Current Series
2 game series vs Mariners @ SAFECO Field
Detroit Tigers Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 10:10 PM EDT Justin Verlander vs Doug Fister Mostly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 60. Complete Coverage > | ||
| Wed 05/26 | 3:40 PM EDT | |
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It's been a weird day in Detroit and environs. How weird? Here's the headlines from today's local papers...
Disgraced former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 1 1/2 to 5 years in prison for probation violations. At the same time, Sam Riddle, well known and connected Detroit political consultant, surrendered himself to authorities over federal corruption charges, soon to be sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Steve Yzerman announced he's leaving Detroit and the Red Wings after 27 years to take a GM job in, of all places, Tampa.
For the first time in school history, the University of Michigan announced self-imposed sanctions upon the Wolverines football program over major rules violations, all in the hopes the NCAA won't come down upon them even harder.
Let's just say there's been better days in SE MI.
At least there's baseball and the Tigers, right?
This is the final series, barring the playoffs, the Tigers will play in the Pacific time zone this season. As bad as the schedule has been over the past month and change, the fact the Tigers will have all of their west coast travel out of the way before the end of May is a good thing overall. Even better is the Tigers have come through the stretch relatively unscathed.
No matter what happens in Seattle, the Tigers will be above .500 and at the very worse, in 2nd place, after one Hellish stretch of scheduling. All in all, the Tigers have played better than anyone ever expected, especially factoring in the following...
- Depended upon a few unproven rookies to carry more than their fair share of the offensive load.
- A pair of west coast swings.
- At one point playing 4 consecutive series against 2009 playoff teams.
- Next to no days off.
- A trip to the DL for Carlos Guillen.
- Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore being sent to Toledo due to ineffectiveness.
- Miguel Cabrera missing the Seattle series due to his wife giving birth.
In September, we may look back at the past month as the stretch the Tigers proved they were in it for the long haul.
News and notes:
A makeup date for the rained out game against the White Sox at Comerica back on May 17 has been announced. It's been rescheduled as the first game of a day/night doubleheader, Aug. 3 at 1:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.
From all I'm reading, the Tigers are hoping Austin Jackson will be back in the lineup tonight after his scary beaning in LA Saturday. No word as of when I'm writing this (7:30 p.m.) if Jackson will be in the lineup against the Mariners. With Miguel Cabrera tending to family issues, the Tigers need all the offense they can get. (As noted in the comments, Jackson is playing tonight!)
The latest on Carlos Guillen's Toledo rehab: 3 games, 3 for 9, 222 AVE, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB. But no broken bones or muscle tears.
Lookout Landing, SBNation's Mariners blog, has a series preview posted.