Dailies

Angles 2 Tigers 0

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Have I mentioned how much I hate attempted steals of third base?  In the case of Rajai Davis, however, I can’t complain.  Somebody, has to try something. Had he been successful, I couldn’t have complained had he tried to steal home.  There is no sense waiting around for something that rarely comes, clutch, a run producing hit.

Watching Yoenis Cespedes hit in the clutch reminds of the Tigers – A’s playoff series.  He did nothing against the Tigers then and he’s doing nothing for the Tigers now. He swings as hard as he can on every pitch, every at bat, and hopes he connects.  Hope is not a strategy.  Kinsler nothing. Castellanos takes strikes and swings at garbage.  Even though Miggy is not as good as his numbers, nobody is going to pitch to him.  Why would they?  There is nobody else that is even going to have a good at bat.

Five road games, six runs scored.

Sanchez look good for a change. But pitching isn’t the problem is it.

Angels 12 Tigers 2

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I’m not sure what to say other than, I hate them. I’m tired of watching them. They have scored six runs in four games on this road trip. Granted they weren’t going to win this game giving up 12 runs but six runs scored in four games? Here are some observations:

Miggy doesn’t look as good as his numbers suggest. He rarely seems to drive in meaningful runs, with two-outs and the game close.

Nobody else, besides, Gose and Davis seem like they have a chance of reaching base.

Cespedes didn’t hustle after the ball hit in the corner in the fifth.

For a few innings I thought Farmer was going to settle in.

It has become very hard to watch this team every day.  They seem like they don’t care.  I need a few weeks off.

Tigers 1 A’s 0

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Not exactly an offensive explosion but I’ll take the win.  David Price was smokin’ balls. So was the pen.  I’m not sure what to say about the offense that I haven’t said 50 times already this year.  They blow. I’m glad to see Kinsler got the day off and with Romine leading the way with two hits give him another one.

Iglesias is starting to worry me.  He is very fragile.  Even the slightest contact sends him to the bench. I guess it is what it is.

A’s 4 Tigers 0

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You could feel the lack of energy from the very first at bat.  It became a matter of which pitcher was going to break first.  Unfortunately, Shane Greene imploded in the sixth and surrendered four runs.  But it didn’t really matter.  This game was over before it started. It could have gone 20 innings and I doubt the Tigers would have scored even with the A’s defense trying to help them out with three errors.  Nope, every time the A’s made an error the Tigers gave it back with a double play. How many double plays are they going to hit into this year?  It was an odious display of offensive ineptitude. Not only was there not a hard hit ball, I don’t think there was a good at bat, or at least too few to remember. It is games like these that make me wonder if this team is good enough to finish at .500

Astros 10 Tigers 8

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Sanchez can’t be allowed to give up the tying home run. I’m not saying things would have worked out any differently because on queue, just as I start to praise them, the pen collapses. But Ausmus has to take some blame for leaving Anibal in too long. I know he looked good in innings two through six but look at his season in total.  Pitching against any team other than the Twins he has been an abomination.  And his home runs allowed have been staggering.  This was was a tough loss to swallow.

I’m willing to bet that this is the worst four game series of Ian Kinsler’s career, all things considered.  At the plate he finished 1-17, including a triple play and a least one couple play. On defense he did make a nice play or two but was also responsible for two unearned runs. But looking at more than this series he still doesn’t have a home run and I’m beginning to think he needs to move down in the lineup.  Someone hitting in the second spot needs to get on base in front of Miggy, to state the obvious.

Astros 3 Tigers 2

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Ian Kinsler has had two games which can only be described as a nightmare.  Yesterday, he made an error that cost the Tigers two unearned runs and took an 0-4. Fortunately, J.D Martinez was able to bail him out. This afternoon, he wasn’t so lucky. He made a nice defensive play early but then completely demoralized the team by grounding into a game killing triple play in the fifth.  That’s right.  A TRIPLE PLAY!

Kinsler has been very disappointing this year.  It is time for the big money guys to start earning their money.

Speaking of big money, where in the sam hell is Verlander? How pissed would you be if you were paying a guy $30 million a year to do nothing? Every time I see hime in the dugout I want to puke.

It is time for me to tip my hat to the Amazing, Everyday Al. Nobody has been harder on him than me.  But he has been fantastic lately. He pitched an inning an two thirds and struck out four.

The pen is smokin’ balls!

It would be nice to get a series win tomorrow.

Tigers 6 Astros 2

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For the the third game in a row, a third clutch hit, a third unexpected, clutch performer. Tonight it was J.D. Martinez who hit a three-run homer to put the Tigers in the lead and bail Ian Kinsler out whose error in the top of the third lead to two unearned runs.

Kinsler had a bad night.  He was 0-4 to go along with his error.

Alfredo Simon picked up his fifth win and pitched well allowing no earned runs in seven complete.

Joba didn’t even look too bad today.

Somehow I’m feeling better than I did a few days ago although I’d feel a lot better if Miggy would start getting some clutch, two-out, RBIs.  But compared to where this team was on Wednesday, I’ll take it.

They still hit into to too many double plays.

Tigers 6 Astros 5

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Hmmm, I’m sitting there thinking, in the bottom of the 11th, ‘isn’t it time for Miggy to get a clutch hit’? I guess I always blame him when things go wrong.  But, then for the second straight game, an un-expected hero emerged, this time it was James McCann. He hit a solo shot to end the game in the 11th after the Tigers blew a five run lead.

By the way, where is Alex Avila playing when he gets back?

This is going to sound strange coming from my fingers but this pen is smokin balls.  Especially, Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy.  The only weak link is Joba and I’m not going to jump on Soria, it is one blown save.

For the record, I like the five and six run Tigers much better than the two-run Tigers.

Tigers 5 Brewers 2

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I was fuming.  Another crappy performance by the two-run Tigers.  They’re asking too much from this pitching staff! From any pitching staff. Then it happened. Finally. From a most unexpected source. Nick “The Quick” Castellanos. A highly touted third baseman who has done virtually nothing in his sophomore season delivered the hit I have been waiting for.  A clutch, two-out, run producing, triple.  Finally, a lead.  A three run cushion.

Soria closes the ninth.

Isn’t this how it is supposed to work?

Brewers 8 Tigers 1

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Forty games into the season and what I see isn’t good.  Today marked the 19th time that the two-run Tigers scored two runs or less. Anibal was a nightmare but lets focus on a bright spot this year, the bull pen.  The pen is number one in overall era and runners stranded.  If you had told me that at the beginning of the season I would have thought that the Tigers would be 8 games up. Don’t look now but the White Sox have won six in a row. It is not impossible that the Tigers will finish behind Kansas City, Minnesota, and Chicago and in front of only Cleveland.  Another bit of good news is that Victor went on the 15 day DL. I know I’m reaching but this team is hard to watch.