Dontrelle Willis made his debut as a Tiger in his new home ballpark in Detroit today. He would try and earn the Tigers first win of the season after losing to the Sox yesterday and being swept by the Royals to start the season. He walked Nick Swisher, the first batter he faced this season, and then put down Cabrera, Thome, and Konerko in order to get out of the first. The Tigers first two batters went back to the dug out early, Carlos Guillen walked and Maggs got a single but Cabrera popped out to end the inning.
Willis sent the next set of batters down in order. After getting two quick outs to start the inning off again the Tigers bats looked to be stuck in the same slump as the first four games. Jaque Jones singled two keep the Tigers alive, Brandon Inge drove him home with a double. Clete Thomas singled and it wasn't until Placido Polanco grounded out did the Tigers stop running. Dontrelle looked to have run support, if he could continue to shut down the sox he could get his first win as a Tiger, and get the Tigers their first win.
The next inning Willis kept the Sox off the bases aside from once again walking Nick Swisher. After Carlos Guillen, the holder of the highest batting average in Detroit, popped out the next two Tigers followed, this left Willis with a slender lead to deal with.
After Thome grounded out to start off the fourth, Willis walked Konerko and Dye. Carlos Quentin came up with one out and two men on. Willis forced him to ground out into a double play that ended the inning and kept the Tigers lead intact. The bottom of the fourth started off Edger Renteria getting a single. Pudge came up and looked to have at least a double when Quentin caught his fly ball and threw out Renteria (who seemed to share my thought that Pudge would get a hit) at first for a double play. Jaque Jones walked with two outs, and Brandon Inge came up. Inge who up until this point had the games only RBI, added to his stats by hitting a two run jack to push the Tigers ahead by three. Clete Thomas got the third out to end the inning, but the damage was done.
Willis, who now had some breathing room, walked Joe Crede to start off the fifth. Pablo Ozuna grounded into a double play, and Toby Hall followed by popping out for the final out. The Sox to this point had still not recorded a hit. The fifth ended with the Tigers top batters going three and out.
The sixth started out with another Swisher walk, his third in three appearances, and then walked Cabrera. First and Second had runners on them with Jim Thome coming to the plate with no outs. The first hit of the game was a Thome double that drove home Swisher and pushed Cabrera to third. Zach Miner came in to replace Willis on the mound. Miner would have his hands full, the go ahead runner was Paul Konerko who also had two men on with no outs and the two hottest hitting Sox coming up. Konerko grounded out to Brandon Inge who threw him out at first while Cabrera scored and Thome stayed put at second. Miner would go on to walk Jermaine Dye, one out. Carlos Quentin tied up the game by getting a single, which pushed Dye to third on an error by Thomas. Joe Crede popped out to Jones; his outing earned him a RBI sac fly after Dye scored. Ozuna grounded out to end the inning after Zach Miner had given the Sox a one run lead.
The Tigers retaliated by going three and out. Willis pitched strong for five innings and got enough run support to maintain a lead. When the sixth rolled around the Sox rallied forcing Willis to retire, the bullpen struggled and now the bats looked to fall right back into their slump. Francis Beltran replaced Zach Miner, and sent the sox down in order. The Tigers looked to do the same but Clete Thomas got a single. Then Placido grounded out. Beltran stayed in for the top of the eighth, he forced Thome to pop out and struck out Konerko. Jermaine Dye continued on his streak by homering with two outs in the eighth and extending the Sox lead to two runs. Carlos Quentin ended the inning by grounding out to Brandon Inge. Guillen started off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left field. Magglio erased all the progress by swinging into a double play. Miguel Cabrera stayed hitless for the day by ending the eighth and sending the Tigers in to the ninth trailing by two.
To the ninth! The Sox would try to extend their lead against Denny Bautista. Joe Crede popped out for the first out of the inning. Juan Uribe did the same for the second. Toby Hall grounded out for the final. Renteria would lead off followed by Pudge and Jones. Bobby Jenks would try to save the game for the sox. Renteria hit one towards the infield gap but Uribe cut it off and put him out at first. Pudge came up with one out and lined sharply to Nick Swisher for the second. Jones continued to have a hot day and got a hit putting the tying run at the plate. And who else would come up besides Brandon Inge. Inge would get walked, bringing up Clete Thomas who would be the go ahead run. On the first pitch, a fastball, he grounded out.
So the Tigers remain winless, and it seems as though they have continued to fall into the same losing formula. Strong pitching falters and the bats fizzle out late when it really matters. Detroit has now gone through their rotation without earning one of their pitchers a win. Only Carlos Guillen has been playing where he should offensively. We'll have to wait another day to see a Tigers win this year. We'll have to wait and see if everyone was wrong about all the hype that came to Detroit with the three big names they brought in. Until then enjoy this article Tigers fans because theirs really nothing else to enjoy at this point in the season.
Willis sent the next set of batters down in order. After getting two quick outs to start the inning off again the Tigers bats looked to be stuck in the same slump as the first four games. Jaque Jones singled two keep the Tigers alive, Brandon Inge drove him home with a double. Clete Thomas singled and it wasn't until Placido Polanco grounded out did the Tigers stop running. Dontrelle looked to have run support, if he could continue to shut down the sox he could get his first win as a Tiger, and get the Tigers their first win.
The next inning Willis kept the Sox off the bases aside from once again walking Nick Swisher. After Carlos Guillen, the holder of the highest batting average in Detroit, popped out the next two Tigers followed, this left Willis with a slender lead to deal with.
After Thome grounded out to start off the fourth, Willis walked Konerko and Dye. Carlos Quentin came up with one out and two men on. Willis forced him to ground out into a double play that ended the inning and kept the Tigers lead intact. The bottom of the fourth started off Edger Renteria getting a single. Pudge came up and looked to have at least a double when Quentin caught his fly ball and threw out Renteria (who seemed to share my thought that Pudge would get a hit) at first for a double play. Jaque Jones walked with two outs, and Brandon Inge came up. Inge who up until this point had the games only RBI, added to his stats by hitting a two run jack to push the Tigers ahead by three. Clete Thomas got the third out to end the inning, but the damage was done.
Willis, who now had some breathing room, walked Joe Crede to start off the fifth. Pablo Ozuna grounded into a double play, and Toby Hall followed by popping out for the final out. The Sox to this point had still not recorded a hit. The fifth ended with the Tigers top batters going three and out.
The sixth started out with another Swisher walk, his third in three appearances, and then walked Cabrera. First and Second had runners on them with Jim Thome coming to the plate with no outs. The first hit of the game was a Thome double that drove home Swisher and pushed Cabrera to third. Zach Miner came in to replace Willis on the mound. Miner would have his hands full, the go ahead runner was Paul Konerko who also had two men on with no outs and the two hottest hitting Sox coming up. Konerko grounded out to Brandon Inge who threw him out at first while Cabrera scored and Thome stayed put at second. Miner would go on to walk Jermaine Dye, one out. Carlos Quentin tied up the game by getting a single, which pushed Dye to third on an error by Thomas. Joe Crede popped out to Jones; his outing earned him a RBI sac fly after Dye scored. Ozuna grounded out to end the inning after Zach Miner had given the Sox a one run lead.
The Tigers retaliated by going three and out. Willis pitched strong for five innings and got enough run support to maintain a lead. When the sixth rolled around the Sox rallied forcing Willis to retire, the bullpen struggled and now the bats looked to fall right back into their slump. Francis Beltran replaced Zach Miner, and sent the sox down in order. The Tigers looked to do the same but Clete Thomas got a single. Then Placido grounded out. Beltran stayed in for the top of the eighth, he forced Thome to pop out and struck out Konerko. Jermaine Dye continued on his streak by homering with two outs in the eighth and extending the Sox lead to two runs. Carlos Quentin ended the inning by grounding out to Brandon Inge. Guillen started off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left field. Magglio erased all the progress by swinging into a double play. Miguel Cabrera stayed hitless for the day by ending the eighth and sending the Tigers in to the ninth trailing by two.
To the ninth! The Sox would try to extend their lead against Denny Bautista. Joe Crede popped out for the first out of the inning. Juan Uribe did the same for the second. Toby Hall grounded out for the final. Renteria would lead off followed by Pudge and Jones. Bobby Jenks would try to save the game for the sox. Renteria hit one towards the infield gap but Uribe cut it off and put him out at first. Pudge came up with one out and lined sharply to Nick Swisher for the second. Jones continued to have a hot day and got a hit putting the tying run at the plate. And who else would come up besides Brandon Inge. Inge would get walked, bringing up Clete Thomas who would be the go ahead run. On the first pitch, a fastball, he grounded out.
So the Tigers remain winless, and it seems as though they have continued to fall into the same losing formula. Strong pitching falters and the bats fizzle out late when it really matters. Detroit has now gone through their rotation without earning one of their pitchers a win. Only Carlos Guillen has been playing where he should offensively. We'll have to wait another day to see a Tigers win this year. We'll have to wait and see if everyone was wrong about all the hype that came to Detroit with the three big names they brought in. Until then enjoy this article Tigers fans because theirs really nothing else to enjoy at this point in the season.
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