A Game-By-Game Glance Into The Tigers' Futility Against The Indians
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
The Tigers' streak of impotence against the Indians reached double digits last night, as Detroit lost its tenth consecutive game against their AL Central Rivals. For those of you keeping score at home, Cleveland now leads the season series 10-0.
The latest defeat, a 5-3 heartbreaker on the 4th of July, wasn't without some fireworks. Steven Moya and Nick Castellanos both homered for the Tigers, who clawed back from a pair of two-run deficits to tie the game in the sixth inning. But Mike Napoli staged the grand finale in the seventh, blasting a ball deep into the Cleveland night that landed after Napoli had showered, spoken to the press and driven himself home.
The game harkened back to the first one of the season between these two teams, when the Indians snapped a seventh-inning tie on a long home run by Marlon Byrd. Since then, the Tigers have found various ways to lose to the Indians, some provoking frustration, others leading to despair. So let's run through each one and try to figure out how this unfathomable streak has come to be.
Game 1. April 22, Comerica Park.
The Score: 2-1 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: Marlon Byrd hits the go-ahead homer in the seventh, snapping a 1-1 tie.
The Goat: Really? We're already assigning wholesale blame?
The Outlook: Tough one, boys. Let's get 'em tomorrow.
Game 2. April 23, Comerica Park.
The Score: 10-1 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: The Indians score five runs in the third, turning the Tigers' manageable 3-0 deficit into an 8-0 hole.
The Goat: Anibal Sanchez, who gives up nine hits and six earned runs over 2.1 innings.
The Outlook: Well, looks like the Indians see the ball pretty well off Sanchez. Maybe we should avoid that matchup moving forward.
Game 3. April 24, Comerica Park.
The Score: 6-3 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: The Indians stage a fifth-inning hit parade. When the dust settles, they have a 6-2 lead.
The Goat: Drew VerHagen, who comes on in relief of Shane Greene in the fourth inning and promptly surrenders five runs.
The Outlook: Good thing we play these guys a bunch more this season.
Game 4. May 3, Progressive Field.
The Score: 7-3 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: After the Tigers slice into the Indians' 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Justin Verlander surrenders a three-run bomb to Francisco Lindor in the bottom half of the inning.
The Goat: Verlander, who is tagged for seven runs in five innings in his second loss to Cleveland on the season.
The Outlook: C'mon, it's baseball. We're not concerned. [Breaks bat over leg.] Not at all.
Game 5. May 4, Progressive Field.
The Score: 4-0 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: The Indians break open a scoreless game in the fourth, staging a four-run rally aided by a hit batsman and a wild pitch.
The Goat: The offense, which is now averaging 1.3 runs per game against Cleveland.
The Outlook: Well, looks like the Indians still see the ball pretty well off Sanchez. We should definitely avoid that matchup moving forward.
Game 6. May 5, Progressive Field.
The Score: 9-4 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: Michael Fulmer is not yet an unhittable cyborg.
The Goat: Anybody realize that Miggy is hitting .176 against the Tribe so far?
The Outlook: C'mon, it's baseball. These things happen. [Hurls baseball through locker room wall.] You can't overreact.
Game 7. June 24, Comerica Park.
The Score: 7-5 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: Jordan Zimmermann falls apart in the fourth, surrendering three triples amidst a five-run Indians rally.
The Goat: Anybody realize that Miggy is hitting .143 against the Tribe so far?
The Outlook: We'll bounce back on Saturday, boys. [Sees that Anibal Sanchez is starting Saturday's game.] We'll bounce back on Sunday, boys.
Game 8. June 25, Comerica Park.
The Score: 6-0 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: Sanchez takes the mound, in the top of the first.
The Goat: Anybody realize that V-Mart is hitting .195 against the Tribe so far?
The Outlook: Well, looks like the Indians still see the ball pretty well off Sanchez. Seriously - never again with that matchup.
Game 9. June 26, Comerica Park.
The Score: 9-3 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: With the scored tied at two, Verlander gives up four – yes, four – homeruns in the top of the fifth, accounting for six Indians runs.
The Goat: Verlander, whose ERA against Cleveland this season is now north of 9.00.
The Outlook: Well, it can't get any worse.
Game 10. July 4, Progressive Field.
The Score: 5-3 Cleveland.
The Turning Point: Mike Napoli crushes a two-run bomb in the bottom of the seventh, which splashes down somewhere in Lake Erie.
The Goat: Bruce Rondon, who saw his strong return to the majors undone in one fell swoop.
The Outlook: C'mon it's baseball. It'll turn around. [Sees that Anibal Sanchez is starting tomorrow's game. Lights glove on fire. Cackles maniacally.] It always does.