Month: September 2014

Twins 8 Tigers 4

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Is this team better since the David Price trade?

Every Other Start Price was horrible today.

In crunch time the starters have decided to pack it in. The strength of this team has become another weakness. The best Tigers starters down the stretch have been Freeway Ricky and Kyle Lobstein. JV, Scherzer, and Price, have been bad.

I can’t complain at all about the offense, except for Kinsler, they have been mashing the ball but what was Hunter doing in the seventh? The Tigers got away with bad base running on the home stand but it shot them in the foot today.

As much as it hurts me to say, this team doesn’t deserve to make the playoffs.

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Twins 4 Tigers 3

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After absolutely sucking for eight innings, the Tigers offense, behind J.D. Martinez’s three run homer, rallied to take the lead in the ninth.

The turd came on in the ninth and blew the game but did he? Readers know how little I think of Joe Nathan, and he deserves to be chastised for giving up a one out walk in the ninth, but WTF Ezequiel Carrera? If he holds Suzuki to a single there’s a chance the Twins don’t score at all.

I think this loss is the chickens coming home to roost. The turd has been getting away with walks and bad pitching for about a month. It had to catch up with him. Also, Brad Ausmus’s stupid substitutions came back to bite him as well.

I understand pinch running for Miggy but Carrera didn’t have to go in for defense. But BA insists on emptying his bench at the first opportunity.

And why take J.D. out of the game? You have a one run lead going into the ninth and you take two of your three best hitters out of the game? Are you that confident in Nathan? If you are, you’re the only one.

FYI: Since the all-star break, Freeway Ricky has a sub three ERA and a 3-6 record.

Tigers 8 Twins 6

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This game came down to a tale of two pitchers.  Kyle Ryan came on in the eighth to preserve a tie game when three other Tigers relievers, Chamberlain, Coke, and The Amazing Al, could record only one out and surrendered the two tying runs.  Ryan relived Alburquerque an got an inning ending double play.

In the top of the ninth, Casey Fien came in for the Twins.  On three pitches he surrendered back to back home runs to Torii Hunter and Jose Miguel Cabrera.

Joakim Soria closed the game for the Tigers in the ninth.

Max was not good tonight.  He was ok through five innings but ended up giving up four runs in seven complete.  When the offense stakes you to a six run lead you can’t leave with the game that close.

I’ll take the W.

FYI: Kansas City overcame a three run deficit to beat the White Sox 4-3

Tigers 6 Indians 4

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Another come from behind win gave the Tigers the weekend sweep of the Tribe.

JV was ok, not terrible, not good. He gave up three earned runs in five and two thirds. However, he didn’t get any help from Blaine Hardy who came in to relieve him. Hardy, allowed both inherited runners to score.

They need to limit JV to 90 pitches.

BTW: Hardy has walked six runners in his last three innings.

Speaking of walks, the turd got another save but didn’t look good doing it. He was given an three run lead. He ended up allowing a run on two hits and another WALK! I don’t think Nathan has figured anything out I think he’s just on a good run of cards. He blows! Interestingly, BA had Soria warming up when Nathan started sucking in the ninth, which was pretty much immediately.

Kinlser and J.D. Martinez led the way offensively with two RBIs each. Kinsler finally had a big hit and J.D. continues to get it done.

The Royals lost the Red Sox so the Tigers lead is one and a half games.

Tigers 5 Tribe 4

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They call him “A Squared Money”, well at least I do, and he came up big. He hit a two run, game winning homer, in the bottom of the eight that preserved the Tigers half game lead in the central.

I have been hard on Avila, especially in the middle of the season, but he’s had a knack for big hits this year. Hats off to Alex Avila.

Kyle Lobstein was ok considering this was only his 4th big league start. So far, he seems to be an adequate 5th starter.

The bullpen, Soria, Chamberlain, and Nathan got the job done, although I wanted to scream when the turd walked the leadoff man in the ninth.

The Royals dusted the Red Sox tonight.

Completing the sweep would be nice.

“We shall see.”

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Tigers 7 Indians 2

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I was wrong.

When J.D. Martinez started to struggle around the All-Star break, I thought he was proving to be the latest incarnation of Chris “Red Pop” Shelton and Brennan “B Squared Money” Boesch. I figured he had a few months in the sun but was the player the Astros cut.

I was wrong.

Besides his two-run homer and four RBIs tonight, where would the Tigers be without him?

In 107 games and 383 at-bats, Martinez is hitting .305 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs. At times, he has carried the offense, especially against the Indians.

The Royals lost for the second time in a row and Tigers have moved into first place by .5 game.

I was wrong about J.D. and glad for it.

Royals 3 Tigers 0

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Freeway Ricky just can’t get that 16th win. While he hasn’t been smokin’ balls, other than the Giants game, he’s pitched well enough win.

Yesterday, he pitched 6.2 and gave up two runs on seven hits. The problem was the offense could manage only two hits off of Big Game James Shields and nothing off of the the Royals pen.

Normally, 2 out 3 is good, but in the middle of this race, with this Tigers team, I’m not so sure.

As Nebraska says, “we shall see.”

Tigers 4 Royals 2

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Forgive me,

I have to tip my virtual hat to Joe Nathan tonight. I know he’s a turd but he looked pretty good. I wasn’t even planning to rag on him if he blew the save. He made good pitches to the first two Royals but ended up with runners on first and second and nobody out.

Nathan could have folded. I expected him to fold. He didn’t. He came back with two strikeouts and a pickoff.

Speaking of pickoffs. Thank you Jarrod Dyson! What in the sam hell were you doing? Whatever it was keep doing it.

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Tigers 9 Royals 5

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The Tigers survived JV and Joba Chamberlain and came away with a 9-5 win over the Royals.

Let’s face it, JV is bad. There is no way to sugar coat it. I know this is crazy because the bullpen is an abomination, but if Verlander is going to continue to start, he needs to be pulled after six innings, if he makes it that far. I’ve heard all kinds of stats about how a pitcher’s ERA explodes in the 6th year when logging so many innings and Verlander falls into this statistic. If his arm has too many innings on it, then it is time to limit the number going forward. Keeping him out there into the seventh is not doing anybody any good.

The inning that really annoyed me today was the third. The Tigers put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second then JV comes out in the third and gives them back? HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hat’s off to the offense. They put up nine runs today. Castellanos let the way with two RBIs and Hunter had three hits. Miggy was 2-5 and got is 101st RBI.

I’ll take the win but this pitching situation has to be sorted out.

Tigers 6 Giants 1

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Where would the Tigers be without Kyle Lobstein? He’s only made three starts but they have come at critical times and he has come through strong each time. I wish some of the regular starters were as consistent.

Behind Lobstein the Tigers were able to avoid another sweep at the hands of the Giants.

What’s up with Miggy? He has five home-runs in the last week. I can’t believe he’s feeling that much better but I’d rather not look a gift horse in the mouth.

I’ll take the W.