Game starts in 40 minutes. Let's get em boys. It's Randy Johnson vs Jeremy Bonderman in game 1.

Randy Johnson is shutting us out. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Why do players find their strides against Detroit teams?

sigh

Ouch.

Well hopefully we won't have any more Johnsons come into Comerica with 4 losses, because we seem to suck when that happens.

This is fucking unreal.

Bases loaded with no outs and we don't even score a single run. [smilie=banghead.gi: [smilie=banghead.gi: [smilie=banghead.gi:

I LOVE late-inning comebacks.

Tie-game in the bottom of the 8th.

Hell of a play from Pudge/Rodney to get the out at home on a wild pitch.

Fuck.

2 run lead for the Yanks.

Tough, tough loss.

Robertson is gonna have to pitch well tomorrow...especially considering that we went through most of our bullpen today.

Tough, tough loss.

Robertson is gonna have to pitch well tomorrow...especially considering that we went through most of our bullpen today.

Hopefully he didn't sprain his jaw by slamming all that Big League Chew last night. I almost contracted diabetes just watching that.

Nate was killing me with that gum last night.

Yeah, it was rough...but I like his enthusiasm, and the fact that the team is having so much fun.

So.......

- We have the best record in baseball.
- We have the most historic team in sports making their only visit to Comerica Park.

.......and we only draw 24,000 people?

Ugh.

There wasn't enough gum for everyone.

TIGERS PURCHASE CONTRACT OF MINER, OPTION HANNAHAN TO TOLEDO: The Tigers today announced the club has purchased the contract of righthanded pitcher Zach Miner from Triple A Toledo and optioned the contract of infielder Jack Hannahan to Toledo. Miner posted a 6-0 record and 2.82 ERA (51.0IP/16ER) in nine starts for the Mud Hens. Hannahan saw action in three games with the Tigers, going hitless in nine at-bats.

Seems like a good idea to call up a pitcher given that we exhausted our bullpen last night.

werd.

We're going to have to have it going against Mussina tonight.

Fuck Polanco.

He has been killing our offense lately.

Seriously, can we move Polanco down this lineup?

That's the 3rd time, Polanco has killed whatever we have going on the offensive end.

Tigers drop third straight to Yanks
Robertson's personal seven-game unbeaten streak ends

Nate Robertson couldn't chew gum for his own cause.

He was superstitious on Tuesday night, as the Tigers overcame a five-run deficit to force extra innings. On Wednesday, as the Tigers came within an out of being blanked for the third time in four days, frustration set in. And afterwards, he let it out.

"I care, man. I really, really care every time -- 32, 33, 34 starts out of the year," Robertson said after Wednesday's 6-1 loss extended Detroit's losing streak to four games. "I care so much when I'm out there. I never want to not be part -- winning or losing -- of what's going on out there. And when you care that much, it hurts. But it's one game. I'll be ready in Chicago [next Tuesday]."

Robertson was as emotionally invested in Wednesday's game as he was in any game this season, and the emotions just grew as the pitching duel continued. He cheered big outs. He slammed the ground. He argued calls, and he saved his parting shots for a lengthy argument with home-plate umpire Ted Barrett on his way out of the game in the ninth inning.

But his frustration wasn't a simple matter of umpiring. It was a combination of calls, plays and other circumstances that turned against him.

"The game can be very bitter," Robertson said. "It can be very unforgiving. And it always will be. If you're afraid of failing, if you're afraid things won't go your way sometimes, this game isn't for you. Tonight, I left it all out there.

"I think I pitched just as good or better than the guy on the other side. That's my feeling. I respect that team over there, but if there was a break tonight, I didn't get it. And that's the game. You want to try to understand the game? You better watch a game like that. Don't look at line scores."

The line score said he allowed six runs in 8 2/3 innings, but his first loss since April 17 was a 2-0 pitching duel entering the eighth. He wasn't going to get much argument from his skipper.

"Nate Robertson gave us everything and more than we needed tonight," manager Jim Leyland said. "He gave us an outstanding performance, a performance certainly well enough to be in the ballgame and have a chance to win it. For anybody to be temporarily frustrated, I think that's fine."

A 92-minute rain delay was merely the start of a long night for Robertson (5-3). Three consecutive two-out singles in the opening inning put New York ahead from the start. It was also just the second time all season that Robertson allowed a first-inning run.

Robertson retired eight consecutive batters from the second through the fourth innings before Andy Phillips singled and Terrence Long walked leading off the fifth. Melky Cabrera popped up two bunts before flying out to right, advancing Phillips to third.

Robertson kept Phillips at third when Miguel Cairo popped out to second. But Robertson hit Jason Giambi with an 0-1 pitch to load the bases and extend the inning for Alex Rodriguez. Brandon Inge made a diving stop to knock down his sharp ground ball down the third-base line, but Inge's throw to second for the force out drew Placido Polanco off the bag, allowing Phillips to score.

"I thought he was out," Robertson said, "but I don't have the best angle. He made a great play."

Robertson kept it at 2-0 until Rodriguez's triple powered a two-run eighth. He left after back-to-back two-out singles in the ninth, with Miguel Cairo driving in Cabrera.

Robertson seemingly just missed hitting the inside corner on a two-strike pitch to Cairo. Once Leyland lifted him for Jamie Walker, Robertson exchanged words with Barrett as he walked towards the dugout. Barrett followed him until Robertson made a left turn and went face-to-face with the home-plate umpire for more than a minute.

"I think it's unfair to bring an umpire into this," Robertson said. "But I had something to say and said it."

Asked if the Tigers are still building up credibility with umpires to get borderline calls, however, Robertson discussed credibility as a larger issue with everyone, not just the umps.

"I think my credibility's been questioned for the last couple years in general. [I] understand. I'm still trying to go out and establish myself. I'm going out there, and I think I'm doing it. I think I'm a guy that you can run out every fifth day and have a chance to win a ballgame. I believe it. I have to believe that. And that's all that matters."

It's not the first time pitching coach Chuck Hernandez has seen Robertson fired up, though it's his first year on the job.

"Not everybody's a laid-back, calm guy," Hernandez said. "He gets excited. Sometimes he uses it as good energy. I'm sure in the past he's used it as bad energy. I think he's gaining enough knowledge and experience to know how to channel that in the right direction. He pitched a good ballgame. He competed well against a fine baseball club."

No such emotion could help Detroit's offense. While Robertson used 120 pitches in nearly pulling off a complete game, Yankees starter Mike Mussina ended the night by striking out Carlos Guillen on his 100th pitch.

A pair of singles in both the third and sixth innings and a single in the eighth was all Detroit's offense muster off Mussina (7-1) until Magglio Ordonez singled in Polanco with two outs in the ninth. Mussina improved to 17-5 lifetime against the Tigers and extended his own unbeaten streak this season to nine starts. However, the Tigers' quick outs were part of a pattern.

"We're making some early outs early in the count," Leyland said. "We're making some early outs even when we're ahead in the count. And we're swinging at some bad pitches when we're behind in the count."

Robertson had no concerns about the offense. He had other laments about how he feels others perceive him.

"If people want to come to me and say stuff about me, my effort," Robertson said, "[they need to] understand every single factor in the game, watch games like tonight and follow what this team does, follow every individual, and what happens when they go out and give an effort like what I gave tonight. Those are the kind of games that build players, build teams.

"It's a frustrating loss. It hurts that so many little things tonight were part of the end result of a 6-1 loss. And it could've been a 1-0 win."
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060531&content_id=1480968&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

Oooooh Eeeee Ohhhhh....Magglio just tied it up, singling home a run in the bottom of the 9th. 6-6, 2 on, 1 out. Carlos Guillen up.

Tigers win motherfuckers!

TIGERS WIN!!!!!!!!!!

Tigers Win!!! Great comeback.

Dont know if this has been said already but,


Tigers Win!!!

Great fucking comeback. I was pissed ESPN blacked us out. I would have loved to hear what they had to say about us.

I was pissed ESPN blacked us out. I would have loved to hear what they had to say about us.

One thing I noticed was in the ninth, they commented on how the TIgers were all up against the railing watching the game, hoping for a comeback, while the Yankees were all just lounging around seeming uninterested.

Nice. What was that bleeding they showed on verlanders pants. WB didnt mention it.

Nice. What was that bleeding they showed on verlanders pants. WB didnt mention it.

Didn't see, sorry, got home late.

Its all good. They just mentioned it on baseball tonight, but I couldnt hear what the guy was saying.

He had a cut/blister on his index finger. That's where the blood on his pants came from.

The game on ESPN was blacked out(again) because the Tigers still can't draw fans to the park. Thankfully it was on the WB. *dances*

I must say that Marcus Thames at the 2 spot is an absolutely genius idea. Pitchers don't even know what to do with the guy.

Maggs is the man. He better make the All-Star team next month.

The game on ESPN was blacked out(again) because the Tigers still can't draw fans to the park. Thankfully it was on the WB. *dances*

Bummer, you missed a whole lotta Yankee dick-sucking.

I can't believe that wasn't a sellout. Looked like the stands were packed when they panned the crowd. Pretty great crowd for a weeknight, nevertheless.

Verlander was playing with a blister on his throwing hand.

The game on ESPN was blacked out(again) because the Tigers still can't draw fans to the park. Thankfully it was on the WB. *dances*

Bummer, you missed a whole lotta Yankee dick-sucking.

I can't believe that wasn't a sellout. Looked like the stands were packed when they panned the crowd. Pretty great crowd for a weeknight, nevertheless.

Yeah, I thought it looked pretty packed too. In Chicago, they black out some ESPN Cubs games on Comcast regardless of wether it's a sellout, I think it has to do with the Local tv contracts rather than whether it's a sellout. (Pure speculation on my part....).

I remember back in the day when the Pistons sucked and all of their games on cable(mostly WGN) were blacked out. :(