I thought about going with a picture of a broom tonight.  And it would certainly be appropriate with the Tigers finishing off a sweep (the word I just couldn't say earlier tonight) at Yankee Stadium, something they haven't done in 42 years. 

But I'm going with Popeye flexing here, because the hometown nine showed off some impressive muscle this evening, giving Nate Robertson the type of run support he hasn't typically received during his Tigers career.  And Nate needed the help after a rough first inning.  But much like Jeremy Bonderman did last night, Robertson pulled himself together and kept the Tigers in the game until they could bring the thunder.

That came in the third inning when Detroit's bats finally caught up to what Ian Kennedy was serving, began hitting him hard to the opposite field, and sent Bobby Abreu backpedaling and spinning around.  Magglio Ordonez barely missed a home run, settling for a double, while Miguel Cabrera tripled, bringing in a combined three runs.  In Cabrera's case, that drive to right field was merely a preview of deeper blasts to come. 

Maybe the most unexpected muscle, however, came from the substitute shortstop.  With a career average of .234/.299/.313, we know that Ramon Santiago stays in the major leagues because of his glove.  But so far this year, when he's been able to get a few at-bats in a game this season, Santiago is swinging a strong stick, too.  He went 2-for-4 tonight, and stroked the biggest hit of the night with a sixth-inning triple to the right-center gap that brought in the two decisive runs.  Somebody's eating his spinach.  And he now has a .375 batting average to show for it.

Cabrera finished off the gun show with a two-run homer in the seventh, pushing the Tigers to their best showing in the Bronx since 1966. 

Closing Thoughts:

• Matt came up with a fantastic nickname for Francisco Cruceta, who made his long-awaited Tigers debut in the ninth inning.  I hope he makes it stick, and we'll certainly do all we can to help with that.  Cruceta wasn't electrifying, so no cape yet, but that was probably too much to expect.  Despite walking the leadoff batter (prompting Todd Jones to warm up), he didn't allow any runs or hits. 
  
• I think Bleed Cubbie Blue warned us about this when the Tigers first acquired Jacque Jones, but man, his arm in left field stinks. 
  

When I heard that Ramon Santiago hit his first home run since 2003 last night, I was hoping I could make a joke about the Detroit Tigers being undefeated when he takes a pitcher deep into the seats.  MLB.com's Jason Beck did the legwork by posting a link to the boxscore from August 1, 2003, and I trashed my joke because the Tigers lost to the Twins that day, 10-4.

But I was still horrified, nonetheless, to see the lineup Detroit sports fans were subjected to on that particular night (though it was the fans in Minneapolis who had to view the grisly truth with their own eyes).  Check this big boi murderer's row out:

1.  Alex Sanchez, CF
2.  Warren Morris, 2B
3.  Bobby Higginson, RF
4.  Kevin Witt, DH
5.  Carlos Pena, 1B
6,  Eric Munson, 3B
7.  Ben Petrick, LF
8.  Matt Walbeck, C
9.  Ramon Santiago, SS

Take all the time you need to recover.  I know.  I know.  Take a deep breath and sip on a Vernor's.  I cried into my pillow while hugging it tightly as I tried to find the solace that only sleep could bring as I remembered the baseball that we once had to watch.

Did the Tigers actually charge full major league ticket prices to see this?  Did we really pay to watch it?  I know it was all part of Dave Dombrowski's plan, to tear it down so it could be rebuilt and brought back stronger.  And lineups with Kevin Witt hitting clean-up were part of the penance that had to be paid for the prosperity we're currently enjoying in Detroit.  But Sweet Milk of Magnesia, that's still ugly to look at.