Tigers vs. Red Sox

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Detroit limps its way to Fenway tonight to play the team that nobody here or anywhere wants to talk about- the Boston Red Sox. Tigers will be facing not only a team that finished off business days ago and is rested, but MLB's best rotation.

This is a buzzsaw....Lester, Lackey, Bucholtz, Peavy, they just keep bringing arms and shutting you down. That lineup has world champions in it like Pedroia, Ortiz, Victorino, and the Tigers only have players who are just accustomed to choking in the postseason.

I know we have some Tiger fans here and this is the moment they have been dreaded- going to Fenway to be executed. Only it will end on their own field in Game 4.

Detroit has no heart and once it's 2-0, they will wilt in game 3 and pretty much quit after that. I have Pedroia as the MVP as he beats the shit out of that weak Tiger pitching. I've already made a $300 bet on this series outright with some dumbass who says it's the Tigers' year.

[Shoalzie]

The two best hitting teams from the regular season...but I didn't realize that Boston struck out more 130 times than a windmill team like Oakland. I trust there will be a lot of strikeouts in this series. Back out the 20-4 abortion...the other two games in Boston were well pitched games. Fister beat Lackey in a shutout and Scherzer was bested by Lester. The Tigers took 3 of 4 in Detroit back in June.

My initial lean is Tigers in 6 but I want to see how the rotation is set up. I didn't realize the series is 2-3-2...that could make things interesting. Not a death sentence if you start 0-2 on the road but you would have to win the series on the road regardless. Scherzer would make sense in Game 2 and Verlander could start Game 3 on regular rest. Scherzer and Verlander would line up to start Games 6 and 7 in Boston on regular rest. I'd assume Fister goes in 4 and Sanchez in 5 in Detroit. If you told me this had to go 7 and Verlander was the starter...where do I sign?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If the Tiger bats can get going a little bit, I'll feel pretty good about this series. But they can win the 3-2, 2-1 type pitching duels as well. With the way Verlander is pitching, the Tigers now have two legitimate aces in the rotation, and the third best guy? Oh, he only led the AL in ERA. Then there's #4 Fister who's as steady and solid as they come. If the offense can average about 4 runs a game, I think they'll be fine. Against Boston's pitching, I don't think that's asking too much.

Tigers in 7

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Man, I wanted that no-no badly.

It's okay, Jerkoff. You've only got Scherzer and Verlander next.

[Shoalzie]

Once Sanchez got pulled, I just wanted the win...but when it got to the 9th, it would've been sweet. That was about as a wild 1-0 game could be. Country Joe had a fat strike zone but it didn't stop Anibal from throwing 6 walks. What we saw in Game 1 is that the Sox will strike out a lot. As you said Mgo...Scherzer and Verlander in the next two with already one road win in the bag...how do you not feel confident right now? Here's where the 2-3-2 comes into play...especially if the Sox can't even it up tonight.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Man, I wanted that no-no badly.

It's okay, Jerkoff. You've only got Scherzer and Verlander next.

Ortiz owns the fuck out of Scherzer. Do your research. He's batted him around the yard to the tune of like .450.

I guarantee they spank his ass tonight and Boston wins.

Also Verlander is a bitch in big games. Nice 7.22 ERA in World Series play. He'll fuck up too like he always does. Boston wins this in 5.

[Shoalzie]

Trying getting a few hits before talk about you winning the next 4 games, k?

[Shoalzie]

Feels like last year...Ortiz in place of Ibanez. How did that series end?

[Screw_Michigan]

The Tigers remind me a lot of the 2005 White Sox. Remember the Sox dropped that first game to the Angels. Second game was the Pierzinsky game, they won every game from then out. This could be that Game 1 for the Tigers. Just a perspective from a somewhat neutral party.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

BOOOM! PAAAAPI goes yard in another walk-off win for the team that can't be beat.


Tigers thought they had it and then choked on their own dicks in the 8th inning

HOw was that Schoalz? Face it ....October is the time of year where Boston tears hearts out of assholes. Detroit ain't bouncing back from this. At least Oakland is a little gritty ...good thing the Red SOx got perennial gaggers Detroit in this round. Verlander coming up in Game 3....he's mincemeat but at this point all Boston has to do is get to that shit bullpen and Detroit is toast. Sox finishing them off in 5.

[smackaholic]

Did Leyland not get the memo?

Bases loaded and a 4 run lead during a playoff game and you are actually dumb enough to throw a strike to arguably the best clutch hitter in history?

Not too smart. If its a 2 run game, maybe. But not with that lead. Give them a run and take your chances with anybody else.

[Shoalzie]

Far from nervous. I'm a shade disappointed but what do I have to worry about? They split on the road and there's three straight at home. This series doesn't even have to go back to Boston if they take care of business. For three straight games, the starting pitching has been (literally) unhittable and I can feel good about the fact the bats did show up including Cabrera launching another home run.

I think if you're going lose a game, you'd rather have lost Game 1 when the bats didn't do enough to build comfortable lead. Game 2, it was a more dominant game...Scherzer was better than Sanchez and the bats slapped Buchholz around and built a comfortable lead. I do think Leyland got too cute with using every arm out of his pen after having to get 3 good innings from them on Saturday night to nurse that 1-0 lead.

Bottom line, they should be up 2-0 and have the Red Sox in a bloody mess on the ground but one hit brought them back to life. You wish Game 3 was tonight just to right the wrongs from Sunday. Bad loss obviously but I'll take 7 scoreless from my starter every night...the bullpen doesn't always do this. I'd start to worry if Verlander loses outright to Lackey on Tuesday.

Honorable mention to Torii Hunter...that guy wants it.

[Shoalzie]

Did Leyland not get the memo?

Bases loaded and a 4 run lead during a playoff game and you are actually dumb enough to throw a strike to arguably the best clutch hitter in history?

Not too smart. If its a 2 run game, maybe. But not with that lead. Give them a run and take your chances with anybody else.

You're right...you basically walk (or pitch around) Ortiz and deal with the next guy. Get out of the inning with a 5-2 or 5-3 lead and hold off bring Benoit until the 9th. As I said, Leyland got too cute with his pen last night.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Meh, I had no problems pitching to Fatty there. He won that battle, hats off to him. That's baseball. Outside of that one crack of the bat, this has been total domination by Tiger pitchers. It's quite clear who the better team is at this point. If Boston needs to bank on grand slams and miraculous moments to win this series, they're fucked. I'll take the split heading back to Detroit for three. With JV on the bump tonight, gotta feel good about things.

[smackaholic]

Well, lets hope Leyland follows your advice and keeps pitching to papi with runners in scoring position. Dude only bats about .900 in that scenario. He is easily the best playoff money hitter I have ever seen.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Meh, I had no problems pitching to Fatty there. He won that battle, hats off to him. That's baseball. Outside of that one crack of the bat, this has been total domination by Tiger pitchers. It's quite clear who the better team is at this point. If Boston needs to bank on grand slams and miraculous moments to win this series, they're fucked. I'll take the split heading back to Detroit for three. With JV on the bump tonight, gotta feel good about things.

There's nothing to feel good about if you're a Tigers fan. It took an iffy home run call for you just to squeeze past the A's, and you got back to back fluke performances from those two pitchers in this series. You're not getting those for the rest of the series. The Boston bats have woken up and will now be inserted into the Tigers' anuses. As much as you and Leyland (one of the biggest dumbfukk managers in playoff history, by the way) want to downplay it, the series ended last night.

Detroit has no balls and were whimpering on that flight back to their shithole city last night. They know they blew it
Torii Hunter isn't as good as you say he is in terms of heart. If you want guts and heart and belief...look at the Red Sox. John Lackey isn't scared of anything in the postseason whereas Verlander is. He simply has a different demeanor in the playoffs, and a different stat line as well. Lackey will beat him straight up and it won't even be a close 1-1 game where Verlander pitches well. Like I said, Boston's bats came alive last night and they showed the world that in 2013 you will not deny the Red Sox Nation. Blowouts and dramatic wins is what they specialize in, and Game 3 looks to be a decisive one as Verlander shits his britches by the 4th inning and gets hauled away. I'm going to say 7-1 Boston.

The TIgers.....SUCK.

[War Wagon]

The Boston bats have woken up and will now be inserted into the Tigers' anuses.

right or wrong, this guy cracks me the fuck up.

Detroit sure wishes they had the Royals bullpen.

Tigers in 6.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Well, lets hope Leyland follows your advice and keeps pitching to papi with runners in scoring position. Dude only bats about .900 in that scenario. He is easily the best playoff money hitter I have ever seen.

I'm not questioning the strategy, I just hate intentional walks in general, especially ones that walk in a run. From a fan standpoint, I want to see your best versus the other guy's best, and whatever happens, happens. That's sports. That's competition.

In any event, it's not like Leyland told Benoit to give him a BP toss right down the heart of the plate. Benoit threw a shitty pitch and Ortiz made him pay. It is what it is. It's not like Tiger pitchers were struggling getting outs. He could have just as easily popped out there and nobody would be questioning anything.

[smackaholic]

I think I speak for all of red sox nation, and pretty much all the other nations when I say 'YAFJ, shut the fukk up!!!'

[Goober McTuber]

I think I speak for all of red sox nation, and pretty much all the other nations when I say 'YAFJ, shut the fukk up!!!'

Uh, no, you don't.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Boston's bats came alive last night

It sure was cute when the Red Sox crowd gave a standing ovation any time they could muster a hit.

BTW, that's a lot of words over one win. You seem nervous.

[Shoalzie]

Love reading about the Sox having a gripe with Peralta playing...coming from a team that won two titles with Manny Ramirez. Might just be gamesmanship though.

This is a great hero spot for JV to save the day and make Sunday a distant memory. Pitch a gem and no one is going to worry about should they or shouldn't they have pitched to Ortiz.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Love reading about the Sox having a gripe with Peralta playing

It's because he's hitting .450 in the postseason. They be skeert.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Love reading about the Sox having a gripe with Peralta playing

It's because he's hitting .450 in the postseason. They be skeert.

Right, the team that is rolling to a WS title is frightened, not the team that choked away a 5-1 lead in the 8th. Sure. Tigers and Leyland have so much past history of clutching up to go on.

Cabrera is the new Barry Bonds.....postseason choker. Dude is like Verlander- piles up stats during the regular season, shits his pants and sucks in playoffs. Adios, Tigers!


Boston Strong

[Shoalzie]

You're trying way too hard, troll...


These teams are so evenly matched...all it takes is on poorly located fastball to win a game. Tomorrow can swing back the other way. I can't say Boston has the momentum, they've just got the two most timely hits of the series.

Lackey may be the ugliest man in baseball but Captain Underbite threw a good game.

Interesting to see Coke face Ortiz and retire him...that was the reason he was added to the series roster. Kinda wonder why he wasn't an option the other night.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Lackey is a beast in the postseason.

Face it, Tigers went through their best pitchers already, got their best performances out of them, and are still down in the series and looking for another playoff choke. Sox rotation is mowing through them and in tight games the Sox are just clutch. It's 3-1 today and the only thing that's going to "swing" the Tigers' way today is Jake Peavy's nuts in their faces. I said it was an awesome trade deadline acquisition when it happen, several of you laughed, now tonight you'll get to eat crow as usual.

Meanwhile the Tigers now counting on.......Doug Fister to save their season. Series ain't even coming back to Boston....they'll fly back there to get ready for Game 1 of the World Series, have the pitching staff all set up to kick St Louis' asses.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

That's it. I'm fucking PISSED.

No more screwing around with this shit-ass team. This shit is getting tied up, GUARANSHEED.

It's time for Boston to get FISTED.


Get the win tonight, tie things up, then you've got game 5 staying in Detroit. Tigers will take the 3-2 lead and the momentum back to Boston. I feel good. Real good.

FUCK the Red Sox and their dumbass unkempt Amish beards
FUCK "Red Sox Nation", the Chowds and their shrilly dumb accents
FUCK YAFJ trolling for a team he doesn't even like

Get this shit.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

That's it. I'm fucking PISSED.

No more screwing around with this shit-ass team. This shit is getting tied up, GUARANSHEED.

It's time for Boston to get FISTED.

I called it before the season and the Sox are delivering. This is the team nobody here likes to talk about because of the impending championship. Detroit has been a solid team the last several years, but in the postseason they are doormats. This series won't make it back to Boston.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Too easy.

Once again, Tiger starting pitching dominates. Except this time the bats came alive. WUH-OH! That was the last thing Boston needed. Notice Peavy walking runners and Pedroia botching routine plays. Sign of a scared team. Today Detroit showed who the big boys are and flexed their muscle. Boston knows they can't beat Detroit unless they can skimp by on lucky 1-run wins. That's okay, Sawx fans, you only have to face a guy tomorrow night who blanked you last time.

If this was boxing, it'd be a TKO by now.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Once again, Tiger starting pitching dominates. Except this time the bats came alive. WUH-OH! That was the last thing Boston needed. Notice Peavy walking runners and Pedroia botching routine plays. Sign of a scared team. Today Detroit showed who the big boys are and flexed their muscle. Boston knows they can't beat Detroit unless they can skimp by on lucky 1-run wins. That's okay, Sawx fans, you only have to face a guy tomorrow night who blanked you last time.

If this was boxing, it'd be a TKO by now.

But it's not boxing. It's BoSox October baseball. Your pitcher had a fluke game in Game 1 because the Sox were not familiar with him. If you think you're getting the same from him tonight, you're smoking dope. Also convenient of you to gloss over your team having to face a playoff champ in Jon Lester who is untouchable in the postseason and won't even realize he is pitching in Detroit. I look for a 1-2-3 first inning with two Ks from Lester tonight and he'll issue Miguel Cabrera another 0-4 night. Tigers are the scared team because they don't know what it's like to close out these series. Victorino (WS Champ) will come up big tonight and Lester goes 7+ , gives up maybe a run, Uehara is lights-out to shut this thing down and we go back to Fenway with the lead and finish these chokers off in Game 6.....then stay in town to host Game One of the World Series. I promise Boston wins and don't ever call me a fake fan again or I'll post a pic of myself wearing my Ortiz jersey with my bare ass sticking in the camera. Sox 5, Tigers 1

[Killian]

That would be tough, considering he won game 5 on the road in Oakland.

But yes, Verlander doesn't get much run support.

[Killian]

Because McCarver is senile and Buck is a douche bag who never misses the opportunity to mentally masturbate to his own voice?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Your pitcher had a fluke game in Game 1 because the Sox were not familiar with him.

Yeah, he only led the AL in ERA. What a fluke.

Also convenient of you to gloss over your team having to face a playoff champ in Jon Lester who is untouchable in the postseason and won't even realize he is pitching in Detroit.

I'm not glossing over anything. I expect a very low-scoring pitchers' duel again. The fact you think the Sox are going to go out every night and rake and put up 8 runs against the best starting pitching staff in baseball shows your limited knowledge of the game and how playoff baseball tends to go. This isn't Tuesday night baseball in July against the Twins.

Tigers are the scared team because they don't know what it's like to close out these series.

You mean like how they closed out the ALCS last year while Boston was sitting in the cellar of the East?

BTW, for the third straight year Detroit has won an elimination game on the road in the postseason, so this constant narrative of yours that they choke just isn't close to being true. Yes, they're 0-2 in the WS, but there's no shame in that. It's fucking hard to win the WS. Still better than missing the playoffs entirely like the Sox often do. I guess you can't choke if you don't get there.

I promise Boston wins and don't ever call me a fake fan again or I'll post a pic of myself wearing my Ortiz jersey with my bare ass sticking in the camera.

Do it. Sans the bare ass.

[Shoalzie]

Lineup wise, you'd obviously stick with what worked last night. Jackson moving down in the order is kinda overrated...he didn't move down, he essentially moved back since the lineup still turned over a similar way but with Iglesias between Jackson and Hunter but what does help Jackson was the fact he'd come up with runners on. He kept rallies going and to use a Leyland term...he extends the batting order.

I don't see him as a Granderson-type player where you'd rather see him in the middle of the order but he was effective with runners and he put the ball in play and drew walks. He's been the most effective when he'd cut down on the strikeouts and just put a bat on the ball. You probably just stick with this order the rest of the series...maybe put him back at top if they advance.

I think last night should put to rest any lingering affects from Game 2's tough loss with the ability to put up runs and to avoid any huge comeback rallies. The Sox probably had their most opportunities to score in the entire series last night but Fister would stamp out or minimize damage. They'll kick themselves for not getting guys over and home because scoring chances will decrease with the series rotation resetting tonight. Sanchez won't throw 6 walks but he probably won't throw 6 innings of no-hit ball either. I don't doubt he'll be effective.

If they lose tonight, I'll take my chances with having Scherzer and Verlander save them on the road. You'd obviously prefer a win tonight and put it on the Sox to have to beat Max and JV to salvage the series. This is the classic pivotal Game 5.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

The fact you think the Sox are going to go out every night and rake and put up 8 runs against the best starting pitching staff in baseball shows your limited knowledge of the game and how playoff baseball tends to go.

I know baseball, and what I know is that the Red Sox have been wearing out these hacks for Detroit and getting into that shitty bullpen. I see that being the difference tonight and in Game 6. Sox wear teams out and make them pay.

You mean like how they closed out the ALCS last year while Boston was sitting in the cellar of the East?

Only because they got to play the Yankees who roll over in the postseason.

It'll be 5-1 at the end of the night, Sox cruising to another World Series. Then we'll see who is the dumbass.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

That fluke Sanchez guy already down 3-0. Maybe my 5-1 call was a little generous

If they can tack a few more on that would give Peavy some rest to set up the rotation for the World Series.

[Yer a Fuckin Jerkoff]

Back to Fenway like I said, ready for Bucholz to seal the deal tomorrow. Good luck with that. Should be pretty quiet in here; in fact I don't expect there to even be a World Series thread in this forum since people just can't take it. Face it Schoalz and mgo, your team is scared and plays with feces in the britches. They are adept at strikeouts and dps with runners on, and the Sox are World Champions who clutch up.

Sox in 5 in the World Series.

[Shoalzie]

Sanchez wasn't as good as he was in Game 1 but neither was Lester...a lot worse in the control department. Both offenses have come alive in the last two days. I don't fear Buchholz after the clunker he put up in Game 2 although he can't possible be as bad this time around.

As I said, even losing last night...who can't feel good about Scherzer and Verlander still in the holster with the season on the line? Crazy to think the Tigers lost both games they started but they're still in a position to win this series. Both guys have won key road games in past postseasons.

Outside of Napoli...the Sox lineup hasn't been nearly as scary as advertised. Ortiz has the one big hit. Ellsbury is starting to get on base regularly but isn't get any help from Victorino. Ross was the unsung hero...a couple hits and basically killed Avila.

From a Tiger perspective, Fielder is a blackhole in the lineup. Jackson has continued to swing the bat well in his new spot. I wonder if the next move is to get Fielder further down in the lineup...he's the next guy that looks lost and needs a shakeup. Maybe hit him be Peralta or Infante.

Sox still have a lot work ahead of them...don't start planning the parade.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

God damnit, if Sanchez doesn't throw that wild pitch which brings the runner in, it probably winds up being a 3-3 game heading to extra innings. Oh well. Things are shaping up like I predicted, which is to say Tigers in 7. Scherzer isn't going to lose two games in a row, so it's all going to come down to that final game.

[Shoalzie]

Cabrera running through the stop sign was worse. The next half inning was the Napoli bomb. They've had some brutal base running gaffes.