All Sport Report

What is being deemed as one of the biggest games of the AL’s baseball season was played out on Tuesday, August 14, 2007. The Detroit Tigers played the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe and Tigers, fierce rivals due to their close proximity to one another, were both tied at first place for the AL’s Central Division with 65-53 game records. This game would determine who would take the lead of the division, if only for 24 hours!

The game started out with Jeremy Bonderman pitching for the Tigers. If you have read my other posts on the Tigers, you probably already know my opinion of Bonderman’s ability as a pitcher. He had come in to this game having lost the past four he pitched. Right off the bat, he also gave the Indians two hits making the first inning score 2-0 in favor of the Tribe. I grew up watching the Tribe play, so this was a very tense game for me, especially since Kenny Lofton is back in the Cleveland uniform. Still I sat with baited breath hoping that my Tigers would get themselves out of the mess Bonderman had already created.

Luckily, Bonderman got his act together, making it through the sixth with no more hits. In the meantime, the Tigers’ offense managed to even the score up, with two RBIs batted in (one of whom was Ryan Raburn, the star hitter who was recently called up from his place with the AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens). By the time the eighth inning was in progress, the score was tied and the Indians seemed raring to go.

Travis Hapner, who was still sore from a knee/hamstring injury, didn’t stop from hitting what could have been a game changing play. Of course, I don’t think anyone expected Curtis Granderson, who hadn’t even been in the original lineup to play, from diving head first on his belly, sliding across the grass, and catching the ball in his outstretched glove. Truthfully, it looks as if this catch will go down in history. It was the amazing play that saved the game for the Tigers.

The two teams, neck in neck, went into the 10th inning with the Tigers determined to win. Granderson walked, Raburn hit a single, which sent him to first, and Shef hit an RBI single, running Granderson in. At this point, Detroit had the 3-2 lead. Of course, the Tribe had no idea what to expect with wild-haired, fierce hitting Magglio Ordonez up at bat. The slugger has been on fire, hitting home runs on a consistent basis these days.

Mags’ three run homer brought the score to 6-2 and the Tribe finally managed to gain control of their defense. This meant just one thing stood in the way of the Tigers winning…three little outs. The Tribe was up and for a while, it looked as thought they might score. However, the Tigers’ defense rallied together to keep that from happening. By the end of the game, the Tigers now held the 66-53 Central Division lead they’d been hoping to attain….if only for 24 hours until they play the Tribe again tomorrow.

Jeremy Bonderman, Cleveland Tribe, Detroit Tigers, MLB, Baseball, Magglio Ordonez, Travis Hapner, Curtis Granderson