Well I don’t have to many readers of my Tigers blog, as I can see when I check my Blog Stats, but for the few people who have suffered thru my blogs, you know how much I think of this Miguel Cabrera kid. He’s flat out awesome. And yesterday he showed why  He and the Tigers are going to be fighting for this division in September.

Cabrera went 4 for 6 with a Home Run and 5 RBI’s and new comer Edgar Renteria hit his first HR as a Tiger, A Grand Slam, as the Tigers pounded C.C. Sabathia and the Indians 13-2. Like I said every week is a new week, and this week we are 3-0, all vs divisional foes. Tonight we have to make it 4-0 and get Justin Verlander his first win of the season.

 

 Miguel Cabrera rounds the bases after a two-run home run off Cleveland Indians starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia in the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, something you will see alot of this season.

Well it’s a start. two great come from behind wins vs. division foe Minnesota, and now it’s off to Cleveland. Yesterday also showed wht the Tigers payed mucho-grande pesos for Miguel Cabrera.

He’s a stud. Period. He is off to a slow start, but this is why we got him. He is one of the best hitters in the game, and will put up monster numbers as a Tiger.  Now we go to Cleveland, and if we can win this series, the bad start can be put behind us. As I like to say, every Monday starts a new week. This week we are 2-0.

 

Maggs and Cabrera celebrate as the Tigers take the lead for good.

Four years ago, he started the Tigers’ climb from the cellar to the World Series. Monday night, he might have done it again.

Pudge went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run and scored two runs, including the eventual game-winner. But more importantly, he looked like he WANTED TO WIN. And so did the Tigers. Pumping his fists in the air as he slid safely into third, and pumping it even higher as he looked like the Pudge of ten years ago with Texas, tagging up on a hard liner off the bat of Jacque Jones to score the game winning run.

The crowd was electric……it seemed like a playoff game. Now can we finally win 2 in a row??

 

Pudge leading the come back.

Justin Verlander has to be the best pitcher with an ERA of almost 7.00. Yesterday’s 7-0 loss to the Chisox doesen’t come close to showing how good Verlander pitched. A 1-0, two hitter, in the 8th inning turned into a 7-0 nightmare.

And once again the bats did nothing. Do you really think it could be the weather? I don’t, but some people are saying the latin connection of the ball players has to do with it. No way. These guys are pros, they will get through this. I still think this team misses Curtis Granderson. It’s tough when your TRUE lead off hitter is missing. Especially when your lead off hitter is that good.

Kenny Rogers takes the mound today and hopefully the Tigers can get a victory and win there first series of the season.

I know, it’s April12th, how could anything be a must win already.  Well trust me, if you are a die hard Tiger fan like me, you know it is. To get swept, or lose 2 of 3 to Chicago, after the Sox just swept you at Comerica Park, not to mention you were swept by the Royals the series before,  this is a big series. Division games are ALWAYS important.

They got the opener thanks to some great relief pitching. Dontrell Willis left the game after only 11 pitches, and when the tigers fell behind 2-0, it wasn’t looking good.

Thats when Aquilino Lopez took over. he pitched brilliantly. Jason Grille came on and scared me like always, walking the bases loaded, but worked out of it, and the Tigers got the victory 5-2.

Today Justin Verlander tries to get his first win of the season, and the Tigers try to get back to back victories for the first time this season.

 

Lopez points the Tigers to Victory #2.

His few MLB Numbers aren’t that impressive, but the Tigers can’t wait to get Francisco Cruceta on board. The hard throwing reliefer has massive potential, and the Tigers have been trying to land him since November. Literally.

Cruceta has been waiting for his Visa to clear in the U.S. to let him come over and pitch. Now that it has, hopefully he is ready to go. If he is half as good as the hype, this will help the Tigers a ton in the bull pen.

 

Cruceta could be just what the Tigers need in there pen.

O.K. all you fair weathered Tiger fans who are jumping off the wagon, don’t try to get the dirt out of your mouth when this team comes alive, and say you were here all the time! Yes, it’s bad right now, but it won’t last. Trust me. First off, baseball is such along season, all teams are going to have bad streaks, and it’s very rare that a WHOLE TEAM seams to be slumping.

Brandon Inge is playing well. So is rookie Clete Thomas who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored against the White Sox on Friday.

The good news is at 0-7, it really can’t get any worse! So lets get a victory tonight in Boston and turn this thing around!

 

 

This is why I love the movie “Back To The Future”…..in part II when the old man in the future says to Marty McFly (Micheal J Fox) as the sports update breaks across the big sign in the sky and says… Breaking News, Cubs win World Series!  The old man says “I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, and put some money on the Cubbies, they were a 100 to 1 shot!”

That’s when it all clicks in. You never know whats going to happen in sports, ask the New England Patriots, or the New York Yankees when they were up 3-0 vs. Boston in the A.L.C.S. a few years back.

I know it’s only game 3 of a long season, but like my friend Marty Mcfly, if you were to tell me the Tigers would only give up 4 runs in games 2 and 3, I would have to bet that with this lineup, they would both be wins for Detroit. Surely if the Tigers gave up 4 runs then they must have won 7-4 right? Maybe 9-4?  Well now thw White Sox come to town for a must win 3 game  series. Well ok that was a little dramatic. Let’s just try to get win #1, and go from there!

Kenny Rogers retired the first nine Royals he faced and hit minimal trouble until the top of the sixth inning,  but overall he didn’t look  a 43 year-old fading pitcher, he looked good. Sharp. Mid-season form actually.  Rogers looked great mixing up his pitches, and made 2 great plays in the field.

But besides Rogers and Edgar Renteria, (3-4 on the day, hitting a hearty .444) the bats were silent, and the Tigers are now 0-2 on the season and look to salvage one game tomorrow when Jeremy Bonderman takes the mound.

I miss Curtis Granderson. Brandon Inge is doin a good job in center, and Edgar Renteria is doin a fine job leading off, but that spark Granderson brings is missing. Not only does he get on base, he’s a threat to steal everytime he is on. With Granderson out, we don’t really have that base stealing threat. OK I need a deep breath and remember tomorrow is only game 3 of 162!

Well I was lucky enough to score some Opening Day Tix, and they were 4 rows behind the Tigers Dugout! To bad the out come wasn’t good, but I did get some great pictures at the game. Miguel Cabrera is a beast! He will only bring good things to this great line-up, and seeing him hit his first Home-run as a Tiger was great. It’s only one game of 162, and already the ney-sayers are callin the local radio stations sayin how bad the pitching will be.

Actually, I think it was a case of poor hitting. The Tigers had many chances to blow the game wide open and couldn’t seem to get a key hit. Placido Polanco was 0 for 6, but hit the ball hard almost every at bat, it just wasn’t the Tigers day.  Fear not loyal Tiger fans, come September we will be competing for a division title!  Click on the links to see some opening day pics.

Verlander in control after 4 innings pitched

Cabrera waiting for his first AB as a Tiger

Inge played a great game in center

Sheff up with Maggs on deck

Arriving at Comerica Park

Tell this Lions fan it’s Baseball Season!