Nate Robertson (0-0, 9.00) vs. 
Tim Wakefield (0-0, 4.50)
So the first one is out of the way. Detroit erased that zero from the win column last night, and after all the anxiety that their season-opening losing streak has caused, taking two out of three in Fenway Park could make things feel a lot better than they have been. I wonder if that means more or fewer people will tune in tonight? (By the way, here's a FSN Plus channel guide, if you weren't able to find the broadcast last night.)
It's actually a big sports night locally, if you also like hockey. The University of Michigan plays Notre Dame in the semi-finals of the NCAA hockey tournament. (Stop by Maize n Brew to pow-wow with Wolverine fans.) And the Detroit Red Wings begin their playoff season against Nashville. (Winging It in Motown has you covered, SB Nation style.) And if you like to take non-sports breathers between innings, there's the return of 30 Rock and The Office on NBC. (Thank you, DVR!)
But we're about the baseball here. None of that other stuff matters tonight, because the Tigers once again look like they're capable of playing some winning baseball, the kind of ball we all signed on for at the beginning of this season. And wasn't that fun to watch last night? How about seeing it again?
On the last episode of The Detroit Tigers Podcast, I may have said that Nate Robertson "is not my Tiger." And the show's host, Mike McClary, has enjoyed reminding me of that since we did the recording. But if Nate pitches like he did last Friday against the White Sox, I don't think I'll be eating those words. Five runs and seven hits allowed in five innings is, how you say, not good.
Has Tim Wakefield really been with the Red Sox for 14 years? I was kind of shocked when that was pointed out to me last night. I mean, I know he's played in Boston for quite a few years, and had a long career. I guess I just figured he pitched for the Pirates for more than two season. What does that have to do with him facing the Tigers tonight? Nothing much at all. Wakefield lost his only start against Detroit last season, giving up five runs (and two homers) in seven innings.
Short Hops:
- With some hard-working investigative journalism, The Big Tilde seems to have determined a key reason for the early struggles of the Tigers and Magglio Ordonez.
- The Oakland Press' Jim Hawkins took in a matinee of "Run, Kenny, Run" before last night's game in Boston.
- Curtis Granderson is basking in the glory of his beloved Kansas Jayhawks winning the national championship on Monday night. (If I can add my two cents - since I don't really blog about other sports anymore - I was happy to see Bill Self finally win the big one, as well, and thoroughly enjoyed Mario Chalmers providing the drama that was sorely lacking in the national semifinals on Saturday.)