Month: May 2014

Tigers 4 Orioles 1

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , ,

The story of this game should have been another ball smokin performance from Freeway Rick and timely hitting but there is more to the story.

Freeway Rick was cruising along.  He pitched six complete, allowed one run on five hits, he struck out two and walked none.

In fact, the entire Tigers staff didn’t walk a batter.

The first part to the story is why Ricky was pulled after six innings.  He had only thrown 83 pitches so I was rather surprised that he didn’t come out for the seventh.  I hope there’s not something wrong.

The secondary story of the game was Torii Hunter getting drilled in the ribs in the eighth by that sawed off little jerk, Bud Norris, after Kinsler took him deep for a two run homer to extend the Tigers lead to 4-1.  The benches emptied but there was no punches thrown.  Norris was tossed but seemed to keep jawing at Hunter even after he was in the dugout.  I’m not sure if there is any history between the two but someone on the O’s has to get it tomorrow.

The Good:

  • This was a nice bounce back win for the Tigers after blowing a three run lead yesterday.
  • Freeway Rick improved to 6-0.
  • While not dynamic, the offense got the job done.
  • Tigers pitchers did not walk a batter.
  • The Amazing Al, pitching in his fourth consecutive game was smokin balls.  He pitched a complete inning and struck out two.
  • Joe Nathan recorded his eighth save on only six pitches.

The Bad:

  • The Orioles scored their run in the bottom of the first on a ball that looked like Rajai Davis should have caught.

The Ugly:

  • Other than the play by Davis in the first and Romine’s error in the second, nothing too egregious today.

Smyly pitches tomorrow and somebody on the Orioles has to answer for Hunter.

Remember when Freeway Ricky beat Youk into a conniption?

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Twins 4 Tigers 3

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The Tigers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Tigers wasted a nice pitching performance from Robby Ray. Ray pitched six innings allowed four hits, no runs, struck out two and walked one. He turned three a run lead over to the bullpen but the pen couldn’t hold it.

The Tigers ended the home stand on a down note.  They lost two of three to the Twins and wasted good pitching performances from JV and R Squared.

Joba and Krol were not good today.

Well, let’s lick out wounds and get on back on track in Baltimore tomorrow with Freeway Rick on the hill.

“God I love baseball.” – Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Streak Over…

Crippy Baseball

Astros salvage final game of series.

The Astros punched Smyly and the Tigers in the eye yesterday afternoon. They thrashed the Tigers 6-2 and halted the win streak at eight.

Smyly wasn’t great an neither was anybody else, except for Victor, who continues to rake with three more hits yesterday.

I’m not going to complain too much, eight of nine is pretty good by anyone’s standards.

JV on the hill against the Twins today.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

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Make it 8 in a row Tigers beat Astros 3-2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pitching and home runs gave the Tigers a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros and made it eight in a row for the TIgers.

Freeway Rick pitched 6 and 2/3.  He allowed two earned runs on seven hits, a little high, he struck out five and walked two.

Ricky turned the game over Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan to close the game out.

What can I say about Joba, he continues to get it done, striking out the side in the 8th.

Joba is SMOKIN BALLS!

The Good:

  • The Tigers got their eight in a row and 20th win of the season.
  • Ricky put in another good outing.
  • Joe Nathan got his seventh save.
  • Joba continues to smoke balls!
  • Miggy and Victor went deep.
  • Rajai Davis stole his 12th base of the season and Don “DK” Kelly stole a base and got two hits.

The Bad:

  • The Tigers managed only five hits but the Houston pitcher, Brad Peacock, had a lot to say about that.  He pitched well for a bad team.
  • Joe Nathan walked a runner with two outs and allowed two stolen bases but was able to strand the tying run at third.

The Ugly:

  • Not much today or lately.  The Tigers have been playing pretty clean and came away with another win in a close game.

Don’t look now but Freeway Rick is 5-1 on the season.  Now if he can lower his ERA by a run he might make me look like Nostradamus.

Also, I liked Miggy’s homer the opposite way, he might be rounding into his MVP form.

Smyly pitches tomorrow afternoon as the Tigers for a four game sweep and ninth in a row.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

 

 

Houston to host Civil Rights Game…

Crippy Baseball, WTF

This is a bit much.  First 42 gets retired all across the league and now MLB puts on an annual Civil Rights Game.  If your interested, the 2014 Civil Rights Game, will be played at Minute Maid Park on Friday, May 30th.

I’m just sick and tired of this constant civil rights, diversity, bullshit.  If these people were really concerned about civil rights they’d stop talking about it and move on.

The best thing about this year’s game, as far as I can tell, is that with the Astros hosting it, only about five people will watch it.

Enough already. Let’s move on.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Tigers Dust Astros Winning Streak at Seven

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Behind 5 and 1/3 ball smokin innings from Tigers newcomer, Robby Ray, the Tigers beat the Astros into a conniption, 11-4, and extended their winning streak to seven. Ray allowed one earned run on five hits.  He walked only one and struck out five.

What impressed me the most about Ray was that he got in trouble early in the first and was able to pitch out the jam without surrendering a run.  It’s a small sample size but perhaps Dave “Double D” Dombrowski knows a thing or two about a thing or two.

The Good:

  • Just when I was beginning to worry about Miggy, he shoved those concerns down my throat.  He was 4-5 today with a homer and four RBIs.  If he returns to form this could be a very formidable Tigers offense.
  • Ian Kinsler had three hits.
  • Alex “A Squared Money” Avila, Nick Castellanos, and “Downtown” Danny Worth had two hits each and Worth had three RBIs.
  • The Amazing Al pitched a shut out inning in relief and struck out two.
  • The Tigers got 18 hits and scored in multiple innings, the first, third, fourth, seventh and eighth.

The Bad:

  • Justin Miller struggled through the ninth.  He allowed three runs, but to be fair, only one of them was earned.

The Ugly:

  • I like the new look offense but really Torii?  You get thrown out trying to steal third with one out and Miggy batting?

I guess we can’t get too excited, the Astros are not good, to say the least but seven straight is seven straight and we’ll take all the Ws we can get.  Also, I like the 18 hit attack and scoring in multiple innings.  This is in stark contrast to last year when the Tigers seemed to score all their runs in only one or two innings.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

St. Louis Cardinals Authentic Collection 1929 Turn Back The Clock Cap

Crippy Baseball ,

So all of you that know me realize that I need another hat.

I was watching Sunday night baseball between the Cardinals and Cubs.  The teams were wearing throwback uniforms.  I really liked the Cardinals hat and was thinking about buying one.

I’m asking you my faithful readers, what do you think about the hat?

St. Louis Cardinals 1929 Turn Back The Clock Hat
St. Louis Cardinals 1929 Turn Back The Clock Hat

 

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

TIgers win 6th in a row beat Astros 2-0

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The Tigers got excellent pitching and just enough offense to beat the Astros and Jarred Cosart 2-0 at Comerica Park.

The Good:

  • Max was smokin balls.  He pitched eight complete allowed no runs, on three hits, walked one and struck out nine.
  • Nathan got his sixth save.
  • The Tigers won their sixth in a row.
  • Vmart came up big with a solo shot in the eight to give Nathan and Scherzer a two run cushion.

The Bad:

  • The Tigers were baffled, for the most part, by Jarred Cozart but after their 26 run out burst over the weekend we’ll take it.
  • The Tigers managed only six hits.
  • VMart got caught looking for the first time in almost a year.

The Ugly:

  • After looking like he was retuning to form, Miggy looked bad tonight at the plate.  He was 0-4 with a K and really didn’t have many good swings.

A win is a win and the Tigers found a way to get it done.  I can’t complain about six in a row.

I’m looking forward to Robby Ray’s start tomorrow.  The Tigers, and especially Dave Dombrowski, really think a lot of this kid.  Let’s see what he’s got.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Tigers 9 Royals 4

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

The Tigers swept the weekend series with the Royals.  They got good starting pitching and the offense exploded, scoring 26 runs in three games.

I really like this new look offense.  I know it’s early but we really aren’t seeing the huge swings like we have the last few years.  The ability to, as Nebraska says, getem on, getem over and getem in is nice to watch.

Ok, so I have to complain a little.  JV got the win but I don’t like the three earned runs surrendered in seven innings. Extrapolated over nine innings, that’s a 3.86 ERA, which is good, but not for Justin Verlander.

The Good:

  • The offense is smokin balls!, Davis, Hunter and Romine each had three hits. Could Romine be the solution at short?  He looks like it. Again, it’s early.
  • Hunter and Romine had three RBIs each and Miggy had two.
  • Castellanos had a home run on his only hit.  I like what I see so far out of Castellanos but I’d like to see his average over .250.
  • 16 hits
  • No errors.

The Bad:

  • The Amazing Al gave up a run on two hits in the ninth.
  • OK, I’m nitpicking, but the three runs given up by JV I’m classifying as not good.

The Ugly:

  • Nothing ugly most of this series

Houston comes to Comerica tonight with Max on the hill.

I’ll be in Vegas this weekend so if you want any bets, you know how to get in touch with me.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The Natural.