J.D. Martinez

Tigers 5 Pirates 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

The offense hit well, the pitchers pitched well, and the Tigers won their second in a row.

Well, not all of the pitchers pitched well, Phil Coke was horrible, but Joba came in to clean up the mess and save the game.

Max was absolutely smokin’ balls. Fourteen Ks in eight innings. It looks like his plan for a bigger payday might be working out. I’ll bet he ends up with the Yankees next season.

J.D. Martinez was 2-3 with a bomb and two RBIs and Nick Castellanos was 2-4 with two RBIs.

Interestingly, after Coke gave up two runs in ninth and created a save situation, Ausmus called Joba’s number not Nathan’s. I was wondering what the crowd reaction was going to be if that shit dog came into the game. I was hoping he’d get booed out the stadium no matter what he did.

Also, Joba tipped his hat to the crowd after the game. I wonder if that was his version of a Bronx cheer, taking another shot at the crowd?

I really want Nathan gone. I know he apologized but I don’t care. He has shown Tigers fans, on several occasions, his true colors. (Remember when he blamed his blown save on Castellanos?)

A very wise person once told me, “when a person tells you who they are – believe them.”

Up yours Nathan you shit bird.

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

Pirates 4 Tigers 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For the seventh time in nine road games the Tigers lost.

I feel like an idiot for tuning in every game and hoping for a different outcome.

The Tigers aren’t doing anything well. Perhaps Brad Ausmus should consider playing his best defensive team and seeing what happens. It’s not like the offense can get much worse.

By playing defense first maybe they can help the struggling bullpen. The Tigers can’t afford to give anybody extra outs. Their pitching and offense can’t overcome the defensive miscues that plague this team on a regular basis.

Victor is going to have to sit in NL parks. Ever since his injury he hasn’t been doing much anyway and Cabrera can’t play third. Romine has to play short. I’m not sure what to do at third, maybe DK? Actually, I’m not sure what to do with the outfield either. On queue, the minute I commented on how well J.D. Martinez was playing in the field, suddenly he can’t pick the ball up anymore. Torii is old, I don’t think Davis is much of a fielder and I’m pissed at Carrera.

What a mess.

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

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 5 Blue Jays 4

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , ,

FINALLY!  Somebody stepped up on offense and it happened to be three rookies. For eight more innings the Tigers offense continued to look horrible.

Miggy set the tone for ineptitude in the first inning when he popped out with Davis on third and one out.  Miggy looks horrible.  He lo0ks off balance and he’s swinging at pitches I’ve never seem him swing at before.

Fast forward to the ninth inning.  The Tigers trailed 4-2 with Casey Janssen in to close the game for the Jays. Janssen has converted 92% of  his save opportunities in the last two years. J.D. lead off with a double. After Avila grounded out Castellanos tied the game with a bomb to left field.  Eugenio Suarez followed with another home run and the Tigers had the lead 5-4.

The ninth inning was not a good one for Joe Nathan but he managed to wiggle out of a bases loaded jam and convert the save opportunity.

This is only one game but other players need to step up until Miggy and Victor get straightened out, if they can get straightened out.

Ian Kinsler deserves an honorable mention. He was 3-5 with two RBIs.

Note: I’m not sure if J.D. is a rookie but I consider him one.

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

Tigers 4 Yankees 3

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

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

Tigers 5 Royals 1

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , ,

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

Rays 7 Tigers 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

Anibal was bad. The offense was worse. The result was a second straight loss to the Rays.

Sanchez was cruising through four innings, then blew up in the fifth, and didn’t make it out of the sixth.

The offense, except Avila and J.D. Martinez, was a joke. Starting the ninth inning, Rays pitcher Chris Archer, had only thrown 87 pitches. The good at bats were few and far between. That being said, it’s hard to win when the starter gives up seven runs.

I just saw a note on the MLB network. Miggy is hitting .187, in his last nine games.

Freeway Ricky will try to salvage a series split tomorrow.

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

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 8 Rangers 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers

Well, after going 9-21, the Tigers have won their fifth straight, returning the beating the Rangers put on them a few weeks ago, in game one at least.

Like I said previously, I’m reluctant to start screaming about he merits of this team, five in a row is nothing to sneeze at.

At the center of the Tigers resurgence is, J.D. Martinez. Who is J.D. Martinez? Is he a revamped slugger that can fill one of the holes in the outfield, or his he guy the Astros released?

I don’t know the answer but he’s been able to put this team on is back and carry them out of the abyss.

I hope he’s the revamped slugger to studied Miguel Cabrera’s swing to take his game to another level.

I guess time will tell.

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

 

Whew!

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Tigers survived another miserable performance from Ian Krol to take the first of a nine game road trip.

Despite Krol giving up four runs in 2/3 of an inning, the eighth, the Tigers beat the Indians 6-4.

I was at a restaurant, celebrating my birthday, so I was watching the game with the sound turned off. There are a few things that I wished I had an explanation for.

First, why was Don Kelly trying to steal third base in the third inning?  Was this some kind of missed hit and run?  He led off the inning with a double.

I’m a DK fan but WTF?

Second, why did Ian Krol come in to pitch the eighth inning?

Third, why did Ausmus leave Krol in after he gave up back to back singles to lead off the inning?

Fourth, why did Ausmus leave Krol in after Cabrera hit a three run homer?

Fifth, why did Ausmus leave Krol in after Santana cut the lead to one run?

Ausmus is beginning to worry me.  While Krol threw batting practice to the Indians, Ausmus had the deer in the headlights look?

Didn’t he go to Dartmouth?

On the bright side:

  • The Tigers have won back to back games.
  • Freeway Rick was great for six innings.  I would have liked to get at least seven out of him but you can’t complain about six scoreless innings.
  • Victor and J.D. Martinez continue to get it done and carry this team offensively.  I’m not sure how long the ride is going to last with J.D. but I hope the Tigers ride it for as long as they can.
  • Miggy FLASHED LEATHER in the sixth, he started and finished, a 3-6-3 double play.  The finish was sweet.  He dove for the ball but kept his foot on the bag just long enough to get Asdrubal Cabrera called out at first.
  • The Amazing Al pitched a clean seventh.
  • Joe Nathan got his second save in a as many games by pitching a scoreless ninth.

One more thing, at the beginning of the season, I was on the DD band wagon proclaiming his genius.  I should have listened to my gut, my first reaction.  Dave Dombrowski traded Doug Fister for three humpty dumpties.  We’re reminded of this every time Ian Krol takes the mound.

The Tigers, for the second game in a row, were able to win in spite of themselves.

I hope the ship has turned in the right direction.

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

Turning Point?

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

As I listened to the Tigers 2-1 victory over the Royals this afternoon, I kept waiting for the implosion.  After what we’ve seen from this team over the last 30 games, can you blame me?

The Royals scored in the top of the first, “oh no, another terrible start by a Tigers starter?”

Sanchez pitched 7 innings, allowed five hits, one run, and walked only one.

In the bottom of the fourth, Miggy gets picked off of second base. J.D. Martinez follows with a home run to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. “Watch they’ll  lose 3-2.”

They didn’t.

When Joba took over for Sanchez in the 8th, “its Joba’s turn to melt down.”

He didn’t.

When Nathan came on in the ninth to close the game, “another blown save”.

He struck out the side.

Today the stars aligned.  The Tigers got a quality start, a few runs, overcame a few mistakes and pulled within 1/2 game of the Royals.

Is this a turning point or an anomaly?

We’ll see.

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

 

9-20…

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , ,

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