Tigers/Twins Game 163 Liveblog

I felt like crap and stayed home from work today. After sleeping until noon I haven't been able to sit still. I Can't imagine what it's been like for the Tigers, who are about to let a 7 game division lead slip away in the final month of the season. Add in the distraction of the Cabrera situation, I have no idea how anyone in that clubhouse could possible be loose for this game. On the other side of the field, the Twins, Morneau-less, have been playing loose for weeks. Here we go.

4:53 PM
The lineups are posted and Granderson is leading off. If he goes 0-4 with two strikeouts, the Tigers are done. Raburn is batting 6th and Santiago getting the start at SS. One observation I made at the beginning of the season about Leyland not ever starting the same lineup two days in a row has played out this season. I still maintain that this is one reason for the Tigers offensive inconsistencies.

5:13 PM
Tigers go down 1-2-3. Granderson does NOT strike out, but Polanco does. Maggs looks a half second slow on the fastball, which is all they threw him. Also, why is Craig Sager the third man in on the broadcast? If I have to put up with him for the duration of the playoffs I'm not going to be happy.

5:28 PM
Runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. I would have had Guillen bunt, but what do I know. Three sliders and Inge will be a strikeout victim. A low fastball gets two outs with one swing. Can you feel my optimism?

5:31 PM
Inge has a good swing and still comes up Millhouse. Laird hits a lazy fly and the leadoff double produces squat, the story of September for the Tigers. Money on the Twins scoring at least 2 in the bottom half...

5:47 PM
Maggs gets a hold of a fastball that tails in on him and takes it the other way sending Grandy in for the first run. I can hear my Mom "wooo-ing" all the way from Michigan! It would be real nice if Miggy could pound one and tag on a few more.

5:50 PM
He must have heard me. 3-0 Tigers, Bazinga! Keep pouring it on please.

6:05 PM
2 Hits, 2 flyouts and a wild pitch equal a run for the Twins. Mauer walked on four pitches and now Kubel is down 1-2, check that, Strikeout and the inning is over. A two run lead is a lot different than a 3 run lead and the Twins have 18 outs left. There is no way Porcello pitches, I mean Leyland allows Porcello to pitch, more than 6 innings. Conclusion: the Tigers need to score more runs, now, a lot more.

6:25 PM
Porcello is looking good. Set them down in order in the 4th, but like I said, he is going no further than the sixth. If the score is 3-1 at the end of 6, that would not be good.

6:50 PM
Mauer strikes out to make it two outs with no one on, then Kubel goes and hits an upper deck shot to make it 3-2. I feel ill.

7:20 PM (stretch time)
Polanco fisted one to short to end the inning and the Tigers threat. It's 3-2 and no Tigers fan can feel comfortable at this point with the way the bullpen has given away games the last two years. Who is even the setup man at this point? Perry? Lyon? I definitely would not give the ball to Lyon with this one run lead. And you know if it gets to Rodney the ninth will be interesting.

Detroit Tigers 2009 Season, Time of Death - 7:31 PM
Cabrera hits a two run homer, it's all over but the crying. There will be no need for any additional posts. I quit.