Detroit Tigers

Tigers Win, Kinsler Gets Picked Off Again

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In a previous post, I wrote about Steve Chilton’s speech at the annual dinner held by the Detroit Baseball Society. Chilton started off his speech with a story about his mother who passed away over the summer.  He said he was called to the hospital late at night because his mother wasn’t doing well.  When he arrived he sat next to his mother’s bed who was sleeping.  Sometime early in the morning his mother awoke and said to him, ‘Kinlser got picked off again.”

Those were her last words.

Last season Kinsler made a habit of getting picked off of first base.  Yesterday afternoon, he graduated to getting picked off of second base.  Kinsler doubled with one out, in the top of the ninth, and then was promptly picked off of second base.  Let’s hope this doesn’t continue.

I’m not holding my breath.

Tigers 8 Mariners 7

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Nice win and a needed win.  After losing the last three to Kansas City the Tigers could ill afford to lose their first game in the home-stand.

Justin Upton came through with two home runs including the walk-off in the bottom of the 12th.  If they Tigers are going to keep their heads above water they are going to need J-UP to stay hot.

Iggy scared me at short.  He made an error and almost booted another ball in the 11th.

Did anybody else notice that Upton almost missed the plate on his walk-off?

JMC and J-UP both had CONNIPTION SHOTS!

I have to tip my hat to the bullpen.  I don’t like the Tigers’ chances  battle of the pens but they pitched well tonight.

Pelfrey was bad.

Royals 2 Tigers 1

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Well, losing the last three games in a row is never good, but the Tigers finished this road trip 4-6.  Not great, but not terrible considering the abominations that were the previous two road trips.

Zimmerman pitched well but the Tigers couldn’t hit.  Even after they got the devastating Chris Young out of the game, who historically dominates the Tigers, the bats couldn’t do anything.  Unfortunately given the state of the bullpen, I don’t like their chances in extra inning games.

Hopefully, they can have a good home-stand.  It won’t be easy with Seattle and Cleveland coming into town.

The J.D. injury may be devastating.

White Sox 10 Tigers 9

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This game was like watching a train wreck.  When the Sox started chipping away I knew this game was lost.  I guess we can give K-ROD a pass, he had converted 19 in a row but this one is going to leave a mark.

I thought Brad Ausmus had a good game in the losing effort.  I liked the suicide squeeze with Iggy and Salty to extend the lead to 9-7 and I liked leaving Nick “The Quick” in the game in the late innings. There was not much he could do about the pitching, I thought he made the right moves at the right time, it just didn’t work out.

I often call Robin Ventura the dumbest manager in baseball but I have to give him and Big Game Jame Shields credit.  The Tigers were beating Big Game James into a conniption but Ventura left him in the game and he ended up giving the White Sox five innings and a chance to win.  This is the type of move that can turn Shields’ season around, not good news for the Tigers.

Anyway, Hat Tip to Robin Ventura and James Shields and Brad Ausmus.

 

Blue Jays 7 Tigers 2

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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.

BIG WIN! Tigers 3 Blue Jays 2

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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?