Summary
Nate Robertson needed and received run support today in a game that started out seeming as if it would be a drudging like last nights game. This proved to not be true as St. Louis fought back driving Robertson from the game and successfully attacking the Tiger bullpen.
Detroit offense didn’t let up and a hard hit rocket home run to left field from Gary Sheffield proved to be huge and put the game out of the red birds reach.
Cincinnati beat out the Indians to tie up the AL Central. Tonights game ended with enough time for some Tigers to go join in on the Detroit Downtown Hoedown and celebrate.
Pitching
Nate pitched well tonight and had some well deserved run support. The Cardinal offense did give him a workout and was able to force a season high 4 walks from Robertson and make him work. They continued to work him and eventually drive him from the game after only 5 innings of work but at a 100 pitches thrown.
This proved to be rather important due to the Tigers bullpen struggles which continued as Ledezma was brought in to and lasted 0.1 of an inning taking on 2 more earned runs, 2 hits and a walk. Tim Byrdak was then brought in to get them out of the inning and he did. He had yet to be scored upon and gave up his first run of the season. He eventually got into a bit of trouble but also got two strikeouts. It wasn’t a bad outing for him.
Rodney saw about an inning of work as well and gave up a hit to the leadoff batter and fell behind a few batters but ultimately got the ground balls he was looking for. I was quite pleased to see him have a decent outing.
Jones, who has been getting the good press lately with the troubles in the rest of the bullpen, came close tonight ending with 2-outs and the bases loaded getting Scott Rolen to pop out. Rollercoaster racked up his 14th save.
Is it me or does it seem that the Tigers pitchers are really making Pudge work behind the plate? They are leading the league in wild pitches even before the two extra wild pitches tonight from Ledezma and Byrdak.
Hitting
Granderson silently came up big again in tonights game starting off with a leadoff hit then scoring and following up with an RBI hit a few innings later. Combined with a solid 3-run HR from Pudge Rodriguez the Tigers were out to a commanding lead very quickly.
Sean Casey had another quality game getting two hits and a infield out that moved the runner to third setting up a sacrifice fly for Craig Monroe. Unfortunate he doesn’t get credit in the books on that much but the run wouldn’t have come through with out the hit and Casey’s ability to make contact is important.
Tigers came up with a combined 4 doubles and 2 home runs, this should put the Tigers first in the MLB in extra base hits.