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Category: Tigers

Pulled obliques are all the rage

At least that's the way it seems here with the Tigers. First it was Brandon Inge when they were in Seattle, the injury he just aggravated at home with his son. Then it was Gary Sheffield, who went down to Lakeland on a rehab assignment and seems fine now. And last night it was Magglio Ordonez pulling his oblique muscle on a fly ball and then immediately coming out of the game. I don't know why but it just seems that injuries run in bunches. One year it might be hamstring strains or something else, but once someone gets it, someone else is going to have it, too. You wouldn't think that it would be contagious but apparently it is.

In any case, Ordonez was just placed on the 15-day DL and Matt Joyce's contract has been recalled from AAA Toledo. And infielder Ramon Santiago is going on a rehabilitation assignment to Toledo starting Monday.

Category: Tigers

FINAL: Tigers win, 7-1, lead series, 1-0

Clearly, the story tonight is Eddie Bonine, with some excellent, efficient pitching. He probably could have gone out for the 9th but he was at 99 pitches. Perhaps the most important thing for him was he did not walk anybody. He's not a strikeout guy -- had two -- so he works on keeping the ball down and getting ground balls.

A special note for Curtis Granderson, who has looked more and more like the special player he was last season.

Category: Tigers

5-1 Tigers, top of the 9th

Now there's a line any pitcher would be more than proud of: 8 IP, 5 H, 1R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HB. Eddie Bonine with his best start as a Tiger, easily.

Now Ryan Raburn is in right field and Joel Zumaya is pitching. He's bringing the heat -- already hit 100 -- but Matt Holliday just doubled.

Category: Tigers

7-1 Tigers, bottom of the 8th

With that stolen base, his 36th of the season, Willy Tavares now has seven more than the entire Tigers team combined.

Luis Vizcaino is now in for the Rockies.

This time, Michael Hollimon got to third base safely. Brad Hawpe obviously lost the ball in the lights. Hollimon will take it.

As I said earlier, you don't see all that many stand-up triples in this league, but now we've seen two in the same game by the same guy. I know Curtis Granderson was Mr. Triple last year.

Placido Polanco gets it done this time with a sacrifice fly to right field, where the fans are all over Hawpe.

Category: Tigers

5-1 Tigers, top of the 8th

Eddie Bonine continues to maintain a nice pitch count, closing in on 90 right now.

Meanwhile, that four-inning stint was the shortest start for the season for our friend, Ubaldo Jimenez.

Category: Tigers

5-1 Tigers, bottom of the 7th

Clete Thomas just continues to hit, doesn't he? That was his third hit of the game to go along with his walk. Did I mention he needs one more walk and he'll have as many as Pudge Rodriguez had all of last season?

Category: Tigers

5-1 Tigers, top of the 7th

That was a loooooong hit by Brad Hawpe to the right-center field video motion wall. But Eddie Bonine still seems to be doing pretty well, despite the loss of the no-no.

I spoke too soon, it seems. Jeff Baker singled home Hawpe and then took second on the throw home. Bonine has thrown 80 pitches, still fewer than Ubaldo Jimenez.

Category: Tigers

5-0 Tigers, bottom of the 6th

Curtis Granderson doesn't care who's on the mound because he's going to get a hit. He took third on Placido Polanco's hit and then scored when Carlos Guillen grounded into a double play. That wasn't the ideal outcome for Guillen but another run scored so I guess he will take it.

Category: Tigers

4-0 Tigers, top of the 6th

Odd fact of the day: Three of Eddie Bonine's innings have started with a groundout to Michael Hollimon at short. Admittedly, he's gotten a lot of ground balls but I just thought I'd mention it.

Category: Tigers

4-0 Tigers, bottom of the 5th

I know it's hard to believe, but Ubaldo Jimenez is no longer in the game. It's now Ryan Speier. Ubaldo threw 104 pitches. His line: 4 IP, 9 H, 4R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 WP. Not quite the line he was looking for.

Meanwhile, Clete Thomas is on base again, this time with his patented double to left-center field.