The Waffle House:Tigers minimize damage in Minnesota

Tonight, I made a long drive home from Grand Rapids, where I was attending some personal matters. Sometimes, nothing is better than a good three hour drive across the state on a pleasant fall night to clear your head. This was good. This was inspirational. This may had been the best thing to happen to me in a long time.

Why the jubilation? Because in this fast food world, finding clarity in a various situations is extremely hard to do. Maybe if we had three hours to ourselves, we could figure out the Tigers. We could know how to treat this anomaly. Should we celebrate or chastise them? Are they really worth being excited or nervous about? These two questions have quietly raged like a burrito you’re about to regret eating, or like yourself reading this, wondering when I’m finally going to make my point.

A pennant race has been held hostage by mediocrity. The Tigers and Twins, no matter how bad their rosters, seem to have the ransom to save it. Minnesota has made this a race again by taking two out of three in this past weekend series. The Tigers have kept this a race by only losing two out of three in this past weekend series. As of this time yesterday, I was despondent, depressed and destructive over thoughts of the Tigers chances. Mirroring the bipolarity of this ball club, I suddenly feel hopeful.

Sundays win by Nate Robertson was clutch. Combined with the efforts of the bullpen it was one of the most clutch pitching performances of the season and one I will look back to if the Tigers pull this out. The two game swing, hinging on one game is what allowed Detroit to slip up a bit. But how much did they really slip up? I would say, this was a good series simply off the strength of one win and the pitching performances of three.

Rick Porcello has struggled against lefties all season. While he’s steadily improved against them, still a .282 batting average against for lefties, stacked up to righty .248, .360 LHB ops to .311 RHB and lefty .294 batting average with ball in play to right handed .254. Porcello had to go up against Span, deadly to any Tigers pitcher, Kubel, and of course Mauer, who in the tense of his position, is having a historic season. For the most part, Porcello neutralized them. They did get on base but Porcello took care of the weaker lineup around them to keep them from making a direct impact. The only thing was, he couldn’t slow down Cuddyer who is on a Twinsesque hot streak.

Justin Verlander did what he was supposed to do Saturday. He got stronger as the game progressed. Other than the home run by Mauer, he prevented the big inning, any extra base hits, and turned aside the Twins scrubs. He was aided by some great defense from Cabrera, Inge and Laird.

Verlander was dismantled by the “Homerdome”. A joke of a compound that should had been deemed illegal to play baseball in 1982. There were many little things that also lead to that Tigers loss. The poor managing by Leyland (specific example; Laird not bunting with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 6th. Laird hits into a double play. Or Don Kelly with no experience in the Homerdome, being put out there in a crucial moment.) Of course the lack of extra base hits and the 10 men left on base is also asking for trouble, especially against the peskiest team in baseball. Bottom line, Don Kelly doesn’t make those two missteps in Target Field, the future, franchise destroying home of the Twins. Those are routine for Kelly, he makes the catch. Who knows what happens from there but if I put money on this hypothetical, I would bet it on JV closing out the 8th and Rodney having the Tigers shaking hands not too long after.

That leads up to Sunday. Polanco displayed why he has to be brought back next year, with another clutch hit. A breaking ball he smoothly sends to right field. Laird opening it up with a lead off walk against Baker deserves note also. Nate brought a sharp, heavy fastball. He also carried a slider reminiscent of 06-07, that was sweeping across the plate. The most impressive to me was the velocity range, 71 to 91 mph. Other than one bad start where he had a sore groin, Nate has looked good, fourth or fifth starter good . That is what this team needs right now and he brought it.

Despite my concerns about this team, and all the previous frustration, I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Tigers outplayed the Twins the final two games of this series. The Homerdome magic stole a game for the Twins, that Detroit most likely would had won. Yeah I know, the Cuddyer home run that fallowed the mess in left field, but hind sight is 20-20, different situations produce different outcomes. To have that happen was back breaking. That is why its even more impressive that the Tigers shook it off and captured a must win game with a spot starter facing a teams ace. They didn’t roll over and that could end up being the defining moment we are continuously digging for in this illogical heap of a season.

Where do I see the Tigers going from here? Well with a day off that’s hard to say. I have often wondered what went on that day off before that series in Kansas City. Seemed like it either broke momentum or gave the Tigers a chance to think too much. Its been a very tough two weeks. Hopefully this day will allow them to finally take a breath and recollect themselves for the final stretch.

That was everything on my mind, buzzing around during the long drive home. A calm,  comfort came over me. Detroit has the Twins four more times at home where they certainly are beatable. All the Tigers have to do is go 2-4 on the remainder of the road trip and they will be in good shape to put the Twins up against the ropes.

I freaked out, most people did and its understandable. This isn’t over yet, the storm could still be brewing. But right now the Tigers look good to me. I don’t know if they will come Thursday, they don’t know either, but right now they look good.

And as everyone else has seemed to express, no more Metrodome. No more Homerdome. That by itself, is enough to bring me nirvana. That by itself is enough to make you feel like the Tigers already clinched something of note.