That Was Brutal
By Blake VandeBunte • Sep 24th, 2008 • Category: 2008 season, Jeff Larish, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Hessman, Nate RobertsonThe Tigers went out tonight and just got absolutely crushed. The whole series was just a disaster. Luckily the series wasn’t important or anything. It’s not like there was a playoff spot on the line or anything. In 2006 the Tigers choked late in the season against the Royals and it cost them the division, nothing like that this season. This latest sweep at the hands of Royals did pretty much guarantee the Tigers last place in the American League Central. Even if you thought the Tigers lacked pitching at the beginning of the season, there’s no way anyone saw this coming.
Brian Bannister did his usual thing and dominated the Tigers hitters. Bannister threw six shut out innings before getting pulled because the game was so out of hand. Bannister left the game with a 10-0 lead, really no reason to keep your starter in at that point.
While Bannister sadly did his usual thing against the Tigers, Nate Robertson just ran out his typical run of the mill outing as well. Robertson got rocked, again. He lasted 4.2 innings and gave up 8 runs (one unearned due to an error he made). Robertson also managed to walk four hitters, including one with the bases loaded. Robertson, assuming he doesn’t pitch again this season (he shouldn’t) will finish the season with an ERA of 6.35 over 168 innings of work. No one in Tigers history has ever thrown more than 160 innings and had an ERA of 6.35 or higher. Nate is the first. The last player in baseball to match those lofty numbers was Joel Pineiro of the Cardinals back in 2006. Since 1927 it’s only happened 35 times. To state the obvious: You just don’t see that happen because usually if you have an ERA that high you simply do not throw that many innings. You are usually released or sent to the minors.
As bad as the pitching was tonight, and it was bad, the offense was just as bad. As I write this the Tigers trail 10-1 in the 8th inning. That means that over the course of this three game series the Tigers have been out scored 21-3. 21-3, at home, against Kansas City. There is nothing acceptable about that. Not a thing. Jeff Larish is currently 3-4 and Miguel Cabrera is 2-4. Mike Hessman hit a solo homer but that’s been it. Just disgusting.
I’ll be at the ball park tomorrow for the season opener with the Rays. If you’re going to the park for some reason, let me know and we can have a gripe session.
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