Former Tiger, Fernando “The Crooked Hat” Rodney, pitched two scoreless innings and got the win, as the Rays beat the Tigers in 10 innings 4-3.
Justin Verlander pitched pretty well, he went 8 innings and gave up 3 runs, only 2 earned. The unearned run was the result of an error by Prince Fielder.
I don’t think we saw the “old familiar” JV but he was much better than his last two starts.
Smyly pitched a scoreless 9th but the Rays got to Bruce Rondon in the 10th to score the winning run.
The story of this game, and much of this season, is the ineptitude of the offense in the late innings. The Tigers scored 3 runs in the 3rd but didn’t really threaten to score from the 4th through the 10th. The FOX commentators said that the only team that has scored fewer runs in innings 7 through 9 is the Seattle Mariners. For the amount of supposed firepower this offense has, it sure doesn’t do much late in games.
A feud seemed to be brewing between Miguel Cabrera and the The Crooked Hat after Miggy’s 10th inning at bat. With a 1-2 count, The Crooked Hat threw a 98 MPH fastball up and in to even the count at 2 and 2. The next pitch, TCH got Cabrera to swing and miss on an 86 mph changeup low and in. Miggy was yelling at TCH on his way back to the dugout and while he was in the dugout. He seemed to be taking exception to the 1-2 pitch.
Personally, I didn’t see anything wrong with what the TCH did, in fact, I wish Tiger pitchers would take note. Yes, the 1-2 pitch was up and in but it really didn’t come close to hitting Miggy. It was a purpose/setup pitch. TCH thought Miggy was a little to comfortable at the plate and decided to remove some of that comfort, and he did. It worked. He got Miggy to strike out on a ball low and in.
I’ll take TCH approach every time compared to the way Tiger pitchers allow hitters to lean out over the plate and foul off pitch after pitch, extend at bats, and shorten outings.
If the Tigers can take anything positive out of this loss it should be to employ The Crooked Hat Make Hitters Uncomfortable Tactic. That’s it. I just invented and named the pitching philosophy I’ve been begging the Tigers to employ. I’m calling it the The Crooked Hat Make Hitters Uncomfortable Tactic or TCHMHUT for short.
Another positive out of today’s game was that Victor Martinez went 3 for 5. None of the hits were clutch. None of the hits drove in any runs but he got 3 hits and raised his batting average to .231.
“God, I love baseball.” – Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Flashin' Leather 
Well we learned some things on Fox last night eh? JV has thrown more pitches since 2006 (by a thousand mind you ) than any other pitcher in baseball. Did not know that. The Kitty’s don’t score runs after the 7th (kinda had that one) Rondon “has nothing left to prove in Toledo” He was not pitching in Toledo last night …hum. If you read JL’s comments today as far as the pitch to Miggy..”that’s not acceptable..that won’t be tolerated” read Tampa and Rodney says ” as a pitcher you have to pitch inside sometimes you have to protect the strike zone” Who won that battle? Crippy you got that figured out. As far as I am concerned this one is on JL. Read Wojo’s piece in the News today he brings up the 5th spot like you did the other day Crippy (didn’t know he followed you) however if the point of the exercise is to win series and “get his pitching in the right order) JL’s words one inning per man…well Verlander went one to far. AA…Smyly (right left you pick) Benoit closes you win a one run game. Now after you go one inning to far with your starter send out a guy that strikes out the side and then send out a AAA kid to the wolves no. Rodney stayed there for SIX OUTS! Where was Smyly? A guy who has proven he can go multiple innings. You win this game you win the series with a chance to sweep tomorrow. Unless there were orders from above to use Rondon at all cost to “see what we got cause he has nothing left to prove in Toledo” then this one is on JL…we got out managed. Buy the way we don’t meet Tampa again this year so who do we plunk today? Just askin?
Nebraska this, ”that’s not acceptable..that won’t be tolerated”, IS THE WHOLE PROBLEM!!!!!! I didn’t think TCH was throwing at Miggy, did you? I thought he was moving him off of the plate, making him uncomfortable, “protecting the strike zone”.
I know it looks different at 98 mph from 60 feet away but the pitch didn’t even knock Miggy down. It wasn’t even “that” up and in. But it did set up the next pitch nicely didn’t it.
Like I said, instead of getting pissed, the Tigers should learn something. How many times have you and I bitched about JV allowing hitters to foul off pitch after pitch?
But since you asked, Zobrist gets it today.
This could get ugly. I’m not saying. I’m just sayin.
No Crippy I get it really the Ray’s took control got the out and then like I said we got out managed and they won. Your right this could get ugly…….Tigers are -118 today we will see who takes control game or division who knows?
Zobrist gets it today………well YOU ARE THE MAN (today) I now believe almost everything you say….sometimes REALLY!
See Nebraska, me and you, we know baseball! Not like some other people!
I’m not sayin, I’m just sayin’.