Detroit Tigers

Twins 7 Tigers 1

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This was a disappointing home finale to a disappointing 2015 season.  The Tigers had a chance to leave the home fans with a good taste in their mouth but instead gave them one last up close and personal look at the cacophony of nonsense they’ve witnessed this entire season.

The game was decided in the second inning when the Twins scored six runs.  Only four were earned but that is only because official baseball scoring doesn’t assume a double play on a booted ground ball with a runner on base.  Nick Castellanos committed an error on a ball that should have resulted in a double play, Randy Wolf couldn’t pitch around it, and the flood gates were open.

The offense was no help and the home finale was another microcosm of the 2015 season. The Tigers will wrap up the 2015 season on the road.  They need one more win to avoid a 90 loss season, Miggy is still chasing his fourth batting title and J.D. needs two more RBIs for 100. (It’s a stretch but I need something to tune in for.)

We shall see.

Twins 6 Tigers 2

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Well, I didn’t see much of this one past the third inning.  However, this was pretty good outing from Simon.  He lasted eight complete and allowed four earned.  Unfortunately, two runs offensively aren’t going to get it done.

The rubber game is this afternoon.

In other news: After hearing rumors that Ron Gardenhire was the next Tigers manager.  After announcing Brad Ausmus would be fired after the end of the season. New Tigers GM, “Big” Al Avila has changed his mind.  BA is staying.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2015/09/watch_al_avila_announce_that_b.html

I will take issue with one thing Big Al said in the video above. How exactly do the Tigers work on base running?  Perhaps they should stop.

One more thing, they need a new third base coach.  It’s hard to see how anybody other than Tom Brookens could be worse than Dave Clark.  The Tigers lead baseball in runners thrown out at home.  The only advantage Clark has on Brookens is that Clark gets runners thrown out by 10 feet whereas Brookens got runners thrown out by 30 feet.

Tigers 6 Twins 4

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It looks like the Tigers are going to be the spoiler – whether they deserve it or not.  They pulled last night’s game off,  somehow, finding a way to win, when they didn’t deserve it. They overcame three infield errors and a sacrifice fly to second base to beat the Twins 6-4.

With one more win the Tigers can avoid a 90 loss season.

Rajai Davis came through with a big two out, two strike, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and Neftali Feliz closed it out.

Davis’s homer came after Nick Castellanos lead off the eighth with a double but both James McCann and Dixon Machado took third strikes, failing not only to score Castellanos, but even to advance him to third.  These are the situations that I start doubting the competence of Brad Ausmus. It is the bottom of the eighth in a tie game.  Your #6 hitter just lead off with a double.  Why aren’t you having McCann bunt him over to third?  You only need one run and it is late in the game.

Tigers 7 White Sox 4

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The Tigers earned a split in the four game series with the White Sox and they did it the hard way. After losing a doubleheader on Monday they won in extra innings yesterday and evened it up this afternoon in the finale behind another quality start from Justin Verlander.

JV lasted seven innings and allowed three earned.  He was impressive in the seventh. Knowing it was his last inning he left it all on the mound. He pounded Sox hitters with high nineties fastballs reminding us all he can still bring the heat.

More good news.  The offense showed up today and scored some runs. J.D. drove in two and brought is RBI total up to 98 on the season and Victor hit his 11th home run.

The Twins come to town this weekend and it is a big series for the Minnesotans.  They’re still in the wild card hunt.  Perhaps the Tigers can play spoiler?

Miggy rested a sore back today. I’m a little worried about him. He hasn’t hit with much power and I’m wondering if we’ll ever see the Mighty Miggy again.

Thoughts on Bruce Rondon

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By now Tigers and baseball fans have heard that Bruce Rondon was sent home from the team for what manager Brad Ausmus would only say was “lack of effort”.  I was listening to MLB radio and heard that this has been a problem with Rondon in the minor leagues as well.

I’m not a professional athlete so I don’t claim to know the trials and tribulations of one. However, I don’t get it.  If Rondon doesn’t want to put forth the effort to be a MLB pitcher, what does he want to do? I don’t know his family situation, or the way he was brought up, but I can only guess that he wanted to be a baseball player.

By reaching the major leagues, or the minor leagues for that matter, he’s part of an elite (eye-leet) group of people. Does he have any idea how difficult it is to ham & egg it like the majority of us? Does he have any idea how difficult it would be to make the kind of living he’s making, or possibly could make, outside of baseball in a 9-5 job?

Unfortunately, I’m a glass is half empty kind of guy, people that know me can attest to that. I constantly struggle to see the positive side of things and I know that comes through in my blog posts.  For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to highlight the positive things in Tigers games. It is a small exercise that I hope will carry over into other facets of my life. Most importantly, I’m hoping it will be a reminder to me to count my blessings. Perhaps it would benefit Bruce to do the same.

Tigers 2 White Sox 1

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Daniel Norris was smokin’ balls for five innings. In fact, he had a perfect game going but was lifted after throwing just 62 pitches.  I’m not sure how I feel about that. I understand trying to protect a young arm but how many more times in his career will Norris be perfect through five complete.  Couldn’t they have extended his outing and then skipped his next start?

In any case, the Tigers were two outs away from completing their first combined no-hitter in team history until Neftali Feliz allowed a triple in the ninth and eventually blew the save.

Fortunately, they rallied in the 10th for the win. It was least the offense could do.  They have scored a combined four runs in the first three games of this series while they have pitched well enough to be 3-0. They will try for a series split tomorrow with JV on the hill.

Bruce Rondon was dismissed from the team. Brad Ausmus cited “lack of effort” as the reason but refused to elaborate. I wonder what his issue is?  I had heard he was upset about losing the closer’s role but can what he was doing be considered closing? He was atrocious.

White Sox 3 Tigers 2

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The Tigers got swept in today’s day / night doubleheader but you can’t point the finger at the pitching staff. Tonights’s starter, Randy Wolf, like this afternoon’s starter, Kyle Ryan, deserved better. However, in 18 innings of baseball today, the offense could produce only two runs.

I was willing to tip my hat to Jeff Samardzija in the first game, but enough hat tipping, the offense has to be better. Geez!  I guess this doubleheader was a microcosm of this entire season.

Sark, I’m beginning to agree with you on Miggy, despite being on the verge of his fourth batting title, he almost seems disinterested.  He had a hit tonight but his at-bats aren’t very good.  He struck out twice and almost looked like he didn’t care.  I hope I’m just wrong and frustrated because I tune in every night just to watch him hit.

I’m very disappointed. Again.

Royals 10 Tigers 3

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The four game winning streak came to an end today.  Alfredo Simon was atrocious and the offense couldn’t come up with 11 runs to complete the sweep.

On the bright side, Miggy had another hit and RBI, although he was only 1-4 and did leave four runners on base. Victor had another hit and RBI and was 1-2 with a walk.  Additionally, this was the second straight series win.

Simon is a free agent at the end of the season and I’m wondering if the Tigers are going to make him an offer. He does have 13 wins but his ERA is 5.21 and he is wildly inconsistent.  Perhaps, for the right price, he’d be ok for a fifth starter or long relief, but I don’t think he can be counted on for much more.

The White Sox come to town tomorrow and it looks like the Tigers might miss Chris Sale which I’m not sure is much of a break. Sale has really struggled down the stretch, as he did last season, which probably cost him the 2014 A.L. Cy Young Award.

Is it just me or does it seem like J.D. is struggling?

Tigers 6 Royals 5

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I never thought I’d be typing this but more good news from Comerica Park.  For the second straight night, the Tigers beat the Royals in extra innings, making it four wins in a row.  This is the first four game winning streak since starting the season 6-0.

The good news keeps on coming.

Ian Kinsler had the walk off solo shot in the bottom of the 11th.  After a rough start Kinsler is staying hot. He’s hitting .348 since the all-star break and leads baseball in multi-hit games.

Miggy had two more hits and drove in two more runs and all of the sudden Victor’s bat has heated up. Vmart was 2-2 with two walks and a two run-homer.

There is even good news out of the pen. No not Bruce Rondon, who struggled again tonight, but Neftali Feliz and Tom Gorzelanny got the job done in extra innings and held the Royals down until the offense could win it in the 11th.

If you missed the game, the Tigers thought they won in the bottom of the ninth, but for the first time in MLB history, in the re-play era, a walk-off win was reversed.  Kinsler was originally called safe at home on a sac-fly by Andrew Romine but was called out after re-play.

I guess that’s why we continue to tune in, you never know what you’re going to see.