Back around April Fool's Day, sports enthusiasts in the Detroit area certainly assumed that April would be an exciting month. The Red Wings and Pistons, each bolstered by mid-season trades, would be jockeying for position and then commencing their respective playoffs -- each with high hopes.
But improbably, the Tigers have also forced their way into the consciousness of Detroit fans. Off to their best start in nineteen years, the Tigers are generating sincere enthusiasm for their strong play when most Tiger fans would have settled for basic competence after last season's debacle. An influx of veterans with a basic idea as to how to play the game has rejuvenated the franchise, at least in the early going.
Still, the Jays need to get back on track, and this series presents an opportunity to do it. All three pitching matchups favour Toronto, and a better approach at the plate is all that's needed to get to Tiger pitching that was vulnerable against the Twins this weekend. Remember, Doc's outing on Thursday will be a matinee.
On to the Advance Scout!
* It's difficult to overstate how long it's been since the Tigers have started off this well ... Even after two games, they were off to their best road start since 1984 ... After three games, they were off to their best overall start since 1985 ... After four games, they bested their April total from last season, when they went 3-19 ... The Tigers hadn't swept the Jays since the devastating final-weekend showdown at Tiger Stadium in 1987 ... Vernon Wells on the new attitude in Detroit: "They brought in some veteran guys that have given them some added confidence" ... Fernando Vina explained that the infusion of veterans was important for the club, because many of them had experience playing for winning teams and none had personal memories of the '03 debacle ... Bobby Higginson: "It's the most fun I've had in my whole career" ... The Tigers are collectively hitting .291, a 51-point improvement thus far over last season ...
* Friday's home opener crowd was the second-largest in Comerica history, after the Yankees-Tigers game last June when Roger Clemens was sitting on 299 career wins ...
* Tonight's starter, Jeremy Bonderman, battled hard against Blue Jay batters last Wednesday and struck out a career-high eight in 5 1/3 IP ... Bonderman blamed "adrenaline" for overthrowing on the pitch that Carlos Delgado rocketed to right for a three-run shot ... Although he left in the sixth after getting struck in the lower leg by a come-backer, he's feeling no ill effects ...
* Pudge Rodriguez's 0-for-5 snapped his five-game hitting streak to start his Tigers career ... Pudge earned several standing ovations from the crowd at the Comerica home opener last Thursday, as he racked up two singles and a walk -- while nailing one runner on a steal attempt at second and picking off another Twin at first ... Pudge has earned significant admiration from his teammates by playing day games after night games ... He's yet to take a day off ... Trammell said that Pudge will likely be the DH when he requires a day off from catching ...
* Rondell White is also off to a fine start in the Motor City, going .316/.480/.737 with five walks and only two strikeouts ...
* A less-heralded new Tiger, Carlos Guillen, has been surprising offensively so far ... He's getting on base at a .440 clip and he boasts a 4:3 walk:strikeout ratio -- a statistic that, in fairness to Carlos, improved significantly last year ... Guillen survived a scare on Thursday when Carlos Pena lined a foul ball that struck his lower leg while he was loosening up in the on-deck circle ...
* Interesting: Alan Trammell is 5-0 as a manager this season ... Trammell was suspended for Saturday's game after a Grapefruit League beanball war against -- who else? -- the Phillies ... In a cheeky cross-promotion last week, Larry Brown wore an Ivan Rodriguez jersey and cap for his Pistons post-game press conference, while Trammell changed into a Brown-inspired stylish pinstriped suit before he met the press ...
* '84 and '88 hero Kirk Gibson, currently Tram's bench coach, assumed the managerial duties on Saturday, losing 10-5 ... Two of the Twins' homers (and one by Craig Monroe) landed beyond the shorter Comerica fence that was installed last season, but in front of the original leftfield wall ...
* Wednesday's starter, Nate Robertson, was brilliant in four innings of relief last Tuesday at SkyDome ... The 26-year-old lefty went four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while fanning seven ... The Kansan has earned his first start of the season after six shutout innings in relief ... Robertson is spot starting for another Nate, Mr. Cornejo, who was suspended five games for his role in the Phillies incident ... Cornejo beaned Ricky Ledee after a warning was issued subsequent to Vicente Padilla plunking Pena ...
* Pena had a sizzling home series against Minnesota, going 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, triple and homer ...
* Four of Eric Munson's five hits have gone for extra bases (two doubles, two homers) ...
* After frustrating the over-anxious Blue Jays bats in the season opener, Jason Johnson failed to keep the ball down on Saturday ... He got raked for six runs on seven hits in just 2 1/3 IP, including three longballs ... Johnson: "I just could not get the ball down -- everything was high in the zone" ...
* Alex Sanchez is not getting it done as a leadoff hitter with a .217/.217/.348 line ... It will be interesting to see if he loses any playing time against righties. Against lefties, Fernando Vina has been leading off with Brandon Inge playing centre ... Also the team's backup catcher, Inge made his first career start in fair territory on Sunday ...
* 25-year-old lefty Steve Colyer earned his first big-league win in relief on Sunday ...
* Ugueth Urbina will be called up on Wednesday, and Trammell intends to insert him in a non-closing situation on either Wednesday or Thursday before he installs Ugie in the back end of the bullpen ... It's unclear who Detroit will turn to this series if they have a late lead, since Danny Patterson is battling the migraines that plagued him throughout spring training ...
* Dmitri Young, who suffered that unfortunate broken leg at the Dome last week, will be sidelined for an additional 4-6 weeks ... Trammell said that he was at a "loss for words" after seeing Detroit's lone All-Star from 2003 go down for an extended period of time. Tram blamed the SkyDome carpet: "When you stop on turf, sometimes you stop too quick, and your joints roll -- they don't slide" ... Craig Monroe has responded well to his surprise playing time, going 6-for-15 (.400) in Young's absence ... After throwing a ball into the dugout on Sunday on an ill-advised attempt to double off a scampering baserunner, Monroe redeemed himself by driving in the winning run in the 10th ... Monroe: "We're looking to go from worst to first...This year, Tigers baseball is about playing like professionals" ... Andres Torres replaced Young on the roster and has been used as a pinch-runner, stealing a base and scoring a run ... Young's plans for the next month: "I'll be the loudest son of a gun cheerleader y'all ever heard" ...
* Higginson, who had a great home opener, estimated that it had been about two years since he last heard the "Bobby, Bobby" chant that rang through the park on Thursday ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
4 Vina
6 Guillen
2 Rodriguez
DH White
7 Monroe
3 Pena
5 Norton
9 Higginson
8 Inge
vs. RH
8 Sanchez
4 Vina
2 Rodriguez
DH White
3 Pena
6 Guillen
9 Higginson
7 Monroe
5 Munson
Pitching Probables
Tuesday: RH Bonderman vs. Hentgen
Wednesday: LH Robertson vs. Lilly
Thursday: RH J Johnson vs. Halladay
Bullpen Usage
Long: Knotts R
Short: Colyer L, Yan R, Urbina R
Setup: Levine R, Walker L
Closer: Patterson R
But improbably, the Tigers have also forced their way into the consciousness of Detroit fans. Off to their best start in nineteen years, the Tigers are generating sincere enthusiasm for their strong play when most Tiger fans would have settled for basic competence after last season's debacle. An influx of veterans with a basic idea as to how to play the game has rejuvenated the franchise, at least in the early going.
Still, the Jays need to get back on track, and this series presents an opportunity to do it. All three pitching matchups favour Toronto, and a better approach at the plate is all that's needed to get to Tiger pitching that was vulnerable against the Twins this weekend. Remember, Doc's outing on Thursday will be a matinee.
On to the Advance Scout!
* It's difficult to overstate how long it's been since the Tigers have started off this well ... Even after two games, they were off to their best road start since 1984 ... After three games, they were off to their best overall start since 1985 ... After four games, they bested their April total from last season, when they went 3-19 ... The Tigers hadn't swept the Jays since the devastating final-weekend showdown at Tiger Stadium in 1987 ... Vernon Wells on the new attitude in Detroit: "They brought in some veteran guys that have given them some added confidence" ... Fernando Vina explained that the infusion of veterans was important for the club, because many of them had experience playing for winning teams and none had personal memories of the '03 debacle ... Bobby Higginson: "It's the most fun I've had in my whole career" ... The Tigers are collectively hitting .291, a 51-point improvement thus far over last season ...
* Friday's home opener crowd was the second-largest in Comerica history, after the Yankees-Tigers game last June when Roger Clemens was sitting on 299 career wins ...
* Tonight's starter, Jeremy Bonderman, battled hard against Blue Jay batters last Wednesday and struck out a career-high eight in 5 1/3 IP ... Bonderman blamed "adrenaline" for overthrowing on the pitch that Carlos Delgado rocketed to right for a three-run shot ... Although he left in the sixth after getting struck in the lower leg by a come-backer, he's feeling no ill effects ...
* Pudge Rodriguez's 0-for-5 snapped his five-game hitting streak to start his Tigers career ... Pudge earned several standing ovations from the crowd at the Comerica home opener last Thursday, as he racked up two singles and a walk -- while nailing one runner on a steal attempt at second and picking off another Twin at first ... Pudge has earned significant admiration from his teammates by playing day games after night games ... He's yet to take a day off ... Trammell said that Pudge will likely be the DH when he requires a day off from catching ...
* Rondell White is also off to a fine start in the Motor City, going .316/.480/.737 with five walks and only two strikeouts ...
* A less-heralded new Tiger, Carlos Guillen, has been surprising offensively so far ... He's getting on base at a .440 clip and he boasts a 4:3 walk:strikeout ratio -- a statistic that, in fairness to Carlos, improved significantly last year ... Guillen survived a scare on Thursday when Carlos Pena lined a foul ball that struck his lower leg while he was loosening up in the on-deck circle ...
* Interesting: Alan Trammell is 5-0 as a manager this season ... Trammell was suspended for Saturday's game after a Grapefruit League beanball war against -- who else? -- the Phillies ... In a cheeky cross-promotion last week, Larry Brown wore an Ivan Rodriguez jersey and cap for his Pistons post-game press conference, while Trammell changed into a Brown-inspired stylish pinstriped suit before he met the press ...
* '84 and '88 hero Kirk Gibson, currently Tram's bench coach, assumed the managerial duties on Saturday, losing 10-5 ... Two of the Twins' homers (and one by Craig Monroe) landed beyond the shorter Comerica fence that was installed last season, but in front of the original leftfield wall ...
* Wednesday's starter, Nate Robertson, was brilliant in four innings of relief last Tuesday at SkyDome ... The 26-year-old lefty went four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while fanning seven ... The Kansan has earned his first start of the season after six shutout innings in relief ... Robertson is spot starting for another Nate, Mr. Cornejo, who was suspended five games for his role in the Phillies incident ... Cornejo beaned Ricky Ledee after a warning was issued subsequent to Vicente Padilla plunking Pena ...
* Pena had a sizzling home series against Minnesota, going 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, triple and homer ...
* Four of Eric Munson's five hits have gone for extra bases (two doubles, two homers) ...
* After frustrating the over-anxious Blue Jays bats in the season opener, Jason Johnson failed to keep the ball down on Saturday ... He got raked for six runs on seven hits in just 2 1/3 IP, including three longballs ... Johnson: "I just could not get the ball down -- everything was high in the zone" ...
* Alex Sanchez is not getting it done as a leadoff hitter with a .217/.217/.348 line ... It will be interesting to see if he loses any playing time against righties. Against lefties, Fernando Vina has been leading off with Brandon Inge playing centre ... Also the team's backup catcher, Inge made his first career start in fair territory on Sunday ...
* 25-year-old lefty Steve Colyer earned his first big-league win in relief on Sunday ...
* Ugueth Urbina will be called up on Wednesday, and Trammell intends to insert him in a non-closing situation on either Wednesday or Thursday before he installs Ugie in the back end of the bullpen ... It's unclear who Detroit will turn to this series if they have a late lead, since Danny Patterson is battling the migraines that plagued him throughout spring training ...
* Dmitri Young, who suffered that unfortunate broken leg at the Dome last week, will be sidelined for an additional 4-6 weeks ... Trammell said that he was at a "loss for words" after seeing Detroit's lone All-Star from 2003 go down for an extended period of time. Tram blamed the SkyDome carpet: "When you stop on turf, sometimes you stop too quick, and your joints roll -- they don't slide" ... Craig Monroe has responded well to his surprise playing time, going 6-for-15 (.400) in Young's absence ... After throwing a ball into the dugout on Sunday on an ill-advised attempt to double off a scampering baserunner, Monroe redeemed himself by driving in the winning run in the 10th ... Monroe: "We're looking to go from worst to first...This year, Tigers baseball is about playing like professionals" ... Andres Torres replaced Young on the roster and has been used as a pinch-runner, stealing a base and scoring a run ... Young's plans for the next month: "I'll be the loudest son of a gun cheerleader y'all ever heard" ...
* Higginson, who had a great home opener, estimated that it had been about two years since he last heard the "Bobby, Bobby" chant that rang through the park on Thursday ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
4 Vina
6 Guillen
2 Rodriguez
DH White
7 Monroe
3 Pena
5 Norton
9 Higginson
8 Inge
vs. RH
8 Sanchez
4 Vina
2 Rodriguez
DH White
3 Pena
6 Guillen
9 Higginson
7 Monroe
5 Munson
Pitching Probables
Tuesday: RH Bonderman vs. Hentgen
Wednesday: LH Robertson vs. Lilly
Thursday: RH J Johnson vs. Halladay
Bullpen Usage
Long: Knotts R
Short: Colyer L, Yan R, Urbina R
Setup: Levine R, Walker L
Closer: Patterson R
