Grienke vs Verlander.
Grienke had been 6-1 in his career against the Tigers...
Verlander had been almost perfect this season, not allowing an earned run, and he had been almost unstoppable against the Royals, giving up only two earned runs in his career against them.
Final Score: 12-5
Verlander didn't pitch badly. He was staked to a 4-0 lead after the first inning on Pudge's second grand slam of the young season, and he sort of cruised through the second inning, giving up a couple of runs. He settled down in the third and fourth, even striking out the side once, and then he got into a little trouble in the fifth, but battled to only give up one run. He went back out for the sixth inning to some surprise, with a big lead and after throwing 90 pitches, but he got through the inning without much excitement.
Grienke didn't last the first. He walked three, gave up the grand slam, and that was it. After the four-run first, the Tigers tacked two on in the second, and another in the third, and the game was pretty much over.
The one good thing for those Jose Mesa haters is that he got to come in with a 9-3 lead and blow up once again. He (again) couldn't get anyone out, but this time, it wasn't going to cost the Tigers the game. If they want to keep him to come in with six run leads or deficits and attempt to eat innings so other relievers do not have to work, it might help the team. He could have a 20.00 ERA for the entire season, but if he doesn't factor into a game's decision and he gets 75 innings, that would be fine with a lot of fans.
The problem is with a six run lead, you have to get someone out every once in a while. Truth be told, he got one out, but he gave up two more runs. Pudge came out to talk to him, and Mesa pretty much shut him up. That might be the end of Mesa right there. If he doesn't respect a thirteen-time-all-star catcher, who is he going to respect. He's not throwing well, and a guy who has caught 1942 career games is trying to help. You better listen. Carlton Fisk is retired, so who else do you have?
Let's be brutally honest. By the end of this season, Pudge will have caught over 2000 career games. By the end of his career, he will have caught more games than any other catcher in history. If he has something to say, it is likely important, and you'd better listen. If there was a plane ride back to Detroit last night, Mesa may have been "Urbinaed," which would make a lot of people happy. However, there wasn't, and he likely showered and left before any fireworks came to pass.
Regardless, Mesa is a bust. He will always be a bust, and he is pitching himself right out of a job. He might turn into a mop up guy, which is fine, because every team needs one to have their good relievers not be overworked. The point of a good mop up guy, however, is to keep his team in the game. If he goes in down three runs in the seventh, his team better be down no more than three in the ninth. If the Tigers want to give up on games where they are down by a few late, then Mesa is a perfect fit.
However, the Tigers like to "Play nine innings," and Mesa will not cut it on this team. If he keeps pitching the other team into games and his team out of them, there is no place for him in Detroit. Todd Jones went through sort of the same thing last year when he blew a few saves mid-summer, though, so Mesa deserves a chance to be righted. But if it doesn't happen in the next two weeks, the Tigers should cut bait.
TigerBlog's Take on Yesterday's Game
Maroth vs De La Rosa tonight. Maroth has been solid in his first two outings, but he is better than his ERA shows, as long as he is confident. De La Rosa matched the Tigers pitch for pitch a couple weeks ago, but it was 29 degrees and no one was hitting. If the weather is above average, the Tiger bats should stay awake.
It's time for Sheffield to homer at home...
