I know I said that I wanted a repeat of the 1968 World Series, but this is ridiculous

This is getting depressing.

Last night, the Tigers lost a particularly heartbreaking game 5-4. It's heartbreaking because it's a game that they really should have won. Unfortunately errors and the two unearned runs that they allowed killed them.

Now the 2006 World Series is at the same point that the 1968 World Series was, with the Cardinals leading three games to one. In 1968, the Tigers came back and won three games in a row. I'm not so sanguine that they can do it again, particularly given how their inexperience has led the pitching staff to make so many costly errors. (And, besides, the 1968 crew included some true giants of baseball, like Denny McLain, Willie Horton, and Al Kaline.) On the other hand, if the Tigers can pull out a win tonight, I actually like their chances for being able to pull off a complete turnaround and replay of 1968. For one thing, they'll be heading back to Detroit for games six and seven. For another thing, Kenny Rogers will be pitching in game six. If he's on the way he has been on all throughout the playoffs the series will almost definitely go to game seven (and Afarensis will have been correct, at least about the series going to game seven). Obviously, though, the boys have to win tonight, or such speculation will all be moot, and, given how shaky Verlander was last time out, I consider that outomce a bit of a longshot.