If Granderson is not hitting, the Tigers will not be winning
Burning questions after the Tigers' bats froze up against Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter on the way to a 4-0 St. Louis victory in Game 3 of the World Series at Busch Stadium
Q . What are the chances the Tigers' bats will heat up against Jeff Suppan tonight after Chris Carpenter and his Cardinals cohorts shut out Detroit in Game 3 of the World Series?
A . The Tigers haven't swung the bat with a lick of punch in three games against the Cardinals. Pudge Rodriguez's ugly slump isn't helping, but the key is Curtis Granderson. When he was hitting against the Yankees and A's, the Tigers were scoring runs early and taking leads they held. Now he's back to August-September form and the Tigers can't get any early fires lit.
Q . Wasn't defense Detroit's biggest problem Tuesday? Brandon Inge passed up a double-play ball for a force-out at home plate in the Cardinals' two-run fourth, and Joel Zumaya made an unforgivable gaffe in throwing to third on a double-play ball in the seventh.
A . Inge's decision made sense. Carpenter early on showed he was going to be so tough that even conceding a single run to the Cardinals was poison. Zumaya simply made a Little League error in trying to start a double play at third off a comeback grounder to the mound in the seventh. Between his wildness (two lethal walks to begin the seventh) and his absent-minded throw to third, Zumaya's next World Series appearance will be an automatic improvement, no matter what he does.
Q . What will Tigers manager Jim Leyland do ahead of tonight's game when the Tigers can hardly afford to fall behind three games to one?
A . He might change the batting order. Placido Polanco needs to return to the No. 2 spot, particularly against a right-hander. Leyland will have a serious skull session with his players about playing World Series-grade baseball and maintaining their focus. Defensive slip-ups in the first and third games have been out of character.
Q . How will Jeremy Bonderman handle a Tigers mini-crisis tonight?
A . That's the question. Bonderman needs to have his slider going at maximum nastiness. It's asking a lot on a cold evening at Busch Stadium. Again, Bonderman still relies on two pitches: a 94-95-mph fastball that the Cardinals hitters can handle, and a slider that must -- must -- leave the middle of the lineup waving at two-strike pitches. The feeling here is that the Tigers will need to score runs in excess tonight, or this World Series could easily wrap up Thursday in St. Louis.
Q . Why doesn't Leyland go with Marcus Thames when the batting order needs a shakeup?
A . If tonight's game were in Detroit, Leyland very well might. The loss of the designated hitter at a National League park (the idea two leagues have a different rule on the DH is as wacko as it gets in baseball) could keep Thames -- and Omar Infante -- on the bench. Craig Monroe has too many game-breaking hits to drop him from the lineup and he plays better defense than Thames. Infante has played so little the Tigers might as well have been operating with a 24-man roster.
Q . Would Leyland ever give Vance Wilson a shot at catcher when Rodriguez is in such a serious funk?
A . Short of a crippling injury, there is zero chance Leyland will drop a Hall of Fame-bound catcher and one of his team leaders from a World Series lineup.
Q . What are the chances the Tigers' bats will heat up against Jeff Suppan tonight after Chris Carpenter and his Cardinals cohorts shut out Detroit in Game 3 of the World Series?
A . The Tigers haven't swung the bat with a lick of punch in three games against the Cardinals. Pudge Rodriguez's ugly slump isn't helping, but the key is Curtis Granderson. When he was hitting against the Yankees and A's, the Tigers were scoring runs early and taking leads they held. Now he's back to August-September form and the Tigers can't get any early fires lit.
Q . Wasn't defense Detroit's biggest problem Tuesday? Brandon Inge passed up a double-play ball for a force-out at home plate in the Cardinals' two-run fourth, and Joel Zumaya made an unforgivable gaffe in throwing to third on a double-play ball in the seventh.
A . Inge's decision made sense. Carpenter early on showed he was going to be so tough that even conceding a single run to the Cardinals was poison. Zumaya simply made a Little League error in trying to start a double play at third off a comeback grounder to the mound in the seventh. Between his wildness (two lethal walks to begin the seventh) and his absent-minded throw to third, Zumaya's next World Series appearance will be an automatic improvement, no matter what he does.
Q . What will Tigers manager Jim Leyland do ahead of tonight's game when the Tigers can hardly afford to fall behind three games to one?
A . He might change the batting order. Placido Polanco needs to return to the No. 2 spot, particularly against a right-hander. Leyland will have a serious skull session with his players about playing World Series-grade baseball and maintaining their focus. Defensive slip-ups in the first and third games have been out of character.
Q . How will Jeremy Bonderman handle a Tigers mini-crisis tonight?
A . That's the question. Bonderman needs to have his slider going at maximum nastiness. It's asking a lot on a cold evening at Busch Stadium. Again, Bonderman still relies on two pitches: a 94-95-mph fastball that the Cardinals hitters can handle, and a slider that must -- must -- leave the middle of the lineup waving at two-strike pitches. The feeling here is that the Tigers will need to score runs in excess tonight, or this World Series could easily wrap up Thursday in St. Louis.
Q . Why doesn't Leyland go with Marcus Thames when the batting order needs a shakeup?
A . If tonight's game were in Detroit, Leyland very well might. The loss of the designated hitter at a National League park (the idea two leagues have a different rule on the DH is as wacko as it gets in baseball) could keep Thames -- and Omar Infante -- on the bench. Craig Monroe has too many game-breaking hits to drop him from the lineup and he plays better defense than Thames. Infante has played so little the Tigers might as well have been operating with a 24-man roster.
Q . Would Leyland ever give Vance Wilson a shot at catcher when Rodriguez is in such a serious funk?
A . Short of a crippling injury, there is zero chance Leyland will drop a Hall of Fame-bound catcher and one of his team leaders from a World Series lineup.
No comments:
Post a Comment