Excited that we took the series vs. KC? Yeah!!

Hey, when you've lost the last three series, getting a series win against the local eight year olds is big. Against the Royals? Huge, monumental, season-changing....Ok, I got a wee bit carried away there. But seriously now, beating Greinke is kind of a big deal, especially since we scored all of one run against him in the the past two outings. I'm so happy I don't have to say we got Greinked again. It was getting a little old, ace and All-Star starter status notwithstanding.

So, I was at the game last night, and Verlander had me fretting early over his pitch count and whatnot, but struck out eleven and walked no one. Big boy bats showed up with the home run power---always nice.

I must address the Tiger fans who gave everyone a short leash last night. Magglio had an awful night both at the plate and in the field. Many of those in right field jeered him loudly and lambasted him with rude commentary. Then the natives got restless when Seay, Zumaya and Rodney issued walks. I disapprove of these shenanigans. I get just as disgusted as the next guy over poor play and base on balls from the bullpen staff. However, I will not demoralize my players with derisive, mean-spirited attacks. I realize that people have the right to say what they want, that fans have little patience after last year's debacle, that many feel a guy making $13 million should produce or feel their wrath, but I feel like it just beats a guy down, not encourages him to do better. Maybe I'm too soft, maybe ballplayers need a tough skin and whatnot, but I'm just saying I disagree. There--dismount from soapbox.

Anyway, on to tonight's ballgame. I didn't see Lucas French's debut due to Independence Day festivities, so it was nice to get a look at him last night. He looked pretty good, pretty good indeed. After the game he said he was fighting himself a little early on, but then settled in. He had some good defensive plays behind him to get out of a couple jams.

I have to say that scoring two runs off Greinke in the first felt like a major victory in itself. Then the bullpen came on and closed it out like they're supposed to. So satisfying. It's been a while since the pen looked that solid. It sure helped the old ulcer to heal up a bit before the next gut-busting roller coaster ride.

Running Up the Score

Let me start by saying there's no such thing as running up the score in the pros.  In the pros, you're entitled to score as many runs/points/baskets, etc. as you wish, and the opposing team has no right to whine.   There's no crying in baseball.  Bill Belichek is well known (well loathed) for running up the score, but you can't really get mad at him for that.  There are plenty of other reasons to heap coals of hatred on his head.

Having said that, I was just a smidge surprised when the Royals, during the bottom of the 8th inning of Tuesday's game, ahead 5-1, inserted a pinch runner for Mike Jacobs after he hit a double.  The reason for my surprise was this:  Greinke was on the hill.   You're not comfortable with a four run lead with Greinke on the mound?   Really?  Remember, his ERA is still sub one.  Remember, his only loss of the season came in a 1-0 duel.  Remember, he hasn't surrendered any home runs this season.

It wasn't that I was upset they were trying to add on, but like I said, a little caught off guard.  Actually, though, since the Royals don't have the most potent offense, they're probably always in manufacture mode as far as runs are concerned.

Update re:  crying in baseball.  Rod and Mario were just describing how Willie Horton and Todd Jones were crying in the clubhouse when the Tigers clinched a playoff berth in 2006 in Kansas City.  But see, those were tears of joy.  That's a whole different thing, you know.

A Greinke, A Greinke, A Fun and a Wonderful Toy

So we got Greinke-d for the second time this year.  At least we can’t say it hasn’t happened to a lot of other teams.  And really, we had our opportunities with some early baserunners, but they got erased by timely (untimely) double plays.

 

Um, did Edwin Jackson skip out on PFP this spring?  Errant throws by pitchers that remind us of the 2006 World Series are not permitted.

 

It’s a good thing the “Who’s Your Tiger” campaign has come to an end, because no one would have Brandon Lyon as their Tiger, and this would give him quite a complex.  I’m sorry, but when you come into a game and immediately surrender the long ball, it’s just not endearing.

 

It was nice to see Nate Robertson have a clean outing, even if it was only a third of an inning.  Straight zeros across his line.  Very neat and tidy.

 

That’s all I got for last night’s game folks.  Let’s just move on--quickly.

Slammed

Sometimes I am unable to write a post immediately following a bad loss.  I first attempt to cool myself off by slamming a few doors with all possible force.  I've had a mirror come unmounted from the back of a door and shatter all over the floor in a trillion polygonic granules.  My, wasn't it humbling (and hazardous) performing clean-up on that mess.   If that doesn't do the trick, I've got to break out the big guns and watch my copy of the no-hitter that I downloaded off i-Tunes.

All of this is done to spare the reader from invectives spewed in a disorderly jumble.  There certainly are times when an angry post is appropriate and cathartic.  In fact, it's why I started this blog after the 2008 season.  I just had so much bile poisoning my system, it had to be released.

So much for the blow-hard intro.  My point here is that last night's loss is now becoming a pattern.  We get Greinke-d, Buehrle-d, Pavano-ed.  Who's next?  Is Cliff Lee gonna make a run at a perfect game too?  Actually, that would NOT follow the pattern.  We usually follow up such a loss with a win.  We're playing .500 ball right now, and while that's a sight better than last year, it's not entirely satisfying.  I'm feeling that our team has a legitimate shot at contending.  We'll soon know whether Willis and then Bonderman can help boost us up to the next level.

If not, and in the wake of more tainting of our game coming to light, I may just move to following and blogging  my son's rec league team.

Seriously?

Please tell me I was dreaming, and that we did not have another disastrous inning last night.  Crap, I just saw the evidence on SportsCenter.  Edwin Jackson may begin to get a little cranky if he continues to receive this paltry level of run support throughout the season.

Carlos Guillen is now battling a sore shoulder?  And why would he not be on the DL at this point?  You can't successfully battle two injuries.  I absolutely love Carlos Guillen, but he can't be kept in the lineup in his battered condition.  It's really hard to say this, but he looks brutal in left right now, too.  He's not getting to those deep balls even though he's playing deep.  Ugh.

In divisional news, Zack Greinke continues to dominate to the tune of a 0.40 ERA.    Last night he threw a complete game, shutting out the White Sox, while striking out ten.  I can only hope that on our next series against the Royals, we somehow miss his turn in the rotation.  In a way, it's exciting to see someone dealing like that, but when he's in our division, it has the tendency to take some of the fun out of it.

Going To Kansas City, Kansas City Here We Come

Rick Porcello is learning on the job.  He's brilliant at times, and at other moments folks are putting the ball out of the park.  That's ok.  We've got to let him grow at a natural pace, however much we want/need to win ball games.  I'm not going to scapegoat Porcello, that's for sure.  I had a bad feeling about tonight's game after learning that last night's game was not a day game on a travel day from Pacific time to Central time (and on whom in MLB scheduling can I practice some of those "enhanced interrogation techniques" we've been hearing about)?  The team plane wasn't due to touch down in KC until around 4:30 am, so um, that's not good for the internal body clock.  I know that Porcello travelled ahead of the club, so he for one, did get a decent night's sleep, but when the rest of team is all bleary-eyed, using caffeine and who knows what else as a crutch to stay awake, it's not necessarily going to be pretty.

Once again, my DVR efforts went awry.  I was doing other things, saving the game for later, while my husband was watching the NBA playoffs.  In glancing at the basketball game, I saw the *&@#! bottom line thing, and the Royals/Tigers score flashed by (5-1 at that point).   I stomped out of the room in anger, with my husband calling after me that it wasn't his fault.  I conceded this point with as much equanimity as I could muster.  That is IT, I will have to start watching games live, or just pick them up in progress.  I've utterly failed in attempts to record and watch games later.  It's a shame that I'm not able to take advantage of the technological wonder of DVR, but I'm just going to accept it.

Greinke was absolutely dealing--with Tiger after Tiger hacking away like Charles Barkley swinging at a golf ball--striking out the side in the 8th in spectacular jaw-dropping fashion (and making my stomach churn in the process).  Yeah, it's so worth staying up until 1 am to watch this, oh is it ever.  It'll be a long time before I'll be able to fall asleep after this waking nightmare--expected or not.   Like Gary Sheffield after a HBP, I vow revenge on Greinke for embarrassing my club this way.   If anyone wants to know where to find me, I'll be lurking around Kauffman Stadium awaiting the perfect opportunity.