Stabbing the Rival feels so Good……

Sometimes the Morning After feels so good. Maybe you have no idea what happened the night before. Maybe you don’t want to remember what happened. The next morning though, you still have a smile on your face. Your body is yelling at you, you can’t see straight, and your brain probably isn’t functioning 100%. It doesn’t matter though, because last night, you got what you wanted.

That’s what this afternoon feels like. At least to one Tigers fan.

Going into this series, my hopes were low. The offense had continued to stumble. The pitching staff was doing anything it could to keep this team’s head over water. The White Sox continued to creep up in the AL Central standings. Whenever your favorite team  plays a rival, you hope for the best a royal ass whooping.

So far, Tigers fans have gotten what they hoped for in this four game series. Sure, it hasn’t been the bar fight that ends a a blood bath, or UFC 100, where the main event was over in ten minutes. Bobby Higginson or Robert Fick haven’t charged the mound.

Agression has lacked in this series, but lackidazzicle play has hardly been the case.

Every game in this series has been earned.  Whether it was the brilliant nine innings of work from Justin Verlander, or the up the gut knockout single from Carlos Guillen, the boys in the old english D have got it done. With the nation’s eyes upon them, game 4 is possibly the most important game for our Tigers so far in this 2009 campaign.

God Bless Joe Morgan, Steve Phillips, and Jon Miller. ESPN, also known as the queen of drama, they have come at the right time.  The Tigers offense could be back on track. After a struggle to start the second half, fans alongside their favorite players have found something that is so key in late season baseball. Together, for at least this weekend, fun has defined the play on the diamond.

I haven’t had a point any time this season where watching has been as addicting.  Newly found savior Carlos Guillen has been in the lineup for less than a week, but hell, the guy is having a blast out there. Brandon Inge, who earlier this month let it be known of his excruciating pain in his knees, is jumping for joy. Fernando Rodney remains perfect, and the toad who stood in the way of Curtis Granderson and Company saturday afternoon has been squashed.

“It’s fun,” Guillen said. “I’ve been through a long rehab. It’s been almost three months. I’ve worked hard on my shoulder to get better and get back on the field.”

What has been so fun about this weekend’s action is we are starting to see a turnaround in this offense. Curtis Granderson, who has been critized by many, including me, because of his untimely hitting, could be back to himself.  At least for one game, the Granderson of old reemerged. After working two 0-2 counts in the game into walks, Granderson worked a third one into the game winning single against a pitcher thatGranderson has traditionally struggled against.

“A lot of guys couldn’t see very well,” Granderson said. “Sure enough, you have Bobby Jenks throwing 97 mph with a great split and a great slider. It was very difficult to see, so it was a matter of hopefully getting something around the zone and not chase something too far out of the zone. I got a pitch I was able to at least get the bat on it.”

In the first two games of the series, we saw a glimpse of what Placido Polanco brings to the table. It has been a struggle in 2009 for the fan favorite, but in double header action, Polanco went 4-6 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Glimpses of a possible breakout were shutdown on Saturday, when he went 0-5. But for a refreshed Tigers fan, It was good to see that he still has the potential to break out this season.

It is also good to see that with the trade deadline looming, this team is picking it up. It gives us hope, in case the Tigers don’t end up adding another bat or arm.

This week had been like another week in the office for the Tigers. The fans coming down on you, making you feel bad because you just haven’t performed. The Tigers must just like to work on their pace, and on the weekends without the pressure. The Tigers are 31-17 during the weekends this season, including the weekend sweep in Yankee Stadium, following the all-star break. On Sundays, The Tigers are 11-4.

I guess I can handle win number 12 under the influence of Joe Morgan. Sometimes as fans, we have to lay down some sacrifices. Hopefully in the end, they will pay off.