White Sox-Tigers: Chicago Drops Detroit to 0-5 Start

Hearts are breaking in Detroit as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers on Saturday 5-3.
Dontrelle Willis got the start on a beautiful , sunny afternoon in the Motor City.Gavin Floyd got the nod for the Sox.
Willis had a no-hitter through five plus innings until he walked two batters and served up a double off the wall to Jim Thome, scoring two runners.

 With the game at 3-2 , Zach Miner came on in relief and promptly walked Jermaine Dye and gave up a single to Sox slugger Carlos Quentin to tie the game at 3. The next batter was Joe Crede, who sacrificed flied to score Dye from third for the go ahead run making the score 4-3.

Jermaine Dye added a solo shot in the eighth off of Tiger reliever Francis Beltran to bring the final score to 5-3.

Brandon Inge had a great day at the plate for the Tigers, doubling in a run in the second and slamming a two run homer in the fourth. He gets credit for all the Tiger runs in the game.

The Tigers now fall to 0-5 for the season , thier worst start since 2003 when they dropped nine straight at the beginning of that season.

Fans were shaking thier heads in disbelief, as the Tigers' powerhouse line-up failed to hit again and the first win of 2008 remains elusive.

Gavin Floyd pitched well for Chicago showing good control and  an effective curve-ball as the Tiger hitters remain flat.

Dontrelle Willis walked seven batters a career high for him as his control is still in question.

Sox' closer Bobby Jenks came on in the ninth and gave up a single to Jaque Jones and walked Brandon Inge with two outs  before getting rookie Clete Thomas to ground out for the save.

TC's TIGER Analysis:

Regardless of what Tiger manager Jim Leyland claims, I believe the Tigers are pressing. The hitters are swinging at too many bad pitches and not being patient at the plate.( with exception to Brandon Inge and Clete Thomas)

The pitchers are lacking confidence and control.
This team needs to get back to having fun and relaxing and showing thier love for the game by studying thier opponents and playing with proper intensity instead of the laziness that I see going on.

They need to quit reading about how great they are going to be in the papers and start acting like a team instead of a bunch of individuals caught up in thier own hype.

This is a good team in a bad slump. Someone has to break them out of it and if Jim Leyland can't do it we are in for a long and disastrous over-hyped losing season.

Let's hope they turn it around soon before they find themselves ten or twelve games back with little hope of recovery, becoming one of baseballs' largest paid underachievers and the biggest disappointment of 2008.

With injuries beginning to plague them and the pitching rearing it's ugly head, this could be a recipe for disaster.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Rookie Clete Thomas continues to hit but can't score when the 2,3,4,5 hitters aren't producing.

Placido Polanco is still slumping and unable to get his rythym back from 2007.I have noticed him swinging under the ball which is uncharacteristic of him.

Carlos Guillen is streaky at best so far, unable to connect with the good pitches. Even though his defense at first base is excellent.

Magglio Ordonez is impatient at the plate ,often swinging at the first pitch and grounding into double plays. A rally killer.

Miguel Cabrera is obviously playing with an injured quadricep causing late un-powered swings.

Edgar Renteria has been pretty consistent , although he tends to make poor base-running decisions.

Ivan Rodriguez is making defensive errors behind the plate and is not showing the power at the plate that he had this Spring.

Jaque Jones has had one good game this year and that is it.

Brandon Inge continues to prove that he belongs in the starting line-up and is probably the best third baseman in the game defensively.The way he is playing right now ,I would keep him at third and let Miguel Cabrera keep the designated hitter spot until Gary Sheffield comes back, then I would put him in left field.

The starting pitching has been okay as of late but the bullpen still continues to be a major factor in whether or not this team can win or lose with dignity.

I think they will bounce back, but not any time soon. The hitting has to come around to help this poor bullpen. GO TIGERS!