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US Presswire photo Nelson Cruz was again the hero for Texas in Game 2. |
So Detroit has to still feel like it has a chance to emerge victorious, except for two problems: 1) Injuries and 2) Jim Leyland's refusal to pitch Justin Verlander on short rest.
Magglio Ordonez has already been shelved with a fractured ankle. Now Delmon Young has been scratched again, his strained oblique not healed enough to allow him to play. Seemed like a pipe dream for him to play through the pain. As for Verlander, he could theoretically come back on short rest to start Game 4 (and then possibly Game 7). But Leyland emphatically shot down that possibility today, saying Verlander will stay on schedule and pitch Game 5.
Given that, it's tough to see the Tigers coming all the way back to win this series. But, of course, they play these games for a reason, and I'm not about to stop watching now...
AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - GAME 3
TEXAS RANGERS at DETROIT TIGERS
Where: Comerica Park
Gametime: 8:05 p.m.
TV: Fox
Radio: WTEM (980 AM), WWXT (92.7 FM), WWXX (94.3 FM), XM 89
Weather: Partly cloudy, 66 degrees, Wind 6 mph in from LF
STARTING LINEUPS
RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
CF Josh Hamilton
1B Michael Young
3B Adrian Beltre
DH Mike Napoli
RF Nelson Cruz
C Yorvit Torrealba
LF Endy Chavez
(P Colby Lewis)
TIGERS
CF Austin Jackson
2B Ramon Santiago
1B Miguel Cabrera
DH Victor Martinez
3B Don Kelly
SS Jhonny Peralta
C Alex Avila
LF Ryan Raburn
RF Andy Dirks
(P Doug Fister)
8 comments:
Heck, yeah, I'm gonna watch. (At least, until I doze off in front of the tv, which will probably be about the bottom of the 5th the way these postseason games go.)
Pfister really got dinked in the first inning. The three hits that the Rangers opened with were a routine grounder that found a hole between the SS and 3b, another routine grounder that got between the 1b and 2b, and a jam-shot flare that just got over the SS to plate the run (the SS took a poor route). He got out of it on a GIDP and a whiff, I hope he doesn't let it get to him. I'd like to see a long competitive series :)
Listening to the Detroit radio feed on Gameday. They're saying that Victor Martinez hurt himself on that home run swing and is being treated in the clubhouse. Anything from the TV announcers?
I have to admit I have it on mute; Tim McCarver irritates me.
Geez, I was pacing around the basement baseball viewing lair in the bottom of the 9th. That was some game! Atta way, Tigers!
They were saying oblique strain, Eugene.
Oblique strains seem to be a more and more common injury with players. They all need to do some yoga in the off-season.
Now the Tigers site says that it's a strained intercostal muscle.
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