Tigers 6 Red Sox 2

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The Tigers looked like the team we saw a few weeks ago.  They got good starting pitching from Drew Smyly, good work out of the bullpen, and the offense scored six runs.

It is only one game so I’m not getting too excited but it was a nice game to watch after what we’ve seen in the previous 20 games.

The Good:

  • Drew Smyly gave the Tigers a quality start pitching six innings giving up only one earned run.
  • Kinlser, Hunter, and Victor went deep.
  • Krol, Joba, and Nathan pitched three scoreless innings in relief.
  • Nick Castellanos had three hits.

The Bad:

  • The defense is still scaring me. Romine had a throwing error leading to an unearned run.
  • It doesn’t look like Torii Hunter is taking good routes on balls hit to right field.
  • Castellanos wasn’t charged with an error but he could have.  He missed a shot that looked like he should have had.

The Ugly:

  • For once, in a long time, nothing really ugly tonight.

Let’s see if they can follow this win up tomorrow.

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

 

 

Jays Sweep Tigers

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I have a bad feeling that season isn’t going to end well.

After watching this 4-17, 21 game stretch, I’m getting the feeling that the 2014 Tigers are going to end up like the 2008 Tigers and 2013 Blue Jays.  Those two teams were supposed to compete for the World Series, at least the playoffs, and sucked instead.

Thee is really not one facet of the game to focus on.  The Tigers are not doing anything well and continually find ways to lose.

I hope I’m wrong.

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

A Carnival of Assess…

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is what this Tigers team looks like.  This is the 12th loss in their last 16 games and they have found many different ways to lose.

The Tigers just seem hopelessly out of sync.  When they hit their starting pitching is terrible.  When the starting pitching is good the offense can’t score any runs.  When the starting pitching is good and the offense scores runs, the bullpen blows up.

Every night they find a way to lose.  It is getting frustrating and at this point it might be time to look at new solutions.

The left side of the infield is embarrassing and they have only one reliable arm out of the bullpen, that being Joba Chamberlain.

All of the sudden a team that was supposed to dominate the central is only four games up. This ship has a leak and taking on water quickly.

I hope someone can find a way to plug the holes and bail the water.

“God I love baseball.” Roy Hobbs | The natural

Blue Jays 5 Tigers 3

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This one may surprise you but I’m not putting this one on Joe Nathan.  I’m not a big fan of his and he did pitch himself into a jam in the 9th but he also pitched well enough to get out of it.  This one belongs to Andrew Romine.

What in the sam hell was he doing on the ground ball Bautista hit?  Can someone please explain why he stutter stepped?  Who did he think was supposed to field the ball.

Tigers fans we have a problem.  The left side of the infield is horrible.  Romine and Castellanos besides not fielding aren’t doing anything at the plate either.

I guess the good news is that Anibal Sanchez has established himself as the ace of this staff.  Over this abominable two week stretch, I think the Tigers have gotten four quality starts.  Three of them are from Sanchez who was absolutely smokin balls!  He shut out the Jays for seven innings?  With the way they’ve been hitting?  He looks like JV did during his Cy Young year.

Joba was good again tonight, but besides him, is there anyone the Tigers can count on out of the pen?

This thing is a mess!

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

 

Mariners 4 Tigers 0

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I wonder if Max is reconsidering the contract offer the Tigers made him?

This game was disgusting.  Max failed to put in a quality start.  He gave up four earned runs and was out pitched by newcomer Roenis Elias.

On that note, Elias made the Tigers offense look like a carnival of assess.  In nine innings, the Tigers could manage only three hits.

The Blue Jays are coming to town today and the way things are going, if the offense doesn’t out hit them, the Tigers are in a lot of trouble.

Basically, the pitching is making me sick.

FYI: Castellanos was charged with an error in this game.

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

Mariners 3 Tigers 2

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So, I’m not feeling well and as a result I fell asleep after the second inning.

Despite only pitching 4 innings Smyly’s line doesn’t look too bad.  That being said, Drew ran into some bad luck in the second.  The Mariners were able to score on a ball Castellanos should have gotten to, a wounded quail and a swinging bunt.

I’m really having my doubts about Castellanos.  His hitting is OK but his fielding is horrible.

Let’s see if Max can deliverer a winning west coast trip.

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

Tigers 6 Mariners 3

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I think we can put to rest the stories about JV losing his velocity.  He threw 17 pitches tonight at 95 MPH or above.  Instead, I think his issues have been command and not pitching inside.  That being said, he pitched well tonight.  He went seven and two thirds and allowed three runs, struck out seven and walked one.  Really, his only blemish to was the homer to Kyle Seagar. At least it wasn’t to the Ackley Kid. 🙂

I know Seattle is not really a powerhouse team but the Tigers don’t seem to play very well there so this was a very impressive outing for JV.

Ok, it is way past time to say this but Miggy and Victor are smokin balls!  Miggy hit a two run shot and Victor hit a three run homer after Legendary Lloyd McClendon intentionally walked Miggy in front of him.

Let’s see if Smyly can put in a good performance tomorrow.

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

Tigers earn split with A’s 5-4

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Despite Joe Nathan’s best effort to blow his third save in the last 10 games, the Tigers found a way to squeak out a 5-4 victory and split the four game series with the A’s.

What makes this win more impressive is that they Freeway Ricky Porcello failed to provide a quality start despite winning his eighth game of the season.  Ricky’s performance was maddening. He pitched in and out of trouble all day long and gave up seven free passes, six walks and one HBP.  What was even more exasperating than the free passes was giving up a two run homer to Nick Punto. NICK PUNTO!?

The last two times through the rotation, Tigers starters, with the exception of Sanchez, have blown.  They better right the ship soon because like Peter Gammons says, “if you can’t pitch, you can’t win.”

With the exception of Joe Nathan, the bullpen was adequate.  However, the Amazing Al walked two in his inning of work.

That brings me to Nathan.  He has three blown saves and has a 5.23 ERA.  I hope Brad Ausmus has a plan B for the closer role.  Additionally, after his post game comments yesterday, I’m beginning to question his character.  I’ll be the first to admit that Castellanos is not good at third but he didn’t give up the home run to Donaldson.  So man up, JACKASS, and accept the fact that you’ve blown this year.  Instead of blaming the rookie start earning your money suck-hole.

On the flip side of the coin, this Tigers team has shown a type of resiliency that I haven’t seen for a long time.  They play for nine innings and on most nights, I get the feeling that they expect to win.  I guess time will tell.

 

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

Disaster

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In tennis, when you break the other player’s serve, winning the very next game when you are serving is called consolidating the break.

Tonight was a game the Tigers needed to consolidate the break in their awful run of games during the last 10 days.  They pulled out a gutsy win yesterday but needed today’s game to get them on track.

They got an absolutely lights-out, ball smokin, performance from Anibal Sanchez.  He allowed only three hits in eight and a third innings but couldn’t get any help from his friends.

Joe Nathan blew his fourth save of the season surrendering a three run homer to Josh Donaldson in the bottom of the ninth.

Despite only scoring one run, I had a good feeling about this game, even after Sanchez gave up a one out double to Coco Crisp which brought in Nathan.

But the optimism quickly turned to despair.  The first batter Nathan faced was John Jaso who hit a line drive that went off of Nick Castellanos’s glove into left field.  I have no idea how Jaso was given a hit.  This was an E5 all day long.  If your third basemen can’t make that play, you aren’t going to win.

Here’s some food for thought:

  • Perhaps substituting DK for Castellanos late in close games would be a good idea.
  • The left side of the Tigers infield is a problem.
  • The Tigers still need a closer.

Another deep deep breath.

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