Games 2 and 3: Tigers at Royals

Wednesday night Tigers 2- Royals 3
Thursday afternoon Tigers 7 - Royals 3

After last night's game lasted until almost midnight and then playing an afternoon game today it's time for some catch up here in Section 148.

Last night started out with Scherzer and Hochevar going head to head in a pitching duel.  Scherzer was almost perfect through 5 2/3.  He didn't allow a hit or a walk until then (although he did hit two batters).  Flirting with perfection through almost 6 innings SHOULD be enough.  But as good as Scherzer was Hochevar was almost as good, neither team could get a run across until KC got one off of Fu Te Ni in the 7th.  It looked like Detroit would lose 1-0 until Miguel Cabrera drove one juussst over the wall and hitting the Right Field foul pole to tie the game up in the Tigers' 9th to send it to extra innings.  Both teams tried to score in the 10th but failed to make it the last 90'.  Then in the 11th Detroit put a series of singles together off of Kyle Farnsworth (I never did like him much as a Tiger, but I love to see him pitch for the other guys!).  Finally Don Kelly was waved home from 2nd on a not-very-deep single to Left Field, testing the arm of Posednik.  Pods failed that test miserably- I mean Kelly should have been out at 3rd much less getting all of the way Home!  But he scored and the Tigers took the lead 2-1 going into the bottom of the 11th.  It was time to bring in our shiny new Closer...

I hope you've had the chance to see Valverde, aka "Papa Grande/ The Big Potato" enter a game from the bullpen.  It's as though you got a ticket to the walrus show at Sea World.  He steps up to the gate leading onto the field.  He looks to his left- and spits a stream of water on to the warning track.  He looks to his right- and spits another stream.  Then he looks straight ahead and spits out the rest.  Apparently he does this every time he comes into a game.

So our Walrus makes his entrance- and gives up a home run to the first batter he faces.  Game tied.  He then continues his mis-adventures until the winning run comes across on an error by Sizemore.  And that was that.  As I said in last night's game thread at BYB: "This is not how you make fans in your new home!"

Today (Thursday) was another debut.  It was Dontrelle Willis' coming out party.  He made his first Big League appearance in almost a year and nobody was sure what he would do. 

Well he did pretty well.  He pitched 6 innings, allowing only 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks.  You have probably guessed that he had some help to pull that line off- the Tigers made 3 double plays behind him to keep him in the game.  Not a great performance, but we'll take it.

Early on the Tigers continued to struggle at the plate, with only 1 run first 7 innings.  But Cabrera came through again with ANOTHER home run (a 3 run shot in the 8th) to give them the lead.  He pushed in another run as the Tigers batted around in the 9th.

MVP of the series is no question- Miguel Cabrera.  He had 8 hits in 14 (.571) including 2 home runs for 7 RBI (of the total 17 runs the Tigers scored).  His SLG is currently 1.600!

Tomorrow is the Home Opener for Detroit!  I hope that you can find some place to enjoy it.  Game time is 1:05.  Rick Porcello has been given the honor of the start for Detroit.  The Cleveland Indians will do their best to spoil it.