Another game with two runs or less, and another loss. Paul Byrd was the Cy Young look alike tonight as he and the Indians pen held the Tigers to two runs on five hits. Brandon Inge put the Tigers on the board with a solo shot in the sixth and then Jeff Larish hit his first career homerun with a solo shot in the seventh. Carlos Guillen had two of the Tigers five hits and nobody drew a walk.
Justin Verlander was 35-17 in his career heading into this season and he looks like he could match that loss total this year alone, if not flirt with 20 losses. Oddly, Verlander has just two no-decisions in thirteen starts (should have been a win) and he’s been on the losing end of nine of those eleven decisions. He had just one tough inning but it was for three runs in the fourth inning. Denny Bautista made his return after a stint on the disabled list and a rehab assignment and he was tagged for a solo homerun in his one inning of work.
The White Sox look like they’re going to win so that’ll put the Tigers ten games back. It’s not looking good folks and if they’re a dozen back or so after the end of the White Sox series, the Tigers will face a near insurmountable task in making the playoffs.
Tomorrow is another game of the week and I’ll be at a wedding reception so I’ll probably miss most of this one. Kenny Rogers will go up against Aaron Lafey.