Jim Leyland’s Tigers Drop Seventh Straight

Texas 8, Detroit 0 (box)

The Rangers collected three runs before an out was recorded in the second inning. The Tigers didn’t manage their first hit until the fourth. Texas piled on late, but even at 3-0 Rangers, this game was already over.

Armando Galarraga was knocked around early, seemingly every ball was hit hard, even the outs were caught near the wall. At one point, he did settle in and retire 10 in a row, but the damage was already done. Gags’ final line doesn’t look all that bad, but the offense never showed up to help. 7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 6 K.

Of course when the bottom four in your lineup include the name Raburn, Avila, Kelly, and Worth, how many runs can you expect to score? I guess the answer is zero. The Tigers got two hits from Miguel Cabrera, one from Don Kelly (who also played very well at third base), and one from Austin Jackson. That’s it.

Wondering about Brennan Boesch? He took another 0-for-3 and is just 3-for-25 since the all-star break, all three hits being singles.

(Leyland’s reaction after the jump)

After the game, in the Tigers clubhouse, I was hoping to see some fire from Jim Leyland. Instead I got the usual dose of the manager stuffing his mouth on the post-game spread and mumbling something quietly about the team not playing good enough. The same crap we’ve heard from Leyland for four years.

He mentioned that he wasn’t big on team meetings, that they’re all professionals and they know they need to play better. Perhaps I’m just grasping for answers here, but where’s the fire? Leyland puts together a lineup that features no fewer than four rookies plus Kelly and then mumbles that they didn’t play very good. No kidding? They’re all good teams in the major leagues, he said, some just have better seasons than others. He sure does make it sound like a random occurrence that any team wins any game. Has nothing to do with the players, only how well they play.

Memo to Leyland: Good players play better than bad players.

Then again, looking at the roster he has been given, it’s not as if there are great players sitting on the bench, either.

I guess that’s the frustrating part. The division is open. The Tigers could seize control and run away with this thing, they just don’t have the roster to do it. Maybe Leyland is resigned to the fact that the Tigers are really just a third place team. If they get hot, maybe they could win the Central, if not they’ll finish third. There probably isn’t much he can do either way. Seems like he could try, though. Shouldn’t that be part of his job?

The writing’s on the wall, people, this ship is sinking. Time to sell off a veteran hitter or two, time to trade away a pitcher or two, it’s time to sell at the deadline.

And next year, perhaps it’s time to find a skipper with a bit more fire. Maybe, just maybe, a new voice is needed in the Tigers clubhouse to go along with some new players.