So the bad ol' Tigers -- the team we watched for the first 150 or so games this season -- decided to show up at the worst possible time. Great. Not to mention bad calls and ridiculously bad luck: when a ball that hits third base keys a four-run rally, you know it's just not your night. Oh, and here's an idea: don't throw meatballs to Pablo Sandoval. Just a thought.

I figured Detroit had about a 60% chance of winning this series; now, it's maybe half that. And if they lose tonight, it'll be right around zero.

Yeah, I know it's a crap shoot and everything, but I'm really disappointed.

Tiger fans here seem to be the new Mets / Red Sox fans. All doom and gloom at the slightest provocation.

Here is a thought. You are in teh world series!
Its a 7 game series. An odd game is bound to blow up in your face. But hey, there is still that stellar starting pitching for Games 2-4. That might help?

One question I have as a person who has never been to Detroit. One reads these stories of poverty and abandoned neighborhoods and union accepting pay cuts / benefits. How can people still afford to go to baseball games ( and fill out the stadium?! )? Did the middle class survive the Detroit purge?

Detroit is poor. The suburbs are not.

In other news, the Tigers clubhouse manager was seen unboxing 25 walkers and canes to be used by the team in the remainder of the World Series.

BLESS YOU BOYS

That game went about as horribly as possible, but this Series is a long way from over. Tigers fans: Would you think we'd wrapped it up if we were up 1-0? Exactly.

What bad calls? I don't remember one. I was POed about Infante getting called out for swinging, but he might have gone around.

Tigers fans: Would you think we'd wrapped it up if we were up 1-0?

Hell, I'm still not completely convinced they beat the Yankees. I'm half-expecting Bud to come on TV today and say, "Since the Tigers' best player is thinking more about shtupping some supermodel and scarfing Taco Bell than throwing strikes, Detroit obviously doesn't belong in the World Series. They will be replaced by a combined Yankees/Rangers all-star team, with all games played in New York. Have a nice day."

Since the Tigers' best player is thinking more about shtupping some supermodel and scarfing Taco Bell than throwing strikes

Can you blame him?

Tiger fans here seem to be the new Mets / Red Sox fans. All doom and gloom at the slightest provocation.

Contrasted with the brash confidence here in Michigan before the series, where the local radio hosts were debating if the Tigers would sweep or if the Giants would forfeit the series in three rather than continue to get smacked around. (Note: exaggeration for rhetorical effect).

I'm not sure Cabrera gets Pagan even if the ball doesn't hit the bag anyway. It was much more about Verlander not being sharp (and not facing the Yankees/getting that outside pitch call he was against the A's)

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but Giants Pitchers Vs. Hunter Pence in the post season (includes one AB by Romo even)

Pitchers:
21AB
5 hits
6 TB
4rbis
1 run
15Ks
0 BBs

.238/.238/285


Pence:

9 for 52
13 TB
4 runs
3 RBIs
1 BB
14 k
1 SB

.173/.189/.250

Wow

I fully expect Bumgarner to throw a no hitter and someone like Pence to hit for the cycle tonight with the way the Giants luck has been running.

I fully expect Bumgarner to throw a no hitter and someone like Pence to hit for the cycle tonight with the way the Giants luck has been running.

Speaking of Giants luck... today in the paper they had a picture of Sandoval donating a bat to the Hall of Fame - the one he hit his "first two home runs" with last night.
He homered his first two times up, then CHANGED BATS?????

Speaking of Giants luck... today in the paper they had a picture of Sandoval donating a bat to the Hall of Fame - the one he hit his "first two home runs" with last night.
He homered his first two times up, then CHANGED BATS?????

Didn't he break his bat during the third AB? It all runs together a bit on me but wasn't that the at bat that the bat flew out of his hand and chipped the knob when it flew into the dugout?

Oh, and here's an idea: don't throw meatballs to Pablo Sandoval. Just a thought.

Were any of the pitches he hit out even in the strike zone? (legitimate question, I only briefly saw the replays before I had coffee this morning and one looked like he hit it from his ankles)

Were any of the pitches he hit out even in the strike zone? (legitimate question, I only briefly saw the replays before I had coffee this morning and one looked like he hit it from his ankles)

I remember thinking that the ball he hit for a single in the 6th(7th?) was a better home run pitch than any of the balls he hit out.

Dumb statement about baseball I read today; someone giving Verlander the edge over JAck Morris among Tigers #1s (comparing 1984 and this year) by "a small margin"

I remember thinking that the ball he hit for a single in the 6th(7th?) was a better home run pitch than any of the balls he hit out.

That single was smoked. It obviously wasn't a fourth homer, but it fit right in with the three homers.

CHECKLIST:
Conradian play [ ] (COLLECTIVE CONRADIAN CATASTROPHE [ ] )
Web Gem [ ]
1-2-3-4-5-6 inning [ ]
Strike out of side [ ] (1-2-3 SO of side [ ])
Baserunning blunder [ ]
Bases loaded, nobody scores in the inning [ ]
It rains [ ] (rain delay [])
Starter warms up in bullpen [ ] (Postseason starter warms up [ ])
Talk about the bet between the Mayors [ ]
Skyfall ad [ ]
Wreck-It Ralph ad [ ]
Person dressed up in Halloween costume early [ ]
Lincoln ad [ ]
Life of Pi ad [ ]
Cloud atlas ad [ ]
Inning-ending DP [ ]
Hurricane Sandy referenced [ ] (BBTF people worry about it disrupting their WS-watching plans [ ])
Stolen base [ ] (Mention of free tacos after SB [ ])
Caught stealing [ ]
Play at the plate [ ]
Non-pitcher bunt [ ]
Replay review [ ]
Blown call [ ] (Blown call costs game [ ])
NFL reference beyond NFL on FOX [ ]
FOX celebrity shows up [ ]
Reference to Presidential Campaign [ ]
Idiot runs on field [ ]
Triple [ ]
Pitcher gets a hit [ ] (Pitcher gets an RBI [ ])
McCarver's singing career [ ]
Sandoval called "Panda" [ ]
Sandoval goes deep [ ]
SF Giants HOF legend mentions: Mays [ ] McCovey (other than Cove) [ ] Marichal [ ] Cepeda [ ] Perry [ ]
Tigers HOF legend mentions: Cobb [ ] Greenberg [ ] Kaline [ ] Harwell [ ] Crawford [ ] Cochrane [ ] Kell [ ] Newhouser [ ] Jennings [ ] Manush [ ] Gehringer [ ] Heilman [ ]
Cabrera MVP talk [ ]
Posey MVP talk [ ]
Miguel Cabrera does something awesome [ ]
Buster Posey does something awesome [ ]
Prince Fielder goes deep [ ]
Ball goes into Cove [ ]
Giants have most wins for a franchise in sports history [ ]
Valverde shows up [ ] (Valverde blows it [ ])
WILD BRIAN WILSON APPEARS [ ]
Reference to Jack Buck [ ]
Focus on a crazy person in the cove [ ]
Marco Scutaro cannot be stopped [ ]
1984 Tigers flashback [ ]
Bumgarner's 2010 WS starts [ ]
2010 Giants flashback [ ]
Bochy was last guy to get a hit in 1984 WS [ ]
Barry Bonds referenced [ ]
Melky Cabrera referenced []
"The Giants have home field because of the ASG" [ ]
Pence's speeches [ ]
Verlander in dugout [ ]
Zito in dugout [ ]
Reggie Jackson mentioned [ ]

David Stern's retirement mentioned [ ]

I didn't get to see much past the 5th inning. Were there some bad calls after that? I don't remember bad calls for either team in the portion I saw.

The third base play was total bad luck but those are the sort of things that happen in baseball. Coco Crisp probably catches that ball off the bat of Cabrera in Game 2 more times than not. He didn't in that instance and it helped swing the game the other way.

The ump had a tight zone all night. Zito worked around in, perhaps in part to an aggressive Tigers lineup. Verlander, who wasn't all that sharp in Game 3 of the ALCS, couldn't make the adjustment to the tight zone. And let's not forget that mess of an inning started with two quick outs. Sometimes even the great pitchers can't stop the unraveling when all that's needed is one more out.

Regardless, I'm happy we've got ourselves a series here. I think the relative non-descriptness of the Giants' lineup gave some Tigers fans a false sense of security, especially when the alternative was the horror-movie-villain resilient Cardinals.

Me at that bar after an excuse me swing drove in another one for the Giants.

"Was that Zito? Barry Freaking Zito? No, seriously, Barry Zito?"

It took us all a minute to confirm...

BLESS YOU BOYS

I remember that song from elementary school, that had us sing it during music class. Something about "Sweet, Sweet Lou".

Didn't watch an inning last night. Got home and it was 4-0 nothing so I said screw it. Hoping for something a little more competitive tonight, I was looking forward to this series.

Edit: And I guess Kate Upton has officially knocked off Scarlett Johansson and, much before her Julia Roberts, as the 'I don't really get it' girl of the moment. I mean, I get it, but, -shrug-.

again, this probably isn't the best time for this to come out, but since it showed up on INSIDER, i figure it's worthy of being shared here:

Justin Verlander Pablo Sandoval is a freak, there's no doubting this, how many pitchers can throw 100+ pitches almost every time out on the mound and go deep in every start and still hit 100 on the gun? batters can eat a 12 piece family meal from KFC with 4 sides, biscuits, and a chocolate cake, and still be conscious stand upright hit 3 homeruns in game 1 of the world series. The list is short and may only be perennial Cy Young candidate puff'n'stuff spokesman lardass all-star third-baseman Verlander Sandoval. When will all of that wear and tear on his elbow and shoulder heart colon uh, heart and colon (yeah, that's the ticket!) begin to take a toll? Detroit San francisco doesn't want to find out, indications from a rival front office are that, once the World Series is over, Tigers GM David Dombrowski Giants GM Brian Sabean is going to look to deal his power fat roly-poly festively plump righty water-buffalo land-manatee third-baseman for a young controllable replacement an aging expensive steroid user role-player power hitter. One of the intriguing names that keeps popping up is Philadelphia's Cyle Kendrick Ryan Howard. When asked about Kendrick Howard Dombrowski Sabean said, "I'm not going to comment specifically about players under contract to other teams, but whenever you have a chance to get a guy like Kendrick Howard, you have to do what you can. Pitchers like Kendrick Hitters like Howard don't grow on trees, he has that hard sink (well, if you google ryan howard baby arm...) and fights like a bull dog every time he takes the mound sits on the toilet wears anything other than sweatpants has dinner with Michael Vick. He'd be a great addition to any team." Kendrick Howard is especially intriguing for Detroit San Francisco due to his $4.5 MM salary $25 MM salary next season, which is 15.5 MM less more than Verlander Sandoval. Freeing upAdding that much salary could be a huge boon to a team that is dealing with bloated below-market contracts to Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera Buster Posey and Brandon Belt.

Sullivan has an article on the pitches Sandoval hit. The only one that was a meatball was the one he hit for a single. Most of them were out of the zone.

But Pablo has a BIG zone.

Hunter Pence is batting 5th again, and I can't figure out why. Bochy loves him his vets.

Hunter Pence is batting 5th again, and I can't figure out why. Bochy loves him his vets.

You think Belt should be fifth? Posey and Sandoval could be switched too...

Hunter Pence is batting 5th again, and I can't figure out why. Bochy loves him his vets

He's probably thinking: Hey, we won last night, why not?

Oh, some more stuff to add:
Barry Manilow [ ]
Crazy Old Lady Giants Fan [ ]
Super-Duper Slo-Mo used gratuitously [ ]

Belt should be batting second and Scutaro should hit cleanup. Pence should hit 9th.

Hunter Pence is batting 5th again, and I can't figure out why. Bochy loves him his vets.


You think Belt should be fifth? Posey and Sandoval could be switched too...

Absolutely. Current lineup puts 3 lefties in a row (Belt, Blanco, Crawford) - why not split them up so the Tigers can't go to Coke for all of them? Put Belt 5th, Pence 6th, and you've at least disrupted the opposition ability to use one lefty for all. Also, Hunter Pence has been awful as a Giant, and even worse right now (you saw his AB's last night, right?), and giving Belt more AB's over him can't be a bad thing.

Belt should be batting second and Scutaro should hit cleanup. Pence should hit 9th.

The LaRussa strategem!

Willie mays on MLB network. Dang he is old

It doesn't matter. At this point Johnny LeMaster, Chris Brown and David Green could still be playing for the Giants and they would score 8 runs. its pretty damn unexplainable at this point

Opening monologue fail. Blech.

One of many reasons I have a great wife - she hates these Fox studio idiots.

Does anyone think a third baseman could start where Miggy did, see that the ball has a very very good chance of hitting the bag, and then decide to charge the grounder to either get it before it hits the bag or at least keep it from leaving the infield? I've seen the replay a couple times and really want to say "yes", but am curious what other people think.

I had a very bad evening yesterday. And THEN I listened to the game this morning via the GameDay Audio archive.

Okay, CHECKLIST FOR THE NIGHT:
Conradian play [ ] (COLLECTIVE CONRADIAN CATASTROPHE [ ] )
Web Gem [ ]
1-2-3-4-5-6 inning [ ]
Strike out of side [ ] (1-2-3 SO of side [ ])
Baserunning blunder [ ]
Bases loaded, nobody scores in the inning [ ]
It rains [ ] (rain delay [])
Starter warms up in bullpen [ ] (Postseason starter warms up [ ])
Talk about the bet between the Mayors [ ]
Skyfall ad [ ]
Wreck-It Ralph ad [ ]
Person dressed up in Halloween costume early [ ]
Lincoln ad [ ]
Life of Pi ad [ ]
Cloud atlas ad [ ]
Inning-ending DP [ ]
Hurricane Sandy referenced [ ] (BBTF people worry about it disrupting their WS-watching plans [ ])
Stolen base [ ] (Mention of free tacos after SB [ ])
Caught stealing [ ]
Play at the plate [ ]
Non-pitcher bunt [ ]
Replay review [ ]
Blown call [ ] (Blown call costs game [ ])
NFL reference beyond NFL on FOX [ ]
FOX celebrity shows up [ ]
Reference to Presidential Campaign [ ]
Idiot runs on field [ ]
Triple [ ]
Pitcher gets a hit [ ] (Pitcher gets an RBI [ ])
McCarver's singing career [ ]
Sandoval called "Panda" [ ]
Sandoval goes deep [ ]
SF Giants HOF legend mentions: Mays [ ] McCovey (other than Cove) [ ] Marichal [ ] Cepeda [ ] Perry [ ]
Tigers HOF legend mentions: Cobb [ ] Greenberg [ ] Kaline [ ] Harwell [ ] Crawford [ ] Cochrane [ ] Kell [ ] Newhouser [ ] Jennings [ ] Manush [ ] Gehringer [ ] Heilman [ ]
Cabrera MVP talk [ ]
Posey MVP talk [ ]
Miguel Cabrera does something awesome [ ]
Buster Posey does something awesome [ ]
Prince Fielder goes deep [ ]
Ball goes into Cove [ ]
Giants have most wins for a franchise in sports history [ ]
Valverde shows up [ ] (Valverde blows it [ ])
WILD BRIAN WILSON APPEARS [ ]
Reference to Jack Buck [ ]
Focus on a crazy person in the cove [ ]
Marco Scutaro cannot be stopped [ ]
1984 Tigers flashback [ ]
Bumgarner's 2010 WS starts [ ]
2010 Giants flashback [ ]
Bochy was last guy to get a hit in 1984 WS [ ]
Barry Bonds referenced [ ]
Melky Cabrera referenced []
"The Giants have home field because of the ASG" [ ]
Pence's speeches [ ]
Verlander in dugout [ ]
Zito in dugout [ ]
Reggie Jackson mentioned [ ]
David Stern's retirement mentioned [ ]
Barry Manilow [ ]
Crazy Old Lady Giants Fan [ ]
Super-Duper Slo-Mo used gratuitously [ ]

Tom Brokaw really did a hell of a job making himself into the Voice of World War II stories.

You don't see B-17s do flyovers anymore...

Wave you guys, tip your caps.

I'm not sure Bobby Doerr knows where he is right now, but it's nice that they're honoring him.

On the other hand, Jerry Coleman is an active broadcaster he certainly looked like someone who didn't know where he was.

Tommy Lasorda being a Dodger overrides him being a veteran, it appears.

The one thing I like about Lasorda is how much he enjoys being booed by Giants fans.

MATTHEW MORRISON AGAIN? WTF

Uhm, wouldn't it make more sense to have some active duty servicemember sing the anthem instead of a FOX star?

Good pitch, though. Just seems odd to repeat someone from the playoffs.

Fister grew up near SF and was a Giants' fan as a boy. We'd better watch him closely!

CHECKLIST STARTS NOW!