Month: July 2014

White Sox 7 Tigers 4

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Lost in all the excitement surrounding the acquisition of David Price is the fact that the Tigers lost the game and the series to the White Sox.

Although it’s hard not to be happy about getting a pitcher of the Price’s caliber I don’t exactly see how the weaknesses of the team were addressed.

Price replacing Smyly is an upgrade but what about the middle of the field? This might be one of the weakest teams up the middle in all of MLB.

Starting with Avila, the Tigers are weak at catcher, shortstop, and now center field. On top of that, the bullpen is still horrible.

Since the acquisition of Soria, the bullpen has gotten weaker. Soria, has been bad, Joba is now in a funk, or perhaps returning to who he is, and The Amazing Everyday Al has worn out his welcome. I guess on the bright side, if there is one, Nathan has been better and Blaine Hardy has been serviceable.

Who is going to play centerfield? DK? Davis? Maybe this was addressed but I just landed and haven’t had a chance to read everything.

On another note, I’m sad to see Ajax and Smyly go. I liked both guys. They seemed like decent people and Ajax has been on fire for the last six weeks or so.

I know it’s a business but I’m not sure the Tigers are a better team after the trade.

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

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Tigers 7 White Sox 2

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It’s nice to get a win after three horrible losses but pardon me if I’m not going to sing the praises of this six run outburst.

The Tigers jumped out to a big lead with six runs in the first. However, after the second inning, they made Noesi look like Nolan Ryan.

A note on Miggy: I know my complaining about him seems insane but here’s why I’m a little disappointed in him this year. The Tigers have a streaky offense. In previous years, the Tigers could count on Miggy to give them professional at-bats while surrounded by ineptitude. This hasn’t happened this year. It seems like when the team is going well Miggy is going well. When the offense is sucking Miggy is sucking.

Miggy’s season reminds me of Jeff Weaver circa 10 years ago. Jeff was a good pitcher but he wasn’t a stopper. He couldn’t be the guy that stopped a losing streak. Similarly, readers might remember Sark talking about needing a fireman out of the pen, someone that can come in and stop the bleeding. Miggy used to be the offensive fireman but not so much this year.

I guess I need to cut him some slack.

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

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White Sox 11 Tigers 4

Crippy Baseball

I think it’s time to blow this team up similar to what the Red Sox did in 2012.

The Tigers are just horrible. The entire team doesn’t seem interested. They made three errors. Romine got picked off and didn’t seem like he was paying attention. They don’t score consistently and the pitching is not great and I don’t necessarily mean Sanchez either.

The addition of Soria was supposed to improve the abomination of a bullpen. Instead it’s gotten worse. Soria has been worse than horrible and Joba has struggled his last two outings.

It just doesn’t seem like this is not the right group of guys. Honestly, nobody seems to care, Miggy included.

If I had to put a personality on this team as a whole it would be Alex Avila.

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

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Angels 2 Tigers1

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You can’t pitch or play defense well enough to win when your high priced offense can only manage 2 runs in 3 games.

Freeway Ricky was smokin balls. You could blame the loss on Joba who gave up the go ahead homer in the eighth, but the offense only scored ONE run.

Here’s a team rule that needs to be instituted immediately if not sooner. No Tigers pitcher should be allowed to throw to any base other than first. For whatever reason, starting with the 2006 World Series, when pitchers put on a Tigers uniform, they can’t throw to second or third.

The unearned run tied the game, but again, the offense scored one run.

WTF is going on with Miggy. All of the sudden the can’t take a walk anymore? In an average season he walks 77 times. Through 101 games he has taken 37 BBs.  This year he’s on pace to walk just 59 times, which is why is hitting .309, which is good, but not $30 million good.

I know a lot of people don’t care about batting average but I do. A high batting average and OBP means that even when you don’t have a chance to drive in runs, you are still getting on base for someone else to drive you in. I know that’s not saying much on this team, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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

Angels 4 Tigers 0

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This game SUCKED. JV pitched pretty well, but when your offense decides to take two games completely off, you can’t pitch well enough to win.

The last two games the Tigers have scored a grand total of one run. Not surprisingly, they’re 0-2.

Other than Jackson, there weren’t even a lot of hard hit outs. The offense BLEW.

It is really unfair to single one guy out when the whole team sucked, but can someone explain why Ausmus runs Avila out there every game including against lefties?

Avila took another ofer and struck out for the 98th time this season. That’s 98 times in 101 games. And BA still runs him out there. I don’t get it.

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

Angels 2 Tigers 1

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This was a pitchers duel. Not only were the starters good, Smyly struck out a career high 11, but both pens got the job done as well.

This game was decided in the sixth. In the top, the Tigers had a 1-0 lead and the bases loaded, with two out. Unfortunately, Torii Hunter couldn’t deliver a hit. The Angels came back with two in the bottom and there you have it.

I can’t complain about Torii though he’s been hot for a month.

If the Tigers can get Victor going and get Avila out of the lineup they could go on a ball smokin run.

It would have been nice to get the first two.

JV tomorrow.

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

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Tigers 6 Angels 4

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This was a nice win, against a good team, in a ballpark the Tigers usually don’t play well in.

Even nicer was they way the Tigers were able to come back after falling behind, 3-1, facing a tough pitcher.

Max was very good. After giving up three in the fifth, he was able shut the door on the best offensive team in the American League and last seven innings.

Hmmm, the starter goes seven innings and the Tigers win. Sounds pretty familiar.

I have been all over Joe Nathan this season but tonight he looked like the guy that used to destroy the Tigers. He struck out the side out in the ninth. This was the best I’ve seen him all year.

I’m sorry, but I have to complain about A Squared Money. Look, he’s not a good hitter but that doesn’t mean he can’t have productive outs. In the sixth inning, the Tigers had taken a one run lead 4-3. Castellanos was on second with nobody out. All he needed to do was get the runner over to third and he couldn’t do it. He flew out. The inning ended with Castellanos at third. It didn’t come back to bite the Tigers today, but that could have been an important run that never was.

Ajax continued to stay hot. He had his seventh consecutive multi-hit game and flashed leather in the seventh robbing Kole Calhoun of a double to end the inning.

Smyly pitches tomorrow.

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

On the Soria Acquisition…

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I like adding a bullpen arm.  The Tigers had to do something.  Their bullpen is the worst in the AL and probably the worst in history.  However, I don’t agree with making Soria the eighth inning setup man.

The only part of the Tigers bullpen that works is Joba in the eighth, so why are they fixing the eighth inning?  How about the seventh and ninth?

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

Tigers 11 Diamondbacks 5

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Despite not getting a quality start from Anibal Sanchez the Tigers were able to take the rubber game of their three game set in Phoenix.

Joba bailed Anibal out in the seventh by getting a double play on the only pitch he threw. At the time, the Diamondbacks had cut a 7-0 Tigers lead to 7-5 and had runners on first and second, with one out.

Blaine Hardy pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

Eleven runs is an offensive explosion I just hope they don’t go another five games with two runs or less.

Miggy had two hits including his 15th home run and RBIs, 78, 79, and 80.

Congratulations to Alex Avila on his 100th double. I still don’t think he should be playing every day. He struck out three more time today giving him a total of 95 for the season. Ninety-eight games into the season and Alex Avila has Kd 95 times. I hate to say this because I was his biggest supporter, he needs to relegated to the backup role. I’m not saying Holaday is the answer, but how much worse can he do?

Austin Ajax Jackson had two more hits and three RBIs this afternoon. He has quietly brought his batting average up to .270.

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