Baseball

Royals 5 Tigers 2

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After scoring 16 runs the first game of the series the Tigers scored just five the final two games.  As a result, they lost the weekend series and the season series to the Royals.

As we have noted here several times, the Tigers cannot manufacture runs.  When they are not pounding the ball it is difficult for them to score.  It is difficult for them to win.  Couple that with sub-par pitching 3 of the last 4 games and we have a recipe for disaster.

I know, statistically, the Tigers have the best offense in baseball.  However, these numbers are skewed.  The Tigers put up huge numbers in a game or two and then do relatively little for the next week.  If we take this series with the Royals, the Tigers scored 21 runs in 3 games for an average of 7 runs per game.  But like Mark Twain said, “there are lies, damn lies and statistics.”  Upon closer examination we see the real picture.  16 runs the first game, 3 runs the second and 2 runs in the third.  If we take just the last two games, the Tigers only scored 2.5 runs per, hardly enough to win.

The Tigers have gotten away with streaky offense most of this season but that was due in large part to the pitching.  But now the pitching needs to be picked up and the offense can’t find a way to score with consistency.

The Tigers have positioned themselves to win with a specific formula, pitching, defense, and homers.  When any of these three elements are lacking the Tigers struggle to win.

In the first game of this series Tigers announcer Rod Allen marveled at how the Tigers continued to grind out at bats with the score well in hand.  Over the last two games, we didn’t see a lot of grinding, unless you count grinding to a halt.

Alex Avila threw out Lorenzo Cain, the second consecutive base runner the Tigers have thrown out, in the second inning.  Iggy hit a homer in the 3rd to give the Tigers the lead but that was about all there was to cheer about for Tigers fans today.

Much like JV, I’m not sure what to make of this team, but my hope of the 29 year drought coming to an end this season is fading, and fast.

Let’s see what they can do in Chicago.

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

Royals 4 Tigers 3

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It would have been nice to save some hits and runs from yesterday to use today but I guess that’s not the way it works.  After a 16 run, 26 hit attack last night the Tigers could manage only 3 runs on 5 hits tonight.  I know, you can’t expect 26 hits every game but I was hoping the Tigers’ offense would go on a roll similar to roll the Red Sox have been on since tagging the Tigers with 20 runs on Wednesday.

The Tigers had chances but couldn’t get a big hit from someone not named Miguel Cabrera.  With two out in the 5th and the bases loaded Miggy walked to drive in the tying run.  This brought Prince to the plate with a chance to do major two out damage but popped out to third to end the inning.

JV was disappointing again tonight.  Whatever his issues are I have lost all hope of getting them solved this season.  It has gotten hard to watch him pitch.  Even in games where his final line doesn’t look too bad it seems like every inning is a struggle.  His final line tonight was 7 innings, 8 hits, 4 earned, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk and 114 pitches thrown.  The 114 gives him an average of 16.3 pitches per inning.  Of his seven innings pitched he got the Royals 1-2-3 only twice, in the 2nd and 7th.  Maybe I’ve just gotten spoiled with Verlander’s last few seasons but something looks off with him.

One good takeaway from tonight’s game is that the Tigers finally threw out a base runner.  In the bottom of the first Brayan Pena threw out Emilio Bonifacio trying to steal second.  I believe this is the first base runner the Tigers have thrown out in the last 26 attempts not counting last night’s pick off.

The Tigers have Fister on the mound tomorrow against Tigers’ nemesis Bruce Chen.  The Tigers need a win tomorrow to win this three game series and tie the season series with the Royals.

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

Tigers Dust Royals

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Overshadowing the big news today, that the Tigers fired Charlie Marcuse, the Singing Hot Dog Vendor, the Tigers did the thrashing tonight as the they took out some frustration on the Royals’ pitching staff.  What makes this game impressive is that the Tigers put a beating on the the Royals’ ace, Big Game James Shields, who shut the Tigers out the last time he faced them at Comerica Park.

Andy Dirks had a nice night in front of his friends and family.  However, in the 3rd inning, with the bases loaded, nobody out, and the Tigers up 5-1, Dirksy got himself picked off of 3rd base.  When we look back at this game, this bone headed play isn’t that big of a deal, but it could have been and could be if it happens in the future.  In fact, after Dirks got picked off, the Tigers went out quietly and didn’t tack on any runs that inning.  It kind of felt like the momentum was changing.  Luckily, Emilio Bonifacio led off the the bottom of the third with a single and returned the favor by getting himself picked off of first.

The Tigers were able to pound their way around this miscue, today, but it was still a horrible play that could have been devastating in a different situation.

How in the sam hell do you get picked off of third with nobody out?  Are you just not paying attention?  Where are you going?  And further, what was The Windmill doing?

I don’t want to rain on Dirksy’s parade, but if I were Jim Leyland, he would have been yanked after that bout of cerebral cramping.

Anyway, I’ve been sick all week so I’m going to bed with the Tigers winning 15-1 in the top of the 8th.  Like my good friend Nebraska says, “if they blow it, I don’t want to be around to see it”.

Till tomorrow.

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

The Singing Hot Dog Man is Done!

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In one of the biggest moves of the season the Tigers have sent the Singing Hot Dog Man, Charlie Marcuse, packing.  That’s right, the Tigers fired Charlie.  Well, not technically, the food vendor Sportservice did the dirty work for Tigers so they can claim ignorance or innocence or whatever.

I’m a season ticket holder and at first I didn’t care for Charlie but as I got to know him I got to like him a lot.  He is a nice, decent human being and I always waited for him to come around to buy hot dogs.

I’m not sure what issues the Tigers had with Charlie but I can’t believe getting rid of him was so important.  Perhaps bullpen or catching help would have been more useful.

I’m not sayin, I’m just saying.

Here is a link to the Detroit News story.

Hat Tip to Sark for showing me the article.

Good Luck Charlie!

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

By The Numbers

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John Lowe at the FREEP has another article today documenting two things that we’ve been talking about here at Flashin Leather, the Tigers lack or a run defense and the struggles of the Amazing Al.

Al Alburquerque has played a prominent postseason role in each of his first two seasons with the Tigers. It remains to be seen if he will do any important pitching in any potential postseason games this October.

The right-handed reliever gave up two homers in Boston on Wednesday night and has allowed five this season. He never gave up a regular-season homer in his first two seasons.

His ERA is 5.58. That’s up from 1.87 in his rookie season. It’s up from 0.68 last year, when he appeared in fewer than 10 regular-season games because of elbow surgery.

But most notably, Alburquerque has not been throwing his best pitch, the slider, for strikes consistently.

Keep reading here.

Thanks again to Nebraska for pointing this article out.

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

The Incredible Iggy

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OK, I know it is a small sample, but Jose Iglesias has become my favorite Tigers player.  In fact, he is officially my second favorite active player behind former Tiger Curtis Granderson.  (I can’t help it.  I’ll always like Curtis and I hope to see him back in a Tigers uniform next year.)

But I digress. Besides Iggy’s glove, he has hit a lot better than I was told to expect.  Also, he brings dimensions to the game the Tigers are lacking, spark and speed.  Both of these attributes were displayed in yesterday’s game, before the pitching staff started throwing batting practice,

In the top of the 3rd, with one out, and Tigers offense pretty much silent for the first few innings, Iggy laid down a bunt single.  Austin Jackson followed with a single and Iggy did what the Tigers as a team have a hard time doing, he went from first to third on a base hit and came around to score on Prince’s homer.

In the top of the 4th with the game tied at 3, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out.  Iggy hit a double play ball to third baseman Will Middlebrooks but was able to beat the relay.  Iggy’s hustle allowed Don Kelly to score the go ahead run.  These are two plays that the rest of team just doesn’t make.

So as a little tribute to Iggy, I found this highlight video from 2012.

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

John Lowe – Speed

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Hat Tip to Nebraska for pointing this article out.

It appears John Lowe of the Freep dot com has come to the same conclusion readers of this blog have come to.  Namely, the biggest problem the Tigers have is their inability to throw out runners.

On a night when the Tigers set a team record for home runs allowed in a game with eight, the significant question that emerged nonetheless dealt not with power, but with speed:

If there is a Tigers-Red Sox playoff series next month, could the Tigers lose because of their inability to prevent stolen bases?

Ominously, that inability is what allowed the East-leading Red Sox to score the run that put them ahead to stay in a 20-4 thumping of the Central-leading Tigers on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

Keep reading here.

The part of the Tigers’ inability to throw runners out that baffles me is that they don’t have ANYBODY that can shut down the running game.  Can all the blame go to the pitching staff?  Are they that bad at holding runners close?  It seems to me that the catchers have to start sharing the blame. Avila, Holaday, Pena, none of them can throw anybody out.

Perhaps speed defense should have been addressed at the trade deadline.

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

THRASHED!

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The Red Sox put a beating on the Tigers tonight the likes of which I haven’t seen in a long time.

Rick Porcello was absolutely awful.  He gave up three home runs, walked four, allowed 9 runs, 8 earned in only 5 innings of work.

Not be outdone were the Amazing Al and Jeremy Bonderman.  These two looked like they were a) throwing batting practice b) auditioning to pitch in next year’s home run derby or c) auditioning for the independent league.  My guess is that it was a combination of the three.

It took the Amazing Al two pitches to wipe Ricky’s slate clean and start one of his own. After “relieving” Porcello in the 6th with the bases loaded, Will Middlebrooks took Amazing Al’s second pitch and hit a grand slam over the Green Monster.

Jeremy Bonderman “relieved” the Amazing Al and tried to make us forget how horrible Alburquerqe was.  It didn’t work.

I don’t have the words to describe this abomination.

I guess the only good thing to come out of this game is that Jim Leyland has a pretty good idea who won’t be coming out of the bullpen should the Tigers make the post season.

Did I mention, Iggy got hurt and left the game with bilateral shin splints?

Unfortunately, when Miggy grounded out to short last night with the bases loaded the opportunity for the Tigers to win their first series in Boston since August of 2006 went out the window.  The pitching absolutely imploded.

The only thing we can do is try to forget this one and look at trying to win a series this weekend in Kansas City.

It won’t be easy.

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