Randy Wolf pitched a gem. Unfortunately, Matt Shoemaker did him one better. For some reason the Tigers just can’t hit Shoemaker, even the Mighty Miggy.
No conniption shots today.
The Tigers dropped another game and another series. There wasn’t much to get excited about other than Wolf’s pitching and two nice throw outs by Alex Avila. A Squared Money displayed a Bazooka and Kinsler helped him out on the back end with a nice pick and tag on the first one.
Make it two in a row over the Blue Jays and two in a row scoring eight runs. The highlight of the game however, was a fantastic catch by Alex “A Squared Money” Avila who played his first game at first base filling if for the injured Jose Miguel Cabrera.
Avila was 1-3 at the plate with a walk and a K and didn’t exactly tear the cover off of the ball but I think there is an outside chance the his bat could come alive if he continues to play first base. There is no chance he is going to hit playing catcher but a first there may be a glimmer of hope.
Home run derby contestants, fear not, you don’t have to be on a major league roster to pitch. If you remember, a few years ago Bryce Harper’s father pitched to him in HRD so I’m pretty Joba is still available.
There’s an old saying in baseball, ‘if you can’t pitch, you can’t win’, and right now, the Tigers can’t pitch. I spent the first two months complaining, rightly so, about the offense, and now the pitching staff can’t hold opposing teams to under five runs a game. Guess what, Toronto comes to town tomorrow. It isn’t going to get any easier.
A reliable source and friend of this blog, Nebraska, has passed along an unsubstantiated rumor. He heard that the Tigers are going to send Nick “The Quick” Castellanos, Alex “A Squared Money” Avila, and a third player to the Cincinnati Reds for Johnny Cueto. If the trade happens, Nebraska’s sources are usually pretty good, I’m not sure what the purpose is. I’m not going to cry about losing Nick the Quick or A Squared Money, but what do the Tigers need with a rental like Cueto? Is the front office delusional? Do they really think this team can compete? I don’t.
McFly, is anybody home?
A sweep would have been nice but I’ll take 2 out of 3, on the road, against the Cardinals, any time. Although there wasn’t much offense to speak of Yoenis Cespedes flashed some leather. He made a nice running catch in the second. In the seventh, the made a good, one hop, throw to the plate to cut down Jhonny Peralta to keep the game tied. On the back end of the throw, James McCann made an excellent pick and tag. After the play I couldn’t help wondering if Avila would have made the play. Speaking of A Squared Money, does he still have a job?
Am I the only one that found John Kruk and Curt Schilling’s incessant Miggy worshipping too much to take? It was making his at-bats hard to watch. JMC is probably the best right handed hitter I’ve ever seen but enough already. They were acting like fifteen year old girls, in the 80’s, at a Rick Springfield concert. Hmmm, I’m showing my age.
Well, this was almost a perfect game to start off the 2015 season.
David Price pitched 8.2 shutout innings and Joe Nathan got the final out, striking out Torii Hunter.
J.D. Martinez and Alex A Squared Money Avila went deep and Yoenis Cespedes was two for three with a double and a triple.
The Tigers flashed plenty of leather today as well. Cespedes, Iglesias, Kinzler Castellanos, and Miggy all had nice plays defensively.
I hope this is a harbinger of things to come for the 2015 Tigers but I can’t help wondering if Price and Cespedes are only here for half a season.
We’ll see.
They call him “A Squared Money”, well at least I do, and he came up big. He hit a two run, game winning homer, in the bottom of the eight that preserved the Tigers half game lead in the central.
I have been hard on Avila, especially in the middle of the season, but he’s had a knack for big hits this year. Hats off to Alex Avila.
Kyle Lobstein was ok considering this was only his 4th big league start. So far, he seems to be an adequate 5th starter.
The bullpen, Soria, Chamberlain, and Nathan got the job done, although I wanted to scream when the turd walked the leadoff man in the ninth.
The Royals dusted the Red Sox tonight.
Completing the sweep would be nice.
“We shall see.”
Sent from my iPad
This was a flash from the past. For one game I was reminded of the Sports Illustrated cover, “Fear His Awesomeness”. Miggy looked like Miggy.
I know is wasn’t all about Miggy, up and down the lineup, from Kinsler to A Squared Money, just about everyone had a good day. And David Price was smokin balls for eight complete. But once again the Mighty Miggy was the story. Miggy went 4-5, with two home-runs, four runs scored and three RBIs.
Unfortunately, I think this game was an anomaly. I can’t believe that one or two days off cured what ailed “Fear His Awesomeness”. But it was nice to see a glimpse of the once Mighty Miggy.
I guess time will tell.
The Tigers got clutch hitting from an unlikely source, Alex Avila. Not only did A Squared Money hit the go-ahead home run in the 12th, but he had a clutch two-out single in the seventh, to tie the game.
David Price was good in his Tigers debut. He lasted 8.2 innings, struck out 10 and walked 0.
J.D. Martinez flashed some leather. He made a nice running catch in the 12th. J.D. has quietly made some nice plays in the outfield this season. Two running catches in K.C., right before the break, come to mind in addition to tonight’s catch.
Joba keeping Gardner off the bases in the the 10th was a key to winning this game. I had a bad feeling that Gardner would find a way to score had he gotten on.
J.V. tomorrow.
“God I live baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Sent from my iPad
Despite not getting a quality start from Anibal Sanchez the Tigers were able to take the rubber game of their three game set in Phoenix.
Joba bailed Anibal out in the seventh by getting a double play on the only pitch he threw. At the time, the Diamondbacks had cut a 7-0 Tigers lead to 7-5 and had runners on first and second, with one out.
Blaine Hardy pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
Eleven runs is an offensive explosion I just hope they don’t go another five games with two runs or less.
Miggy had two hits including his 15th home run and RBIs, 78, 79, and 80.
Congratulations to Alex Avila on his 100th double. I still don’t think he should be playing every day. He struck out three more time today giving him a total of 95 for the season. Ninety-eight games into the season and Alex Avila has Kd 95 times. I hate to say this because I was his biggest supporter, he needs to relegated to the backup role. I’m not saying Holaday is the answer, but how much worse can he do?
Austin Ajax Jackson had two more hits and three RBIs this afternoon. He has quietly brought his batting average up to .270.
“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Before the ninth inning I was going to start complaining about the offense the last two games. I was going to cry how they’d only scored two runs each, in the last two games. Fortunately, J.D. Martinez and Alex “A Squared Money” Avila, stole my thunder.
J.D. came through with a solo shot and A Squared hit a two-run homer to extend the Tigers lead to 5-1.
The lead extension was important because it kept Joe Nathan out of the game. I didn’t want to go through another ninth inning like they did the game before. Nathan and a one run lead is playing with fire.
As it turned out, Everyday Al came in and closed out the ninth. The Tigers won their fifth in a row, third straight over KC, Freeway Ricky got his 12th win, the lead is extended to 7.5 games, and today, the Tigers have a chance for a sweep.
Win or lose this afternoon and I’m going to feel good about the Tigers going into the break. However, a ball smokin performance by JV and a series sweep might give me a bit of the ’84 feeling.
“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Flashin' Leather 