I generally don’t like to see fights in baseball but I have to give both Manny Machado and Yordano Ventura credit. They weren’t posturing, both of these guys wanted to “drop the gloves and go”, to use hockey terminology.
Month: June 2016
Blue Jays 7 Tigers 2
Well the winning steak ended at five. The Blue Jays pounded Jordan Zimmerman for seven runs. He didn’t have it today.
The home-stand was great, The Tigers went 5-2. I’m glad I wasn’t betting these games because it was a home-stand of surprises.
I didn’t think the Tigers would win the matchup on Saturday, Pelfrey against Sale. I didn’t like the Sanchez/Boyd matchup yesterday and I would have bet the farm on Zimmerman against R.A. Dickey this afternoon. I guess that shows how much I know, or don’t.
It is back to the road and let’s hope it is better than the last two.
Nick Castellanos | Flashin’ Leather
I can’t find a video format that this blog will support, so here’s the link to MLB.
Miguel Cabrera | Conniption Shot
This normally wouldn’t qualify as a Conniption Shot. However, three things make it so. First, I’m the editor of this blog. Second, the game circumstances. Third, Jose Miguel Cabrera is that damn good.
BIG WIN! Tigers 3 Blue Jays 2
I haven’t seen a comeback win like this in a long time.
For eight innings the Tigers could do nothing with Aaron Sanchez. He struck out 10 and allowed one hard hit ball, a double off of the bat of Justin Upton. That all changed in the ninth.
Iggy led off the ninth with a single. Kinlser doubled him in. Romine, playing in place of Maybin, IMHO a questionable move, bunted Kinsler to third. Then Jose Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate. Miggy didn’t look good in his first three at-bats but when Jays reliever Osuna came up and in on the Big Man, I had a feeling the deal was done. Two pitches after the brushback, Miggy launched a one hop double off of the center field wall to drive in Kinsler and tie the game.
Hat Tips go to Ian Kinsler for driving in the first and winning runs, Tigers starter Matt Boyd and relievers Shane Greene, Blaine Hardy and Bobby Parnell for keeping the game close. Also, a huge Hat Tip to Nick “The Quick” Castellanos for flashin’ leather at third. I dare say, Nick has improved considerably in the field.
Five in a row!
Sweep tomorrow?
Tigers 11 Blue Jays 0
Michael Fulmer, again, was smokin’ balls! The offense did their part scoring 11 runs.
What is interesting about the Tigers’ offense is that it is scoring runs with little contribution from Jose Miguel Cabrera.
Miggy is slumping right now and I’m getting a bit concerned. He never seems to struggle this late in the season. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
It looks like Justin Upton and James McCann are perking up at the plate which is good news and Cameron Maybin and Ian Kinsler are doing what they do.
Right now, things look good, let’s see how the rest of this series goes and what they do on the road.
One game over .500 isn’t too bad right now.
Tigers 5 White Sox 2
The Tigers completed the sweep of the White Sox on Sunday with a 5-2 win at Comerica Park.
This team seems to be Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde and it seems to coincide with whether they are at home or not. They seem to play well at home and not so well on the road.
What I really liked about this series is that they beat Chris Sale on Tuesday afternoon. Sale is a perennial Cy Young candidate but they found a way to beat him.
More good news, Zimmerman, Pelfrey and JV all pitched well.
Let’s see what happens with the Blue Jays in town.
Yankees 5 Tigers 4
What might have been;
- If Upton didn’t get thrown out at the plate in 8th?
- If J.D Martinez didn’t hit into a double play in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded and nobody out?
- If there was a fourth hit in Miggy’s bat?
But those things did happen and the Tigers start out their home-stand with a loss.
Here come the White Sox.
Update 1:03 am 6/3/2016; Ok, I don’t get it. The Tigers sent Kyle Ryan down to AAA. He pitched 2/3s scoreless last night and has a 3.10 ERA. What am I missing?
Tigers 3 Angels 0
The Tigers were able to salvage one game in Anaheim, and two on the road trip, thanks to Michael Fulmer and Francisco Rodriguez.
Fulmer was smokin’ balls and K-Rod finished off the game with a four out save.
Even if K-Rod couldn’t save the game I thought Brad Ausmus made the right move in bringing him in for an extended save. Really, what other option did he have, Mark Lowe?
The offense sucked, this game should have been a blowout but nobody could deliver the knockout blow.
Miggy looks bad, again. I’m not sure what his story is this year.
In other news, Anibal Sanchez has been removed from the rotation and sent to the pen. Although, I agree with Sark, I’m not sure what he’s going to do there.
Oh well, a win is a win, and they’re home tomorrow for the makeup game with the Yankees.
Angels 11 Tigers 9
This one is going to leave a mark!
Down 9-2, the Tigers offense came all the way back to tie the score at 9, then Mark Lowe entered the game.
THE END.
Ok, so yesterday I was critical of Ausmus, I thought he should have taken JV out of the game in the 8th on Monday. His pitches were up in the zone and the bottom of the order were hitting the ball hard. However, had he gone to the pen, the result probably would have been the same.
In yesterday’s game, I don’t think there was anything Ausmus could have done. The bullpen is an abomination and Anibal Sanchez is worse. Sanchez has to come out of the rotation, but replace him with whom? Mark Lowe can’t come pitch in close games, if at all anymore, but what do you do with him and who replaces him? Sanchez to the bullpen? Lowe DFA?
I’m not sure Buck Farmer is an answer to either the pen or the rotation.
This is ugly.
Flashin' Leather 