Ok, game #1 against the Mariners isn't over yet and I'm already starting to rethink this "strong starting pitching"opinion that I had during Grapefruit League play. Bonderman got LIT UP for 9 hits, 10 runs and only 4 innings pitched... yes, I said 4! Than this Thomas pitcher guy (yeah, I can see the look on your face... its the "Who?" look...) comes in and just blows goats for a few more innings... its the top of the 6th and the mariners are up 11 - 2... Lord, help us all...
But let me backtrack a bit... This was not a good week in Tigerland - First home series vs the Indians ROCKED - action, drama, great fielding, bats were burning, come from behind victories, pitching was good (not great but good) and we swept them right back to the mistake on the lake known as Cleveland. Then the Royals roll into town and then our pitching goes from good to, um, not so good - not terrible but definitely not so good. Royals managed to hit a fat ton of balls and get a slew of walks in 3 games and took 2 of 3 from us at home (yes, the Royals... the stinky nasty Royals).
That brings us to tonight - after a get away day on the real Jackie Robinson day, one would think that they boys would be rested and ready to play - oh no, this apparently is not the case. They are out there on the field looking like there are cement slabs tied to their feet, sticks of butter in their slippery hands and their eyes are crossed. The batters look like they are running scared from King Felix and our pitchers - well, they look the worst - I've seen sleeping dogs that are more entertaining and productive. In short, while in the field - they are just a bunch of sluggish error making machines (top of the 7th, the Tigs already have 3, yes I said 3 errors).
All this is compounded by the fact that Rod Allen and Mario Impemba started the show on a rant about how the Mariners aren't hitting for squat and they were averaging only 2.8 runs thru their first 10 games, they were the worst in the AL for run production, all their batters had dismal batting averages, Ken Griffey Jr is old and in the "Twilight" of his career, etc... etc... etc... Basically, not a nice word said about the Mariners offense. How quickly things change in 2 hours of really crappy play. Rod and Mario dining on a big dinner of crow tonight.
Bold prediction for this west coast road trip is this : the Tiger's catch phrase heard over and over again will be "Tiger's threaten, do not score" We will hear that at least 35 times or more out of Mario Impemba's mouth.
Oh woah, bottom of the 7th and the Tigers are down by 11, Skip Leyland decides to pull Inge, Laird, and my love Magglio and put in Raburn, Avila and Kelly - yeah, he's waving the white surrender flag. I don't say this very often, but I really see no need to finish watching this game...
On a happy note - It has started to rain Octopus and hats in Phoenix - it's weird seeing them on ice other than the Joe... Wings won 7-4 and my boy Zetterberg had himself his second hat trick of the season... all tied up 1-1 and the boys are coming home to the Joe...
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