Not Looking Good

Placido Polanco has been better, batting in 5th spot of lineup.

My 2007 Detroit Tigers have had a rough second half -- that is putting it mildly. I would start getting on a role, and then we would skid out again. Let's get you caught up.

Games #111-114 - Tampa Bay at Detroit 

The Detroit Tigers snapped their 9-game losing steak winning Game 1 (Game #111), this is also the game we started plugging Placido Polanco in the 5th spot in the lineup.  We would win the series,
3-1 over the Rays.

Game #115 (at Oakland) - Going with a four-man rotation to try and get the Tigers better chances to win this division, Justin Verlander becomes the first Tiger starter since Game #99 to record a win.

Games #116-#118, the Tigers would lose the 3 remaining games against the Athletics & then lose a close two-game series in Cleveland (Games #119-120). The Cleveland Indians take first in Game #120,

The standings as of August 5th...

Games #121-124 (at Old Yankee Stadium, New York)

Sheffield sounds off with bat in New York.

My Tigers have just lost 5 straight, we win convincingly with 8-2 victory over Yankees in Game #121. We would lose Game #122, and Game #123 was not looking good until we caught some luck late in that game; Down 4-1 in the top of the 8th, the Tigers hit two solo HR's off of Joba Chamberlain (Grade A&C-KX) - One by Ryan Raburn and the other by Gary Sheffield -- Sheffield's 3rd HR of the series (he had a Grand Slam in first game). Top of the 9th (down 4-3), Carlos Guillen leads off with a double on closer Mariano Rivera, Guillen steals third, and catcher Jorge Posada throws the ball over Alex Rodriguez's head at third, Guillen scores & ties the game up. Top of 11th, the Tigers' Sean Casey hits a RBI double to take lead, while Timo Perez adds insurance with RBI single. Bobby Seay would go 4 innings in relief for the win for Detroit. So an excellent come-from-behind win.

The Tigers would win the finale, 7-5 -- including a save by Zach Miner. Placido Polanco went 9-for-19 (.474 BA) in the 5th slot during his series against the Yankees. Tigers win series, 3-1.

Games #125-127 -- Another big series against Cleveland, this time they visit Comerica Park.

Another good outing for Nate Robertson (6-11) goes to waste in the first game, as he allowed only 2 hits & 1 ER, with 4 walks in 6.2 innings - plus 7 K's, pretty good for not having a strikeout grade; Counting this outing plus his last against the Yankees, Robertson has allowed 7 hits & 2 ER's in 12 innings, for a flat Grade C pitcher with no control grades as well.

The Tigers had 7 hits compared to the Indians' 3 hits, but lose 2-1. Rafael Perez records the win, while Zach Miner loses the game by allowing Ryan Garko to score on a wild pitch. The Tigers top 3 hitters of the lineup in Curtis Granderson (leading way with 3 hits), Ryan Raburn & Magglio Ordonez recorded all 7 hits, while the bottom 6 hitters, went hitless. Joe Borowski records the save; Borowski in real-life would record 45 Saves with a 5.07 ERA -- he may be the only guy in MLB history to do that, if there is others with that many saves & high ERA, there can't be too many. He is a APBA Grade C*-XZ.

Extra exposure: Raburn has been taking advantage of playing time.

I have had to depend on Ryan Raburn more than the team used him in real-life, the fact is, Jim Leyland really should have used him more in the second half of 1997, he swing a hot bat. I used Marcus Thames and Craig Monroe (both LF) & Brandon Inge much less. All have struggled with trying to stay over Mendoza line. Monroe would finally get an at-bat after 20+ games of warming up the bench, he grounded out on Game #126, taking over in left; Monroe was traded to the Chicago Cubs the next day for Clay Rapada (as in real-life). Rapada has no APBA card for 2007.

The Tigers were never in the game, during Game 2 (#126) of the series, the team allowed 11 hits & 10 walks! I called upon the old vet Kenny Rogers once more, and he disappointed, allowing 4 ER, 5 hits & 7 walks in only 4 innings. Rogers in now 2-4 in 15 starts (81.1 IP) with a 4.87 ERA -- in fact he walked the bases loaded to start the game, setting up a two-run double by Victor Martinez. Martinez and Jhonny Peralta were "Tiger Killers" while members of the Cleveland Indians, how glad was I, when they later joined the Tigers in their productive careers. "V-Mart" went 2-for-4, with two-run HR as well, a combined 4 RBI night. Paul Bryd pitched a performance opposite of Rogers, by allowing only 3 hits & 1 ER in 7.2 innings.

The 3rd game of the series, Justin Verlander (Grade B-X) records his 12th win, with a 10 K performance; in one stretch, he struck out 6 Indians in a 8 at-bat span. Brandon Inge was productive for one, going 2-for-3, with triple & single, a walk & RBI; Ivan Rodriguez had two doubles with 3 RBI while batting in the 9th spot of the lineup. Tigers win convincingly in 9-4 victory & avoid 3-game sweep.

The Tigers' record & standings after the conclusion of their series with Cleveland (Aug 23rd)...

The Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees are currently on the outside looking in, the Seattle Mariners own the A.L. Wild Card spot, and remain one-game out of the division lead in the A.L. West. The Minnesota Twins are nipping on the Tigers' heels in 3rd place, trailing Tigers by only a game. 

The Tigers have the Yankees visiting Comerica, for a 4-game series. Tigers took last series, 3-1.