Not Good Enough

I don’t really have a lot to say about this one, as I was at work for most of the game (A-Rod hit the home run while I was listening to the game on the radio in the car on the way home). It was an unusual sort of loss for Justin Verlander, in that he’s usually not the tough-luck loser. When he loses, he generally gives up a ton of runs. Still, he’s gotta be more cognizant of the fact that there’s that jetstream/short porch in right field, and that the Yankees have probably figured out by now how to take advantage of it. A-Rod sure did. Even if you forget the home run, he couldn’t slam the door after that, allowing three straight hits (Rod Allen sounded really annoyed about the second run once Marcus Thames homered). Sabathia was gone by the time I got home, but I listened to the beginning of the game on the radio during my lunch break. It sounded similar to the game they played against Gil Meche, where they were grinding out some serious at-bats, but didn’t have anything to show for it. They’d have a 6-or-7-pitch at-bat and find themselves in a 3-2 count, but then they’d pop up or something.

Well, it’s time to try this one more time. This game is on TBS, and the Tigers tend to not do well on national television. It’d be nice if they could change that trend. To tell you the truth, my gut feeling is more concerned about the pitching than the offense. Edwin Jackson has pitched in New York many times for the Rays, so he shouldn’t be intimidated. However, he’s generally a flyball pitcher, and that could be trouble in that launching pad. Joba Chamberlain has struggled a bit of late, but I suppose the All-Star Break can either put you out of your rhythm or help you find it.