LVSoxFan Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 QUOTE (tonyho7476 @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 01:56 PM) No way. I think at worst 5-5. And I have a good feeling we are going to be more like 8-2. How ya like that for optimism? Well let's hope so. But I do think this is the pivotal week of the season though, seeing that one of us has got to make a break for the finish line and Minny's right behind us, and Detroit with a good streak can be right back in it. Why not take the opportunity to ruin their hopes and dreams? To kick their cat, drink their beer and drive off in their new car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesox Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 fortunately contreras is on the DL .. AND we don't face Galarraga, who is arguably their best pitcher right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 This is really a chance to make a statement. Go in there and get swept, and all hell breaks loose. Go in there and sweep, and we're back to 8.5 up on Detroit, between 2.5 and 5.5 up on Minnesota, and full of confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 If we sweep, I would be thrilled but I think it'd be a miracle. Detroit completely torched KC the last 3 nights, a team we were lucky to go 3-3 with recently.We're going to have to play great baseball to win the series at Det. Then comes the indoor baseball crap. Then KC again. Worst case scenario: We lose 2 of 3 to Det, 3 of 4 to Minnie and two of three to KC to go 3-7. Best case scenario: Win 2 of 3 in Det; win 3 of 4 in Minnie and sweep KC for a 8-2 trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeman89 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 hopefully crede gets back because he LOVES Comerica. career line of .294/.345/.613 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesox Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (lukeman89 @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 05:02 PM) hopefully crede gets back because he LOVES Comerica. career line of .294/.345/.613 isn't robertson a lefty though crede lefties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ginger Kid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (lukeman89 @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 04:02 PM) hopefully crede gets back because he LOVES Comerica. career line of .294/.345/.613 add to that, Konerko hit a few balls hard this week (can't believe that's the only positive for him). If he were to break out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I expect nothing less than 2 of 3; Robertson has been terrible this year, Miner is a swingman (who somehow puts up low ERAs with WHIPs in the 1.4's), and Verlander is a big time fastball pitcher, which the Sox eat for breakfast. I wouldn't necessarily focus on "smallball" per se, but I would look to score runs whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself, and not merely the 3-run homer. The offday was nice because they'll be ready to go and primed to kill in game 1 of the series, rather than jetlagged and tired. Feast on the lefty (this would be a game where having Josh Fields on the roster would be nice), kill the fastball, and then put runs up against Miner, and hope all 3 starters are ready to pitch their asses off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Love your optimism but as you know we've sucked against guys with some bad recent pitching lines. Isn't Detroit's park un-homer friendly? That might be a problem for us. I sense a lot of popups and medium deep fly balls. Hope I'm wrong. I wanna win!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 03:28 PM) Um, hasnt Verlander been really good recently? Forget it, he's rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyho7476 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 07:12 AM) Forget it, he's rolling. Thank God someone can play along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockRaines Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jul 24, 2008 -> 09:09 PM) add to that, Konerko hit a few balls hard this week (can't believe that's the only positive for him). If he were to break out.... Thats what lowered expectations due to the player being liked can do to you. At this point him hitting it hard into outs is being seen as a positive since he sucks so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../807250407/1050 With a 52-49 record, the Tigers are further above .500 than at any other time this season. Advertisement Tonight, they will begin a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox during which they could gain on the American League Central leaders. Meanwhile, a four-game winning streak has prompted club officials to ponder how their roster could be augmented -- instead of dismantled -- before Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline. The Tigers would like to add a starter or reliever. Enough intrigue for you? The Tigers' topsy-turvy season has arrived at another crucial moment, and it's impossible to know what will happen next for a team that stumbled in April, rolled in June and has seesawed around .500 this month. Most everyone, though, can agree on something: It might only be July, but this is a certifiable Big Series. The Tigers trail the Sox by 5 1/2 games. A Tigers sweep makes it 2 1/2 . A Chicago sweep makes it 8 1/2 . The significance is self-evident. Even Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who is generally reluctant to place much emphasis on a particular series, acknowledged that the three games "sure could" have a big impact on the standings. It's fitting that left-hander Nate Robertson will start tonight in what might be his biggest since Game 3 of the 2006 World Series. Robertson has been at his best in big moments before. He beat Roger Clemens on a memorable night two years ago. He won Game 1 of the 2006 American League Championship Series. He beat Chicago on June 10 -- the first game of an eventual sweep that sparked a turnaround. But he is 15-21 since the beginning of last season, and the Tigers are 1-3 in his past four starts. That includes a no-decision Saturday when he spoiled a 6-0 lead in a loss to Baltimore. Tonight would be an opportune time for Robertson to remind the Tigers why they signed him to a three-year, $21.25-million contract in January. To this point, the investment has not yielded much of a return. Robertson is 6-8 with a 5.69 ERA, the worst among qualifying AL starters. Robertson's reliability has long been one of his best attributes, but he has had back-to-back quality starts once this season. At present, he represents a tenuous bridge between the starters who have pitched consistently in recent weeks (Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Armando Galarraga) and newcomer Zach Miner, who was impressive in Monday's victory. The Tigers already are paying millions to two pitchers who are not on the active roster: Jeremy Bonderman (four years, $38 million) is out for the season after surgeries to repair a blood clot, and Dontrelle Willis (three years, $29 million) is in the minor leagues. From an economic standpoint, the team can ill afford for Robertson to be anywhere but in the rotation. Of course, the White Sox have their own pitching issues. They have allowed seven or more runs in five of their past seven games, and right-handed starter Jose Contreras is on the disabled list with tendinitis in his pitching elbow. Clayton Richard, the former Michigan quarterback, was called up from the minors to take Contreras' place. He allowed four earned runs in four innings Wednesday, but the White Sox rallied against the Texas bullpen and won, 10-8. Three formidable starters are scheduled to pitch for Chicago this weekend, beginning tonight with right-hander Gavin Floyd. He is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers, according to STATS LLC. But Floyd, impressive left-hander John Danks and veteran right-hander Javier Vazquez are about to encounter something the Sox have not seen: a lineup that features Magglio Ordoñez and Miguel Cabrera in midseason form. Since the All-Star break, the two have combined for a .373 batting average and 21 RBIs in seven games. "When Magglio and Cabrera are locked in, and they don't give away at-bats, they can be RBI machines," Leyland said. "Those are the guys I like. They produce runs." By Sunday, we will know if they have produced a series victory that starts to scramble the standings -- with two frenzied months left. Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) We're the much better team and we'll have a chip on our shoulders. Road or not, we're sweeping this series. Edited July 25, 2008 by Rowand44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 12:26 PM) We're the much better team and we'll have a chip on our shoulders. Road or not, we're sweeping this series. That's quite the statement. I hope you're right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTalkThai Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Regarding the Tigers hottest pitcher coming into this series. Most would say that it's Armando Galarraga after looking at his numbers as well as his 6 innings of perfect baseball in his last start...but Verlander has been the Tigers best pitcher for about the last two months. In July... Galarraga=> 1-2, 2.84 ERA, .222 BAA Verlander=> 4-0, 2.20 ERA, .168 BAA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Only one (actually two) things to do in this situation: Sit back. Strap it down. Let's drown some kittens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DABearSoX Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 07:44 PM) Only one (actually two) things to do in this situation: Sit back. Strap it down. Let's drown some kittens. Just don't strap it on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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