Rapid Reactions: Tigers Drop A Downer Versus The A’s

Athletics 6, Tigers 2 (box)

Just not a fun game to watch. The offense was quiet for most of the game, and the pitching became shaky after Verlander’s solid first three innings.

• Magglio Ordonez rejoined the lineup, and picked up a hit (1-4), but he still doesn’t look 100%. Cabrera hit a deep double in the fourth inning with Ordonez on first base, but Maggs didn’t have enough juice to score on the play (he was held at third). Pretty much anyone else would have scored. Still, I’m hoping he recovers quickly because I still believe he’s as good of a hitting option as they have in the outfield.
• Ryan Raburn was more or less completely awful. One of the Oakland runs was scored when he failed to cleanly field a ground ball that was hit directly in front of him in left field. He also struck out twice while swinging at pitches that were six inches off the ground and taking pitches that were right in the zone.
• Verlander provided one of the strangest plays you’ll ever see in the fifth inning. With Daric Barton at first base and David DeJesus at the plate, Justin stepped off the rubber and fired the ball toward home. The ball bounced at DeJesus’s feet (as he hopped to avoid it) and skipped to the backstop. It was like he was trying to throw over to first but got caught in between and just threw it home. It was initially ruled that Barton advanced to second on a throwing error, but the ruling was later changed to a balk.
• Brad Thomas pitched a “nice” seventh inning. For all of the hate I spew his way, he’s not completely useless when he throws strikes. I mean, it’s not like he’s good or anything, but it’s better to be bad and not walk hitters than be bad and walk hitters.

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