Tagged: White Sox

Tigers Need To Go Undefeated

In undefeated, I mean these next two games.  Since they have decided to make it a lot more interesting in the AL Central than it needs to be, the Tigers will need to win both of their remaining games to clinch the division.  If they do not, they could let the Twins slip into that division lead.  And therefore give the Twins a playoff birth.  The Twins have been playing well of late and they could easily beat the Royals a couple more times.  Last night they won 10-7.  Today won’t be as easy a task as the Royals send Zack Greinke to the mound.  He is beatable but I wouldn’t count on it.  It will most certainly be a challenge.  As far as the Tigers go, they better get their pitching scenario figured out.

Last night, Edwin Jackson, who has been all but and All Star quality pitcher since the All Star break, went five innings and gave up eight runs.  It was another terrible performance from Jackson who the Tigers desperately need to get back up to speed if they want to go anywhere in the playoffs, assuming they make it.  Right now, the only consistency in that Tigers rotation is Verlander and Porcello.  Jackson hasn’t been there, the recently added Jarod Wahsburn hasn’t pitched all that well since being aquired and Jeremy Bonderman has just had a run in with the Twins series.  It’s gonna be a tight race no matter what but the pitching is key for the Tigers right now.

Regardless off who was pitching last night, the Tigers offense has been good enough to rely on recently but last night, Jake Peavy shut them out.  Peavy has really shown what he can do against a quality offense.  The White Sox are really looking forward to having the Jake Peavy of last night next year.  He will be a big part of that team.  Here’s a quick prediction for next year… watch out for the White Sox.

The Tigers have had a long and grinding year.  They have been in the talk of the city’s troublesome economy and how they have brought hope to the city.  If they make the playoffs this year, that will be the icing on the cake for that city which is really in need of something special.  Now, if they make the playoffs, they will have the uneasy task of playing the Yankees in the first round.  It won’t be easy and it probably won’t end well for the Tigers but the fact that they made it to the playoffs will be a great thing for the Detroit citizens.

Honestly, I am rooting for the Tigers to get in.  But it really comes down to winning.  They can’t rely on the Twins losing since they are playing a weak Royals team.  They NEED to win and need to win now.  A one game lead is nothing to stand by at this point.

Today, the Tigers have rookie Alfredo Figaro going.  It will be the biggest game of his life, at leas at this point, and he will be asked to go out and give a phenominal outing.  They really need the pitching.  I can’t stress that enough.

-Dillon

Melk-Man Hits For Cycle

I go to camp for a week…

I barely get any sleep…

I come back Friday after a whole day of driving in traffic…

I realize the Yankees’ lead over the Red Sox has been diminished to a half game…

I see the Yankees are having trouble with the White Sox…

The trade deadline produced many bigtime player trades…

Roy Halladay is still in Toronto…

And I am back blogging on MLBlogs.

Now, while I was at camp all week, I was bummed that I was unable to keep up with all the things happening around the MLB, especially since the trade deadline was Friday.  I still had a great time, but the feeling of not knowing what was going on was killing me.  Now, I survived, as I always do, but it was still hard not having that part of my life around.

I got back and immediatly checked MLB.com to see all the trades that had happened.  Here’s what I figured out:

  • The BoSox pulled off a deal for Victor Martinez
  • Cliff Lee is in Philly (where I happened to be for camp this past week)
  • Jake Peavy is with the in the South Side of Chicago
  • Adam LaRoche has been with three teams in about a week and a half
  • Orlando Cabrera finds a home in Minnesota

Well, it’s all very exciting and all and I’m glad to be back.  Now, I was unable to post something until today because I have been so busy since I got back.  But yesterday, something great happened in Chicago.  That’s right, it’s got to do with the Yankees.  Melky Cabrera hit for the cycle against the Chicago White Sox and the most recent man to enter himself into the history books, Mark Beuhrle.  In fact, Beuhrle looked nothing like he has all season.  Especially after throwing the perfect game.  He went 4.1 innings, giving up 7 runs on 12 hits and a walk.  He gave up the one homer to Cabrera and that was it for the long ball.  For Melky Cabrera, this achievment puts him in with the likes of many famous Yankees from teams past.  The 15th cycle in team history was a great show to see.  Now, even though this happened, I would still go with Brett Gardner in center field.  No offense to Melky for this great performance but Gardner is still my pick.  It was still a great show though.

Melky’s cycle is the second to happen this year.  As many remember, the year was basically kicked off with a performance of a lifetime from the O-Dog, Orlando Hudson of the LA Dodgers.  Hudson took only six innings to get the four hits required for the achievement.  But he did it.  One of the greatest offensive performances this year kicked things off in April.  Melky’s performance was great and it will go down in the books as many others have for accomplishing this feat.

-Dillon

Re-Mark-Able

First there was Jonathon Sanchez’s no hitter, the first of the year.  The game was full of excitement and close plays.  The game saving rob from Aaron Rowand in the ninth.  Only the error by Uribe seperating him from a perfect game.  And the mere perfection from Sanchez that put him into the history books with the greats.  Well, Mark Beuhrle is already there.  Having thrown a no hitter in 2007, Beuhrle added onto his career of STELLARNESS by throwing a perfect game against the defending champion Rays.  That’s right, Mark Beuhrle has thrown a perfect game on July 23, 2009.  This picture, duplicated just an hours ago.

The game kept fans on there feet.  It must have been such a great moment there.  To have a ticket to that game must have been amazing (not knowing what would happen of course, but now that it has… wow).  Beuhrle and the White Sox were… well let me say it… RE-MARK-ABLE!

Like Sanchez’s no hitter, a late game rob saved their moment in history.  Aaron Rowand robbed what might have been a home run in the ninth inning of Sanchez’s no hitter.  In today’s game against the Rays, a defensive replacement in center, Dewayne Wise, robbed a sure home run from Gabe Kapler and preserved the perfect game for Beuhrle.  This was the single most important moment in the game, as was Rowand’s catch.  Another great play was Gordon Beckam’s line drive catch at third after a long at bat from Pat Burrell.  Honestly, it wasn’t all that well hit, but still, if he wasn’t there… there goes the perfection.  On offense, Beuhrle wouldn’t have needed much but he got it anyway.  Josh Fields hit a grand slam to start things off.  Then, Alexei Ramirez and Scott Podsednik hit back to back doubles to get the score to 5-0.  That would be four more runs than Beuhrle would need.

Beuhrle, already among some of the greatest names in history, adds to his already STELLAR career with this perfect game.  In his outing, he went the full nine innings, had six K’s and gave up nothing to the Rays offense.  That’s right.  Carlos Pena, BJ Upton, Evan Longoria… they were all held silent by Beuhrle.  Perfection.  Such a great sight to see.

Beuhrle joins a great group of names of those who have thrown a no hitter and a perfect game on different occasions.  The list includes the likes of Randy Johnson and… well, I forget who else but it is definitely a list to cherish being a part of.  Beuhrle was absolutely STELLAR in what was clearly the most exciting part of this season.  First there was Sanchez’s no hitter.  Then just last night, Manny Ramirez’s pinch hit grand slam.  Another great moment.  And now a perfect game from Beuhrle.  And just think about this… we’ve only just begun the second half of the season.  We still have the rest of the second half to go.  There’s still the playoff race to sit back and enjoy.  Then the playoffs themselves.  It’s going to be great and this season is going to be even greater.  Just wait.

Absolutely RE-MARK-ABLE.  Congrats to Mark Beuhrle on yet another phenominal accomplishment.

-Dillon