Baseball

White Sox 2 Tigers 0

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers ,

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

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , ,

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.

Tigers 3 Royals 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , ,

The Tiger survived terrible fielding by Ian Kinsler and Eugenio Suarez, and terrible relief from Joba and the turd, and squeezed out a narrow victory in KC.

The win increased the Tigers lead to 2.5 games in the AL Central.

A few things to note:

  1. I think this is the first time I’ve seen a starting pitcher, who wasn’t injured, ask to come out of a game. Is Scherzer just playing for his contract as it has been suggested on this site? It appears so,. For as horrible as JV has been I have never seen him ask to come out of a game. In fact, JV reminds me of Jack Morris, who had a conniption anytime he was removed.
  2. I’m starting to like Tyler Collins.
  3. I’m beginning to question the value of replay. Baseball headquarters said that the play where Perez didn’t tag up was not reviewable. Really? Why?
  4. Romine has to be the regular shortstop. Neither he nor Suarez is much of a hitter, but Suarez looks like an asshat in the field.

Joba and Nathan were not good. That’s why the Tigers need the starters to go as deep into games as humanly possible. Any started that would willingly give way to this bullpen deserves his fate.

How long is this team going to sick with Nathan? Does he have cost the Tigers a Pennant or World Series for BA and DD to admit they made a mistake?

WTF?

Tigers 10 Royals 1

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , ,

The Tigers dusted KC. There’s no other way to say it.

The offense put up 10 runs and JV looked pretty good.

The only thing I can’t figure out is why JV seemed to be mad at Johnny Giavotella for going to 3rd on a fly ball? Wtf? Was he supposed to stay put to preserve his shutout? I don’t get it.

This is a nice win. I’ll take it.

Sent from my iPad

Twins 8 Tigers 4

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , ,

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.

Sent from my iPad

Twins 4 Tigers 3

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , ,

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

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , ,

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

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

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

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , ,

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.”

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 7 Indians 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , ,

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.