Here's where we are in the Divisional Series (home teams listed first):
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Dodgers v. Padres (series tied 1-1)
Los Angeles 7 - 5 San Diego
Los Angeles 2 - 10 San Diego
Phillies v. Mets (series tied 1-1):
Philadelphia 2 - 6 N.Y. Mets
Philadelphia 7 - 6 N.Y. Mets
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Yankees v. Royals (Yankees lead 1-0)
N.Y. Yankees 6 - 5 Kansas City
Guardians v. Tigers (Guardians lead 1-0)
Cleveland 7 - 0 Detroit
The National League teams are off today, so we have an American League double header on TBS. Cleveland and Detroit get us started at 3:08 P.M. Central, followed by the Yankees and Royals at 6:38 P.M. Central.
We have a beautiful and sunny day in Cleveland for the Guardians and the Tigers.
ReplyDeleteTigers rolling today with their ace: Tarik Skubal. He went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts this year, and Detroit needs him to come through.
ReplyDeleteSkubal mows down the Guardians 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, and we have no score after one.
ReplyDeleteThe Tigers are sponsored by Meijer.
ReplyDeleteSkubal is doing his part, but the Tigers' batsmen aren't helping. Still no score after 3.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 4th, Detroit gets a runner to third with only one out, but the next batter strikes out, as they almost always do in modern baseball.
ReplyDeleteYou really have to wait for home runs. Getting runners on base means nothing in modern baseball.
ReplyDeleteTypical modern inning for Detroit in the top of the fourth:
ReplyDeleteleadoff double
deep fly to center advancing runner to third
strikeout
strikeout
The Nats have at least one of these innings almost every single game.
I enjoy watching Skubal pitch. He's a big left-hander with a really high leg kick -- it looks like he has wandered in from 1986.
ReplyDeleteStill no score after 4.
ReplyDeleteWith one out in the bottom of the fifth, and still no score, Cleveland gets a double for its first hit of the game. Then the next batter is hit by a pitch. But then Andres Gimenez grounds into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. 0-0 after 5.
ReplyDeleteSo far, the Tigers have played 14 innings in a row in Cleveland without scoring a run.
ReplyDelete15 scoreless innings in a row for Detroit. Keep swinging for the fences, Tigers!
ReplyDeleteStill no score after six.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 7th, a Tiger flies out to the warning track. Detroit may not realize it, but flies to the warning track don't actually score any runs.
ReplyDeleteI think these teams could play for ten more innings and Detroit wouldn't score. At this point, it seems like we're just waiting for Cleveland to win this game.
ReplyDeleteSkubal throws a seventh consecutive shutout inning. He has been magnificent. Still no score after seven.
ReplyDeleteNine greatest Cleveland players by Wins Above Replacement:
ReplyDelete1. Nap Lajoie: 79.6
2. Tris Speaker: 74.9
3. Bob Feller: 63.4
4. Lou Boudreau: 61.9
5. Stan Coveleski: 53.6
6. Jose Ramirez: 52.4
7. Earl Averill: 51.3
8. Kenny Lofton: 48.6
9. Bob Lemon: 48.2
Nine greatest Tigers by Wins Above Replacement:
ReplyDelete1. Ty Cobb: 145.1
2. Al Kaline: 92.8
3. Charlie Gehringer: 84.7
4. Lou Whitaker: 75.1
5. Alan Trammell: 70.6
6. Harry Heilmann: 67.8
7. Sam Crawford: 63.8
8. Hal Newhouser: 61.5
9. Justin Verlander: 56.1
Tigers have four World Titles: 1935, 1945, 1968, 1984
ReplyDeleteCleveland has two World Titles: 1920, 1948
With runners on first and second, and two outs in the top of the 8th, Wenceel Perez does not swing for the fences. Instead, he bloops a dying liner to left field. Steven Kwan appears to make a diving catch to end the inning, but Detroit wants a review. To me, watching the videotape, it looks as though Kwan trapped the ball. But the umpires disagree, and the Tigers are out. Still no score after 7 1/2 innings, and that play will probably sink the Tigers for the year.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, I think Kwan really did catch that ball. What an amazing play!
DeleteSkubal is done after seven innings, and it's only a matter of time now until Cleveland scores.
ReplyDeleteStill no score after eight.
ReplyDeleteWith two outs in the top of the ninth, the Tigers get back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third.
ReplyDeleteIt's up to Kerry Carpenter, the designated hitter. In 87 games this year, he has 18 homers, 57 RBI, and a batting average of .284. He runs the count to two and two.
ReplyDeleteAND THEN HE CRUSHES A THREE-RUN HOMER TO RIGHT FIELD! After 17 scoreless innings, the Tigers suddenly lead 3-0 in the top of the 9th. That'll show me!
ReplyDeleteOh, Doctor! The swinging for the fences approach didn't pay off for Baltimore this year, but it just turned up trumps for Detroit.
ReplyDeleteBeau Brieske mows down the Guardians in the ninth -- Cleveland had only three hits all day -- and the Tigers have tied the series with a 3-0 victory.
ReplyDeleteSo the other three divisional series are all tied at one game apiece. Can the Royals tie their series with the Yankees?
ReplyDelete