Alex Avila

Huge Win!

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This might be the best win, by far, of the season!

After falling Behind 4-1, Rajai Davis, hit a walk off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th.

This is big for a few reasons. First, the Tigers haven’t played well at home. Second, they got to a closer who has been lights out this year. Third, it was against the A’s, probably the best team in the AL this year. Fourth, Rajai has kind of sucked recently. Fifth, BIG WIN!

On another note, Eugenio Suarez better go on a Miggy like tear for the rest of the season because he plays short like Tommy Brookens coached third.

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

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Tigers Sweep Tribe 10-4

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I’m not going to get too excited about the sweep and the four game winning streak.

I’m not really sure what to make of this team.  This is the same team that was 9-20 in their last 29 games before winning the last four.

The difference, I guess, is the starting pitching.  They’ve been getting quality starts, scoring enough runs, and winning in spite of their bullpen.

I think one of things I’ve noticed in the last few games, is that Miggy has starting coming up big again with both his glove and his bat.  Although, he was never one the Tigers really had to worry about, when he would strike out, ground into a double play, or hit a rocket right at someone, it was magnified because the team was running so bad.

I’m not so sure the bad run is behind the Tigers but Miggy has been flashin leather and getting big hits.

On another note, I’m a little surprised that Alex Avila got two starts in a row.  Perhaps it was wishful thinking but I kind of got the impression that Avila was going to be the defacto backup while Ausmus rode Holiday while he was going well. I can see giving Holiday a day off, but two starts in a row for A Squared Money?  He is hitting .218.

Anyway, needless to say, I’m glad to be talking about a four game winning streak, than the nightmare run we endured for the month prior.

On another note, did you know that the Tigers own Freeway Ricky Porcello’s maternal, grandfather, Sam Dente played in the 1954 World Series for the Cleveland Indians? H/T – My Sister

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

9-20…

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is the Tigers record over their last 29 games after their third straight loss to the Royals, 2-1.

Pitching wasn’t the problem this afternoon, Drew Smyly pitched 7 innings, allowed 2 earned runs on 7 hits, with 6 strike outs and zero walks.

No, today the Tigers offense decided not to show up, excluding J.D. Martinez.  This is actually starting to look like another bad trend.

The Tigers struck out 13 times including two by Davis, two by Kinsler, two by Victor, two by Avila, and two by Suarez.

At 29 games, this is way past a slump or a skid, I think this is who the Tigers are.

It looks like 2014 is going to be another disappointing season.

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

They found a way…

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to win.  That is the best way I can describe the Tigers 6-5 victory over Sonny Gray and the Oakland A’s tonight.

Max wasn’t great but neither was Oakland ace Sonny Gray.

The Tigers got step-up performances from the following:

  • Miggy, with his bat and glove.  His play in the 9th inning to record the second out might have been as big as his homer.
  • Torii Hunter, hit a solo shot with two out to tie the game at five.
  • A Squared Money, with his bat and glove.
  • Ian Kinsler.  Although he took an ofer, He made a great running catch for the first out in the ninth.
  • Joba and Joe Nathan came through and pitched clean innings to close out the game.
  • Don Kelly made two nice defensive plays at third.

I’m not sure what’s wrong with the starters, but we are in the middle of two turns of the rotation, where the starting pitching looks more like an Asses Carnival than a professional pitching staff.

After Scherzer balked home the third run I heard Rod Allen mention that this was something the Tigers worked on in spring training.  What exactly were they working on, how to allow runners to score from third without throwing a pitch?  I’d say they’ve mastered that move.  WTF?

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

TIGERS COMPLETE SWEEP…

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Thrash Red Sox 6-2.

Other than the two errors, one by Avila and one by DK, that should have been charged to Avila, this was a thorough ass kicking.  The Tigers strolled into Fenway Park and beat the Sox into a conniption in every facet of each game.

The beating couldn’t have been administered to a nicer bunch of shit dogs.

Off to Cleveland tomorrow with Smyly against Kluber.

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

Tigers Dust Astros Winning Streak at Seven

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Behind 5 and 1/3 ball smokin innings from Tigers newcomer, Robby Ray, the Tigers beat the Astros into a conniption, 11-4, and extended their winning streak to seven. Ray allowed one earned run on five hits.  He walked only one and struck out five.

What impressed me the most about Ray was that he got in trouble early in the first and was able to pitch out the jam without surrendering a run.  It’s a small sample size but perhaps Dave “Double D” Dombrowski knows a thing or two about a thing or two.

The Good:

  • Just when I was beginning to worry about Miggy, he shoved those concerns down my throat.  He was 4-5 today with a homer and four RBIs.  If he returns to form this could be a very formidable Tigers offense.
  • Ian Kinsler had three hits.
  • Alex “A Squared Money” Avila, Nick Castellanos, and “Downtown” Danny Worth had two hits each and Worth had three RBIs.
  • The Amazing Al pitched a shut out inning in relief and struck out two.
  • The Tigers got 18 hits and scored in multiple innings, the first, third, fourth, seventh and eighth.

The Bad:

  • Justin Miller struggled through the ninth.  He allowed three runs, but to be fair, only one of them was earned.

The Ugly:

  • I like the new look offense but really Torii?  You get thrown out trying to steal third with one out and Miggy batting?

I guess we can’t get too excited, the Astros are not good, to say the least but seven straight is seven straight and we’ll take all the Ws we can get.  Also, I like the 18 hit attack and scoring in multiple innings.  This is in stark contrast to last year when the Tigers seemed to score all their runs in only one or two innings.

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

Tigers 8 White Sox 6

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The Tigers bats, Miggy’s especially, came to life and put up eight runs.  Thanks to Phil Coke, they needed seven of them to get past the White Sox 8-6.

JV was pretty good.  He pitched seven complete.  He allowed two earned runs on eight hits.  He struck out seven and walked two.

The Good:

  • The Tigers offense came to life.
  • Miggy was 3-5 with three RBIs.
  • Alex Avila was 3-4 and didn’t strike out.
  • The Tigers didn’t make an error.

The Bad:

  • JV needed 119 pitches to get through seven innings and his eight hits allowed are a little high.
  • The bullpen gave up four runs.

The Ugly:

  • The White Sox took Phil Coke behind the woodshed and beat him into a conniption.  He lasted 2/3 of an inning and gave up three earned runs, two on a two run shot by Adam Dunn.  This is really ugly considering Dunn in a lefty.

In the end, a win is a win, and I’m glad to have this one.  I hope Miggy is back to being Miggy.

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

 

 

 

Behind Feeway Rick, Tigers take series 2-1

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This was a big win.  Not only did the Tigers win the game but they won the series with the Angels, 2-1.  Prior to yesterday’s game, the Tigers had dropped 10 in a row to the Angels.

The Tigers got seven strong innings from Ricky then turned it over to the pen.  Ian Krol, the Amazing Al, and Joe Nathan finished out the game and series.

The Good:

  • Freeway Rick
  • The Bullpen
  • Alex Avila threw out Howie Kendrick at second in the fourth inning.

The Bad:

  • The offense was horrible.  They managed only five hits and two runs and were aided by four Angels errors.

The Ugly:

  • Alex Avila was 0-3 with two backwards Ks.
  • Miggy was 0-3 with two backwards Ks
  • The Tigers as a team left 18 runners on base.

Chisox come to town tomorrow.

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

Tigers fall to Tribe 3-2

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The Tigers managed only two runs on nine hits and lost to Cleveland 3-2.

Anibal Sanchez lasted only five innings, walking 4 and striking out 8.  He allowed only two earned runs but needed 104 pitches to get through five complete.

The Good:

  • The bullpen – Evan Reed, Ian Krol, The Amazing Al, and Joba pitched four combined scoreless innings to pick up a relatively short outing for Anibal.
  • Kinsler, VMart, AJax, and A Squared Money each had two hits.

The Bad:

  • The offense could only score two runs
  • Miggy’s error in the second led to an unearned run that was ultimately the difference in the game.

The Ugly:

  • The Tigers blew chances in the eighth and ninth to tie or go ahead.
  • The ninth was especially ugly.  A Squared Money was at third with one out but DK struck out and Rajai Davis grounded out to end the game leaving the tying run at third.

This ship needs be righted.  They’ve lost four of their last six.  I know it’s early but they need a big home stand.  Have I mentioned the 30 year World Series Championship drought?

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

Tigers even series with Padres, 6-2

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After the first inning, JV was smokin’ balls!  He needed 31 pitches to get out of the first but lasted seven complete.  He struck out eight, walked one, and allowed two earned runs.

I thought the home plate umpire, Seth Buckminster, was squeezing Justin for the first five innings but seemed to give him calls in the 6th and 7th.

The Good:

  • Justin Verlander second through seventh inning
  • JV’s first two career base hits.
  • Austin Jackson’s big two run double in the ninth
  • Ian Krol out of the pen
  • Joe Nathan pitched the 9th without giving up a run
  • Rajai Davis was 2-4 with three runs scored
  • Ian Kinsler was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI

The Bad:

  • Nick Castellanos getting picked off of second base in the 8th
  • Despite his double, Miggy is still struggling.

The Ugly:

  • Justin Verlander’s first inning
  • All four of Alex Avila’s at-bats including the last one that resulted in a single

Max is on the mound tomorrow for the rubber game.

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