The Tigers' losing streak is at 3 and counting. There was no late inning comeback in a disappointing 4-2 Tigers loss to the Mariners.
The loss came down to some issues very familiar to Tigers fans: A couple of Justin Verlander pitching mistakes, some iffy defense, and the suddenly limping offense squandering scoring opportunities. As a very wise man named Yogi Berra once said, "It's déjà vu all over again."
Verlander pitched just well enough to lose, making the loss all the more frustrating.
He got off to another shaky start, struggling through a 28 pitch 1st inning. Verlander settled down from then on, ending up with a quality start. (7 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 6 K). Unfortunately, there was a fly in his ointment by the name of Ichiro, who caused plenty of havoc with a 3-3 night, including 2 runs scored, against the Tigers' ace.
Verlander's 7th inning was the game in a nutshell, as it only took one bad pitch for the Mariners to take a lead they would not relinquish. Verlander walked Milton Bradley, who immediately stole 2nd. He then scored on a Casey Kotchman double. All this after the Tigers had rallied (I'm using the term loosely) to tie the game in top of the inning.
The Mariners pushed across a big insurance score in the 8th. Chone Figgins created a run on his own. He hit into a force play (the only time the Tigers got Ichiro out all night) off of Phil Coke. In came Joel Zumaya. Figgins had an uncontested steal of 2nd, then scored on a Franklin Gutiérrez ground single to left.
It was all over but the crying. The squandering had already happened.
The extent of the Tigers' offense was Magglio Ordonez hitting a long home run in the 4th inning, and Johnny Damon's pinch hit RBI single in the 7th. Otherwise, the offense was at it's most frustrating, squandering worst.
Squander 1: Austin Jackson and Ryan Raburn struck out to end a 2 on, 1 out threat in the 5th.
Squander 2: Raburn struck out and Ordonez grounded into a force to end a 2 on, 1 out threat in the 7th.
Squander 3: Scott Sizemore grounded into a 5-4-3 nail in the coffin DP to end a 2 on, 1 out threat in the 8th.
What's that I hear all over Detroit?
"Squander, squander, squander!"
I thought so.
This is a game I want to forget about, and just move on to tomorrow. If there is one thing to take from this loss, it's Justin Verlander may be finding his groove. That alone will help keep the Tigers from having long losing streaks...even if tonight makes for their 3rd loss in a row.
We were hoping for a break even road trip. We may have been expecting too much. The Tigers early season come from behind wins may have given us a little false hope, thinking they might be better than we originally thought.
They aren't.
What they are is a .500 team. Their 6-5 record says as much.
The last few losses are understandable, considering the type of team the Tigers are, but doesn't make the losses any less infuriating.
Comment of the Night:
Okie for Michigan put what we're all thinking into words.
3 outs seems like so many when we are on D
and so little when we are batting
That's frustration, and the 2010 Detroit Tigers, personified.