Detroit Tigers

White Sox Thrash Tigers 11-4

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This was a very strange game.  The offense looked sluggish, which was not all that surprising, considering it was the first home game after a long road trip.

I thought JV looked good for 7 innings.  The odd thing about this start was that Verlander kept getting the first two outs in the inning but then surrendered hits to extend the innings.  I don’t think he had a 1-2-3 inning but through 7 had allowed only 1 run on 100 pitches with 3 strike outs.

With the score tied at 1, I was a little surprised to see JV come out for the 8th.  Especially, with Rios and Dunn coming up.  Dunn hadn’t done much but Rios had a single and a triple off of Verlander.  As the 8th started, Coke was warming up in the bullpen.  I figured Leyland would let JV pitch to Rios and then bring Coke in to face the leftie Dunn.  But that wasn’t the case.

Rios led off with a single.  I looked to the dugout, no Leyland.  Rios stole second.  No Leyland.  Dunn homered to right.  No Leyland.  JV was left in for two more hitters.  He left the game not having recorded an out in the 8th, having surrendered 3 runs, and responsible for the runners at first and third.

Alburquerque steps to the hill to relieve JV and continued his Toledo Mud Hens audition, that began in earnest a few days ago in Cleveland, and promptly served up a three run homer to Dayan Viciedo.

By the time the top of the 8th was over, the Sox had scored 7 runs, blowing the game wide open.

JV’s final line looks horrible.  He pitched 7 plus and gave up 5 earned raising his era to 3.71.

I just don’t get it.  I’m usually the first one to scream about letting pitchers go out for another inning, but his was insane.  Perhaps the bullpen was depleted and JV was just a sacrificial lamb?  I think this was a horrible thing to do, not only to JV, but to any pitcher.  I feel like Leyland hung JV out to dry.  Perhaps the Tigers still would have lost but JV deserved a better fate.

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

Big Win! Nice Road Trip!

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With their 4-2 win tonight over the Indians the Tigers ended a nice road trip that started dismally.

After losing 3 of the first four games on this trip, on the heels of a three game home sweep at the hands of the Angels, the Tigers won 6 of the last 7 to end the longest road trip of the season with a 7-4 record.

Max Scherzer went 7 strong innings, allowing only 2 earned runs, but got a no decision.

The game was tied at 2 going into the 10th.  The Indians were 5-0 in extra inning games, while the Tigers were 2-9.

Even with the recent success, I wasn’t optimistic about ending the Indians’ extra inning winning streak, but I was wrong,  With two out in the 10th, and Cabrera and Fielder on, Victor Martinez hit his second double of the game, driving in 2 and giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead.  Benoit made the runs hold up in the bottom of the 10th and Tigers came away with 7 wins on the 11 game road trip.

Although there wasn’t a lot of offense, the fact that the Tigers scored late to win, is a good sign as their late inning struggles have been well documented.

Since I was ready to run Victor Martinez out of town a week or so ago, he’s made me eat my words.  He has come alive with a 10 game hitting streak and upped his average to .245.  Perhaps, the Tigers do have a five hitter?

A few other notes:

1) TCH got is 20th save tonight.

2) I think a case can be made for Smyly to make the all star team.

3) I’m voting for Benoit.  He’s never made an ASG so I’d like to help get him to one.

4) The White Sox are in town tomorrow with JV on the hill.  Let’s hope we see the JV that pitched in Toronto.

5) I wish JL had left Tuiasosopo in instead of bringing in Dirks late in the game.

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

Back on the Bandwagon…

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Even with the loss today, I’m back on the bandwagon.  After losing 6 of 7 the Tigers won five in a row and everything looked good.  Good starting pitching, good offense, good bullpen.

Today, Fister got roughed up and the Alburquerque was a boon but I like how the Tigers battled back to tie the game after falling behind early.

What’s even more impressive is that the offense scored late, 2 in the 7th then three in the 8th.  Unfortunately one third of an inning from Alburquerque prevented the Tigers from six in a row and a road, sweep of the Indians.

I had planned to write about each game this weekend, while I was in Vegas, but my bluetooth key board for my iPad ran out of juice and I didn’t have the charger for it.

On a different note, was anybody else a little surprised that JV made the All-Star team?

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

A Pulse?

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The Tigers rallied tonight beating the Blue Jays 7-6 on an 8th INNING, MANUFACTURED RUN.

It didn’t look good early.  The Blue Jays ambushed Doug Fister and the Tigers for 6 runs after their first 13 batters.

The Jays scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first and it looked like a short night for Fister and the Tigers.  But the Tiger offense stormed back with 6 in the top of the 2nd to to take the lead, a lead that was short lived.

Doug Fister gave up a two run homer to Colby Rasmus in the bottom of the 2nd and it was looking like the same old story.  However, Fister settled down and shut the Jays out for the next 4 innings.  His final line doesn’t look good, but he was able to go 6 and give the Tigers a chance to win.

And, finally, in the 8th inning the Tigers did something they rarely do.  Not only did they score after the 6th, they actually manufactured the run.  Infante singled and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Alex Avila.  Infante then went to third on a long fly ball off the bat of Austin Jacskon.  Torii hunter then beat out an infield single and the Tigers had manufactured the go-ahead, winning run.

Alburquerque, Smyly and Benoit pitched the 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively, allowing no runs and giving the Tigers a much needed win.

A loss would have been their 4th in a row and 7th out of 8, but it was not to be.

Thump Thump.  Thump Thump. Do you feel a pulse?

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

A Note on Jim Leyland…

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I think it’s time for a change.  But I don’t blame Jim Leyland for the Tigers’ woes.  I think JL is a good manager and is doing the best he can with what he has.  But the Tigers need a spark and I don’t see it coming from elsewhere.

For me, it is World Series, or bust.  After 29 years, nothing but a championship will satisfy me.  I guess I’m hoping the Tigers can “catch lightning in a bottle”, similar to the way the 2003 Florida Marlins did.  After being in last place after 38 games, the Marlins fired manager Jeff Torborg and replaced him with 72 year-old Jack McKeon.  The Marlins went on to win the World Series.

I do take exception with the way Leyland is reluctant to sit “proven” players, the way he keeps putting Martinez in the 5th spot everyday despite hitting .232 with little power, for example.  But the Tigers are not struggling because of JL.  They are struggling because the bullpen is borderline horrible and the offense only plays 6 innings.

Sometimes I feel like after the offense starts out well, everybody thinks, ‘I did my job this game, let someone else do it now’.  Even Cabrera and Fielder don’t seem to have good at bats late in games.

I guess for all of my complaining a 5 game winning streak will probably get me back on the bandwagon.

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

The Tiger Ship is Taking On Water…

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and sinking fast.  The Tigers got dusted this afternoon in Toronto, 8-3.  Last year’s NL Cy Young winner, R.A. Dickey pitched 7 strong, striking out 4 and walking 1.

The Tigers got no starting pitching from Jose Alvarez who lasted only 3 innings, allowing 5 runs, 4 of them earned.

The offense looked like they were going to try to make a game of it, scoring 2 in the top of the 4th, to cut the Jays’ lead to 5-2.  But Luke Putkonen came in to relieve Alvarez in the bottom of the 4th and killed any chances the Tigers thought they might have when he gave up a three run homer to Mark DeRosa to extend the Toronto lead to 8-2.

If there were any bright spots, Omar Infante went 4 for 4 and drove in 2 of the 3 Tiger runs.

And what do you know, the Tigers finally scored a run after the 6th inning.  They got one in the top of the 9th.  Granted, it didn’t mean much but I’m grasping at straws here.

The Tigers have lost 6 of 7 and are no longer in first place, and frankly, unless something changes, I don’t expect them to be there when the season is over.

Commentors, Sark and Nebraskaknows, made excellent points in regard to yesterday’s game post.  You can’t fire or trade all of the players, so it might time for Jim Lelyland to go.  Something has to be done to shake this team up.  While I’ve been a supporter of JL’s, I’m beginning to think he has run his course.  On his way out, he can take Jeff Jones and Lloyd McClendon with him.

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

Why Victor Must Go…

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or at the very least, moved way down in the order.

Victor Martinez’s struggles this year are well documented.  After missing the entire 2012 season I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  I was will to give him 40 to 50 games to get back in a groove.  Well, 80 games into the 2013 campaign, he is showing no signs of getting into a productive groove.

He’s hitting .232 with 6 homers and 40 RBIs.  Actually, the 40 RBIs aren’t bad, that puts him 3rd on the team behind Fielder and Cabrera, and on pace for 80 this season.  But his lack of power and speed make him a severe liability.

Consider this scenario:

Victor, comes to bat with the bases empty and gets to first on a walk or a single.  Obviously, he’s no threat to steal and only a horrible wild pitch or passed ball is getting him to second so let’s leave him on first for now and using today’s lineup Dirks steps to the plate and hits a single.

Victor is not going first to third so the Dirks single puts Victor on second.

Up steps Peralta who delivers another single.  Assuming Victor is not running on the pitch, he’s probably not scoring, so now he’s at third.  The Tigers are basically playing station to station baseball with him and as a result, another hit is going to be required to score Martinez.  Add it all up and including Victor’s single, four hits are going to be required to score him. (Also, how many times have the Tigers had four hits in one inning this season?  I haven’t researched it, but I’m sure it isn’t many.)

Granted this scenario is assuming all singles, with no extra base hits from any of the participants, but this is the deck the Tigers are playing with and unless Victor starts showing signs of extra base power, I just don’t see how Lelyand can leave him in the 5 slot.  At the current pace, I’m not sure Leyland can make an argument for playing him every day.

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

Just About Unwatchable…

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that’s what the 2013 Tigers have become.  This team BLOWS!

Rick Porcello started, went 6, and gave up 3 earned.

After Miggy tied the score at 1 in the top of the 4th the Rays came right back with 2 in the bottom to take the lead for good.  I hate to blame coaching, especially at the major league level, but I’m wondering what in the sam hell Jeff Jones says when he visits a pitcher at the mound.  Does he offer any useable advice?  It sure doesn’t seem like it.

After 3 straight singles loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 4th, out comes Jones for a confab with Porcello.  It was obvious, Ricky was trying to induce a ground ball for a double play to end the inning.  Ricky was pounding the bottom of the zone but Lobaton and Escobar weren’t biting and Ricky wasn’t getting the strikes called.  It seems obvious to me, who knows nothing, that Ricky needed to change the eye level or move the hitters off of the plate, but no, he just kept throwing the same pitch in the same location.  When Lobaton finally got one that caught the strike zone he singled in a run.  Escobar drove in the second run by walking and seemed to have no intention, whatsoever, of swinging the bat.  During Jones’ visit what was he saying, “we need to get a ground ball here Ricky”.  Did he have anything productive to say?  I guess perhaps he did but Ricky wasn’t listening.  Luckily, Porcello got Matt Joyce to line into an inning ending double play.

Next it was the offenses turn stink up the place.  They loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the 7th and couldn’t score a single run.  Apparently, the Tigers are now the worst hitting team in baseball, in terms of runs scored and batting average, from the 7th inning on.  This shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that follows them regularly.  Even Cabrera and Fielder don’t look like they have good at bats late in games, and if they don’t do it, rest assured, nobody else will.

The 2013 Tigers suck.  They are now either tied, or percentage points behind, the surging Indians who just finished a 4 game sweep of the White Sox.

Honestly, it is getting to the point where I can’t watch this team anymore.  The same shit for the last year and a half.

To really rub salt in the wound, The Crooked Hat came out and got the save surrendering only 1 hit in the 9th, a double to Omar Infante.

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

The Curse of the Crooked Hat

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Former Tiger, Fernando “The Crooked Hat” Rodney, pitched two scoreless innings and got the win, as the Rays beat the Tigers in 10 innings 4-3.

Justin Verlander pitched pretty well, he went 8 innings and gave up 3 runs, only 2 earned.  The unearned run was the result of an error by Prince Fielder.

I don’t think we saw the “old familiar” JV but he was much better than his last two starts.

Smyly pitched a scoreless 9th but the Rays got to Bruce Rondon in the 10th to score the winning run.

The story of this game, and much of this season, is the ineptitude of the offense in the late innings.  The Tigers scored 3 runs in the 3rd but didn’t really threaten to score from the 4th through the 10th.  The FOX commentators said that the only team that has scored fewer runs in innings 7 through 9 is the Seattle Mariners.  For the amount of supposed firepower this offense has, it sure doesn’t do much late in games.

A feud seemed to be brewing between Miguel Cabrera and the The Crooked Hat after Miggy’s 10th inning at bat.  With a 1-2 count, The Crooked Hat threw a 98 MPH fastball up and in to even the count at 2 and 2.  The next pitch, TCH got Cabrera to swing and miss on an 86 mph changeup low and in.  Miggy was yelling at TCH on his way back to the dugout and while he was in the dugout.  He seemed to be taking exception to the 1-2 pitch.

Personally, I didn’t see anything wrong with what the TCH did, in fact, I wish Tiger pitchers would take note.  Yes, the 1-2 pitch was up and in but it really didn’t come close to hitting Miggy.  It was a purpose/setup pitch.  TCH thought Miggy was a little to comfortable at the plate and decided to remove some of that comfort, and he did.  It worked.  He got Miggy to strike out on a ball low and in.

I’ll take TCH approach every time compared to the way Tiger pitchers allow hitters to lean out over the plate and foul off pitch after pitch, extend at bats, and shorten outings.

If the Tigers can take anything positive out of this loss it should be to employ The Crooked Hat Make Hitters Uncomfortable Tactic.  That’s it.  I just invented and named the pitching philosophy I’ve been begging the Tigers to employ.  I’m calling it the The Crooked Hat Make Hitters Uncomfortable Tactic or TCHMHUT for short.

Another positive out of today’s game was that Victor Martinez went 3 for 5.  None of the hits were clutch.  None of the hits drove in any runs but he got 3 hits and raised his batting average to .231.

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

Tigers End Skid…

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using familiar formula, Starting Pitching + Cabrera + Fielder, beat Rays 6-3.

Max Scherzer pitched seven good innings, allowing three earned while striking out 9 and walking 1.

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder provided just about all of the offense.  Cabrera was 4 for 4 with two home runs and 3 RBIs and Prince Fielder went 2 for 3, driving in 2 and smashing a majestic home run.  This was enough offense to win but it came from the usual suspects.  Besides Cabrera and Fielder, nobody else could deliver a clutch hit or even a productive out.

Victor Martinez dropped his average down to .225 as he went 0 for 4 leaving 3 runners on base.

The bullpen looked pretty good, Alburquerque, Smyly and Benoit pitched the 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively, without giving up any runs.

It was nice to stop the skid.  It was nice to get the win.  It was nice to move Scherzers’s record to 12-0.  It was nice to get good pitching again, but if nobody but Fielder and Cabrera is going to get a timely hit, the 29 year long World Series drought isn’t ending anytime soon.

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