The A’s tied the series tonight courtesy of a 1-0 win handing the Tigers their 13th shutout of the season.
There was nothing new to see here. The Tigers got tremendous pitching and no offense.
I was listening to the post game show on the radio and Dan Dickerson said that the Tigers have scored in only 5 of their last 54 innings going back to the last week of the season.
Miguel Cabrera has carried this team for years. Now he’s hurt and there is nobody there to pick him up.
Austin Jackson was embarrassing. He went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts. He took fast balls down the middle and then swung at every other piece of garbage Sonny Gray threw to him.
Torii Hunter was 0-4 with 2 Ks.
Prince Fielder was 0-4.
In fact, the Tigers only managed 4 hits. Cabrera had one, DK had 2 and Iggy had the other one.
Speaking of DK, he got the start in left tonight. I wonder if Puppet Master, Jim Leyland, read last night’s game post. 🙂
The pitching left nothing to complain about. The only thing I might have done differently would have been to bring Ricky in after the lead off hit by Cespedes in the 9th. But really, how can I complain about a game where the pitching staff surrendered 1 run and lost. Everything can be second guessed.
Monday is a 1:00 pm start at Comerica Park. The Tigers will need a big start from Sanchez. What’s new?
“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Flashin' Leather 
We can only be thankful to Leyland for this one, because there was no need for this game to go extra innings and deprive us of our sleep…. The logical move would have been for Porcello to start the 9th inning, since it has been a pattern for AA to not pitch well after cooling off for a half inning. But nothing short of a miracle was going to change the outcome of this game.
It’s clear this team goes as AJ goes, at least on offense. It’s clear Fielder is a terrible post-season hitter. This offense can mess up a good scoring opportunity like it’s their job..
I though JV pitched his best game of the year. Even when he got in a little trouble he was in complete control. It will be interesting to see what happens if this goes 5 games. JV or Max? – Colon or Gray?
Sark, you are exactly right about AJax and he was an embarrassment last night. Hunter wasn’t much better.
Also, I was watching the game with Al and I said the same thing you did about the 9th, why is the the Amaznig Al back in?
In any case, it doesn’t matter, this entire offense is an abomination. How much money are the Tigers paying Fielder and Hunter? I can’t really complain about Martinez.
With you both on Amazing Al in the 9th. I might have tried to hit and run on the 3-1 pitch in the 5th. However it’s time to think back about how this team operates. Last year we went into the WS with JV as the MAN. The Panda hit a big ball early and well that wasn’t the plan and they folded the tent. All this season we have believed if Miggy could get one more at bat just one more at bat. Well you may all come and burn down my house………but these guys lost Miggy and well there offense went with him. I just ain’t buying this 70% Miggy is better than 100% anyone I am not sure just how much of him is out there. His pop up to right when healthy was out of here. So is it time to say the king has no cloths? Put JP at third DK in left swap AJ and Omar and somebody? With a series tied 1 to 1 am I crazy or right or just need my hand held?
And by the way I did think about the squeeeez in the 5th if just for a moment.
Got to agree with the 3-1 hit & run as a better option, given how AJ tends to strike out in bunches. As for Miggy, he is still the most likely to drive in a run, if given any runners in scoring position. He still has two of the hardest hit balls in this series, albeit singles. He might not be driving it in the gaps or out of the park, but he is still quite capable of barreling it up. The problem is the guys in front not getting on, and the guy behind him offering little protection. Fielder is carving out a really poor playoff career. He totally spiked the rally in the 1st inning of game one with the double play on a very poor pitch. He is swinging at anything but strikes. But hey, only 7 more years on that fat contract and he’ll be gone.
I like Prince a lot but I’m very disappointed in his playoff performance. This is the time the Tigers need him most and he’s not producing anything.
I hope DK stays in left. Like I said, he’s capable defender and he’ll give the Tigers as much if not more than anybody else.
Pitching and defense………JP would have never gotten to the foul ball that DK did. Seth Smiths single that went skidding past Prince to set up the winning hit. Starters pitch until arms fall off. It’s a beautiful day in the D. First to score wins!