truebluefan

The old man on the mound had been masterful, dominating, placing pitches as if he'd been throwing them all season instead of just a few weeks out of retirement. But he was leaving now, growling, cursing, glaring at the umpire, with no runs to support him and two baserunners he had created with ball fours. It was the seventh inning, under deepening blue skies, and one thing was certain on this summer night in this summer of Detroit baseball: the Tigers were not losing to Roger Clemens.

But it might be the other way around.

Take out your red marker and circle this one. On a sellout night, against a pitcher who had every right to awe them, the Tigers held their gaze until the Rocket blinked. They matched his shutout innings with their own. And minutes after he left the field, they sent his two baserunners home on a Craig Monroe double to tag him with a defeat and mark another game that leaves the baseball world shaking its head and saying, "Who ARE these guys?"

Complete article