Results tagged ‘ Chicago White Sox ’
All you need is one
Win or lose today, the Detroit Tigers have a chance to do something they haven’t done since 1935, and that’s make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
In order to win their division, the Tigers need to win one of their final three games against the Kansas City Royals, or the White Sox need to lose one out of three against the Cleveland Indians. With only three games left for both teams in the regular season, the Tigers should have no problem being able to clinch either tonight or tomorrow.
Before the season began, a lot of fans and baseball writers thought the Tigers would run away with the division, but that was never the case this year. Was that a case of unrealistic expectations? It’s hard to say, but I don’t think you could ever know with a 100 percent certainty that a team is going to win their division in baseball. That’s one of the many beautiful parts of this game, is that at times it is very unpredictable.
Hopefully this is just the first step in the Tigers making another deep run in the playoffs.
A different look
I went to the Tigers game this afternoon with my parents. While they sat where my season tickets are, I decided to buy a ticket in a different section, allowing me to get a different look.
Much like in life, sometimes it’s good to have a different perspective on the things going around you. At today’s game, I got a moment to do just that. Although I didn’t sit in my new seats for the duration of the game, it was fun to get a chance to talk baseball with several fans, including a few who drove up from Ohio to see the game.
My view of the game for most of the day
Being in the middle of a pennant race, each and every single game seems to have more significance than the one before it. For instance, if the Tigers lost and the White Sox win this evening, then we would find ourselves back in a first place tie with them.
Instead, the Tigers were able to get a walk-off win in one of the more unusual ways, with the game-winning RBI coming courtesy of Alex Avila.
The Tigers now have a one and a half game lead over the White Sox, who begin their four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays later tonight.
One game up
For the first time in almost two months, the Detroit Tigers have finally found themselves alone in first place. It’s a place that almost everyone expected them to be, but the path hasn’t exactly been easy.
Today also marks the final regular season home game for the Tigers. While they have played well at home this year, they certainly have had their fair shares of struggles while playing on the road. In fact, there’s only two teams in the American League that have won less games on the road than the Tigers, and that’s the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. With their final six games coming on the road, there is some cause for concern.
The good news is that we’re playing the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals, both who are out of any potential playoff race. Although that should bode well for Detroit, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a cake walk of any sort. The Tigers are 8-7 against the Twins, and 8-4 against the Royals. Realistically, they’re going to need to win at least four out of those six games to secure a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have a trickier path (at least on paper), as they have to still host the Tampa Bay Rays for a four-game series, while they are still fighting for a potential Wild Card spot. The White Sox have defeated the Rays in all three of their meetings so far this year, but I wouldn’t be counting Tampa Bay out, at least not quite yet.
With only a one-game lead over the White Sox, the Tigers need to show some heart to go with all of their talent. If they do, there’s no reason why they won’t be able to make another deep run in the playoffs.
Within reach
It’s starting to feel like deja vu all over again, but if the Tigers can find a way to win tonight, they will find themselves tied with the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central.
When the White Sox lost 4-3 against the Cleveland Indians, they opened the door for the Tigers once again. This isn’t the first time Detroit’s found themselves in this position, but as the season winds down, it could very well be their last.
I do believe that Detroit will take advantage of the White Sox’s recent struggles, and I’m not just saying that to be optimistic. The Tigers have a much easier schedule for their last nine games of the year, and the White Sox have not been playing like a first place team in the last week or so.
In their last ten games, the White Sox have gone 4-6. Unfortunately, the Tigers haven’t done much better, posting a record of 6-4. Going into tonight’s game, the Tigers have only nine games left to play in the regular season. If I had to guess, they’ll need to win seven of those games to win the division. That’s the great thing about pennant races in baseball, every game counts.
So close, but so far
The Tigers had not one, but two chances to get themselves into first place today. With a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, a sweep would guarantee them at least a tie for first in the AL Central. As it was, they came out looking flat, dropping both games.
It was still a good week for the Tigers, who have managed to to bring themselves within one game of the White Sox, but there’s still a bit of cause for concern. Sure, the Tigers have managed to narrow the gap, but they have been greatly aided by the fact that the White Sox have lost their last five games. Simply put, it’s not realistic to expect them to keep losing at this rate.
The Tigers have some of the best players in baseball, so there’s no excuses for them to not be able to catch the White Sox and win the division. When your lineup includes a guy who has a chance to win the Triple Crown (Miguel Cabrera) and a guy who is on pace to hit .300 with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs (Prince Fielder), and your rotation has the reigning MVP (Justin Verlander), you’re expected to win games.
There’s only 10 games left in the regular season for both teams, so it could very well come down to game 162, or possibly a tie-breaking game between the Tigers and White Sox. Will the White Sox be able to hold off the Tigers, or will the preseason favorites find a way to get it done? Time will tell, but it should be fun to watch.
Time is running out
Entering play tonight, the Detroit Tigers find themselves one game back of the Chicago White Sox. With Justin Verlander getting the start against Chris Sale, Detroit has a legitimate chance to retake control of the AL Central.
It’s not exactly a matchup the Tigers are likely to be thrilled about, but they’ve done fairly well against Sale so far this year. In fact, Sale has only lost 6 games this year, but is 0-3 against Detroit with an ERA of 6.00. As well as Sale has been pitching this year, it’s hard to expect the Tigers to put up a lot of runs against him, but they should enter the game with at least a little bit of confidence.
With a win tonight, the Tigers would find themselves back in first place (although they would still be tied with Chicago) for the first time since the September 2nd. As the season winds down and there are less games to be played, the Tigers can’t afford too many losses, especially if they’d like to end the season in first place. I won’t say that tonight’s game is necessarily a ‘must-win’ for Detroit, but it’s awfully close.
Playing for the playoffs
Tonight the Chicago White Sox will host the Detroit Tigers for the first of a four-game series that in my opinion, will determine who wins the American League Central division.
Entering play, the Tigers find themselves two games back of the White Sox, which is by no means insurmountable. Unfortunately, Detroit has struggled offensively as of late, scoring only a total of 20 runs in their last seven games. If the Tigers have any hope of making the playoffs, they need to find a way to win this series against Chicago.
If the Tigers can manage to win three games, they’ll find themselves tied for first. If they somehow sweep the White Sox, they’ll not only find themselves two games ahead of the White Sox, but they’ll like have more than enough momentum to carry them into the playoffs.
Although it’s not a must win series, it could essentially cripple Detroit’s chances of making it into the postseason. If the Tigers lose all four games, they’ll be six games back with just 19 games left to play. If they can at least manage to split the series, they’ll leave themselves with a shot of winning the division, but they’d still need a bit of help from the White Sox. It’s too late in the season to rely on other teams helping you out. Simply put, you need to find a way to win important games, otherwise you don’t deserve to be there.
Remember, it was less than two weeks ago when the Tigers swept the White Sox in a critical three-game series. After that series, Detroit was able to get back in first place. If they can win at least three of the next four games, they’ll be there once again.
September sure feels a lot like October
For the first time in my lifetime, the Detroit Tigers have found themselves doing something they haven’t done before, and that’s find themselves being the chaser in a pennant race.
Sure, I’ve watched the Tigers squander a division lead late in the year (just another fine reason of why 2009 wasn’t a good year for me), but it’s a different feeling when your team isn’t leading the way. The fact that every game they play could make or break their season makes September feel a lot like October.
By that, I simply mean that each and every game means more and more. It’s not April anymore, so you can’t say that these games don’t mean anything. The Tigers have only 28 games left in the season, yet they find themselves just one game back of the Chicago White Sox.
I was at the game on Sunday where Justin Verlander out pitched Chris Sale, and it definitely had the intensity of a playoff game. With four games left between the White Sox and Tigers, it’s fair to predict that the winner of that series will very likely go on to win the division.
Justin Verlander against Chris Sale on a Sunday night equals a sold out crowd at Comerica Park
Do the Tigers have what it takes to win the AL Central? I’ve been very adamant in saying all along that I believed they would be able to, but it wasn’t going to be easy. I got a feeling that it’s going to be a wild end to this season, and I’m going to enjoy every moment of the ride.
Chi-Town: My kind of town
Over the weekend, I was able to take a quick and fun trip to Chicago. Not only was I able to go to a baseball stadium that I haven’t been to before, but I got to have to spend some quality time with my brother, sister-in-law and catch up with a friend I haven’t seen in a while.
My trip started early on Saturday morning (a lot earlier than I’d like, but was necessary due to the lengthy drive), as I headed to my brother’s condo. From there, we began our adventure. Being in the backseat and running on little sleep, I didn’t make it too far before I fell asleep.
The next thing I know, the car is slowing down and we’re entering the parking structure at FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek. I’ve only been to the casino once before, but was able to turn a profit. Despite being half awake, I still felt confident that I would be able to repeat my success.
I started off by playing a Ghostbusters slot machine, and I got to say, I was thoroughly entertained. I only won five dollars off the machine, but I got plenty of laughs while playing it. I bounced around to a few other penny machines, and sure enough, I left with a 30 dollar profit. Not bad for a quick stop.
From there we headed straight to Chicago, where we first stopped at the Museum of Science and Industry. I hadn’t been to the museum in 12 years, so it was cool to get a chance to experience it once again.
Inside of the museum, there was an exhibit for the show MythBusters, an interactive experience for fans of the show. If you’re a kid or have kids, it’s a great introduction to the fun side of science. To be honest, it was cool to see a lot of stuff that was used on the show, but I felt like the exhibit definitely lacked in some areas. It cost an additional ten dollars to get in to the exhibit, which seemed like a pretty fair deal.
A collection of stuff used on MythBusters
After we left the museum, it was off to the hotel where my brother and his wife were going to stay. Once they were checked in, we met up with one of their friends, who took us to one of her favorite pizza places.
The restaurant was Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta, but we all opted to get Chicago deep-dish pizza. We all agreed that it was delicious, and I would be more than willing to go there the next time I’m in town. Once we wrapped up dinner, my brother and I headed to U.S. Cellular Field, and Lindsey and her friend headed out for a night on the town.
For those who don’t know, U.S. Cellular Field is the home of the Chicago White Sox. This was the seventh major league stadium I’ve been to, and it certainly had some pros and cons.
The stadium looked very good and was laid out very nicely. Not only that, but the look outside of the stadium was absolutely stunning.
View of the Chicago skyline from the ramp inside U.S. Cellular Field
They also had three big screens (one for the current game, one with more information on the game, and one with scores from around the league). One of the things that I didn’t like, was the fact that they played music with a great deal of regularity while the opposing team was on the field. By that, I mean they would play music after foul balls and in between pitches.
I don’t think it’s fair to have a stadium playing music playing while a pitcher is starting to look at the catcher for signs. It also seems bizarre that they would only do that for the opposing team. To an unbiased spectator, it seemed almost like a distraction tactic. Much to my dismay, the White Sox won, but at least we got to watch fireworks after the game.
Post-game fireworks at U.S. Cellular Field
Following the firework show, I met up with my friend Travis who was working at the stadium, covering the White Sox for the Associated Press. The last time I went to Chicago, I felt bad that I didn’t get a chance to hang out with him, so it was good to catch up. Not only that, but he was kind enough to let me crash at his place.
After I woke up, it was time to meet back up with my brother and sister-in-law at the hotel. From there, we headed to brunch. Their friend suggested Cafe Iberico, a Spanish tapas bar. Not exactly an ideal place for breakfast for me, so I just ordered dessert while they feasted on some delicious Spanish cuisine.
I had never ate or heard of an ice cream filled crepe until last weekend
For our final destination, we headed to the Chicago History Museum, where we got to learn a bit about…well, the history of Chicago. It was significantly smaller than the first museum, but much more oriented for adults. They had exhibits for not just the history of Chicago, but one about magic, and another specifically about Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln died on this bed, which can be found in the Chicago History Museum
With another history lesson completed, we headed back home. En route, we stopped at yet another casino (Four Winds) which proved to be profitable for all of us. While we were in the area we also stopped for some treats at Sweetwater’s Donuts. If you’re ever near one, do yourself a favor and stop in.
It was a wonderful little getaway, and I had a great time. The best part of the trip wasn’t necessarily the things I got to do or see, but it was the peopleI got to spend my time with. I’m thankful and grateful for having such wonderful friends and family, because they truly make my life one that’s worth living.
Falling from first
The Tigers lost again today, bringing them two and a half games back of first place in the American League Central. Despite losing the last three games, there’s no need for fans to panic just yet.
A week before the All-Star Game, I felt confident in saying that that the Tigers would win the AL Central, and I do still believe that will be the case. Not only has the team been playing a lot more consistent in the last two weeks, but they’ve also managed to upgrade their team.
When the Tigers traded Jacob Turner, Rob Brantly and Brian Flynn for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante, it was another fine example of finding a way to improve this team in the short term. Long term, the Tigers may have been better off by holding onto Turner, but as of right now, he is not a better than Sanchez.
Not only that, but the Tigers have had no offensive contributions from their second baseman this year, making that a major focus for Detroit. Infante will not only provide stability at second, but he’s also under contract for the 2013 season. If Detroit didn’t trade for a second baseman, they would find themselves with very few (or great) options via free agency.
There’s plenty of time left for the Tigers, not to mention the fact they still have seven games against the White Sox this year. The formula for making it to the playoffs is simple, and that’s to find a way to keep beating teams in your division. If Detroit can’t do that, they don’t deserve to be playing in October.
Brad Jeffers
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