Detroit Tigers

GALARRAGA WAS PERFECT!

Crippy Dailies , ,

Armando Galarraga was perfect tonight although he won’t get credit for a perfect game.  After Armando retired the first 26 batters of the game, Jason Donald hit a ground ball between first and second.  Miguel Cabrera fielded the ball and threw to Galarraga in plenty of time to get Donald and solidify a perfect game.  The only problem was that first base umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe.

Mark Grudzielanek led off the ninth with a deep drive to left center.  Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson made a Willie Mays, over the shoulder, catch and the perfect game seemed like destiny.  But it was not to be.

The final line for Galarraga was 9 innings, 0 BBI, 3 strike outs, and 1 gift hit.

The good news is that the Tigers beat the Indians 3-0.

I’ve never felt so terrible after a Tiger win.
 

Mariners 5 Tigers 4

Crippy Dailies , , ,

It was a tough loss for the Tigers today as the bullpen, Perry, couldn’t hold a 3 run eighth inning lead, and spoiled a gem by Bonderman.

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I was hoping Lelyand would leave Bondo in for the 8th.  He threw 94 pitches, gave up one run, and
struck out 6.  Instead he opted to bring in Perry.

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Today wasn’t Rick Perry’s day, although the Mariners did hit
some good pitches. 

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Sweeny homered off of a good pitch from Perry, a low slider and  Johnson drove in two off a slow slider as well.

The Tigers finished the road trip 3-4 and head home to face the A’s.

Although he had a single today, why is Laird playing everyday?  We need to find out what Avila can do.

Seattle 5 Tigers 3

Crippy Dailies , ,

The Tigers’ old nemesis came back to haunt them.  Unable to score runners at third base with less then two outs proved costly.

In the second inning, with runners at first and third with one out Worth got a base hit scoring one run.  Jackson followed with a doubled to plate the Tigers second run leaving runners at second and third with still one out.  Santiago then grounded to third and Damon flew out.  The inning ended with the score tied at 2.

It the third inning, with runners at first and third and one out, Inge hit the ball hard but lined into a double play ending the inning.

The Tigers left two runs that could have been scored without a hit.  Those two runs proved to be the difference.

Verlander pitched seven and third giving up 5 runs and striking out 9.

Alex Avila was 1 for 4.  I could be wrong about him but isn’t it time he plays everyday for a while?  Let him prove he can’t hit.  Laird has already proved he can’t.

A few areas of concern for the 5-1 Tigers

Crippy Dailies , ,

The Tigers have won five of their first six games but there are still some troubling signs.  First Justin Verlander has not looked that great in his first two starts this season.  He gave up 4 earned runs in five plus innings in his first start again Kansas City and 6 earned today in his second start in 5 innings against Cleveland.

Second, the Tigers still have a hard time scoring runners at second and third with less than two outs.  This is a phenomenon that has plagued the Tigers for the past few seasons.  In fact, if not for a 3 run error by Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers may not have won their home opener on Friday.

That being said, Willis and Bonderman have looked pretty good and there seems to be some magic around this team.  They play 27 outs and have pulled out some impressive come from behind wins so far this young season.

If JV can find his form and the Tigers get some clutch hitting, this could be a great season.

Look for Alex Avilia to get some more playing time.  On Saturday, even though he got caught looking in his last at bat with the bases loaded, he did work two walks and a HBP in his previous three plate appearances.  In his last at bat he looked anxious.  He swung a few questionable pitches early in the AB and got caught by a marginal third strike for the backwards K.  Still Avila is the real deal.

Alex Avila – The Future of the Detroit Tigers

Crippy Dailies ,

I have seen the future of the catching position of the Detroit
Tigers.  His name is Alex Avila.  The sturdy 5’11”,
210 pound rookie Tiger catcher has impressed me so much, in limited
playing time, this season that I feel compelled to write this
entry.

Question – Why am I so confident about
Avila?

Answer – He’s a professional hitter that
gives the Tigers a professional at-bat every time at the
plate.

Avila is a left handed hitting catcher that
is going to hit for average and power.  It looks like he has
either read, or been instructed by someone who has read, “The Science
of Hitting” by The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams.  He comes
to the plate looking of a particular pitch, in a particular zone, and
doesn’t swing until he gets what he’s looking for.  He can
also protect his at-bat with two strikes by fouling off good
pitches.

Once he gets more playing time he’s going
to be hard to take out of the lineup even against left handed
pitchers. 

He stands with his right shoulder tucked in towards
the plate.  This allows him to stay on the ball which is
normally a problem for left handed hitters facing left handed
pitchers.

What impressed me most about Avila is not
his hot start, five homers and 14 RBIs in 29 games and 61 at-bats, but
rather his 0-2 performance against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday,
September 30th, 2009.  He had three plate appearances in that
game, arguably the most important game of the 2009 season to that
point.

In his first at-bat he popped out on the
first pitch from Carl Pavano to shortstop Orlando Cabrera.  In
his second at-bat in the bottom of the 4th, he struck out on six
pitches.  However, in his third at-bat, in the bottom of the
6th, he worked a 5 pitch walk off of Minnesota reliever Jesse
Crain.  In that situation it would have been easy for the
rookie, having a tough night, in an important game, to go up to the
plate over anxious and get himself out.  Instead, Avila went
to the plate with his game plan and got himself on
base.

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Tiger fans, we
should hear a lot from Alex Avila in the future.

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