Joakim Soria

Twins 8 Tigers 6

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Perhaps for only one game but Justin Verlander looked liked the Cy Young JV.  He was, in two words, SMOKIN BALLS.  Unfortunately, he turned over a five run lead to the bullpen in the ninth and they couldn’t hold it.

Despite the meltdown from Bruce Rondon and Joakim Soria there was a lot to like about this game. The offense scored six more runs, JV was on fire and Yoenis Cepedes made a nice catch in left to rob Joe Mauer of a double.

I’m trying not get upset at what the Tigers don’t have anymore.  They haven’t had a bullpen for as long as I can remember so anything they get from them I’m gong to consider house money.

Tigers 6 Astros 5

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Hmmm, I’m sitting there thinking, in the bottom of the 11th, ‘isn’t it time for Miggy to get a clutch hit’? I guess I always blame him when things go wrong.  But, then for the second straight game, an un-expected hero emerged, this time it was James McCann. He hit a solo shot to end the game in the 11th after the Tigers blew a five run lead.

By the way, where is Alex Avila playing when he gets back?

This is going to sound strange coming from my fingers but this pen is smokin balls.  Especially, Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy.  The only weak link is Joba and I’m not going to jump on Soria, it is one blown save.

For the record, I like the five and six run Tigers much better than the two-run Tigers.

Tigers 5 Brewers 2

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I was fuming.  Another crappy performance by the two-run Tigers.  They’re asking too much from this pitching staff! From any pitching staff. Then it happened. Finally. From a most unexpected source. Nick “The Quick” Castellanos. A highly touted third baseman who has done virtually nothing in his sophomore season delivered the hit I have been waiting for.  A clutch, two-out, run producing, triple.  Finally, a lead.  A three run cushion.

Soria closes the ninth.

Isn’t this how it is supposed to work?

Tigers 10 Indians 7

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I’m not sure how many times I’ll write this in 2015 but the Tigers’ won a battle of bullpens this afternoon in Minnesota.  Everyone they called on, Hardy, Nesbitt, Gorzelanny, Soria got the job done.

Starter Shane Greene was cruising until he wasn’t.  He starting leaking fuel in the third then exploded in the fourth.

The Tigers could have blown this game by running themselves out of a rally in the fifth. I’m not sure sure but isn’t it taboo to make an out at third?  Well, with runners at first and second, one out, and Kinsler at the plate, Andrew “Wheels” Romine decided it was a good idea to steal third.  Like Miggy in game in one, he got nailed, rally over. Fortunately, the bats came alive and beat the Twins’ bullpen into a conniption after falling behind 7-4.

For all of my complaining, the Tigers got another series win.

Of note:

  • Miggy hit two balls into a a conniption.
  • McCann had his first career HR, an inside the parker.
  • Victor was 0-5 and doesn’t look good from either side of the plate.
  • Wheels Romine was 4-4 but 1-3 in steal attempts (WTF).
  • Kinsler flashed some leather in the 8th to turn a nice double play.

Off to KC.  I hope this series doesn’t turn into basebrawl.

Tigers 2 Yankees 1

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Hmmm, 13 games into the 2015 season and this version of the Tigers seems to be finding ways to win.

The Tigers got another great start from Alfredo Simon and enough offense in the seventh inning to snatch a win from C C Sabathia and the New York Yankees.

Guess what, the bullpen was good today.  Joba came in with two on and one out in the eighth and got an inning ending double play and Soria closed out the ninth.

There has been little to complain about this season.

If I wanted to get picky, Miggy had an awful day and I wish they had tried a little bit of small ball when Castellanos walked to lead off the sixth. But I’ll take 11-2.

Tigers 1 Pirates 0

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WOW!  The Tigers got their second straight shut out win over the Pirates and took the three game series, in a place they historically don’t play well, 2-1.

What can I say about Alfredo Simon, he was SMOKIN’ BALLS!

I wasn’t expecting much from this series.  The Tigers struggles in Pittsburgh have been well documented and I wasn’t sure what they’d get from Simon.  I didn’t think he looked that good in his first start.  I surely wasn’t expecting an eight inning, two hit, shut out.

Going into this series I figured the Tigers would have a chance in the first two games, with Sanchez and Greene pitching, but not much with Simon going tonight.  I thought this was a throw away game.  I was wrong and glad for it.

Is it too early to say I might be wrong about Soria as well?  I hope so.

Nebraska, to answer your question, “Someone remind me tomorrow why we let the pitcher lead off the eighth inning with over 90 pitches and a day off Thursday?” I think you answered it yourself. BULLPEN! Remember, with this bullpen, less is more.

I like 8-1.

Still Perfect But…

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not pretty.

The weakness preventing the Tigers from winning a World Series in the last five years has been the bullpen.  After last season, I didn’t think the pen could get any worse, and with Joe Nathan’s early absence I was optimistic. I was wrong.

My biggest issue with David Price last year was that he rarely, if ever, but together two consecutive solid starts.  It was generally one superb outing followed by garbage.  I’m reserving judgement because today’s start was skewed by his own throwing error that allowed three unearned runs. Seriously, what is the issue with Tigers pitchers throwing to bases? That being said, Price only lasted five and two thirds.  That’s a problem because, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, the pen is a Carnival of Asses and the Soria experiment might need to be over.  I know we are only five games in but his leash is as short as Nathan’s.  At least Shit Bird Nathan had the decency to go on the DL.

The offense is SMOKIN BALLS!  Getting two runs off of Kluber was impressive but continuing to come back after losing the lead or having the lead shortened was even more so.  In fact, even though they struck out 10 times against him they were able chase Kluber after 6.2. Hey, I just thought of something, the Indians pen is worse than the Tigers.

One more thing, I’ve had it with Ausmus’s stupid late game substitutions.  This is an asinine habit he picked up from Jim Leyland or Gene Lamont or both.  Look we know you went to Dartmouth but you are making things more complicated than they need to be, and you don’t have Ryan Rayburn and Clete Thomas, defensive specialists, sitting on the bench. Remember Occam’s Razor.  More to the point, knock off the college boy antics jackass.

I’ll take 5-0.

Orioles 7 Tigers 6

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“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

The Tigers bullpen has been its Achilles heal for the past four years. The genius Dave Dombrowski, has done nothing to remedy the issue.

Oh, I know he made a half hearted attempt with the acquisition of Soria. But he knew Soria didn’t work out almost immediately and did nothing.

The TBS broadcast showed a statistic of the Tigers bullpen ERA during the last three post seasons. It wasn’t pretty. If I’m not mistaken, the 2011 ERA was over eight. Dennis Eckersley made the comment that the pen has been the single reason the Tigers haven’t won the World Series. (No kidding.)

For some reason, Ausmus keeps sending out the same parade of idiots. I know, ‘what can he do? That’s all he’s got’. I thought you’d never ask. How about leaving Sanchez in for the 8th or how about Kyle Lobstein? How about Porcello? Anybody but Soria, Chamberlain, Coke, Nathan, et al.

Now JV wasn’t good. I thought the home plate umpire was a joke but JV wasn’t good. He got picked up by his offense and Anibal Sanchez who was brilliant.

Do you remember a few months ago when I said third base coach Dave Clark was the second worst third base coach in the history of baseball behind Tom Brookens? I was wrong. He’s worse than Tommy Brookens. His asinine send of Cabrera in the eight with nobody out proved to be a dagger in the heart.

Given the deficiencies this team has it is a wonder they have won four division titles.

I’m sick.

Tigers 4 Twins 2

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I’m pretty sure I’ve never said this before, the Tigers bullpen was smokin balls. It worked out just the way it was scripted. Soria, Chamberlain and Nathan pitched the final 9 outs and got them in order.

Max was pretty good. He had an elevated pitch count but last six complete and got his 18th win.

I was listening to the White Sox broadcast on the way home from the game. For what it’s worth, they think the Tigers will re-sign Victor but Max is leaving. I think most Tigers fans expect Max to leave. I’m not sure about Vmart. I’m usually not in favor of singing older players but this could be an exception.

The Royals won’t go away. They beat the White Sox 6-3.