Athletics (13-18) Vs. Tigers (17-16)

[m23uza1hem36]

@ Comerica Park


Probable Pitchers:
Game 1: Dallas Braden, LHP (3-4, 2.79) Vs. Edwin Jackson, RHP (2-2, 2.60)
Game 2: Trevor Cahill, RHP (2-2, 3.69) Vs. Rick Porcello, RHP (3-3, 4.28)
Game 3: Brett Anderson, LHP (0-3, 5.79) Vs. Armando Galarraga, RHP (3-3, 4.61)

Tigers Lineup:
C. Granderson, CF
P. Polanco, 2B
C. Thomas, RF
M. Cabrera, 1B
M. Ordonez, DH
B. Inge, 3B
R. Raburn, LF
G. Laird, C
A. Everett, SS

Athletics Lineup:
O. Cabrera, SS
K. Suzuki, C
J. Giambi, 1B
M. Holliday, LF
J. Cust, DH
R. Sweeney, CF
A. Kennedy, 2B
T. Buck, RF
B. Crosby, 1B

Note: Lineups vary from game-to-game

Yeah...Lyon sucks dick, Verlander is looking sexy, Cabrera is doing a Tayshaun, anyone want a sweep to rid the pain?

[RustInPeace]

O_O

Grand Slam Raburn!!!

[Snakebites]

Two grandslams in one game.

This team really knows how to pile it on when a pitching staff starts struggling.

I wish they could hit good pitchers, too.

[Liqourish]

Edwin has allowed 1 run or less in 5 of his 8 starts and yet only has 3 wins. Thank god, our team was able to pile on the runs for him.

Raburn with his second grandslam of his career, to bring his ERA to a blistering .115. Inge has started to heat up again. Cabrera has a multiple game hitting streak going on. Magglio was 3-3, let's hope he can continue to get on base.

Perry and French came in a did a good job.

This team has the pieces to ge really good, they just need consistency. A couple better relievers. Looking at you Lyon.

[Snakebites]

French came in and did a decent job.

Of course, its tough to set too much store by it given it was 14-1 and the A's were anxious for a long, horrible evening to be over.

That game was a disaster in every sense of the word for them. Would certainly be nice if they'd roll over for us like that in every game.

[Liqourish]

Of course, it's his first game, it's a blow out, but he did get the job done.

Porcello takes the mound tonight. We're facing a RHP which means Santiago and Anderson should get the nod in the lineup tonight over Raburn and Everett.

Let's hope for no more rain delays.

[Liqourish]

Well Tigers are facing a LHP tonight so we have Raburn and Everett in the lineup and once again, the Tigers are clobbering the A's. 7-1 after 7. Raburn with a 3 run HR, Laird with 3-4 hitting. Every Tiger has reached base for a second consecutive game.

Porcello with 6 IP 1 ER only 86 pitches. brings his ERA down to 3.86. If Galarraga can get back on his game, the Tigers will have 4 quality starters. They really need a fifth. I'm hoping that will be Bonderman. I'm also hoping that DD won't keep Willis up here in Porcellos place when it's obvious he can't handle it. If the Tigers are valuing winning, they keep the 4 pitchers who have been winning us games. No matter what they are paying other players.

Twins, Indians and White Sox already lost their games tonight. Royals are losing as I type. If Tigers hold on, they take sole possession of the AL Central lead.

[RustInPeace]

I was hoping Galarraga would at least not have an awful start against the A's. I guess I was wrong. WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!

[Snakebites]

Jeez, Armando didn't even last the whole inning.

[Liqourish]

Well good thing we didn't need him to. Still won the game 11-7 and got the sweep of the A's. Santiago, Anderson and Granderson had big games for the Tigers. Great come from behind win.

Armando is struggling. He needs more work with Rick Knapp. He has velocity, he just isn't locating his pitches. I expect him to get back on track though.

Royals won and are still only 1 game behind us, but the Tigers are pulling away from the rest of the central. If they can string some more wins together, it will give them a good cushion moving forward.

Luckily, Jackson, Porcello and Verlander have been money in May so far.

Porcello 3-0 1.00 ERA
Verlander 2-0 1.21 ERA
Jackson 2-1 2.70 ERA

[Snakebites]

Armando's game is really starting to worry me. I had him pegged as a guy poised to drop off this year, but the beginning of this year I was starting to think I was wrong. I wanna be wrong.

Its great that we have 3 guys pitching so well right now, but the other two spots in the rotation (Willis, Armando) have been train wrecks. Yikes.

The A's look absolutely awful. Nonetheless, it was good to see some resilience from this group today after such a bad start to the day. There wasn't enough of that last season.

[Liqourish]

I expect us to get clobbered sometimes, but it's how the team responds that dictates who they are, and the Tigers this year have not run away from a challenge. The team just has a good feel to it. It's not perfect. We have a few injuries and a few guys not on their game, but even so, we're still a top of the central. If we can get Guillen and Maggz on track and get Bondo back healthy.... I really like our chances moving forward.

Everett and Santiago at SS is so much better than Renteria last year. Mixing up the DH instead of Sheffield is great. Having Inge back at 3rd and balling is really helping. The young guys (Larish, Anderson, Clete) are producing runs for us where we struggled to score last year. Grandy will be Grandy. Cabrera got off to a better start. And we have 3 starting pitchers right now who look really GREAT.

I still think the Tigers achilles heel will be their bullpen until they get a set group of guys. I'd like to see DD go after a solid reliever at the deadline. That could help solidify the Tigers relief rotation. Seay had one bad outing but has been good. Perry has a few shakey innings but has been good. Zumaya looks good. Rodney looked great and then stumbled a little. We really need one or two guys that can come in and get outs.