That Tigers Bullpen is Something Alright

The Detroit Tigers aren't going anywhere this season unless they significantly improve their god-awful bullpen.

That group's impudence was on full-display last night as Detroit lost 12-6 to Boston in a game that was close until the eighth inning.

The Red Sox (5-5) had 13 hits, including three from J.D. Drew and two from Coco Crisp, Dustin Pedroia and Sean Casey (Youk moved to 3rd as the Sox put Lowell on the DL for his thumb injury).

Tim Wakefield (1-0) picked up the win with a very Wakefield line: five innings, three hits, two runs (1 earned), five walks and five strikeouts.

Backup catcher Kevin Cash handled the knuckleball for the most part, he had only one passed ball. This prompted Doug Mirabelli to cry himself to sleep, wherever he is.

Wakefield and Tigers starter Nate Robertson dueled for the first three innings then remembered who they were in the fourth. Detroit scored twice, on a Brandon Inge sacrifice fly and a Placido Polanco RBI single.

The Sox countered with four in the bottom of the inning. Drew (2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 walk) had an RBI single, Coco (1 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 walks) had a ground-rule double which scored Youk, Casey (3 RBIs) had a RBI ground out and Cash added an RBI single.

Magglio Ordonez had a solo shot in the seventh off Manny Delcarmen.

Once again, Boston topped that as Manny had a two-run double to center and Casey had a two-run single.

Up 8-3, Sox manager Terry Francona figured, hey why not make this interesting? So he put Julian Taverez in. After letting the first six batters he faced to reach base while the Tigers scored three runs, Tito had seen enough.

With the tying run at the plate (Ordonez), Jonathan Papelbon got him to fly out, ending the inning.

Youk hit a two-run double in the eighth, Drew had a sac-fly and Coco knocked in Youk with a single.

For some unknown reason, Papelbon stayed in there with a six-run lead (hey, he got the save). He had a clean ninth but overall threw 22 pitches so who knows if he'll be available tonight.

And in case you're living in a cave (Bin Laden), the New York Yankees come to town tonight. The forecast calls for rain all weekend which is fantastic.

Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang takes the mound, opposed by Clay Buchholz. It's the first of six series against the Bronx Bombers this season. Even in April, neither team is at full-strength as Lowell is out and Derek Jeter is expected to miss the weekend. Jorge Pasada is also banged up with a "dead arm." Apparently he pitches now too.