De Camp Town Racers

They sing that song, all day long, Duda, Duda ... 

The surname of a second Mets player can be found in Stephen Foster's lyrics: Jason Bay. Someone bet on him. But you can't write about betting and baseball in the same blog post. 

Neither Bay nor Lucas Duda hit a home run today, or even a bases-clearing triple. 

The Metropolitans, in fact, tamely submitted to the offerings of Justin Verlander and two relievers, scoring only two harmless runs on ten harmless hits, none of which came with two out and the bases loaded. 

Andy Dirks homered -- his third circuit blast in the Tigers' last three games -- for their fifth and last run.

With the Indians idle, the Tigers now have a half-game lead in the AL Central race, with the world champion Government Issue Insects -- the G.I. Ants -- in town for a three-game weekend series.

Jets 16, Lions 9

You can't miss a game. You never know what you might see. Maybe something you've never seen before, and might not see again.

The few hundred who hung around at Comerica until the bitter end, and the scattered handfuls who hadn't already turned the game off, got to see, and hear, Don Kelly get the last out. 

Skipper Leyland called on the most versatile Pretender to pitch because David Purcey couldn't get anyone out, he'd all night watched pitchers not get Mets' hitters out, and he didn't want to use Benoit or Valverde for one out while losing 16-9. 

They hit five home runs and lost by seven to a team that didn't hit any home runs. Something else you won't see again in a long time.

The Metropolitans scored 16 times without a gluttonous bat-around and then some inning. Four was the most they scored in any one frame. They did it with one triple, four doubles, and fifteen singles. A collective effort. They all put the yeast in.

Phil Coke lasted three batters into the fifth and gave up eight runs. The once-reliable Coke is now 1-8, and his ERA is almost five. His night was symptomatic of the recent woes Pretender starting pitchers not named Justin Verlander have experienced.

And guess what? There's a day game tomorrow. The only starter who is named Justin Verlander will pitch. His games are already can't-miss baseball.

Carrie Jacobs-Bond In Reverse

The pieces began to fall into place this afternoon, when the Giants won the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Wrigley. Tigers and Dodgers lost. Giants won the second game. Both New York teams won. Braves have won in Seattle to complete the picture. End Of An Imperfect Day, accomplished with one more game (the second Giants-Cubs game) than the minimum number required.

Jets 14, Lions 3 -- But Then ...

Meet the Mets, greet the Mets, go on out and get beat by the Mets. 

That they did, in spectacular fashion tonight. Rick Porcello, for the fourth consecutive outing, didn't have it. Daniel Schlereth added his name to the infamous list of pitchers who've allowed two grand slams in the same game; blasts by Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran. 

However ... 

Our nemesis from the Arizona series, Wily Mo Pena, pinch-hit a walkoff homer off Tony Sipp that beat the Indians 5-4 in Phoenix. 

So the Tigers lose no ground to the Tribe, and keep their one game lead in the AL Central race. 

Since his return to the major leagues a week ago, Wily Mo has provided the margin of victory in two games with homers. If he keeps it up and the D-Backs make post-season, he'll be the new millennium's Hurricane Hazle.

The Roaming Umperor

In tonight's make-up game with the Blue Jays, eighth inning, score tied at two, Andy Dirks bunted. Adam Lind made the play and threw to first. Umperor Ed Rapuano waited; one Mississippi, TWO Mississippi, THREE Miss ... and called Dirks safe. But his body language indicated he wasn't sure.

Jays skipper John Farrell argued. Ask for help, he said. Rapuano did, and plate ump Alfonso Marquez called Dirks out. 

So the ump closest to the play was over-ruled by one 90 feet away.  

Yes, Jim Leyland got tossed. His was among the more memorable manager raveouts of recent years, right down to mimicking Rapuano's uncertain body language and slow call, and the reversal. 

But everything's okay, since the Tigers won 4-2. 

The baseball fan wonders what might have happened had Leyland asked Jim Joyce to get some help after calling the last out of Armando Galarraga's should-have-been perfect game safe at first. 

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The Tigers, on the interleague road trip, have quietly accumulated four of the league's top ten hitters.

Cabrera and Victor Martinez are second, and third at the end of play today, at .336 and .332 respectively. Jhonny Peralta (your All-Star third baseman, vote early and often) is seventh at .311. Alex Avila (your All-Star catcher, do the same) has climbed into tenth place with a .303 average.

Extend the list, and Brennan Boesch, at .301, is 14th. 

There are only fifteen .300 hitters in the American League. The current list reminds me of batting average leaders lists in the 60s, when .296 was often good enough to make the top ten.

Pitching and hitting run in cycles. Right now, a plethora of excellent starting pitchers is keeping averages down. And, of course, the hitters aren't taking their vitamins like they once did.

What A Win On Sparky's Day!

The key at-bats weren't at bats. They were walks, by Casper Wells and Magglio Ordonez, with two out in the eighth and the Tigers down 2-1. 

Without them, Miguel Cabrera wouldn't have come up to single in two. And, without that hit, all the fun that followed would have never happened.

Four singles and an error plated five more runs. Eight hitters reached base with two out.

THAT'S the way you do it!

I knew they would find a way to win on the day Sparky Anderson was honored in pre-game ceremonies, when his number 11 retired.

Too bad the hatchet wasn't buried earlier, when the man who went into Cooperstown wearing a Reds cap could be honored while he was still alive. The standing ovation he would have received from a full house knowing it might be their last chance to thank him for 1984 ... wouldn't THAT have been something? 

Even after today's honoring, you still have to wonder. 

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Overlooked during this feel-good day was Ryan Strikeout's return to the Interstate (I-99) and arguably the victory's second most important contribution: getting pinch hit for, by Don Kelly who singled in the eighth to start the winning rally.

Guest Blogger: Wesley Willis

You are a right-handed starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers!

You have an awesome fastball, curve, changeup, and slider!

Tonight you shut out the D-Backs for eight innings and struck out fourteen!

This game really whipped the race horse's ass!

I really like you a lot!

JUS-tin VER-lan-der ... JUS-tin VER-lan-der ... !

ROCK OVER LONDON

ROCK ON CHICAGO

DIET PEPSI -- UH HUH !