Anybody else need to take a long drag on an oxygen tank after that one?  No?  Then a cigarette, perhaps?  Hoo, baby.  Trying to describe everything that happened in this game could take 2,000 words and I'm not sure I have it in me after going from a warm, fuzzy feeling to gut punch nauseous to hug and kiss anyone nearby. 

The sickening gut punch came from Francisco Cruceta who gave up a game-tying, three-run homer to Mike Lowell, turning a sure win into possible tears-inducing loss.  Will it be a while before Cruceta gets to put on his cape again in a key late-inning situation?  Well... Jim Leyland doesn't exactly have a bunch of other guys he can trust right now.  Cruceta will probably be out there again soon.

Actual vomiting may have been induced by Leyland's decision to send Magglio Ordonez running on contact in the eighth inning when the Tigers had men on first and second with one out against Hideki Okajima.  Gary Sheffield neglected to contribute the contact part of the equation and Maggs was mowed down at third for a seemingly morale-crushing double play. 

With the Red Sox having a closer that hadn't blown a save so far this season, it looked like game over, and one seriously bleak 20-hour wait until Thursday night's series finale.  Fortunately for the Tigers, Julio Lugo apparently didn't get the memo.  Even watching on TV, you could feel the air go out of Comerica Park when Edgar Renteria hit a ground ball to Lugo in the ninth inning for what looked like a sure double play ball.

Except Lugo muffed it, giving the Tigers a chance they probably never thought they'd see.  And this time, they pounced on it, moving runners along and driving them in.  Lugo was involved in the final play, as well, with Placido Polanco (who gets The Big Roar with a 5-for-6 night) blooping a broken-batted ball just over his outstretched glove to score Renteria - the runner who never should've reached base to begin with.

Let's go over that ninth inning again, in case you just joined us.  Check-swing bouncer, error, sacrifice bunt, ground-out, broken-bat blooper.  Tigers win.  Tigers win!

Anyone else need some Dramamine?  Whew!

Roll Call

We had a great GameThread tonight, with so many ups and downs.  But these are the men who rode it out.  It's always so much more fun when it's for a winning cause.

Thanks to pfuhrmeister, Germantiger, Zappatista, Fats Fothergill, Tony K, spotstarters, Grant E., Matt in Toledo, miggy4mvp, MackAveKurt, BigAl, rock n rye, ThaWalrus9, SonOfGibby, and Tigsfan, all of whom helped us through suffering and celebration in solidarity.

There was a question about Francisco Cruceta in tonight's Game Thread, and the story from Toledo was exciting enough that it seemed to warrant a separate post.  In his debut with the Toledo Mud Hens this evening, Cruceta pitched three innings and didn't allow a run or hit.

According to Lynn Henning, who was on the scene for the Detroit News, Cruceta's most impressive inning was probably his first, when he came in for the sixth inning and struck out the side on 10 pitches.  But it's not like he was any less dominant in the seventh and eighth innings.  And here's a description of what Cruceta threw tonight:

Cruceta's fastball regularly touched 94 mph, and once hit 95.  He added a hard slider and a lethal split-finger change-up, the pitch Cruceta added to his repertoire following earlier stints with Texas, Seattle and Cleveland.

Something wicked this way comes?  Cruceta's been an international man of mystery (credit for that to The Daily Fungo), but if he keeps pitching like this, I'd imagine that Detroit's going to be seeing him very soon.

UPDATE: Here's something Cruceta might want to fix before he gets the call up to the show.  Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish (L.P.!) thinks Cruceta is tipping his pitches.  Minor leaguers might miss even if they know what's coming, but I'd bet most major leaguers will mash.

 Always eager for an entrepreneurial opportunity here at BYB, I'd been mulling over the idea of a set of collectible milk cartons with Francisco Cruceta's roster photo on one side, with a caption reading "Have You Seen This Pitcher?  If So, Please Call Dave Dombrowski" underneath.  But it looks like I'll have to shelve that particular merchandising opportunity, and frankly, I'm happy to. 

Rumors of Cruceta actually becoming a Detroit Tiger felt as if they may have been exaggerated during Spring Training when visa issues (likely related to his 50-game suspension last year for using performance enhancers) kept him from entering the United States.  February and March passed without the Tigers being able to get a first-hand look at Cruceta and his reportedly blazing fastball or determine where he fit into their bullpen, and the team eventually had to break camp without him.  But Cruceta has finally fought through the bureaucracy, his visa has been approved, and he can now bring some hope (and heat) to the Tigers' pitching staff. 

Last season, Cruceta pitched in 25 games for the Rangers' Triple-A team, posting a 3-0 record and 3.02 ERA, with 70 strikeouts (and 40 walks) in 65 2/3 innings.

Cruceta will report to the Tigers' training complex in Lakeland, and the team will have 30 days to determine which part of the organization he best fits.  (He's out of minor league options.)  Assuming that he's been throwing and working out while trapped in the Dominican Republic, however, it's not too hard to imagine that Cruceta will be joining the big league club if the Tigers like his velocity and control.  Who might he replace?  Oh, I might have a suggestion...

 Also joining the Tigers organization yesterday was Casey Fossum, once a valued prospect for the Boston Red Sox who was part of the deal that brought Curt Schilling over from the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He signed a minor league deal with Detroit and will be assigned to Triple-A Toledo.  According to the Toledo Blade, manager Larry Parrish will keep Fossum on the temporary inactive list until his arm strength is built back up.  

Last year, Fossum pitched in 40 games for the Tampa Bay Rays, starting in 10 of them.  He finished with a 5-8 record and 7.70 ERA, with 53 strikeouts in 76 innings.  The Pittsburgh Pirates released Fossum toward the end of Spring Training this year.

When Mike McClary informed me of Fossum's signing via instant message, my immediate reaction was "Why?  He stinks."   I would've much rather seen the Tigers take a chance on Robinson Tejeda, though maybe they thought he was too much of a project at this point..

Despite his soft-tossing ways, however, Fossum does seem to fill a need, either replacing the injured Macay McBride in the Toledo starting rotation or compete with Aaron Fultz to become the left-handed reliever called up to Detroit when needed.

(UPDATE: I forgot to mention something else Mike pointed out when we were talking about Fossum last night.  If you go to his Baseball Reference page, and scroll all the way down to the "Similar Pitchers" category, there are a few names listed that should be very familiar to Tigers fans.)

  And for those of you still hoping for Fernando Rodney to make a worthy contribution to this year's team (I'm of the opinion that he's done), the Tigers say he threw a pain-free bullpen session yesterday in Lakeland.