Polanco good for Thursday

Before we start the second half, I just wanted to acknowledge Granderson's catch on Sunday one more time.

Several things have to go right to make a play like that. The ball needs to be hit high enough to allow time to get back, and it helps to have an angle on the fence line. After all that, though, you still have to execute the play and boy, did he ever execute it!

This kid is a star already.

Weirdest game ever last night and very disappointing. It really hurt us having Pudge kicked out just for the fact that he was hitting last night so instead of a guy that was hitting in that spot we had Rabelo (No offense, he did get robbed on one hit). But the fact of the matter is, they had Hernandez on the ropes a few times and didn't put the hammer down and they let him off the hook.

I hope the errors are not the new thing that is going to get the Tigers for the next month. The first month of the season it was lack of run support, then it was relief pitching and now 9 errors in 2 games?? Anyway crazy game last night and I am going to be tires all weekend with these late night games, this stinks.

Rich-- you're right. Granderson is amazing and deserves the recognition.

As far as last night goes, I missed the game (I hate West Coast games)-- who saw it? Was Beltre out or not? The article just confused the heck out of me. Also-- what happened after the fifth inning? One run shouldn't be so insurmountable for our offense.

From the box score, it looks like Putz wasn't a, um, putz. (sorry for the corny joke-- I can't imagine the jokes JJ heard in junior high school...)

On the bright side: Grilli, McBride and Cappellan kept us in the game. Perhaps a sign for the rest of the year? Lets hope so.

It was a whacky game. I had the Seattle feed and got no help from the announcers. Rick Rizz left halfway through and was replaced by possibly the worst play by play guy I've ever heard. It was like when you're at a game and a 12-year old sits behind you and decides he's going to do a play by play.

On the Beltre play, replays showed that Guillen probably didn't get a tag on him. Then he inexplicably gave up on the rundown and dropped the ball at the same time. During all this, the winning run scored. My question is, on the subsequent appeal, Beltre was called out at second for never having touched the bag. Wouldn't that mean the lead runner would have to return to third? Obviously not. Very strange.

I was more upset with the homeplate umpire who tossed Pudge. It was a slight, incidental brush, but the guy had his gun cocked and fired immediately. Knee jerk reaction to being touched. That is what cost the game, IMO.

Other things cost the game. The Tiger errors forced Miller to throw extra pitches so that by the pivotal fifth inning, he was already done. Better tighten up that D. One error was by Infante so again we're hurt by the absence of Polanco.

In the third inning, you have runners on first and third and none out and fail to score. The hitters were Infante then Inge, the absolute wrong guys in that situation. Then Granderson has to come through with two out and he didn't this time.

It was a game I felt slipping away by the third inning.

The Tigers did let too many chances early slip away. The second announcer was one of the worst I had ever heard as well. What I gathered is that he used to work for them and they have a couple sick or off work and he was filling in for them. I think I would rather listen to a speach from the President than that guy.

It almost seemed like the appeal was called an out because he knew he had screwed up. But on the replays, he touched second and was safe but came off the bag. Guillen missed the tag at least the first two times. The third tag was so close that it looked like he tagged him out but there was never a good view to be sure. The real killer was Pudge being kicked out after the batter interfered with the throw to second. That was truly a bad call and then throwing Pudge out. Of course, the umpires are always instructed to throw someone out if they are touched which can get ridiculous too.

It WAS a weird game. I watched through the 7th and went to bed hoping for a good outcome in the morning. Not good. I think the bottom line is there were too many squandered opportunities for the Tigers. You can see it in the box score. 11 hits to Seattle's 6. There were some terrible at bats in key situations.

Now for excuses, one could be the missed interference call by the ump, that eventually got Pudge thrown out. The batter obviously stepped over the plate and into the right side batter's box which should have been interference. The ump missed it and it caused Pudge to throw high and wide to second. Pudge wasted no time getting in his face and lightly brushed against him unintentionally maybe twice and the ump threw him out. Overreaction by both Pudge and the ump,yes, but even umpires who miss calls know they have to set the parameters, to protect their own respect and integrity. Pudge should have backed off and made his point with more self control because it wasn't going to be overruled or changed anyway.

That didn't cost a run nor did Infante's error as I recall. But Rich you're right, those errors resulted in more batters faced and pitches thrown by Miller who was already struggling with his control. But at the same time he was making some outstanding pitches. It's like he needs to get 2 report cards. Ultimately he walked 2 guys in the 5th and that set up the weird meltdown. On the Beltre play I don't think Guillen tagged him either. Maybe the second swipe. If it was a tag it was one of those uniform brushes. I notice neither player is saying much. I would guess that Beltre probably couldn't tell if he was tagged or not, and although Guillen might have known, his reaction would lead one to believe that he also knew it wasn't a very convincing tag. I assume the runner slipped home during this chase down, Guillen had already committed on the tag but heard no out call. You could see he dropped the ball in a momentary lapse while trying to decide on applying a third tag, throwing to Inge, or a possible play at the plate. By the time the second swipe was ruled missed, the 3rd run must have scored. The funny thing is I think the ump may have thought he missed the tag call and then let JL talk him into the missed slide/touch of second by the runner. Clearly the runner DID touch second. But how did Guillen miss pouncing on him with a tag when he went by the bag? And did the runner leave the imaginary baseline on the two swipes? Another question that was never considered. If the tag is applied before the other runner touches home the run doesn't count right? But, the runner was never ruled tagged, so the run does count. Finally, though the appeal call ruled the runner out at second, it was independent of the other runner scoring because he was still by definition "safe" while the run scored. The irony is that this appeal call was another wrong call, it didn't save the run anyway. Bottom line is that Guillen needed to make that tag and make it convincingly. Good throw by Rabelo, you might argue the decision to make it but it appeared to be on time.

The only thing I would disagree with you on Rich, is that Infante had at least 2 strong at bats but he was hitting right at people. Just no mojo.

Sometimes weird things happen in games, where it's impossible even for seasoned professional umpires to make the right call. They're not perfect even though we expect them to be. This was one of those weird games. The Tigers should have scored more runs and Miller needed better control in the 5th and none of this would be an issue... Get um tonight.

Now after posting that confusing mess which I apologize for, let me add that you could make an argument that the correct throw from Magglio should have been to second, conceding the tying run. Stuff happens.