Sunday, October 23, 2011

Rust Never Sleeps: Niagara 3, Princeton 1

Denna Laing
As long as I've been watching Princeton play hockey, there's always been a problem with them staying consistent for two games in a weekend series. I don't know if it's a conditioning thing or more emotional, but it struck again yesterday. As good as the Tigers looked against Northeastern, they were lousy against the Niagara Purple Eagles, falling 3-1.

A lot of credit should be given to Niagara, but after the first period I thought that Princeton was the better team. The only goal of that frame belonged to Denna Laing, who tipped in a nifty pass by Ali Pankowski. The Tigers controlled the action and kept the puck in the offensive zone much of the time.

But, starting in the second period, the Tigers seemed to be out of gas. Though they would outshoot the Purple Eagles 28-19 on the day, and 12-2 in the third period, they just didn't click. Niagara controlled the action, bottling the puck in their offensive zone. Whenever Princeton could break free it was momentary.

The Tigers also need work on the power play. Whenever a Niagara skater would head to the box my friend and I groaned a bit, wondering if it was possible to decline a penalty, as one does in football. The Tigers were pathetic, not being able to get set in the standard four-corner positioning. Instead it was a series of dump-in passes, and the inevitable clearing pass by Niagara. In contrast, when Niagara was up the extra attacker, their positioning was perfect, their passes crisp.

Niagara ended up scoring three unanswered goals (involved in all the goals, as well as a few penalties was Kaleigh Chippy, which allowed for punny statements like "That was a Chippy penalty). The entire Princeton team was to blame, as the defense looked shaky, the offense was ineffective, and Rachel Weber in goal was not sharp. Perhaps the rust that could be expected in game one merely was dormant until game two.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Off to a Great Start: Princeton 5, Northeastern 3

Sally Butler
The Ivy League teams, which have more restrictive rules on the numbers of games played than other conferences, always get started later in the year. Princeton's opener was against Northeastern, and the Huskies from Boston already had four games under the belt, all wins. The Tigers were also hobbled, with two of their D out of action, including stalwart Gabie Figueroa. Last week Gabie was on her bike and had a collision with a golf cart, getting a bad concussion on knocking five teeth out. Not a great way to start the season.

Thus the Tigers' blueline contingent was relying on two freshmen, Brianne Mahoney, and a converted forward, Julie Johnson. While at times rickety, they held on, and the super work done by the Sally Butler-Olivia Mucha-Denna Laing line bull rushed the Northeastern squad and earned a 5-3 victory.

Last year this trio of freshmen were key in the Tigers' offense, supplanting Paula Romanchuk and Danielle DiCesare as the go-to scorers. If last night's game is any indication, they will be a force to reckoned with by any of the Tigers' opponents. Princeton had only 12 shots on goal, but five of them found the back of the net, and Butler, in particular, displayed some uncanny moves.

The Tigers got off to the early lead when Butler and Mucha rang up first-period goals. Both were of the top-shelf variety, over Huskie goalie's Florence Schelling's left shoulder. Butler's just skimmed the underside of the crossbar and knocked Schelling's water bottle to the ice. I've always thought goalies had more trouble with high shots, but many players aim low. It was good to see both kids aim high.

Northeastern had the only goal of the second period, but the third period saw a lot of action. Princeton netminder Rachel Weber looked to be in mid-season form, making some harried saves, but some defensive breakdowns made things interesting. Princeton had gone out to a 4-1 lead, with another goal by Butler that was textbook, coming off a perfect long pass from Laing (who had three assists on the night) and another goal by Mucha. But Northeastern got two quick goals to make it 4-3.

With time running out, Heather Landry committed a penalty that was not wise, so the Huskies now had an extra attacker, and after pulling the goalie were two up. But the Tigers clawed the puck away and Laing fed it to Kelly Cooke, who had the easiest goal she'll ever have.

To beat a good team like Northeastern with the rust still on shows a lot of promise. The team look well-coached; passes were crisp, everybody hustled. Let's hope they can keep it up this afternoon versus Niagara.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Women's Hockey Season Preview

Cara Morey
Tomorrow night the puck drops for the opening of the 2011-2012 Princeton women's ice hockey season, when the Huskies of Northeastern University pay a visit to Hobie Baker Rink. With a sport like this, that doesn't get a lot of coverage even on the Internet, it's difficult to know what to expect. The traditional powerhouses from the midwest, like Wisconsin and Minnesota, figure to be there again, while the toughest schools in the east are once again expected to be Cornell and Boston University.

Princeton, even since I have been watching them, has been a workman-like team that hovers slightly above the .500 mark. They have never finished below fifth place in the 12-team ECAC, occasionally flirting with a higher ranking. They have won one Ivy League title in that time. But given that it's a basketball school with certain recruiting difficulties (no scholarships, stringent academic requirements, and a long way from traditional hockey hotbeds) the team performs better than expected. Coach Jeff Kampersal, who has 15 seasons at the helm, always manages to put a competitive team on ice.

Princeton has graduated three seniors, two of them making a big impact. Sasha Sherry and Laura Martindale were mainstays at the blue line, with Sherry providing an occasional offensive spark with her booming slapshot. Also lost to graduation is Caroline Park. Since I don't follow prep hockey, it's difficult to know how newcomers will fit in, but the Tigers have added two defensemen: Brianne Mahoney and Ali Pankowski. Returning D are sophomores Rose Alleva and Gabie Figueroa, junior Krystyna Bellisario, who is oft-injured, and senior co-captain Charissa Stadnyk. The loss of Sherry and Martindale leaves a scoring vacuum on the blueline, as Alleva and Figueroa were not scoring threats. Perhaps one of the freshman will be effective on the power play.

As far as forwards are concerned, the Tigers return all their top scorers. Senior co-captain Paula Romanchuk and Danielle DeCesare are usually the top threats, although DeCesare saw a big decline in points. Some of the slack was picked up by now sophomores Olivia Mucha and Sally Butler, and last year's Rookie of the Year Denna Laing. Kelly Cooke, a speedy skater, hasn't been the scorer I anticipated she would be as a rookie, while Julie Johnson, Heather Landry and Alex Kinney are steady but unspectacular performers. Anne-Marie Elvin, who has missed most of her career with injuries, and served as the team manager last year, is back on the roster this year, so hopefully she will get playing time. Only one freshman is added to the forwards, Brianna Leary.
Lee-J Mirasolo

Goaltending has always been a strength for the Tigers. Last year's MVP was Rachel Weber, who went on a historic hot streak, setting an ECAC record for most consecutive scoreless minutes. She had a 1.77 goals against average, and at times was uncanny in stopping shots. She would seem to the main goalie this year, as Cassie Seguin, who missed a lot of time due to injury last year, transferred to the University of Ottawa. I don't know whether it's because of lack of playing time or just homesickness. New recruit Ashley Holt is Weber's backup, and walk-on Katie Jones, who doesn't figure to get any playing time, is the third goalie.

Perhaps the biggest change in the Tigers this year is one that is difficult to the layman to comprehend. Two new coaches will be on the Tiger bench this year. Amy Bourbeau is off to be the head coach at Brown, while Jessica Link has also parted ways. Replacing them are Cara Morey and Lee-J Mirasolo. The way I understood it, Bourbeau coached the offense, but I don't know how the new coaching configuration will work.

In any event, I'll be at the game tomorrow night. Go Tigers!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Carousel on the Bases

The night began so promisingly. Two solo home runs, by Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta, put the Tigers up 2-0. Max Scherzer, who had a couple of good to great post-season outings, got the first out of the third inning, a dandy play by Brandon Inge. That was the end of the good news. By the time the inning was over, four Tigers pitchers would take the mound, and the Rangers would score nine runs. Any hope of taking this series to game seven were dashed.

Last night's game had only one good thing about it--the outcome was so sure that I could watch without tension. And I did watch to the end, giving the Tigers a chance of coming back, however negligible it was, and in a show of respect for their season. I won't go into the gory details of how the Rangers set forth a carousel on the bases. Suffice it to say that Scherzer didn't have good control, and then Jim Leyland's nightmare came true--the Rangers were running loose in the dregs of the Tigers' bullpen. By the time Brad Penny served up batting practice late, it was a party in Arlington, and the Rangers had 15 runs.

The Tigers did mount a modest comeback. Austin Jackson finally had a big hit, albeit one that came when the Tigers were seven runs down, when he rapped a two-run homer to right. Cabrera then added another bomb, and the Tigers had five runs. Ordinarily in this series, five runs would put a team in contention to win, but that home run put the Tigers ten runs back.

So now the long off-season begins. The Tigers had a great season, winning their division by a rout. They did their city proud, and it was great seeing the gruff but sentimental Leyland tear up in his post-season interview, expressing pride and his team and giving credit to his opponent. Next year looks promising, as the best three pitchers are signed, and there's a lot of young talent. But there are some pieces that need fixing, and some players will be no doubt be gone (we can start with Penny).

Over the course of the winter I'll keep tabs on what off-season moves the Tigers make, and will turn my attention to the Princeton women's ice hockey team, whose season starts on Friday.

Friday, October 14, 2011

That's the Way the Ball Bounces

It was all on Justin Verlander's shoulders. Jim Leyland, before the game, announced that his two key relievers, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde, would be unavailable for game 5 of the ALCS. He was giving the ball to his ace and asking him to go as long as he could. Verlander ended up going seven plus innings, hurling more pitches than he ever had in his career. He wasn't as sharp as usual, allowing four runs, but it was a gutty and heroic effort.

Fortuntely, though, the Tigers had their hitting shoes on, at least for one glorious inning when four straight batters hit for the cycle (the first time that's happened in post-season history). Two plays in the inning, both around the third-base bag, determined the outcome of the game. A Tiger fan could be disconsolate, seeing how the Tigers could easily have swept this series with a break or two. They got the breaks in this game.

Verlander surrendered a run in the first, as is his pattern. He settled down, though, and the Tigers tied it up on Alex Avila's opposite-field home run, his first of the post-season. They went ahead on Delmon Young's dinger, showing his chest muscles seem just fine. The Rangers tied it, though, and then came the eventful sixth. A pair of hits and a walk loaded the bases for the Rangers in the top half of the inning. The speedy Ian Kinsler, tough to double up, rapped a hard grounder down the third-base line. Brandon Inge scooped up the ball, stepped on third, and fired to first, getting Kinsler by plenty. Verlander was out of the inning, and pumped his fist.

In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Raburn singled, and then Miguel Cabrera hit a hopper down the third-base line. Adrian Beltre was ready to field it and turn two when the ball struck the bag, sending it high over Beltre's head. Cabrera had a double and Raburn scored. Victor Martinez, who had no triples all year, slapped a ball into the right-field corner that just eluded Nelson Cruz and made it all the way to third, Cabrera scoring. Young then slammed his second home-run of the game, and the Tigers were up 6-2.

Beltre had to feel snake-bit after the game was over. Not only did Cabrera's ball bounce over his head, but in the fifth inning, with two on, he sent a screamer down the right field line that veered just foul. He then flied out to deep center, which would be a home run in many ball parks. The breaks were bouncing the Tigers way in this game.

The Tigers would need those runs, as Verlander allowed yet another home run to Cruz, this one clanging off the left-field foul pole. Phil Coke, the last man standing in the Tigers' bullpen, was called in to get a rare save. He made the ninth inning interesting, allowing two runs before finally retiring the side. Coke, seemingly fueled by a year's worth of adrenaline, was animated after the win.

The series goes back to Texas now. The Detroiters still have an uphill climb, as they must win two straight on the road. Old-timers will remember, though, that the Tigers did the very same thing in the 1968 World Series, coming back from a 3-1 deficit by taking the last two in St. Louis.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Slip Slidin' Away

Nelson Cruz's long home run in the top of the 11th, which put the seal on their victory, wasn't the critical play he made in the game. That came in the bottom of the eights, when he caught Delmon Young's fly ball and the gunned the ball to the plate to nail, by ten feet, a charging Miguel Cabrera to end the inning and snuff out the Tigers' last scoring chance.

Third-base coach Gene Lamont isn't to be faulted for sending Cabrera, who is not exactly speedy, and even though Cruz has one of the best arms in baseball. Cabrera was on because Rangers' manager Ron Washington gave him a free pass with no one on base, a testament to Cabrera, but the Tigers had had so few scoring chances that Lamont certainly figured that the ball may go wide or that Cabrera, a bullish 270 pounds, could knock it out of catcher Mike Napoli's hands. Napoli held on, though, and the Tigers are one game away from their season ending.

It's a shame, because they got such a great start from Rick Porcello. He baffled Ranger hitters for four innings, and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead thanks to Cabrera's booming double off the wall. I felt good until Porcello ran out of magic in the fifth, allowing three runs and surrendering the lead. With the Rangers bullpen set up and rested, it didn't look good.

But then Brandon Inge came up in the seventh. Inge is the only player left from the 119-loss season in 2003, and had a nightmarish season, spending time in the minors after being an all-star two years ago. He had only three home runs all season, and hit .179. With an 0-2 count, he pounced on Alex Ogando's pitch and put it in the leftfield seats, tying the game. Certainly this was his biggest hit as a Tiger.

But the Tigers couldn't score in the eighth, and into extra innings it went. Joaquin Benoit, who has thrown a lot of innings, got through his two frames, and it was time for Jose Valverde, perfect in save situations but mysteriously ineffective in non-saving situations. He got through his first inning of work in eight pitches, but in the 11th he was greeted by a Josh Hamilton double. Then came Cruz's long home run, and the Tigers face the end of their season.

At least they go with their ace, Justin Verlander, who may have to be given a new nickname, the "Rainmaker." Twice this year he's had starts interrupted by rain, and there's rain in the forecast today (last night there was a 2:13 rain delay with Verlander safely in the dugout). It's one game at a time now, and we start with Verlander.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Stopping the Bleeding

The site of Victor Martinez rounding the bases after his fourth-inning home run looking as if he were gut-shot seems to symbolize the Tigers' post-season: a war of attrition. Martinez tied the game, which the Tigers would go on to win, but at the same time strained an oblique muscle (it isn't until recent years I even knew human beings had oblique muscles). Martinez didn't have to leave the game, but as the Tigers are forced to stretch their bench and make an uphill climb against the Rangers, it was a gutty win.

The credit goes mostly to Doug Fister, who after allowing a first-inning run, settled down and pitched seven scoreless innings. He was helped by some luck here and there, but mostly it was dazzling stuff. The Tigers also got some help from the previously quiet Austin Jackson, who had three hits, matching his entire total from the previous seven post-season games.

The Tigers got help from the home crowd and the long ball. Miguel Cabrera, the potent force in their lineup, hadn't had an RBI since game 2 of the ALDS, but he had two tonight, one of them on a long home run. That run was the first off a Rangers' reliever this post-season.

The Tigers are reminding me of the 1988 Dodgers, who had a great pitcher (Orel Hershiser) and somehow patched together a lineup. Does anyone remember Mickey Hatcher. The odds are still long against them, but it's not unprecedented.

The win tonight ensures that Justin Verlander will pitch again, as he's set for game 5. Rick Porcello will start this afternoon.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cruz Missiles

The result wasn't to my liking, but wow that was a great game the Tigers and Rangers played yesterday afternoon. An 11-inning affair, it tested the managers and full rosters of both teams, and was a reminder of why this is the greatest game.

The Tigers, after losing game 1, sent Max Scherzer to the mound. He got hit early, and the Rangers took a 2-0 lead after one inning. The Rangers' starter, Derek Holland, wasn't sharp, though. He wriggled out of trouble in the first and second, but then Ryan Raburn took him deep for a three-run blast in the third to put the Tigers ahead.

Raburn's blow was ironic, given that the Tigers had to go to him because of the loss of Magglio Ordonez due of a broken ankle. The Tigers suddenly had a shortage of outfielders, as Delmon Young was previously shelved for an oblique strain. Young was able to go, though, but Raburn took Ordonez's place. The Tigers lineup was, on the surface, a weak-hitting one. But they've gotten key hits from unlikely sources all year.

Holland was yanked, which started the incredible work of the Ranger's bullpen. Scott Feldman started it, throwing over four scoreless innings. Meanwhile Scherzer had settled down, and the game quickly moved to the sixth. Tiger manager Jim Leyland could be seen talking to Scherzer in the dugout. Presumably he told him he would have one more batter, a right-hander, Nelson Cruz. After that, the Tigers could face the Rangers left-handed hitters with Phil Coke. Then, Joaquin Benoit in the seventh and eighth, Jose Valverde in the ninth, and back to Detroit even in the series.

But there's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men. Cruz socked Scherzer's pitch off the left-field foul pole, tying the game and forcing Leyland to start from scratch. Coke did get the next two, and Benoit got through his innings, but Valverde would have to come in a non-save situation, unless the Tigers could score in the top of the frame.

Rangers reliever Alex Ogando was on the mound. He quickly got the first two hitters, but Ramon Santiago singled softly. Lefty Michael Gonzalez came in to face Don Kelly, who has been indispensable this post-season. He lined a double down the rightfield line. I'm not sure why Santiago was not able to score (Fox did not show a replay of his jump or whether he had any chance had he dashed toward home).

In came Neftali Perez to face Victor Martinez, who had the highest batting average of anyone in the majors with runners in scoring position. Perez was able to get Martinez to pop into shallow center. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus made an over-the-shoulder catch, but a replay revealed he actually juggled the ball against his chest. Andrus laughed with relief, Tiger fans fumed.

Valverde, perfect in save situations, but eminently hittable in non-save situations, was greeted in the bottom of the ninth by a double off the wall by Adrian Beltre. A walk and a hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs. Ranger fans smelled victory. With the outfield and infield in, David Murphy flied to Raburn in left, but Beltre (not lifted for a pinch-runner) didn't challenge. That was huge, as Mitch Moreland grounded into a 3-2-3 double play, and somehow the Tigers survived.

Valverd and Perez each pitched another inning without incident. But in the bottom of the 11th, Leyland was forced to go with Ryan Perry, who promptly loaded the bases with three consecutive singles (the last fell between Austin Jackson and Andy Dirks and should have been caught). It didn't matter, though, because Cruz, who is on a clear path to MVP of this series, crushed Perry's offering for a walk-off grand slam. Amazingly, it was the first walk-off grand slam in post-season history.

The Tigers limp home now. The biggest difference between the two teams, thus far, is the greater depth of the Rangers bullpen. Feldman came up huge, and where Mike Adams mowed through the Tigers lineup after Perez was lifted, Perry couldn't get an out. Leyland may be second-guessed for leaving Scherzer in to Cruz in the sixth, and one wonders whether Martinez's toe injury has limited his effectiveness at the plate--he's left a lot of runners on base in this post-season.

It will also be interesting to see if Perez and Valverde will be affected by throwing two innings. The two teams resume the series tonight.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Squeezed

It's wise for partisan baseball fans to never use umpires as an excuse for a loss. Umpires make mistakes, but they usually even themselves out for both teams. I'm sure Justin Verlander and the Tigers don't feel that way after their loss in game 1 of the ALCS to the Texas Rangers.

The Tigers had their ace on the mound. He hadn't lost a game since before the All-Star game. But he just didn't have crisp control this night, unable to consistently get his curveball over. He also wasn't getting the calls on outside pitches that he normally gets, becoming visibly annoyed with home plate umpire Tim Welke. The Rangers got some key hits off him, and the Tigers were down 3-0.

However, those three runs would be all the Tigers would get, and if you told me before the game that they would only give up three I would sign up for it. The key to this game was the quiet Tigers bats against the Rangers bullpen. They had chances to get to Rangers starter C.J. Wilson, but squandered chances. The inability of Victor Martinez to drive home a run with the bases loaded in the fifth inning was key.

If the Tigers are to have a chance in this series, and it's clear that they have an uphill battle ahead of them, they have to get some bats going. Austin Jackson did have a double this night, but he's almost reliably a strikeout victim. Alex Avila isn't hitting, either. The loss of Delmon Young could be critical. I like Ryan Raburn as a replacement, but at times, after defensive replacements come in, the Tigers lineup is pretty weak. And how hopeless did Wilson Betamit look against Neftali Perez? He didn't come within a foot of any of those pitches.

There's a lot of pressure on Max Scherzer tonight to get the series even. I'm pessimistic, because if the Tigers can't win Verlander's starts, they've got to get a lot of help from the other members of the rotation.

Terry Francona, providing color for the Fox broadcast, mentioned that an umpire should be "hunting strikes." Philosophically I think he's right, that an umpire giving a pitcher the corners and black makes the game better, moving it along. The base on balls is one of the least exciting plays in the game. But I'm sure the umpire's philosophy is to call them as they see them, and to hell with the pace of the game. We've heard a lot this post-season about a pitcher being "squeezed," which means the umpire is not giving them close pitches. Joe Girardi brought it up in C.C. Sabathia's start in game 3 of the ALDS. There's no clear answer to this problem, or even if it is a problem. Pitchers, like hitters, just have to adjust to an umpire's strike zone, at least until those computerized boxes on the screen become the way pitches are called officially.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Yankee Killers

All along I was wondering if this series would replicate the 2006 ALDS, when the Tigers upset the mighty Yankees. And it did, sort of. Game 1 was a Yankee romp, game 2 was a close Tiger victory, game 3 was a victory by the Tigers' ace (back then it was Kenny Rogers, this time Justin Verlander). Game 4 looked ripe to keep it going, as a suspect Yankee starter was on the mound, A.J. Burnett. Back in '06 it was the almost immediately forgettable Jared Wright, who got knocked around and the Tigers won in four. However, the pattern was upset and Burnett wriggled out of trouble in the first inning (thanks to a catch by Curtis Granderson) and the Yankees went on to win. Game 5 was new territory.

So I didn't expect a Tiger victory. In fact, I was mentally preparing myself for a Yankee victory. There were plenty of times it came close. Twice the Yankees left the bases loaded, and Derek Jeter's long fly ball in the eighth almost added to his lengthy legacy. But somehow, some way, the Tigers walked that tightrope and eked out a 3-2 victory, sending the Yankees into deep freeze for the winter, and earning the Tigers a spot against the Texas Rangers in the ALCS.

Most of the damage the Tigers did was early. So early, in fact, that I missed both solo home runs in the first inning (I thought the game start was at 8:30, not 8 o'clock). Don Kelly, who was one of the unlikely heroes in this series, golfed one into the rightfield stands, and Delmon Young followed with a shot to left off the Yankee starter Ivan Nova, who was gone after two innings due to tightness in his forearm. The Yankees then sent out a parade of relievers, including C.C. Sabathia, who allowed a run on an Austin Jackson double and a Victor Martinez single (after walking Miguel Cabrera). This would prove to be the winning run.

Meanwhile, Doug Fister, a midseason trade acquisition (Dave Dombrowski certainly deserves Executive of the Year for this pickup, along with the signing of Martinez and the trade for Young in August) was effective in keeping the Yankees from scoring. He got out of a fourth-inning jam when Jorge Posada's single did not score Alex Rodriguez, who rounded third base by quite a bit but was held up by the coach. Fister then got Russell Martin and Brett Gardner to pop out.

Robinson Cano homered in the fifth, and Max Scherzer came in to pitch the sixth and seventh. He got in trouble in the seventh, and was relieved by Joaquin Benoit. A couple of infield singles and a walk loaded the bases. But Benoit got Rodriguez to strike out. He walked Mark Texeira to force in a run, but then fanned Nick Swisher, and the last Yankee threat was extinguished.

Tigers' closer Jose Valverde, who had led a perilous existence in games 2 and 3, had a quiet ninth, ending it with a K of Rodriguez. I switched over to the sports radio station, and sure enough, he's going to be the whipping boy of Yankees fans. I'll be sure to tune in later today to hear more. But certainly Joe Girardi has got to shoulder some of the blame for insisting on batting him in the clean-up spot. The post-mortem should be vivid and vicious.

So now the Tigers face the Rangers, who have a dangerous lineup and home-field advantage. I think we've got a good shot, though I imagine the Rangers will be slight favorites. Justin Verlander is set to be the game 1 starter, an advantage over C.J. Lewis. It should be fun. Although I will be rooting hard for the Tigers, losing to the Rangers will be far less brutal than losing to the hated Yankees.

About fifty years ago, the Tigers had a pitcher named Frank Lary who always seemed to beat the Yankees, and he was dubbed the "Yankee Killer." It seems that this year's entire squad has earned that moniker.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A Game of Inches

Baseball fans of a certain age will remember a plaintive cry that came from Giants fans--"If only McCovey had hit the ball a foot higher!" It stemmed from the 1962 World Series, when McCovey, batting against the Yankees with two runners in scoring position and the Giants down a run, lined out to Bobby Richardson at second base, ending the series. In reality, McCovey probably had to hit the ball three feet higher, but the distance lessened over time.

I bring that up because the Tigers had a similar instance in last night's game 4 of the ALDS. It seems absurd to say that one play changed everything in a game that ended 10-1, but I think it did. The Yankees had sent the much maligned A.J. Burnett to the mound, needing to use him because of the disruption of the rain delay. Everyone, it seemed, anticipated Burnett getting knocked around. Though he didn't allow a hit, the Tigers loaded the bases in the first inning. A Yankee reliever was warming up in the bullpen. Don Kelly stepped to the plate and lined a ball over centerfielder Curtis Granderson's head. It looked like a bases-clearing triple. Except that Granderson, who initially moved in, doubled back and snagged the ball full extended over his head.

I was crushed. What could have been a 3-0 inning turned into nothing. Burnett, given new life, settled down, and only allowed a Victor Martinez home run. He left in the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, with the Yankees ahead 4-1, Granderson again saved the Yankees with a full laid-out catch of a Jhonny Peralta line drive. I turned the game off, figuring the Tigers would not score against the Yankees bullpen. I was right.

The Yankees, though, poured it on against the beleaguered Tigers' middle relief. The series will now go back to New York on Thursday, with Doug Fister against Ivan Nova. Nothing is certain, but it seems bleak for the Tigers. They can win on the road, but they've got to get the bats working. Austin Jackson and Alex Avila have not been hitting, and even the big guns Miguel Cabrera and Martinez could be contributing more.

Tonight I get a reprieve. I could use it.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Verlander Guts It Out

It wasn't vintage Verlander, but as James Cromwell said to Babe the pig, "That'll do." Verlander gutted out an eight-inning outing, striking out 11, and the Tigers scratched and clawed for runs from unlikely sources, and then added a clutch home run from a mid-season cast-off to take a 2-1 lead in the ALDS. A win tonight and they'll send the Yankees to the golf courses and go on to the ALCS.

Justin Verlander steps to the mound every game with no-hitter potential. That was ended immediately, though, when Derek Jeter lined a single up the middle. Curtis Granderson, familiar with the cavernous left-centerfield of Comerica Park, tripled to the gap and then scored himself to give the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.

Verlander's biggest enemy is usually himself; he has trouble controlling his adrenaline. This ends up costing him runs in the first inning. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I'm positive his E.R.A. in the first inning his higher than in any other inning. True to form, he settled down, getting into an unhittable groove. In one inning he threw ten pitches, nine of them strikes, fanning the side.

His counterpart, the Yankee's mountainous C.C. Sabathia, seemed more bothered by the truncated game on Friday night. He seemed out of rhythm, and ended up walking six. Joe Girardi, the Yankees skipper, claimed that home-plate umpire Jerry Davis was not giving Sabathia the corners. This appeared to have some truth in it. An ESPN report earlier in the day showed that Sabathia had a much better record than Verlander when Davis was behind the plate. Maybe this was brought to Davis' attention and he overcompensated.

In any event, Sabathia was gone in the sixth. He was pecked to death by the Tigers' lighter hitters. Brandon Inge, who was such an offensive liability that he spend much of the summer in the minors, wrapped two hits off Sabathia, included a double that got things started. Ramon Santiago, in the lineup for defense and bunting ability, couldn't lay down a bunt with Inge on second. He ended up singling him home. He would add a double later. Don Kelly, a defensive replacement, pushed a perfect bunt past Sabathia, and scored on Jhonny Peralta's double off the left field wall. The Tigers were up 4-2.

This all seemed gift-wrapped for Verlander. He got two outs in the seventh and two strikes on Jorge Posada. The crowd was chanting "MVP!" Verlander, perhaps too charged up, lost Posada on a walk. He then plunked Russell Martin in the ribs with a 100-mile-an-hour fastball. Then, in an at-bat that could have been a pivotal one in the series, he worked Brett Gardner to a 3-2 count. Gardner hit the next pitch into the gap in left-center, clearing the bases. The score was tied. Verlander bore down and struck out Jeter.

But the Tigers haven't rolled over and died on anybody this season. The next inning Delmon Young stepped up. Announcer Jon Smoltz (a very good color man, by the way) said that Yankee reliever Rafael Soriano should beware the first pitch. Smoltz proved a Cassandra when Young put the pitch into the first row in right, giving the Tigers back the lead. Young, as mentioned before, was picked up in a trade with Minnesota in August. This was after the trade deadline, which means that Young had to pass waivers.

Verlander returned in the eighth and got his groove back. Jose Valverde, with the gut of a recreational bowler, came in to close out the ninth. As he did Sunday, he made it much more interesting than Detroit partisans would like. He walked two, but fanned Jeter (after nearly putting one in his ear). The Tigers had won, the Yankees are on the brink.

It will be interesting to see if Girardi changes his lineup. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Texeira have one hit between them. It would make sense to move Gardner to second and then move everyone else down one, even moving Rodriguez lower. It is to be remembered that five years ago, when these two teams me in the ALDS, Joe Torre moved Rodriquez to the eighth spot. It didn't help.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Walking a Tightrope Between the Raindrops

Cabrera and Valverde celebrate the end of the game.
The advantage of rooting for a team that is not in the post-season is that you get to spend your lovely October days and nights care-free, going to movies, spending time with friends, reading a book, or going on long walks. Your interest in the baseball playoffs is mild but engaged. You may root against a team based on how much you hate the governor of that state, or the color of the uniforms.

When your team is in the playoffs, especially when it's a team that has playoff appearances that roughly correspond with lunar eclipses, it can be rough going. You're happy they're there, but watching the games is an ordeal. I've spent the last two days shouting at the TV, putting hexes on opposing players, and tryiing to determine the best position to sit so the Tigers get lucky. Then, yesterday, I had to watch an almost-meltdown by their perfect closer.

The rain postponement screwed up Jim Leyland's pitching plan. He had hoped to start Max Scherzer at home, where a spacious ballpark keeps most of his mistakes in play. But he was the next pitcher in line, and Leyland took his chances. Scherzer ended up twirling six plus innings of shutout, two-hit ball, certainly a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, Magglio Ordonez, who owned his fellow countrymen, the Yankees starter Freddie Garcia, rapped three hits, while Miguel Cabrera snaked a two-run home to right in the first inning and added an RBI single later. The Tigers had a 4-0 lead heading into the eighth.

Joaquin Benoit, the set-up man who had a horrible start to the season but ended almost perfectly, wriggled out of Scherzer's jam in the seventh. The rain gods got even with the Yankees, as a brief shower poured down on Derek Jeter as he attempted to bat with men on base. Jeter was clearly agitated, wiping the bill of his helmet dry after each pitch. He ended up grounding out.

Benoit came back in the eighth and promptly served up a home run to Curtis Granderson. Okay, no reason to worry. It was 4-1. If Benoit could get through this inning, it would be turned over to the unflappable "Papa Grande," Jose Valverde, who had converted 49 of 49 save opportunities this year. When leading after the eighth inning, the Tigers went 83-0 this season.

In the top of the ninth, Don Kelly, brought in as a defensive replacement, got a key, two-out RBI single to get the run back. It was now 5-1, with Valverde ready.

Valverde had not allowed a home run all season, facing more than 90 batters. So what happens? On his first pitch, he serves up a meatball to Nick Swisher, who deposited it in the seats. Jorge Posada then tripled to center. It was time to bite nails. The rain started again. Russell Martin walked, I shouted, and the tying run was now at the plate. Andruw Jones got good wood on the ball, but Kelly made a fine running catch in right. Posada tagged and scored. Derek Jeter struck out. There was one out to go.

Granderson was up. It was pouring, and he skied a pop-up behind the plate. The Tiger catcher, Alex Avila, seemed to have trouble with it, looking up into the rain. He stepped on the Yankees' on-deck circle, covered with plastic, and slipped. Brandon Inge, who should have called him off to make the easier catch, helplessly watched the ball bounce on the ground.

Oh, boy. Baseball historians might remember the sad tale of Mickey Owen, who in the 1941 World Series was the catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. With two outs in the ninth, the Yankee Tommy Heinrich up and two strikes, Heinrich swung and missed, but the ball got away from Owen, Heinrich taking first base. The Yankees rallied for four runs and won the game. Had Owen caught the ball, the Dodgers would have won the game.

Dreading the pop-up mistake becoming baseball lore, it got worse when Granderson walked. The winning run was now at the plate in the person of Robinson Cano, the Yankee's hottest hitter. With the Yanks crowd energized, Valverde bore down on got him on a grounder to second. The Tigers had evened the series.

Game 3 is tonight, with the match-up of aces, Verlander against Sabathia, ready to resume. The Tigers don't want this series to go back to New York. Neither do I.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

Game 1 of the ALDS series was an unpleasant affair for Tigers' fans. It was probably so for Yankees fans, at least until Robinson Cano's sixth-inning grand slam landed in the upper deck. As advised by the old sports news anchor Warner Wolf, I turned my set off there.

Cano's blast opened up a game that had been a strange and uncomfortable contest that had begun more than 24 hours earlier. Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia were in opposition, a match up that generated a lot of interest. Sabathia looked strong, except for allowing an opposite-field home run to Delmon Young. Verlander looked nervous, allowing a few walks. A run scored when Derek Jeter took first on a wild pitch following a strike-out, and two hesitations by Tiger infielders allowed Jeter to score.

Then it started to rain. One can try to assign blame for this to nondivine individuals, but there's really nothing else baseball officials could have done. Apparently the forecast was askew, showing that no matter how advanced the technology, weathermen don't know anything. I was annoyed that the umpires allowed the Tigers to bat in the top of the second during a downpour. It was clear that it affected play, and ended up being a wasted inning. I suppose Yankee fans could argue that Sabathia was slipping out there, but he did strike out two in the inning.

The game was then called, or rather postponed. Instead of being a nongame, as it would be in the regular season, it was to be picked up where it left off the next night. Of course, the pitchers couldn't come back on such short notice, so the game 2 starters came in in relief. Both of them, Doug Fister for the Tigers, and Ivan Nova of the Yankees, had great years.

Fister showed nerves, allowing runners to second and third with no outs. He even balked. But he wriggled out of it, and then settled down and looked great, retiring 10 in a row at one point. Nova was also sharp, but started allowing the Tigers to get hits in the fifth. With two on and one out, Jhonny Peralta singled to center. Alex Avila, the runner on second, hesitated to see if Curtis Granderson would catch it. That was a fatal error, as Avila was gunned down by Jeter's relay. This was indicative of the type of night the Tigers had.

The Yankees had gone ahead on Cano's double, which bounced off the top of the wall. Then came his grand salami in the sixth. He would add a double in the eighth for another RBI. This guy is a great hitter, and the Tigers will need to deal with him more effectively. Frankly, I'd rather face Alex Rodriguez, and pitch carefully to Cano.

According to post-game reports, Fister only made a few bad pitches. One of them was a hanging curveball to Brett Gardner, who rapped a two-run single with two outs, which eventually led to Cano's home run. Then, Al Albuquerque, who came in in relief of Fister, threw a slider that didn't slide to Cano. Albuquerque hadn't allowed a home run all year. Oy.

It was clear that the Yankees, due to their immense post-season experience, were more polished. The Tigers looked flustered. That will have to change or it will be a short series. Today's pitcher, Max Scherzer, had 15 wins, but was up and down, and much better at home. The rain, though, screws up that plan. Freddy Garcia, throwing for the Bronx Bombers, should be hittable, though. I'm expecting a slug-fest.

I can take some consolation in that five years ago, the Tigers also got battered in game 1, and then reeled off seven straight post-season victories. There was even a rain out. Here's hoping history repeats itself.