Tigers Blog

Category: Tigers

Three Up, Three Down

UP

1. A way up for Nate Robertson who had a better slider and more life on his fastball. The big test went his way, too, because even he had to admit after the game that if Placido Polanco hadn't hauled down Kurt Suzuki's bases-loaded liner in the fourth, "you never know (what would have happened."

2. You have to like the way Ryan Raburn has been contributing lately. What a useful, versatile player. He played left again, and chipped in with an RBI double on which he also scored because of two errors on the same play.

3. Edgar Renteria hitting .311 in his last 17 games. Those more aggressive swings are helping.

DOWN

1. Manager Jim Leyland doesn't like the sound of something being wrong with Marcus Thames' right shoulder. Thames was scratched from the lineup and Leyland said after the game "as far as time (is concerned), this could be a dangerous one.

2. Fernando Rodney consistently throwing his fastball at 92 instead of 96 and up. I know it's intentional to improve his command, but can he be effective at 92? Looks like we're going to find out.

3. The crowd has begun to boo Gary Sheffield every time he makes an out - of which he made four on Sunday, five if you're counting the DP he hit into. Maybe it's his .222 batting average the fans don't like, probably so, but that's probably another reason he doesn't like DHing. There's nothing you can do on the bench to make up for a bad day at the plate.