What a duel!!

[racosun]

Tonight's game is a classic and fantastic pitching duel between our young fireballer Justin Verlander and the perrenial Cy Young candidate Johan Santana. Even if Verlander loses this game, he still impressed the hell out of me! What's even more impressive is that he's pitching, not throwing, as evidenced by his strikeout total through the 8th inning: ZERO. He also has no walks to go with those zero K's, and six hits. Santana, meanwhile, is doing his best Felix Hernandez (or Ervin Santana) impression, racking up 10 K's through 7.

Great duel, I need a tape of this.

[racosun]

Of all the people in the entire world, back-up (and light-hitting) catcher Vance Wilson tags Santana for a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth. Craziness!

I hope Leyland lets Verlander go for the complete-game shut-out. Those don't come by too often, especially against someone like Johan Santana. It would be good for the kids' confidence.

[racosun]

Todd Jones let the go-ahead run come to the plate in the top of the ninth to make things interesting (again), but he managed to get out of it without any damage. Verlander was up to 103 pitches, so I guess I won't rip Leyland for not allowing him to go for the CG SO. No K's is pretty weird, but he's becoming the complete package before our eyes. With his performance so far, he's obviously ahead of Seattle's Felix Hernandez, and I'd bet he'll be staying that way throughout his career. Great game, glad it was televised.

[tigers527]

Of all the people in the entire world, back-up (and light-hitting) catcher Vance Wilson tags Santana for a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth. Craziness!

I hope Leyland lets Verlander go for the complete-game shut-out. Those don't come by too often, especially against someone like Johan Santana. It would be good for the kids' confidence.

I had that complaint too, a few times even. I often wonder why Leyland won't at least let the starter face the 1st batter of the ninth and then see? We've had a few games where our starters were "dealing". Do you think we'll even see one CG from our starters?

Let's hope K Rog doesn't go into his second 1/2 slump, and Guillen stays healthy. GO TIGERS!!!!!!!

[tigers527]

Todd Jones let the go-ahead run come to the plate in the top of the ninth to make things interesting (again), but he managed to get out of it without any damage. Verlander was up to 103 pitches, so I guess I won't rip Leyland for not allowing him to go for the CG SO. No K's is pretty weird, but he's becoming the complete package before our eyes. With his performance so far, he's obviously ahead of Seattle's Felix Hernandez, and I'd bet he'll be staying that way throughout his career. Great game, glad it was televised.

You should have went to the park yesterday (5-16)...it was the BAWDIEST crowd of the year (I say that being a mini season tick holder, who was there on opening day). Besides, it was a pack the park day upper box 5$...that's good stuff, and not a bad seat if you ask for sec 327-329.

I would have been there, if not for the one window I had in the last week to mow my lawn. Trying to beat those T-storms that never came....Oh well, like you said at least it was on TV.

[Tigersfan91]

[QUOTE=tigers527]Do you think we'll even see one CG from our starters[QUOTE]

With the bullpen pitching the way they have been, not sure why you feel the need for a complete game. It's a long season, let's ride that stallion til it bucks us.

[OldEnglishD]

Do you think we'll even see one CG from our starters?


Overrated stat IMO. I think it's eye candy. Nonetheless, I think he has most the pitchers (especially the young Verlander) on a pretty strict pitch count. So, if they can finish a game under 100 pitches - then yeah; otherwise - nope

[riverfrontier]

There was a lot of flak around Dusty Baker for the way he let his starters go to 120-130 on their pitch counts. Look at Wood and Prior now. I like a complete game like anybody else, but I also remember Mark Fidrych.

[racosun]

There was a lot of flak around Dusty Baker for the way he let his starters go to 120-130 on their pitch counts. Look at Wood and Prior now. I like a complete game like anybody else, but I also remember Mark Fidrych.

I'm sure Mark Fidrych is the guy every GM and manager in the game think about when they get a young pitching phenom on the big club. Well, every manager except perhaps Dusty Baker.

I think the CG and SO stats are a bit overrated too, but in this situation I think it would call for an exception. While I agreed in a previous post with Leyland's decision to pull him (Verlander was at 103 pitchers after eight), you have to see the significants of what's happened. Santana is THE best pitcher in the bigs, and is red-hot right now. Justin is a top-flight rookie who's also been darn good. I wasn't thinking about the stats that could be acquired for the kid by letting him throw a complete-game shutout, I was thinking about the confidence boost and subsequent ramifications of such into the future. I'm sure he is still experiencing a good boost anyways, though, because he still won the duel.