With all the excitement of Jim Leyland's verbal (and profane) takedown of Jason Grilli's claim of clubhouse disharmony having passed, we can get back to the actual game of baseball. Remember baseball? A game the Tigers once played quite well?
The battle of AL cellar dwellers continues tonight, with game 2 of a series between the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers.
Taking the mound for the Mariners is the utterly average Jarrod Washburn (2-5, 5.56). The Tigers have been quite successful against Washburn in the past, beating him to the tune of a 4-7 record, with a 4.65 ERA, in 13 career starts. Get your bats locked and loaded, gentlemen.
The Gambler, Kenny Rogers (3-4, 6.65) hopes to extend the Tigers' winning streak, which currently stands at all of 1 game. Rogers is coming off his worst start of the season, possibly his worst as a Tiger, last week's 4 inning, 7 run, 11 hit debacle against the Royals.
With last night's win over the Mariners, the Tigers have passed a milestone. They are now playing .400 (!) ball, and no longer have the worst record in the American League. That distinction belongs to the Mariners. Let's hope the Tigers can put some distance between themselves and the M's, and finally turn this awful season around.
I hope that's not too much to ask, as we all now know the Tigers considered our high expectations to not be "fair." No pressure, guys...
Short hops:
Deadspin: "God we wish every manager were like Jim Leyland." Indeed.
Hat tip to Billfer for pointing out Curtis Granderson's Men's Health feature , "Don't Think, Have Fun," is now online.
A pair of Toledo Mud Hens prospects continue to pummel International League pitching into submission, as Jeff Larish hit his 15th home run, and Michael Holliman his 12th, in a 7-5 loss to Columbus.