Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Game 83: Toothless Tigers

Just the thing to get the Jays back in the winning groove -- a trip to Detroit. Tonight, Cory Lidle faces that fearsome lineup -- the Tiggers are hitting .225 as a team (20 points worse than anyone else in the majors) and have scored less than half as many runs as the Jays this year. Lidle still must be better than he was against Baltimore last week to earn his 11th win of the season.

Hard-luck southpaw Mike Maroth has a much more difficult assignment. Josh Phelps finally gets to start; so does Dave Berg, as F-Cat and O-Dog get the night off. Reed Johnson moves up to the 2-hole. Chris Woodward is back at short (it was a sore thumb, I'm told, not his shoulder) and Eric Hinske also gets a rest, with Bordick shifting to third. Tosca's got eight righties and a lefty RBI machine in there, plus an absolutely awesome bench.

Tomorrow -- nothing like a Canada Day game in the U.S. -- Mark Hendrickson takes on RH Matt Roney, a 23-year-old making his third career start. That could be the highest-scoring affair of the series. The finale is a classic pitchers' duel; 11-2 Halladay vs. 1-11 Bernero. Anything less than a sweep will be disappointing.

Posted by Coach on Monday, June 30 2003 @ 06:39 AM EDT.

Game 83: Toothless Tigers | 22 comments | Create New Account

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_Lineup Correcti - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 06:48 PM EDT (#98802) #

Dave Berg is apparently a late scratch. Bordick moves to 2B and Hinske's playing third.

_dp - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 07:01 PM EDT (#98803) #

I had no idea Hudson has been so bad v. LHP- .197/.254/.242 against a nice .330/.382/.500 v. RHP. He's still having a nice season, though if he could learn to walk just a little more he'd be in great shape.

_Elijah - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 07:01 PM EDT (#98804) #

I'm amused looking at the matchup:

Maroth 4.99 ERA, 2-12 W-L, 3,42 RS
Lidle 5.12 ERA, 10-5 W-L, 7.81 RS

Of course, ballparks not factored in.

_A - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 07:43 PM EDT (#98805) #

When was the last time Bordick played at second?

_Gwyn - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 07:50 PM EDT (#98806) #

1994 according to baseball-reference.com

Dave Till - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 08:25 PM EDT (#98807) #

I love John Cerutti's deathless commentary: "Cory Lidle needs an out right here." Silly me; I thought he needed a pizza, or perhaps a singing telegram.

_StephenT - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 08:37 PM EDT (#98808) #

Actually, Bordick played 3 games at 2nd-base in April, the last of which was April 20. Tip: search a boxscore site for the phrase "Bordick 2B" with Google.

_Craig S. - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 08:42 PM EDT (#98809) #

It doesn't surprise me that Maroth is doing such a good job against the Jays tonight. Three of his four starts this month were quality ones, and his record is deceiving. His numbers are much better than either Bernero or Bonderman, but he hasn't had the run support.

What an ugly 5th inning that was for Lidle. Hopefully the Jays turn this around in the late innings.

Coach - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 08:55 PM EDT (#98810) #

John Cerutti's deathless commentary

In between inanities, he's said "a hunnert" at least twice tonight, "he's ran it in" at least twice, and "three Tiger pitchers have a chance to lose 20 this game."

When Halter swung and missed with first base occupied, the fourth inning was over, even though Wilson, who didn't hear the third strike called, subsequently threw Pena "out" at second. Cerutti gave us several hunnert confused words of "analysis" without ever properly explaining the play. And he's the better half of this pair.

The fifth inning was another Lidle meltdown. Leadoff walk to the 7-hitter, followed by a cut fastball in the only spot where A.J. Hinch could possibly hit one deep. Bordick had a brain cramp on the first bunt, and Lidle got in Hinske's way on the second one. Lidle grooved a 3-2 fastball down the middle to Morris. Even the Tigers can take advantage of mediocre pitching and defence.

robertdudek - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 09:11 PM EDT (#98811) #

The offence is officially slumping. Meanwhile, Boston's continues to hum, and it looks like they are the team most likely to score 1000+ runs this year.

Coach - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 09:28 PM EDT (#98812) #

Considering he's now botched two bunt plays, maybe Bordick at 2B isn't the best idea. Trammell had an excellent game plan with Torres and Sanchez; their speed has provided most of Detroit's edge tonight. "Little ball" works best against a team that plays sloppy defence.

robertdudek - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 09:32 PM EDT (#98813) #

Coach,

I don't think Wilson tagged the hitter (at least I didn't see it - perhaps it was off-camera). I score that a strikeout fielder's choice with the put out for whoever tagged the runner coming into 2nd.

robertdudek - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 09:33 PM EDT (#98814) #

Runner on first is irrelevent when there are already 2 out (the batter must be put out on a ball in the dirt).

robertdudek - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 09:40 PM EDT (#98815) #

My question is, why does Delgado have to come in on that bunt play. On grass, it's difficult to get it past the pitcher, and if a guy is bunting for a hit there is almost no way the 2B will get there in time (unless he's at least as fast as the runner). Let the pitcher field it, Delgado should stay at the bag.

Gerry - Monday, June 30 2003 @ 10:30 PM EDT (#98816) #

Excellent game plan by the tiggers. Fast runners plus long grass plus poor Jays defense = runs.

Guess what the pre-game fielding practice will be tomorrow?

_Cristian - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 12:36 AM EDT (#98817) #

It's not so much the long grass but the soaked dirt right in front of the plate. Groundballs were dying there tonight.

_dp - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 10:34 AM EDT (#98818) #

Anyone know why Bordick hit for himself late in the game last night? Tosca has a great bench, but no clue how to use it.

_Chuck Van Den C - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 12:23 PM EDT (#98819) #

Anyone know why Bordick hit for himself late in the game last night? Tosca has a great bench, but no clue how to use it.

I can't recall him having pinch-hit for Bordick all year. I suspect he probably has, I just know there have been a multitude of occasions that he hasn't.

_A - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 12:31 PM EDT (#98820) #

This is getting kinda scary, last night was a *can`t* lose situation which may have had our beloved Jays slightly over-confident (I know it seems rare when they`re expected to win). So I`m saying this afternoon is a must win because losing 2/3 to the tiggers could be very distructive to a team that is running high on emotion and low on raw talent (at least compared to our division rivals).

_Donkit R.K. - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 02:18 PM EDT (#98821) #

Why wouldn't Hudson just give up on this switch hitting business? Would he not break the Mendoza line hitting lefties as a righty?

_Spicol - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 04:32 PM EDT (#98822) #

Why wouldn't Hudson just give up on this switch hitting business?

You're right...he probably should. He hit 184/184/286 last season in 49 plate appearances as a RHB to go along with his terrible numbers this year.

There's also the ol' "you're one step closer to first" argument my Dad always gave me when trying to convert me to a left-handed hitter. Even if Hudson can do no better hitting left-handed pitching as a LHB instead of a RHB, at least he'd be that much closer to where he wants to be.

_Homer Jay - Tuesday, July 01 2003 @ 06:20 PM EDT (#98823) #

Switch hitting Hudson: He went by a whole season before they actually platoon him!

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