lordstanley

Raymond takes the lead back on the powerplay. Zippy passing. 4-3 Wings!

Great period has flipped the game! 3-2 Wings after 2. Almost added a 4th on a partial break in the dying seconds. It would be huge to get at least a point out of this game.

Leafs open the scoring 2 1/2 minutes in on rheir first shot. Talbot in net.

Yes, going into the series we heard about the scary Mariners lineup. How unlike Harris they acquired big bats at the deadline like Naylor and Suarez. Fine, but through 14 innings last night, that scary lineup had produced 2 runs in their past 18 innings.

This is why last night’s game felt especially tense for the fans of the visiting team. Starting with the bottom of the 9th and before the game-winning hit, the Mariners had 28 at bats, so a homer on any of them would have meant a walkoff loss for the Tigers. Furthermore, over that same span the Mariners had 10 at bats with a runner in scoring position, so each of those times were just a single away from a walkoff. Imagine the Mariners fans’ post-mortem if Seattle had lost after having a runner on 2nd with 0 outs in each of the 10th, 12th and 13th innings.

I’ll be cheering for the Mariners. I like their fans, I’m partial to the Pacific NW. I dislike the Jays - not as intensely as the Leafs and not this Jays’ roster individually - so I’d be jealous if they win.

LOL, Skubal was gassed after 6 and Dan was gassed after 15. What more was there to say. But he could have made it super quick: "Skubal dominant for 6. Carpenter was enormous. Bullpen had rough patches but held the Tigers in. Heart of the order putrid. Tigers lose, season over, the end!".

The Tigers’ extra inning double plays were beautiful to watch. Started by Montero in the 12th and Javy in the 13th, they were executed perfectly and put fans suddenly into bathroom breaks when seconds earlier it looked like the season might end on the next pitch.

True, that’s a good counterpoint. The Tigers had Skubal for 2 of 5 games and he delivered enough to win them the series but in most cases.

I think even at the All Star break, when it looked like the Tigers were putting together a special regular season, advancing any further than this was never a given. You win 95 or 100 games all that does is give you a bye into the LDS. Where you would be facing a tough opponent. Look at the Brewers - winning 20 of 22 in July and August or whatever they did is great fun for the fans at the time but tonight they too face a win or go home LDS Game 5. The Tigers got there and ended up in a coin flip situation and were in fact 7 outs away from the win. There are no great teams in the AL this year and, apart from Game 1 where they would have been toast, I think the Tigers would have had a decent shot with Toronto, albeit as the underdog. I miss the days of a great regular season putting you right into or on the brink of the World Series, but the past is the past. I also miss the days of aces going more than 6 innings in elimination games, and think it should - but not necessarily does - lessen starting pitchers' ability to pull in massive contracts.

Woo did another throwing session today.

I expected another HBP.

Even though Flaherty was shaky to start, you had to leave him in.

One way or the other other we will talk about it for years.

Wow, congrats, huge day for you!

Frustrating as it has been, this is one of the all-time great games the Tigers have been involved in.

That Torres at bat felt like the series on the line one way or the other. That had to have been the Tigers’ chance.

Forget about Meadows hitting or bunting. You need to pinch hit for Meadows here.

This ain’t no place for a nervous person

Melton said he (Melton) would be available.

“Stood there like the house by the side of the road”

Headed to the bottom of the 9th. One swing of the bat can end it now. First two games in Seattle this serve both ended 3-2. But who will get the 3 tonight?

So a series which everyone national picked Seattle to win is tied in the 9th inning of the deciding game.