Month: August 2014

Tiger Fall, 6-2 ,Split Four Game Series

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Normally, a split of a four game series, on the road, is acceptable, but not this time.

Yesterday, the Tigers split a double-header in an unconventional fashion. The 2013 CY Young winner got beaten into a conniption in game one but a rookie stepped up, and was lights out in game two.

Hats off to Kyle Ryan.

Today, Freeway Ricky got dealt a bad hand. He took the loss and gave up six runs in six and two thirds. However, only three runs were earned. The defense let him down making four errors. He wasn’t lights out, he allowed 11 hits, but he deserved a better fate.

I guess the Tigers will have to regroup in Cleveland. At worst, by the end of the day, they will be only one game out if the Royals win.

Tigers 7 White Sox 1

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JV lasted seven innings and gave up only one run. He was in trouble early in the game but managed to escape relatively unscathed.

I can’t complain about the offense. They scored seven runs and did it with no help from Miggy. Miggy was 0-5 and his batting average is down to .301. Isn’t it time to give him some time off? I hate to say it, but he’s not really doing anything to help the team win, so put him on the 15 day DL and see if he can get healthier. As far as I’m concerned, the Tigers don’t have much to lose.

For what it’s worth, I wonder if JV can get his ERA under four by the end of the year. It sits at 4.68 right now. He’ll need another September like he had last year. I’m not sure if he still has it in him but we’ll see.

The Royals lost to the Indians. The Tigers are only a half game out.

Tigers 3 Yankees 2

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It would have been criminal to lose this game. After the last two call-up starts by Ray and Farmer, Lobstein comes in and gives you six innings and one earned run, you better win.

For a while it looked like the shitty offense wouldn’t come through but key hits from unexpected places, Avila and Davis, were enough to pull this one out in the ninth. Avila actually drove in two of the three runs. In the ninth, it looked like he was looking for the slider on the first pitch.

Is it as painful for anyone else, as it is for me, to watch Miggy this year? I feel bad for him. He’s just not his old self.

The substitutions have become a farce. BA pretty much emptied the bench today. I’m not sure what he would have done if the game went extra innings. Perhaps he would have had the turd catch. In any event, like Sark said, all these moves are just silly.

I’ll take the W.

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Yankees 8 Tigers 4

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David Price did his best Robbie Ray imitation. He lasted 2+ innings and gave up eight runs.

By the time the Tigers came to bat in the third the game was over.

I knew in the first inning that Price was in trouble. Like the Blue Jays, a few starts ago, the Yankees made Price throw a lot of pitches, around 30 in the first inning. This start was a nightmare and not good enough.

The Tigers have a rookie pitching tomorrow and in one of two games on Saturday. This weekend is probably going to get ugly again.

Has anybody noticed how Smyly is pitching?

If there was a bright side tonight, the pen threw seven scoreless innings.

Oh boy!

Tigers 5 Yankees 2 – All Hail Freeway Ricky

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The Freewayman was smokin balls again tonight. He picked up his 15th win of the season. He didn’t go the distance but he lasted eight complete. The only blemishes are the two home runs he gave up Ellsbury.

J.D. and Torii led the way offensively.

Quietly, Castellanos and Suarez have started to look a lot better at the plate.

I don’t understand the defensive replacement tonight. DK in for J.D.? J.D. provided much needed offense, including a two out RBI. Additionally, a three run lead is hardly safe with the turd in to close.

I’ll take the win.

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Tigers 13 Twins 4

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As bad as things started out, the last two games took the a little sting out of the first two drubbings.

The offense rescued JV yesterday and Max today.

I have to tip my hat to the offense, they showed up in every game this series. They scored a total of 31 runs in four games, almost seven per. Unfortunately, the pitching staff gave up 43.

One thing this series showed is how fragile this team is. The only real strength the Tigers have is starting pitching. The offense is inconsistent, the defense is slightly better than embarrassing and the bullpen is an abomination. But the starting rotation is not deep, as we’ve seen. Basically, they don’t have a chance if any one if the starting five goes down. The Tigers have nobody that can make a spot start and give them a chance, as this series proved.

I’m not putting this team in the playoffs, although I did send in my money, but winning is a lot better than the crap we’ve seen over the last six weeks.

One more thing, up yours Nathan you shit bird, you sucked again yesterday you turd.

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Tigers 8 Twins 6

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The Tigers survived a bad start from Verlander, a bad game from Miggy, and Joe Nathan to get a badly needed win. I’m not saying this is a turning point but it’s nice to not have to write about another loss.

Even though Miggy was bad, enough of the other guys stepped up to put eight runs on the board.

The key play in this game came in the top of the sixth when Eugenio Saurez got a one out hit that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. It is the kind of hit, although with only one out, that this team has failed to come up with.

Torri, Victor, J.D, Costellanos, Suarez and Bryan Holaday also had good nights offensively. When six of the players in the lineup have good nights, they can overcome a night where Miggy was slightly better than horrible.

When Miggy got his hit and RBI in the eighth, he looked like he was limping when he got to first base. I think he’s hurt a lot worse than I know or even suspected. If he is, I tip my hat for playing everyday.

I’m not sure what to make of JV. His velocity seemed pretty good but I’m not sure about his pitch selection. It looked like when he shook Holaday off, he paid for it.

Oh, well, I’ll take the W.

Rays 1 Tigers 0

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I’d be more open to “tipping my hat” to the other pitcher if this didn’t happen so often. That being said, both pitchers threw a gem this afternoon. So hat’s off to both Alex Cobb and David Price

David Price was smokin balls. He pitched a complete game and allowed only one unearned run and got a loss for his effort.

The Tigers had chances to score but couldn’t come through with a big at-bat. The top of the seventh with Torii on third, and one out, comes to mind.

I wasn’t back on the bandwagon after the first two wins so I’m not that disappointed by today’s loss.

The Royals could be on a run like the Colorado Rockies were on in 2007.

We’ll see.

Oh yea, up yours Nathan you shit bird!

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