Tigers Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory

Toronto 8, Detroit 6 (box)

Magic Number 16

This is getting ridiculous.  The Tigers found yet another way to lose, in running their current losing skid to a season high five games.  Edwin Jackson couldn’t consistently keep the Jays in the yard, and the bullpen once again failed to stop the bleeding.

Detroit opened the scoring with a Curtis Granderson lead-off homer in the first.  It was the sixth time this season he has began a game with a solo shot.  After Rod Barajas clubbed a two run blast to give the Jays the lead, Alex Avila responded with a two run shot of his own in the bottom of the third.  The Tigers opened up a 6-3 lead when Miguel Cabrera hammered his 29th homer run of the season withtwo on in the fifth, but the Tigers couldn’t manage another hit until the ninth.  In the meantime, the Jays’ bats went to work.

Jackson’s outing was marred by a few mistakes, specifically the home runs from Barajas, Vernon Wells and Marco Scutaro, outside of those mistakes, he pitched well.  Brandon Lyon allowed the tying run to score on a wild pitch before Fernando Rodney served up the game winner to Aaron Hill.  All in all, it was a lousy night.  At least the Irish got beat.

Cheers for

• Blue Jay Relievers– Toronto’s bullpen did exactly what you would want; holding Detroit to just two hits over 4.2 innings.  The solid work from Jesse Carlson and Brandon League in particular allowed the Jays to get back into the game.

Jeers to

• Fernando Rodney– So, yeah, if you just wanna go ahead and start serving that suspension, that would be great.  Rodney floated a 3-1 change up to the Jays’ best hitter, with first base open, in a tie game, in the ninth inning.  Aaron Hill pounded that floater into the Detroit night.  I know Vernon Wells is a good hitter who already had homered in the game, but he is NOT Aaron Hill, not this year at least.  Behind 3-1 with a base open, you cannot let Hill beat you, you just can’t.

What’s on tap

Besides another loss you mean?  Rick Porcello and Ricky Romero will duel for the second time this season.  Both rookies enter the game with 12 wins, with one of Romero’s coming at the expense of Porcello back in April.  Game time is 1:05 pm, but I can’t say I’ll be watching, what with football starting and all.  Actually, I may just use football as an excuse to not have to endure watching this Tigers team play right now.  The past five games have been embarrassing.

Division Update

Minnesota doesn’t want any part of catching the Tigers, as they dropped another game to Oakland.  The Twins are now two games under .500, yet still very much in the race, thanks to Detroit’s uninspired play.  The Tigers get to turn their attention to a new nearest competitor, the White Sox.  Chicago’s win over the Angels moved them to one game under the .500 mark and brought them to within five games of the division lead.