Series at a Glance
Tampa Bay at Detroit
Mon, Aug 6 - 7:05 pm EDT
E. Jackson vs. J. Verlander

Tampa Bay at Detroit
Tue, Aug 7 - 7:05 pm EDT
J. Hammel vs. N. Robertson

Tampa Bay at Detroit
Wed, Aug 8 - 7:05 pm EDT
J. Shields vs. C. Durbin

Tampa Bay at Detroit
Thu, Aug 9 - 1:05 pm EDT
S. Kazmir vs. J. Bonderman

Durbin on Wednesday is interesting.

I'm going to the Durbin game and will be in the Dew Deck with the all-you-can-eat. Nice.

I'm going to tonight's game. They need to end this losing streak

It sure would be nice to take 3 of 4. It might be enough to get back to a 1 game or 1.5 game cushion.

If we can't win tonight (screw the fact that I'm cursing the team right now), then I'm done with this team until September. Their starter doesn't have an ERA below 5-something in any given month all season. And we have JV going. Let's f-up some D Rays boys.

The Tigers are finally rallying!!!111one one

<<Giddy.

It's not every day Carl Crawford misses a ball like that, but I'll take it.

It's not every day Carl Crawford misses a ball like that, but I'll take it.

I don't think it really changed anything, he was in an awkward position to throw and I think we would have sent the runner and scored him. He still got the out at 2nd, so it didn't really change anythnig.

Just the fact he missed it I was appreciative of.

It's not every day Carl Crawford misses a ball like that, but I'll take it.

I agree with Rod and Mario. I think he was going to let the CF get it because he had the arm to throw out the runner at home. If Crawford caught it, we'd have runners at 1st and 2nd with the same score. as it stood we had runners at 1st and 3rd with the score. It wouldn't have mattered since Polanco fouled out at first anyway.

Nate on the mound tonight, which means it can go either way...

[smilie=BLC]

Right now it's not about pitching. It's about hitting. This team isn't doing it. Yesterday was only the 2nd time in the past 11 games the team has scored over 5 runs and 6 runs is the higest in the past 11. 11 straight games without scoring 7 or more runs? For this offense? That shouldn't be happening and it's putting a decimated pitching staff under more pressure than they should be under.

Liking what I see so far, Granderson on 3rd with 1 out and Casey AB. Just got the feeling this is gonna be one of those "feel good" wins where, coming off a much needed win, everything clicks...hopefully.

Make that 1-0 Tigers on a Casey single.

Plus Nate had an easy first. I think it's been months since a starter had an easy first. Maybe we need to revisit that idea of Nate in the pen. Could you imagine a pen with guys that could come in like that?

By the way, on the double play Maggs hit into, how is it that slow Casey can be right up on the 2nd baseman and almsot mess up the play, yet Maggs was only halfway down the first base line? Is he being a bitch and half-assing it? If so, I don't imagine Leyland's too thrilled with that.

Sheffield's due back Thursday right?

By the way, on the double play Maggs hit into, how is it that slow Casey can be right up on the 2nd baseman and almsot mess up the play, yet Maggs was only halfway down the first base line? Is he being a bitch and half-assing it? If so, I don't imagine Leyland's too thrilled with that.

Yeah, I noticed that too.

Plus Nate had an easy first. I think it's been months since a starter had an easy first. Maybe we need to revisit that idea of Nate in the pen. Could you imagine a pen with guys that could come in like that?

By the way, on the double play Maggs hit into, how is it that slow Casey can be right up on the 2nd baseman and almsot mess up the play, yet Maggs was only halfway down the first base line? Is he being a bitch and half-assing it? If so, I don't imagine Leyland's too thrilled with that.

Hew retires the first 5 in easy fashion before giving up consecutive singles and needing a ground ball to strand the guy on 3rd. Bull - freaking - pen. I've been saying this for over a year. Dig through the archives if you must.

So, like I said, "feel good win"

Of course, being the billy goat of WTFDetroit, you would have every right to blame me if something goes wrong.

Inge with an RBI triple to make it 3-0.

This offseason the Tigers should have plenty of leverage with any player they want who happens to like hitting triples.

By the way, to continue the thought on triples - could you imagine if the Tigers were to find a way to add Carl Crawford and Jimmy Rollins? Both have over 70 triples in their career. Man, add that type of speed to this lineup and opposing pitchers would crap themselves. Plus, those are essentially 5 tool guys. When I sleep tonight, I'll dream of an outfield of Crawford, Maybin and Granderson.

Man, they're not fucking around tonight...which means I'll be 87 alpacas richer.

Pretty weak for Maggs to only get to 2nd on that play. Seriously, he's not hustling and it's ticking me off. He would have been able to tag and score if he had goine to third.

6 strikeouts for Nate thus far, looks like this is gonna be a nice little evening here.

Until we see Jason Grilli, of course.

FUCK!!!

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

Shit all over you, Grilli. Robertson deserved the W whether we win or lose.

I HATE YOU GRILLI! When is enough enough with this guy? He can't get anyone out!

Can a major league pitcher suck this badly? Is he betting on the Tigers to lose? Get that bitch the fuck off this team.

I am more pissed at Leyland for bringing Grilli in the game. What does Grilli have to do to be benched (same with Monroe)?

Master Raburn :)

Also, is there anyone in AAA/AA worth bringing up to replace Grilli? He is something awful, as we've established.

What happened to de la Cruz?

GRANDERSON!!!

Thanks to goodness he didn't get hurt on that catch.

Good win the way it looked after the abomination that is Grilli came in and fucked up big time.

anyone>Grilli

Miner, Durbin deal with serious family issues
Families come first for 2 Tigers

August 8, 2007
BY JOHN LOWE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Tigers right-handers Zach Miner and Chad Durbin became good friends last year while at Toledo. They talk often, including when riding together to Comerica Park. In recent days, they each had a new subject to talk about: a family member in intensive care.

For Miner, it was his father, Charlie, who had surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

For Durbin, it was his newborn son, Cade. "He had a very short-term lung disorder," Durbin said.

On Tuesday, said Durbin, Cade was close to leaving the hospital. "It's a relief," Durbin said.

Things are improving for Miner's dad. "He came off the respirator today -- that's a big deal," Miner said Tuesday.

Miner spent a week away from the team with his father. Durbin was home last week in Louisiana for the birth of Cade, his first child.

Entering Tuesday, Miner had made two appearances since he returned. He didn't allow a run in either. On Monday night, he threw one pitch and got the win over Tampa Bay.

Durbin tonight makes his first appearance since he returned to the team. It will be his return to the rotation, in place of injured Andrew Miller.

Durbin was asked how and he and Miner make sure they can focus on baseball.

"It's a comfort zone -- we've been doing this for a while," Durbin said. "You just go out there and really concentrate on what you're doing."

Also, is there anyone in AAA/AA worth bringing up to replace Grilli? He is something awful, as we've established.

What happened to de la Cruz?

He was hurt a few weeks ago. I don't remember what the injury was or how long he was out.

When everyone is healthy, you would have to think the pen (7 spots) would be:
Jones
Rodney
Zumaya
Miner
Brydak
Seay
McBride

They must realize that's the group that gives us the best chance to win. In fact, I would ship Grilli down right now and bring back Capellan.

Jethro, would you keep Miner over Durbin?

I would actually keep Durbin in the starting rotation. Miller showed us some nice things, but the league has scouted him now and he'll never get past the 5th inning without and out pitch. Time to go back to the minors and develop that, because he's not going to help us win games down the stretch.

I would actually keep Durbin in the starting rotation. Miller showed us some nice things, but the league has scouted him now and he'll never get past the 5th inning without and out pitch. Time to go back to the minors and develop that, because he's not going to help us win games down the stretch.

Sadly, I agree.

:emo kid:

Yikes! Durbin might not last long tonight.

Sick pitch to get the strike out by Durbin to end the inning. 2-0 Devils.

Sheff's playing!

And get down with ya bad self Polanco.

i dont know. miller has had 3 consecutive bad starts, but i said about 2 starts ago they should give him a start off to rest his arm. i thought he was struggling locating his pitch cuz his delivery was inconsistent- due to lack of strength and exacerbated by a pretty heavy workload.

i would definitly give him a few more starts when he gets off the DL.

and its too bad they said he would not go to the bullpen, cuz he handles lefties better than probably anyone on the roster.

+ i'd hate to lose his bat.

Not a word about this game, it never happened.

Though my daughter started crying around the time Grilli came in, which is funny.

Clearly there simply aren't any good answers right now. It's very sad watching playoff expectations melt away.

i dont know about that. we're just getting healthy and in the middle of a real good playoff race. i definitly wouldnt jump ship just yet. though these next 12 games are definitly going to be huge.

i dont know. miller has had 3 consecutive bad starts, but i said about 2 starts ago they should give him a start off to rest his arm. i thought he was struggling locating his pitch cuz his delivery was inconsistent- due to lack of strength and exacerbated by a pretty heavy workload.

i would definitly give him a few more starts when he gets off the DL.

and its too bad they said he would not go to the bullpen, cuz he handles lefties better than probably anyone on the roster.

+ i'd hate to lose his bat.

I could see them using Miller out of the pen in the playoffs though. It would make 3 power arms (with Rodney and Zumaya healthy) to throw out there.

They just know his future is a starter, so they'd rather let he play there now.

But my question is this with Miller -
They know he needs to develop at least one more pitch, an out pitch as they say.
If he finishes the season here - whether in the bullpen or as a starter - when does he work on that pitch? During the offseason they'll want him to shut down his arm for quite a while. Then he'll get in baseball shape as we head toward spring training, which isn't nearly long enough to develop a pitch. Meaning he'll be behind again at the start of next season, when he will absolutely be a part of the starting rotation since Kenny's career is over.

So for the sake of this season AND the next 5 seasons, let him finish the year in Erie and get to work on developing that pitch so he'll have a good start on it with an idea of what he needs to do in the offseason and spring training to have it ready to go and kill opposing batters next year.

I agree. He needs to find another pitch to be a great starter. I'm no MLB elite, so if he can't do that at this level he'll need to be sent down to find that pitch eventually. Maybe when Rogers comes back we'll get enough out of Tata or Durbin to keep Miller down there for a while.

You'll never convince me that we'll get more out of Monroe than Granderson. It's retarded to sit Granderson against lefties just because, ye keep Monroe in.

Just in case I'm not the only one that just realized that there is a game going on.

Tigers down 3-0 in the sixth.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=270809106

Disgusting.

We've been outscored 13-1 by the fucking Devil Rays over the past 15 or so innings.

edit: make that 15-1

Is there someplace where you can hear Leyland's postgame comments live?

I think a classic Leyland meltdown is in order.

i was anticipating 2 out of 4. its just that time of year. i wont get worried until someone pulls away. were not in bad shape right now, even though we cant get anything going.

If they don't take 3/4 from the A's I'm giving up.

If they don't take 2/3 from the A's I'm giving up.

I'm going to the much anticipated Tata/Blanton matchup tonight.

Hopefully Sheff and Thames tear it up.