Kicking Ass And Taking Names

THERE, THAT'S MORE FUCKING LIKE IT.

After giving Justin Verlander just one run of support in his first two starts of the year, the Tigs exploded for 12 on the Royals, giving Verlander his first win of the year. In six innings of work, he allowed just three runs on five hits and left with a 9-3 lead. Between Bonderman, Robertson and Verlander, the starting rotation is looking very consistent thus far on the top end. Maroth has also impressed and Chad Durbin is shit, but Bondo, Nate-o, and Justin have separated themselves so far.

Tonight's win was good on every level. The Tigs got off to a fast start with Pudge hitting a monster grand slam in the first inning, and then just kept the ball rolling from there with three in the second, and one a piece in the third and fourth. They showed some resiliency in the second after KC bounced back to get two runs, essentially sealing the game, making it 7-2. It's great to see the guys playing a nice mixture of small ball and just hitting giant homers.

Carlos Guillen had a fantastic game today with a double and a homer, 4 RBI, and two walks. Carlos is the glue that holds this team together; he's unquestionably the captain of the infield and was the most consistent player last season, even in the down periods. The fear of Gary Sheffield is also starting to show, with his gathering of three walks and three runs scored going along with a single. Just having him in that third spot creates a presence that pitchers are forced to respect and fear.

But seriously, how about Pudge? A grand slam and a double, with six RBI, not to mention his usual stellar play behind the plate. Pudge looks determined to have one of the best seasons of his career this year, having come so close to the World Series title again and walking away empty-handed. If Guillen is the glue, Pudge is the spark plug that gets this team going. He can be a dick when he's unhappy, but when he gets going, the team really gets excited and follows him.

Here's what's still not cool though- Jose Mesa. The one negative I'm taking out of this game is his line- 1/3 of an inning, two hits, two runs, both earned, one walk, and one home run. You suck. Seriously. If he comes to the mound in September with a playoff spot on the line, or in October with a playoff game in the balance, I'm going to have a coronary.

But, taking a deep breath and looking at the bright side, the Tigers absolutely blew the figurative roof off of Comerica Park tonight. Pudge's slam was the Tigs' third of the season, which is pretty nice for the start of the third week of the season. The 12 runs were also their highest total of the year, and us fans didn't have to sweat out the end of the game wondering if they would throw the lead away, which was pleasant. The way the Tigs played tonight, it would be great to get a sweep of the Royals going into the Chicago series this weekend, which is going to be rough as always.