Tigers On Top

Was that the not the most insanely awesome series ever? I think it might give me ulcers, but the sheer awesomeness is mind-boggling. We swept the Twins–the TWINS!–in the METRODOME!!! That doesn’t happen!!! We beat Johan Santana–THE Johan!!! That doesn’t happen either!! Mike Rabelo tripled!!!

Okay enough with the exclamation points. You get the picture. Yesterday’s game was just as crazy and gut-churning as the other two–and had just as delightful an outcome.

The Twinkies took the lead first after we’d gotten through five scoreless. Bondo gave up three straight singles to let in Minnesota’s first run. Then, all the breaks seemed to fall the Tigers’ way. In the seventh, backup catcher Mike Rabelo led off with a triple (!!!). Sorry, that’s exclamation point worthy until the end of time. Brandon promptly drove him in with a single. After Grandy grounded into a force out, Polly and Sheff hit back to back RBI doubles. Sheff’s was one of the biggest breaks. Just as the third baseman was about to scoop up the ball and get the out, it kicked up off the bag and into left field. Ha!

Lady Luck was rather fickle yesterday, though. Immediately, she switched to the Twins’ side. Jason Kubel led off their half of the seventh with a homer over the baggie. Grandy tried to track the thing, but he had no clue where the ball was at all. Not that it mattered, but it was not fun seeing our future Gold Glover staring up at that baseball colored roof, completely mystified and raising his hands in despair. Seriously, whose idea was if for the roof of the Metrodome to be basically the same color as a baseball? I can’t wait until the Twins get their new park.

After Bondo got one out, trouble recommenced. He gave up singles to Punto and Tyner, and Castillo drove in Punto with a force out to tie the game. Eventually Bobby Seay had to be called in to get the Tygs out of the inning.

One of the key plays of the game came in the bottom of the eighth. Seay gave up a leadoff double to Morneau, who moved to third on a Redmond flyout. Then with Kubel up, Seay fired one to the backstop. Morneau broke for home, but the carom was perfect, right back to Rabelo. Morneau slammed on the brakes, caught in a rundown. Rabelo threw to third to start it, but Morneau stuck his shoulder in the way of the ball, sending it towards the pitcher’s mound. He once again tried for home; the ball got there about the same time as him, but the ump didn’t make a call. That was when everybody realized that he’d already been called out for interference! What a relief!! Gardy and Morneau didn’t even argue at all; they knew exactly what he’d done, and kinda went, “Well, woulda been nice, but we got caught. Shucks.” Thank the gods the umpires at this game weren’t blind as they sometimes seem to be.

The game went to extras, and Mr. Moonshot’s replacement, Timo Perez, got the game winning rally started in the tenth with a walk. Rabelo quickly bunted him over, and then Brandon Inge got his second crucial RBI of the day with a booming double. My boy Jonesy came in to finish off the Twins, getting his third save in three days. My diabolical (well, actually it’s not really diabolical at all, but I just like to say that) plan is for Jonesy to get a save almost every day from here on out, so that when the Tigers get to Oakland the Monday after next, he will be on the verge of getting Save No. 300. I want to be there for that SO BAD.

But I digress. This was an absolutely crucial series, and the Tigers stepped up magnificently. We have to keep the Twins down, out of the race, and there’s not much more the Tygs could have done to that end. We gained ground on Cleveland (2 games we’re up now! hurrah!) and the Twins are now a very comfy (for now) nine games out. I’ll never be anything close to relaxed until we actually have a postseason spot clinched, but a series like this should do worlds for everybody’s confidence, eh? These are the games people said we couldn’t win anymore, tight games where you have to depend not only on timely offense but on your bullpen. Our bullpen’s finally looking okay, even though I still don’t totally trust them. Now we have to keep up the intensity at home against KC. The Royals are on a little hot streak, plus for some reason we just don’t play as well at home. Saturday is Negro League Tribute Day–actually the whole weekend will be a celebration of the Negro Leagues. But Saturday will see both teams dress in throwback Stars and Monarchs jerseys for the game–this is one of my absolute favorite days of the year! Can’t wait to see the concentrated beauty of two teams in Negro League uniforms!