“PUT IT OUT”

Phil Coke entered the 10th with authority, the way he does every time he takes the mound.

Take Coke and take Joe Nathan: it’s the tale of two G’s. One storms the mound, literally, as Coke runs to take the ball from the bullpen every time. Nathan fidgets and acts like an asshole every time he fucks up. Coke has been to AAA and was tormented by Jim Leyland last season, yanking him after one batter consistently. Nathan is making $10 million this season alone.

Yet, who has the stones to finish the game? Coke. He had to clean up Nathan’s mess, another ninth inning meltdown. With two outs and no one on and Tiger nation just back on the bandwagon, he blew the one-run save by allowing three base hits in a row.

Enter Coke: the Tigers rallied in the top of the 10th to re-take the lead that was theirs, 5-4. Coke strikes out the first batter, a lefty. He strikes out the next batter, another lefty. Carlos Santana, a righty, smacks a base hit just over our shortstop’s glove. But Coke doesn’t panic. Noooo. It’s another lefty, who strikes out swinging just like his Indian counterparts. Game over.

Save, Coke.