Detroit Tigers

Tigers Game 5 Pre-Game Speech

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This speech is courtesy of TigerSnark, H/T Nebraskaknows:

DAVE DOMBROWSKI: Gentlemen, congratulations on rebounding in Game Four and getting to this point. But you all know that the ultimate goal this season is a World Series championship. We in the organization are proud of you, as is the city of Detroit. But you all will be remembered for what happens on this field tonight. We need to win this game and move on to Boston in the ALCS. Now Jim here isn’t the kind of guy that believes in pregame speeches.

JIM LEYLAND: (Grumble)Horseshit(Mumble)…

DOMBROWSKI: That’s why we’ve flown in someone who is. I want you all to feel the gravity of the situation. Please pay attention to everything he has to say. This man is a winner and has been in your shoes before. He is…

(clubhouse doors kicked open)

Click here to read the rest of the speech.  You’ll love it.

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

Generations

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Gene Strenzel was born in 1935 and remembers attending the 1951 All Star Game with his grandfather at Briggs Stadium.  He saw “The Georgia Peach”, Tyrus Raymond Cobb, throw out the first pitch and he saw George Kell and Stan Musial hit home runs.

For most Americans the love of baseball is something you’re born with.  It is passed down from generation to generation.  For me, baseball was passed down to me from my Mother.

It all started with game 6 of the 1977 World Series.  I was watching the game with my Mom.  I watched Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on his last three swings.

I was hooked.

Reggie was my man.

Baseball was my game.

Baseball had been passed down to another generation.

On October 7th, 2013, Gene Strenzel attended game four of the American League Division Series with his daughter Jill and Jill’s daughters Elli and Jodi.  Three generations of one family taking in an important baseball game.

Baseball is passed down to another generation.

Here are some photos of their experience.

Jill_daughtersJill_family Jill_family_1 Jill_sign

Gene Strenzel Jill_family2

“It isn’t heaven but it’s pretty darn close.” -Ray Liota

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

John Lowe – Speed

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Hat Tip to Nebraska for pointing this article out.

It appears John Lowe of the Freep dot com has come to the same conclusion readers of this blog have come to.  Namely, the biggest problem the Tigers have is their inability to throw out runners.

On a night when the Tigers set a team record for home runs allowed in a game with eight, the significant question that emerged nonetheless dealt not with power, but with speed:

If there is a Tigers-Red Sox playoff series next month, could the Tigers lose because of their inability to prevent stolen bases?

Ominously, that inability is what allowed the East-leading Red Sox to score the run that put them ahead to stay in a 20-4 thumping of the Central-leading Tigers on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

Keep reading here.

The part of the Tigers’ inability to throw runners out that baffles me is that they don’t have ANYBODY that can shut down the running game.  Can all the blame go to the pitching staff?  Are they that bad at holding runners close?  It seems to me that the catchers have to start sharing the blame. Avila, Holaday, Pena, none of them can throw anybody out.

Perhaps speed defense should have been addressed at the trade deadline.

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

Tigers take series from Rays 5-2

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In the 5-2 win there were some encouraging signs.

First Alex Avila, aka A Squared Money, got a hit again after getting two in last night’s game.

Victor Martinez drove in 3 runs including a two run HR.

And Papa Grande worked an uneventful 1-2-3 9th.

I guess I forgot to mention seven strong innings from Scherzer allowing only 1 run.  It is kind of nice that a seven inning, one run start feels pedestrian.  Now, if JV can get back into form, the Tigers could build a lead in the Central.

“God, I love baseball.” – Roy Hobbs

 

Tigers 7 Orioles 5

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Armando Galarraga pitched around some shoddy defense in the first two innings.  In the first, Santiago made a two out error to extend the inning and Galarraga’s pitch count.  In the second, Brennan Boesch lost Adam Jones’s liner.  Jones was given a single but Boesch should have made the play.  Fortunately, Galarraga was able to overcome both miscues and shut the O’s down.

The Tigers got on the board in the second when Alex Avila drove in a run with a two out single driving in Carlos Guillen from third.

With two on and two out in the third, Don Kelly made a great diving catch in center field to take a hit and an RBI away from Ty Wigginton.

Johnny Damon singled with one out in the third for his 2,500 career hit.  Magglio Ordonez followed with a single to put runners at first and second with one out but Cabbie took a backwards K and Boesch flew out to end the inning with the Tigers failing to score.

Another runner in scoring position with less than two outs that the Tigers didn’t score.

Miguel Cabrerra made a fantastic play in the sixth.  Weiters lead off with a double.  Felix Pie hit a hard ground ball to first.   Cabbie fielded the ball and threw Weiters out at third.  Galarraga got Lugo to fly out but walked the ninth place hitter Izturis.  Luckily, he struck out Patterson to end the inning and preserve the one run lead.

The Orioles had runners in each of the first seven innings and finally got to Galarraga in the 7th.  Tejada singled to lead off the inning then Markakas hit a line drive over the right field wall to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead.  Armando retired the next two hitters, but after a triple by Weiters, was relieved by Phil Coke.

Coke gave up a single to Pie to drive in Weiters.  Coke was then relieved by Gonzalez.

While pitching to Lugo, Alex Avila threw out his second runner of the night at second, Pie, to end the inning.

The O’s picked up a run in the eighth but the Tigers responded with a 2 in the bottom of the inning.  Cabbie tripled and came home on a single by B Money, Brennan Boesch. Guillen struck out but I Money, Brandon Inge, tripled in Boesch.
 
Avila struck out, Santiago walked and then Austin Jackson pinch hit for Don Kelly. Unfortunately, Ajax grounded out leaving the tying run at third.

The Orioles picked up another run in the ninth on a one out single by Lugo but the inning was set up when Santiago missed a ground ball at short that could have been a double play but ended up putting runners at first and third with nobody out.

Damon led off the ninth with a walk.  Magglio struck out and Cabbie blasted a two run homer deep over the left field wall to tie the score.

Valverde pitched a scoreless tenth and Ryan Perry pitched a scoreless eleventh.

The Tigers ended it in the 11th when Ajax lead off with a single and then Johnny Damon slammed a 2 run homer to right.

With the Twins beating the Jay earlier, this was a huge win!

Mets Dust Tigers Again!

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The Tigers wasted chances early.

In the first after Damon flew out, Santiago walked and Magglio singled putting runners at first and second with one out.  Cabrera flew out, Boesch walked loading the bases but Guillen grounded out to end the inning.

Another runner in scoring position with less than two outs that the
Tigers couldn’t cash in.

In the second, Damon led off with a single and stole second.  Santiago bunted him over to third but both Magglio and Cabbie grounded out weakly stranding Damon at third.

Another runner in scoring position with less than two outs that the Tigers couldn’t cash in.

Are we seeing a pattern here?

Bonderman looked good, especially if the first when Reyes led off with a triple but was stranded there.  Bonderman struck out Pagan, Wright grounded to third and Davis grounded to first.

After retiring the first two in the third, Reyes singled and stole second, Pagan walked and Wright doubled.  Bondo got Davis to ground to Santiago ending the inning and limiting the damage to 1 run.

The Mets knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey was smoking balls, retiring 4 consecutive Tigers on 4 pitches.  Inge ended the streak with a two out single but Avilla flied out to left ending the inning.

Bondo retired the Mets 1, 2, 3, in the fourth on 4 pitches.

With two outs in the 5th Reyes got his third hit in three at bats with hit a solo shot.  Pagan flew out to end the inning, 2-0 Mets after 5.

Bondo gave way to Zumaya after the first two batters reached in the seventh.  Zumaya came into to face pitcher Dickey and walked him on four straight balls.  Reyes grounded to second and Gullien threw Blanco out at the plate.  Feliciano pinch hit for Pagan and grounded to second scoring Tejada.  After Zumaya walked David Wright, Leyland made a double switch, bringing in Coke for Zumaya and Rayburn for Inge. 

Ike Davis singled on an 0-2 pitch from Coke scoring two.  Wright was thrown out at third to end the inning.  5-0 Mets after seven.

Francisco Rodriguez came out for the ninth and surrendered only a single to Cabrera.

The Mets dusted the Tigers for the second night in a row.

Mets Dust Tigers 14-6

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Not that it mattered by why did G-Money Laird bat second?

The Mets jumped on the Tigers early with 2 in the second and 8 in the third.  JV didn’t look good and left the game with nobody out, and two men on in the third, after a 58 minute rain delay.

The Tigers got on the board in the fourth with a one out double by Cabbie and a monster home run by B-Money Brennan Boesch.

The Mets came back with one run in their half of the fourth.

The Tigers had a chance to really cut into the lead.  They sent 10 men to the plate in the fifth scoring 4 runs but Ryan Rayburn got caught looking with the bases loaded to end the rally.

The Tigers tried to claw there way back but the bullpen was horrible.

Verlander was charged with 5 earned runs in 2 innings.

Back at em tomorrow.

Tigers 8 Nationals 3

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The Tigers picked up their 5th consecutive win tonight.  After falling behind 2-0 on solo shots by Bernadina and Dunn, the Tigers scored 4 in the second and 1 in the third to take a 5-2 lead.  Justin Verlander was smoking balls again with another quality start.  He threw 116 pitches, going 8 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, striking out 11, walking 0, and hitting one batter.

The Tigers had a chance to pick up a run in the 6th.  Boesch grounded to 1st.  Guillen doubled, Inge walked, but Laird popped to short and Santiago grounded to 1st squandering another chance to score with a runner at second and less than two outs.

The Tigers blew it open in the 7th.  After two outs, Magglio and Cabrera singled and Brennan Boesch dusted a 423 foot, three run homer to right, giving the Tigers some insurance.

After getting 7 hits over the weekend Johnny Damon is 0-10 in this series.
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The series wraps up tomorrow with a 1:05 start.