Year: 2014

Giants 8 Pirates 0

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I was hoping the Jolly Roger would be raised but it didn’t happen.

The Giants beat the Pirates into a conniption. Leading the way was Madison Bumgarner who tossed a complete game, shut out.

I wanted the Giants gone. Have I mentioned I hate them? Whether the Tigers win or not, I don’t want those jackasses winning. But they look good. All of the sudden Fat Panda and Hunter Pence are taking pitches and working walks? WTF?

FYI: None of the afternoon commentators on MLB Network have picked the Tigers. Everyone of them has the Orioles beating the Tigers and going to the World Series.

Nebraska, I’m surprised, yet again, at the Vegas lines. The Tigers on the road $-113?

As you can probably tell by the time-stamp of this post, I’m excited for tomorrow.

Royals 9 A’s 8

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This may have been the best baseball game I ever saw.

It was supposed to be a low scoring, pitcher’s duel, but neither Big Game James Shields or John Lester were on their game. Or maybe it was just time for both of those offenses to break out.

Lester pitched into the eight but in the end he was charge with six earned runs.

I thought the Royals were done at 7-3.

I thought the Royals were done at 8-7.

When the A’s scored in the top of the 12th I thought that was it. I figured the Royals had squandered too many chances to win it. I was wrong. They just kept scratching out runs.

I’m interested to see the Royals – Angels series.

Tigers 3 Twins 0

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It took 162 games but the Tigers clinched their fourth consecutive America League Central Division title.

This game was won by Price and Kinsler.

The Tigers needed a big start and they got it. Price was smokin’ balls. He pitched 7.1 innings of shutout baseball.

The atmosphere at Comerica Park was extremely tense. Very few batters had good at-bats but Kinsler was 3-4 and drove in two of the three runs.

Miggy’s first two at-bats were two of the worst I’ve every seen from him.

This season wasn’t pretty but the Tigers, flaws and all, are in the post-season. I’m not sure what to expect but I guess anything can happen.

I hope the A’s beat the Royals into a conniption. I’ve developed a deep dislike for KC and the Twins. And the White Sox for that matter.

Twins 11 Tigers 4

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Uh oh!

This game was over before it started. I don’t know what is up with Freeway Ricky but he has been horrible lately. Not only is he giving up hits but the extra base hits, double and home-runs, is very concerning. That being said, he didn’t get much help from Rajai Davis or Nick Castellanos.

On the first pitch of the game, Danny Santana hit a long fly ball to straight-away center field. Davis came in, then went back, then turned the wrong way. Santana ended up on second. A good center fielder would have made the catch.

If the Tigers make it past the wild-card game, Castellanos cannot start at third. He is an abomination. He is directly responsible for four of the Twins’ eleven runs yesterday. He isn’t doing anything at the plate either. In fact, the Tigers aren’t getting much from the 6,7 or 8 hitters.

I have a bad feeling the Tigers’ season is going to be over Tuesday. The Royals are not going to lose to the White Sox and I’m not sure the Tigers will win the last two against the Twins.

I hope I’m wrong.

Tigers 4 Twins 2

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I’m pretty sure I’ve never said this before, the Tigers bullpen was smokin balls. It worked out just the way it was scripted. Soria, Chamberlain and Nathan pitched the final 9 outs and got them in order.

Max was pretty good. He had an elevated pitch count but last six complete and got his 18th win.

I was listening to the White Sox broadcast on the way home from the game. For what it’s worth, they think the Tigers will re-sign Victor but Max is leaving. I think most Tigers fans expect Max to leave. I’m not sure about Vmart. I’m usually not in favor of singing older players but this could be an exception.

The Royals won’t go away. They beat the White Sox 6-3.

Tigers 6 White Sox 1

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That’s why they play the games. I had this chalked up as a loss when I saw the pitching match-up. That shows how much I know.

I have not said this very often in the last two years; JV was smokin balls. I thought I was time warped back to 2011. He out pitched that sack of garbage Chris Sale.

Until the sixth inning, I was a Sale for CY Young booster, but anybody that can be that stupid doesn’t deserve to win it.

Like Nebraska says, ‘you can’t fix stupid.”

Just when I think Miggy is back he K’s four times. WTF?

Hat tip to J.D. and Rajai, they led the offensive charge this afternoon.

The Tigers are in first for another day.

Twins tomorrow.

Tigers 4 White Sox 3

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The Tigers have held onto first place for another day.

The offense is still MIA. Although they scored four runs, the White Sox tried to give them a big inning in the 7th, but the Tigers refused to take it. That being said, they had a 3-0 lead going into the top of the 9th.

I have to give a partial hat tip to Brad Ausmus. He left David Price pitch in the 9th until the game was tied. I would have done the same thing. Did he have a choice? During BA’s first trip to the mound I thought Price looked winded but a winded David Price is better than ANY option out of the pen.

I only gave BA a partial hat tip because of his unnatural love affair with Joe Nathan. Was Nathan his only option? What in the sam hell did the Tigers acquire Soria for? I rarely see him warm up. This would have been the perfect opportunity to see what Soria is. It wasn’t a save situation so he could have explained away his decision not to bring in his “closer”.

I don’t get it.

I feel bad for Price in that he lost his shutout and win. He was smokin balls all game and in the 9th he just got unlucky.

In the end, despite the lack of relief pitching, suspect defense and inconsistent offense, the Tigers still have Miguel Cabrera. And he might be getting healthy.

On another note, Avisail Garcia continues to the hurt the Tigers. Last year, his off the field shenanigans got Miggy hurt for the stretch, today he drives in two runs in the top of the 9th in a game the Tigers had to have. As far as the Tigers are concerned, Garcia is a low-grade infection that keeps flaring up.

They had to have this game and they got it.

White Sox 2 Tigers 0

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Not this again. Just when I was starting to praise the offense they play a game like this.

Ian Kinsler was a one man offense sabotage unit. He was 0-4, reached on an error in the first, was promptly thrown out trying to steal second. Then he killed a rally by bouncing into a double play in the third.

To show you the sorry state of affairs, the Tigers lead-off man, Kinsler, is hitting .273. His OBP is .305 and he has struck out 77 times. The worst part is, he’s the best the Tigers have.

A great outing by Kyle Lobstein went to waste and to make matters worse, the Royals won.

Royals 5 Tigers 2

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I know they can’t win them all but today was very disappointing. It almost looks like they took the day off.

Freeway Ricky was very disappointing. It seems he has the same ailment that David Price has, one good start, one bad start. I’ve noticed that Ricky doesn’t do a good job of adapting. If he gets ambushed early, it doesn’t seem like he has a plan b. For that matter, shouldn’t Jeff Jones have a plan b?

The offense blew today.

Basically, the Tigers got what they deserved, a loss. One hundred and fifty five games into the season, nothing is settled in the Central.