For the third game in a row, the Tigers allowed runs in the first inning. I don’t have the resources, mostly the desire, to look it up, but that doesn’t bode well usually. The Tigers have defied those odds the past two nights, and made a pretty damn good attempt to do it again Friday night, but couldn’t pull out the win against the Texas walk off Rangers.
Trailing 4-2 in the top of the 9th with one out, the Tigers somehow acquired some momentum from the 13 pitch AB from Ramon Santiago that resulted in the second out of the inning. Austin Jackson followed it up with an infield single and Johnny Damon then blooped a double into right field to set up the tying runs for the rejuvenated Magglio Ordonez. Magglio obliged to all comeback hopes and dreams by knocking them in with a single to right. Tied.
When Miguel Cabrera fouled out to right, I had a feeling the Tigers weren’t going to come out victorious like they have in so many other comeback games. Unfortunately, that feeling was right on.
In the 9th, Fu Te Ni, who got the final two outs in the 8th, and Ryan Perry walked three (one intentionally) and gave up the game winning run sooner than you could say extra innings 500 times.
BLAME GAME IS EASY TO WIN
Fu Te Ni and Ryan Perry are the pretty easy scape goats in this one. However, some think it’s on Leyland for letting Ni go back out in the 9th inning. To me, that’s just something people who don’t like Leyland say, because it was a pretty simple decision process, if you ask me.
Let me walk you through it, though: The Rangers had the bottom of their order due up in the 9th inning, two of whom were switchies about to hit righty for the first time in the game should Ni (or another lefty) pitch. Former Tiger, Matt “Can’t Hit” Treanor was sandwiched between. Given the circumstances, it’s not a clumsy decision to send out Ni, who successfully pitched 1.2 innings in his last two appearances, to take care of the bottom of the order. Then, should the game go extras, you have Perry going against the righty heavy top of the order. You might wonder why not just have Perry go both, if necessary, but Perry pitched last night, so he was most likely (read: should’ve been) only available for an inning.
But why not Perry in the 9th, you ask?
Basically, if Fu Te Ni can’t handle Smoak (hitting righty for the first time in his MLB career), Treanor, and Blanco, then he probably shouldn’t be on the Tigers at all. Some will argue that Ni’s erratic pitching in the 8th should’ve indicated that he would continue that type of pitching in the 9th and should have been replaced. That’s fine, if you’re not arguing he should be replaced with an always pretty wild Ryan Perry. Ni may have walked a hitter in the 8th, but he got two outs, so there’s no reason he couldn’t be trusted with the bottom of Texas’ order (given the aforementioned circumstances with those hitters).
Now, once Smoak walked against Ni, there were some cries for Perry to relieve. But, with Treanor up, the sac bunt became a foregone conclusion at that point and there was no point in wasting Perry pitches. Then, with a man on second, the Tigers opted to intentionally walk pinch hitter Ryan Garko to set up a potential double-play.
Why didn’t Perry relieve Ni, so they could actually pitch to Garko?
It doesn’t really alter the situation. If you walk him, you put a runner on that doesn’t matter to help your odds of turning an inning ending double-play, no matter who comes to the plate next. If you walk him, you obviously don’t need to waste Perry’s arm to throw the intentional balls. After the intentional walk, Nelson Cruz, a stud, pinch hit for Blanco. Yes, because the Tigers intentionally walked Garko, they couldn’t do so with Cruz, but it doesn’t change the outcome. Cruz was walked anyway by Perry and Andrus ended the game with a single. Therefore, the intentional walk to Garko did not change any outcomes. Thus, at this point it becomes just an unnecessary nitpick.
Conclusion? Ni and Perry weren’t good. Ni should be good enough to handle the hitters he was set up to face in the 9th and Perry should be better than he was, too. Jim Leyland set it up fine and can’t help them throw the ball over the plate, or keep it away from bat barrels. End of story.
SCHERZER SURE IS GOOD
Aside from the first inning mistake (two run homer to Vlad), Scherzer was dominant in this one. His final line was 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. He currently has a 2.62 ERA and looks to be every bit of what the Tigers were trading for this past winter. If only they could get the other two of the top three in the rotation going…
LOOKS AT THE ROOKS
Austin Jackson was 1-5 with a run. His batting average sits at a more than respectable .300, but everyone loves talking about his strikeout total, which is indeed racking up. He struck out another three times tonight, but his strike outs (at least one every game) continue to mean jack shit and he continues to get on base in important situations. In the 9th inning he had a huge 2-out hit that started the Tigers 2-run rally. He would score on Magglio’s 2-run single.
Scott Sizemore also struck out three times, dropping his batting average to .261. He was pinch hit for in the 9th by lefty Don Kelly against the righty, Feliz.
AROUND THE CENTRAL
Twins beat the Royals 8-3 behind seven strong from Carl Pavano. Jim Thome homered and had 3 RBI and David DeJesus hit an inside the park home run that replays actually showed to be a legitimate homer.
The White Sox beat the Mariners on a walk off home run off the bat of Andruw Jones (his second HR of the game). Matt Thornton, who went 2.1 IP and struck out five, got the win.
Finally, Cleveland lost 10-0 to the A’s because they suck.
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