Floundering

What a disappointing year this has been. We all came into the year with huge expectations. I guess we're all guilty. Everybody should have seen this coming. The Detroit Tigers have a terrible pitching staff and a few too many players without hearts. Its possible for Tigers baseball to finish last in the central, who would have thunk it!

Go Lions!

Why?

Another why Jim why? Miner pitching great tonigh and Jimbo takes him out after six innings. Tigers bullpen promptly go out and blow another one. This season is a lost cause. If the players don't screw it up the manager will. Its time to get back to blogging about the history of the Detroit Tigers baseball club and forget about this major league baseball fiasco.

7-28-08 Detroit vs Cleveland

Not a lot to say about this game. A terrible pitching performance by Kenny Rogers and a miserable performance from our hitters. Someone needs to remind Rogers that this is major league baseball and that garbage doesn't work. On the bright side Granderson had a decent game, Ordonez and Joyce had hits. Aquilino Lopez pitched 2.1 innings of 1 hit scoreless ball and the White Sox also lost so we didn't lose any ground. Another game with Cleveland tonight.

7-27-08 Detroit vs Chicago

Six strong innings from Zack Miner and a new closer for Detroit may just be what the doctor ordered for Detroit Tigers baseball. In a must win game the Tigers showed true character and some timely hitting to get within 6 1/2 games of the Central Division lead. Home runs by Granderson and Thames, RBIs by Granderson, Ordonez, Cabrera, Thames, and Renteria propelled the Tigers to their 53rd win of the season, more importantly it saved them from what would have been a crushing sweep at the hands of the division leading Chicago White Sox. Next up the Cleveland Indians. Lets see if we can build on the big win yesterday!

7-26-08 Detroit vs Chicago

Not the kind of pitching performance I (or the Tigers) was expecting from Justin Verlander (4 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs, 110 pitches, 2 home runs). The bullpen came through with 5 scoreless innings. The Tigers almost came back but could not get the one big hit they needed. Granderson, Ordonez, and Renteria all had mutiple hits. Ordonez and Sheffield hit homers. 7 1/2 games behind the White Sox and we need a win today. Getting swept by the Sox is not on the best interest of the Detroit Tigers in their quest to win the Central Division. Zack Miner takes the mound today in a must win game. Major League Baseball is a funny game, just when a team thinks their turning it around they get smacked in the head by a baseball bat and brought back down to earth. Today's game will show a lot about the character of the Detroit Tigers baseball club, I hope it shows we have some fight left in us!

7-25-08 Detroit vs Chicago

Wake me up from this nightmare! Game in the bag against the division winner and Todd Jones blows the save in the ninth inning. You have got to be kidding me. A great ball game wasted by one of the worst closers in the game. I believe it's time the Detroit Tigers make a change in the closer role. Give Fernando Rodney (been throwing lights out as of late) a chance in the ninth. He can't do any worse than Jones (3 0f last 7 chances blown). Rather than sitting 3 1/2 games behind the Sox the Tigers ball club is 6 1/2 behind and had their hearts ripped out last night. A quality start by Nate Robertson wasted. Once again Detroit hit the baseball well, although they wasted a few chances. Carlos Guillen had a huge homer in the seventh only to be outdone with Jermaine Dye's bomb in the ninth. Justin Verlander takes the mound today with Detroit Tigers baseball needing a big outing to get back into this pennant race. The baseball schedule favors Detroit the rest of the season, they just have to capitalize.

7-23-08 Detroit vs Kansas City

Another victory for the Tigers. 33-6 combined series score! As dominate a series as you will see in Major League Baseball. Armando Galarraga carried a perfect game into the 7th inning, retiring the first 18 batters, finishing with seven innings pitched, 7 strikeouts, and giving up only one run and three hits. Strong games from most everybody, with Cabrera and Ordonez leading the way with five combined RBIs. Still 5 1/2 ganes back as the Chicago White Sox came back from 5 down in the 8th inning to win the game. The club has Thursday off before welcoming the Chicago White Sox to the ball park for a 3 game weekend series. Let the games begin!

7-22-08 Detroit vs Kansas City

The Royals have been just what the doctor ordered for Tigers baseball. A strong outing by Kenny Rogers (6 ip, 1 run, 4 k's) and the bullpen results in a 7-1 beat down of Kansas City. Strong games from Polanco and Ordonez, both with multiple hits and RBIs. 5 1/2 back, if the pitching continues to be competitve the Tigers have a good shot at winning the central division.

7-21-08 Detroit vs Kansas City

19-4, 18 hits, a great baseball game from Zach Miner (6 innings pitched, 3 hits, 0 earned runs). Matt Joyce is showing us he is the real deal belting a home run, a triple, and 2 singles to go along with 5 RBIs. Strong games from Curtis Granderson and Carlos Guillen with three hits each. Miguel Cabrera is finally showing everybody why the Detroit Tigers made the trade knocking in 6 runs with 5 hits matching his career high. This was one heck of a major league baseball game. To temper my enthusiasm a bit the bullpen, specifically Freddy Dolsi was bad again giving up 4 hits and 4 earned runs in one inning. The Tigers need to continue to play good baseball as they are now only 5 1/2 games behind the struggling Chicago White Sox.

7-20-08 Detroit vs Baltimore

Led by Justin Verlander's strong 8.2 innings the Detroit Tigers have moved withing 6 1/2 games of the Chicago White Sox with a 5-1 victory over the Twins. Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames led the offensive charge, each hitting home runs. Ryan Rayburn also had a strong game going 2-4 with 2 RBIs. These young guys are really stepping up and playing solid baseball when called upon. If we can get decent pitching from the rest of our staff the Tigers may have a chance to catch the White Sox and win the division. The club must take it one ball game at a time and might possibly turn in one of the great comebacks in major league baseball history. Next up the Kansas City Royals.

7-19-08 Detroit vs Baltimore

Neither a 6-0 lead in the first inning or a 10-9 lead in the ninth is safe with this Detroit Tigers pitching staff. Big games from Granderson, Polanco, Sheffield, 2 RbIs from Ordonez and homers from Cabrera and Larish weren't enough for a victory. led by Nate Robertson and his 7 earned runs in 2.1 innings the Tiger staff was again awful. If Detroit can't get better pitching in the second half then this baseball club is never going to win the MLB Central Division.

7-18-08 Detroit vs Baltimore

Out hitting the Orioles 14-9 the Tigers ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Leading 4-3 after 5 innings Detroit was unable to hold on. Giving up four home runs (Luke Scott, 2 homers) ultimately was to much to overcome as the Tigers dropped a game they should have won. Pudge Rodriguez (4-4, 2 RBIs), Magglio Ordonez (2-5, run scored), Curtis Granderson (2-4, 1 RBI) and Matt Joyce (2-4) led the Detroit Tiger attack. A. Galarraga pitched 6.2 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs recording his fourth loss of the season. These are games the ball club must win to be in contention in September, time to turn it around.

7-17-08 Detroit vs Baltimore

With a 6-5 win the Detroit Tigers have started the second half of the baseball season exactly how they needed to. Led by Gary Sheffield and Marcus Thames the Tigers got the win despite being out hit 14-9. Kenny Rogers picked up his seventh win of the baseball season despite giving up 11 hits. The bullpen threw 3 shut out innings.

7-13-08 Detroit vs Minnesota

Another strong outing from Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers win 4-2 in a much needed game against the Minnesota Twins. The young guys came through again for the Tigers. Matt Joyce and Clete Thomas both had homers to help lead the ball club to victory. Joel Zumaya pitched a scoreless eighth and Todd Jones the ninth for his 17th save. Going into the all star game the Tigers regained some of the momentum they had earlier in the month. 7 games behind the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers have some work to do in the second half of the season. There is a lot of baseball to be played and I believe the Tigers ball club has a good chance of tracking down the Sox. If the Tigers continue to get solid pitching and timely hitting it is very possible.
Go Tigers!

7-12-08 Detroit vs Cleveland

Another division loss 6-5 to the Twins. Detroit Tigers baseball has been derailed lately. This time the Tigers were done in by Brendan Harris who went 3-3 with a homer and 3 RBIs. The solo shot off Nate Robertson in the seventh inning gave the Twins the lead for good. Curtis Granderson and Matt Joyce had good days for the Tigers. With one more baseball game before the all star break and the Tigers need to desperately win and get some momentum back.

7-11-08 Detroit vs Minnesota

13-23. That pretty much sums up the season so far. 13-23 record against division foes is not going to get it done. After a 3-2 loss against the Twins the Tigers need to get back on track and win some ball games within the division. Another good performance from Armando Galarraga was wasted by a lack of key hitting. The Detroit Tigers battle the Twins again today in another key divisional game.

7-10-08 Detroit vs Minnesota

Tiger killer Justin Morneau did it again. It seems this guy has a big hit every time we play the Minnesota Twins. Morneau had 5 hits including a game winning home run in the 11th inning. The Detroit Tigers had a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth when Matt Joyce (2-6 with a homer) let a Joe Mauer hit ball get by him for an error. In the bottom of the inning Joyce was unable to get a bunt down with runners on first and second. Joe Nathan finished the inning by striking out Larish (3-5, rbi, run scored) and Ivan Rodriguez setting up Morneau's heroics. Marcus Thames had another strong game at the plate going 3-4 with a run scored.

The Tigers baseball club seems to have a ton of young baseball talent. Guys like Joyce, Larish, and Clete Thomas have proven capable of playing baseball at the major league level albeit with a few growing pains. If the Tiger's young pitching can come around we should have a fine future in the motor city. Go Tigers!

7-9-08 Detroit vs Cleveland

Miguel Cabrera continues hitting the baseball well, hitting another home run in the bottom of the ninth during the Tigers 8-6 win against the Indians. This Tigers are playing inspired ball, coming back from a 6 run deficit in the sixth to notch another win. Marcus Thames and Curtis Granderson continue to swing the bat well. Next up: 7-10-08 at home against the Minnesota Twins. This is an important series, the Twins are in the Tigers way as they march to the top of the American League Central division.

7-8-08 Detroit vs Cleveland

The Detroit Tigers are playing good baseball finally. Miguel Cabrera hit two homers and went 4-4 in a 9-2 beatdown of the Tribe. Marcus Thames continues his torrid hitting going 2-3 with a double and a jack collecting 3 RBIs. Justin Verlander looked strong again pitching 7 innings and striking out 7 for his 6th win off the season. With 21 wins since June 7 (most in the majors) the Tigers baseball club has clawed right back into the pennant race.