BASEBALL

First the important stuff- they were oatmeal and instead of raisins they had snickers pieces baked in. Oh, I’ve missed you Friday plan people.

The Tigers lost 4-3 to the Giants. Brad Penny went seven innings, threw 115 pitches, allowed 7 hits and only struck out 2. Obviously there is some luck in that line, but it is good to see him throw 115 pitches and eat some innings.

It looked like Penny would get no support in the field. Ordonez misplayed a fly ball to right. Inge misplayed a dribbler hit to him. Then Wells got a double play by grabbing a ball in the stands before a fan got it and doubling off Rowand who tried to score from third.

Jackson made a base running blunder in the sixth trying to steal third with one out Magglio of and Miguel Cabrera on deck. He was out by several feet.

Lester Oliveros made his debut in the 8^th in a high leverage situation. The Tigers were down 1-0 since Bumgarner, the Giants pitcher pitched 7 1/3 innings and at the time he had struck out 9 and allowed no runs. Oliveros struck out Huff and Ross. Then he allowed a single and a walk. Finally he made a good throw to prevent an infield single on a dribbler along the third base line. Given the situation I thought it was a great debut, especially since the single was on a ground ball.

Bumgarner did not get the win. The Giants used 4 pitchers in the eighth. The last pitcher was their closer, Brian Wilson. He allowed a hit to Magglio that scored Inge to make the score 1-1.

In the top of the ninth the Giants scored 3 on Tigers closer Valverde. He threw 30 pitches before Brayan Villarreal replaced him. Villarreal walked the first batter he faced on a pitch that may have been a strike. Then he got the third out.

In the bottom of the ninth four of the first five Tigers reached. Wilson left the game with the bases loaded and the score 4-2. Affeldt induced a ground ball that the second baseman misplayed. The score was 4-3 with the bases still loaded. Boesch lined out too close to the bag at second and Inge was doubled off to end the game. So, Wilson got the win despite retiring just 2 of the 7 batters he faced and blowing a save. Unable to perform on the field Super Vulture returned to the dugout and assaulted the water cooler with a bat. So while the he may not have saved the Giants from the Tigers he did save the world from sports beverage.