Relax, This Was The Tigers' First Time

You remember your first time, right?

You were sort of nervous. It didn't last all too long. And once it was over, the allure was gone, and you wondered what the big deal was. Then every time thereafter, it got a little better.

The playoff cherry for most of the Detroit Tigers has been popped with an 8-4 loss to the New York Yankees. They now understand what it feels like to take the field past the first day of October. Although they are down 1-0 in this five game series, hopefully this will allow them to return to the method which helped them win 95 games this season, which was to play loose. (Not coincidentally, this is also what can happen to you when you "do it" too much.)

After the first couple of innings, the game was still tied 0-0, and the Tigers even reached base and threatened to score. "Hey, this is kind of fun!"

Then came the third inning. After Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter set the table with an infield single and double respectively, Detroit starter Nate Robertson allowed a two-RBI double to Bobby Abreu, a Gary Sheffield RBI single, and a debilitating two-run home run to Jason Giambi. Before the third inning ended, the score was quickly 5-0. "Oh no. I'm doing it wrong!"

But then a high point — a near climax, if you will — was reached. The Tigers hit their first postseason home run since Chet Lemon when leftfielder Craig Monroe stroked a solo homer to straightaway center field. Soon enough, Detroit strung together a few hits and narrowed the gap from a chasmic runs to a rather tight two-run game, 5-3. "Well, if I just do this move every time, it's bound to work!"

Abreu promptly singled in two more runs the following inning. Apparently "this move" doesn't work all the time.

Detroit reached base a couple more times in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Yankees' bullpen plugged the threat to keep the game well out of reach for any comeback.

In the end, the first time in the playoffs was okay. Good, not great, and nothing to write home about. And — most importantly — hopefully nobody saw that.

Game 2 is hours away, and it features another playoff virgin, Tigers rookie pitcher Justin Verlander. He and his free-swinging lineup will have another chance to improve upon the team's first time.

Until then, the Motown 25 can strut down the sidewalks of New York saying, "Yeah. Playoff baseball? Done it."

Article Author: Matthew T. Sussman

Sussman is the founder and former editor of Blogcritics Sports. Twitter: @suss2hyphens

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