Robertson in game 4 but that’s a long ways away right now.
I hope Seay is back and back to form, but the bullpen seems strong right now (if they pitch their roles- yes, that’s you Rodney).
I am counting on stats being true here. So far this season the Twins have struggled to get very far north of .500 ball. They should regress back to their norm, which means they should start losing. Now would be a good time.

by murrajo on Sep 28, 2009 12:37 PM EDT reply actions