Joba Chamberlain

Blue Jays 6 Tigers 5

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Another series loss.

Don’t let the five runs fool you. Three of the five runs were unearned and they didn’t score after the fourth inning. That’s 14 innings without scoring a run. The Tigers get credit for taking advantage of mistakes but they eventually returned the favor in spades.

Besides Joba Chamberlain, who is turning out to be the guy the Yankees let go, the bullpen was good today. Even Phil Coke pitched adequately, he was hurt by bone head fielding plays from Kinsler and Castellanos.

There is no other way to say this, the Tigers are horrible. Their lead over the Royals is down to 1/2 a game and they are headed for a catastrophic implosion. The offense is almost as bad as the bullpen. The fielding is borderline terrible and the manager sits their like an idiot and does nothing to shake things up.

On another note, did anybody see the Joe Nathan interview after the game yesterday? When is he going to take responsibility for pitching like shit? He’s blown six saves and has a 5.23 ERA. If I’m not mistaken, both his ERA and blown saves are the worst in MLB.

Also, Max Scherzer was covering BA’s ass. You could tell he was lying when he said he had nothing left.

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

Blue Jays 3 Tigers 2

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Put this one on BA. If he doesn’t know this team by now, he’ll never know them.

The Tigers only strength is starting pitching.  Their offense is horrible. Their bullpen is an abomination.

Joe Nathan is horrible.  Joba is returning to the guy that the Yankees gave up on.  Soria, all though he was good today, has not been good in a Tigers uniform.

That being said, let the starters win or lose.   Max had only thrown 106 pitches.  Send him out for the ninth inning. Add this game to the game in Arizona, when he pulled Freeway Ricky in the eighth for a pinch hitter, and Ausmus is directly responsible of two loses in the last three weeks.

This team isn’t going anywhere.

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

Angels 2 Tigers1

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You can’t pitch or play defense well enough to win when your high priced offense can only manage 2 runs in 3 games.

Freeway Ricky was smokin balls. You could blame the loss on Joba who gave up the go ahead homer in the eighth, but the offense only scored ONE run.

Here’s a team rule that needs to be instituted immediately if not sooner. No Tigers pitcher should be allowed to throw to any base other than first. For whatever reason, starting with the 2006 World Series, when pitchers put on a Tigers uniform, they can’t throw to second or third.

The unearned run tied the game, but again, the offense scored one run.

WTF is going on with Miggy. All of the sudden the can’t take a walk anymore? In an average season he walks 77 times. Through 101 games he has taken 37 BBs.  This year he’s on pace to walk just 59 times, which is why is hitting .309, which is good, but not $30 million good.

I know a lot of people don’t care about batting average but I do. A high batting average and OBP means that even when you don’t have a chance to drive in runs, you are still getting on base for someone else to drive you in. I know that’s not saying much on this team, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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

On the Soria Acquisition…

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I like adding a bullpen arm.  The Tigers had to do something.  Their bullpen is the worst in the AL and probably the worst in history.  However, I don’t agree with making Soria the eighth inning setup man.

The only part of the Tigers bullpen that works is Joba in the eighth, so why are they fixing the eighth inning?  How about the seventh and ninth?

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

Tigers 11 Diamondbacks 5

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Despite not getting a quality start from Anibal Sanchez the Tigers were able to take the rubber game of their three game set in Phoenix.

Joba bailed Anibal out in the seventh by getting a double play on the only pitch he threw. At the time, the Diamondbacks had cut a 7-0 Tigers lead to 7-5 and had runners on first and second, with one out.

Blaine Hardy pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

Eleven runs is an offensive explosion I just hope they don’t go another five games with two runs or less.

Miggy had two hits including his 15th home run and RBIs, 78, 79, and 80.

Congratulations to Alex Avila on his 100th double. I still don’t think he should be playing every day. He struck out three more time today giving him a total of 95 for the season. Ninety-eight games into the season and Alex Avila has Kd 95 times. I hate to say this because I was his biggest supporter, he needs to relegated to the backup role. I’m not saying Holaday is the answer, but how much worse can he do?

Austin Ajax Jackson had two more hits and three RBIs this afternoon. He has quietly brought his batting average up to .270.

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

Ricky Deserved Better…

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Through 7 complete, Ricky had given up three runs, struck out 5, walked none, thrown only 77 pitches and trailed 3-2.

Somehow, through a comedy of miscues and a timely Hunter single, the Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two out it was Ricky’s turn to bat. Then the unthinkable happened. Brad Ausmus pinch hit Rajai Davis for Freeway Ricky.

I don’t have the words to describe Ausmus’s lunacy. After 96 games you know what you have. Regarding the Tigers bullpen, you don’t have much.

For Ausmus’s edification, you have one reliable arm in the bullpen, Joba Chamberlain. You decided he wasn’t available tonight. That leaves you with nothing. And that’s what you got.

After Davis failed to deliver, Phil Coke came in to “relieve” Ricky in the bottom of the 8th. He retired the first batter on a line shot into his stomach then walked the next two batters.

In comes The Amazing, Everyday Al. Al gets a fly ball for out number two then walks the bases loaded.

In comes Ian Krol who surrenders a two run single and game over.

Did I mention Freeway Ricky had only thrown 77 pitches?

You (BA) child.

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

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 5 Indians 1

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I didn’t get to see a minute of this game.  I got on a flight at noon and didn’t arrive until the game was over.

From perusing the box score however, it looks the same tried and true recipe was used to salvage the last game of this four game debacle.

Drew Smyly pitched seven complete and allowed only one run.  Instead of relying on the bullpen for 3 or 4 innings, only two were required.

Joba continued to show that he is the only reliable arm out of the bullpen. He pitched a scoreless 8th, although he did walk two.

Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.

It looks like the offense came alive, scoring five runs.  Miggy took an ofer but it looks like Ajax, Torii, and Costellanos had good games.

Although, I like him, he seems like a decent guy, I’ve been pretty critical of Austin Jackson.  But he seems be coming on a bit lately.  He had two hits today and his batting average is up to .264.

Off to the Valley of the Sun for a three game series with the Diamondbacks.

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

Tigers 4 Dodgers 1

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Impressive, is the best way to describe this win.  Not only did Max break the string of crappy starts, the Tigers beat a pitcher that has dominated them, Zach Greinke.

In yesterday’s post, I asked for at least seven innings with no more that two runs allowed.  Max did one better.  He pitched seven completed and allowed only one run.

Another thing that makes this win impressive is that neither Miggy nor Victor were in the lineup.  Victor still has an issue with his side and apparently, Miggy was just given a day off.

Nebraska told me that Brad Ausmus wanted to get DK in the lineup because he has hit Greinke well.  Coming into the game DK was 3-8 against Greinke, hardly a large enough sample, but Donny went 2-3 with a big RBI.

What I’m happiest about today is the pitching.  Max was great and Joba and Nathan were lights out.  If Tigers starters can go seven innings a lot of the deficiencies can be covered up.

The Tigers go to Kansas City for weekend set-to with Royals. Depending on what team shows, the Tigers could have a nice lead going into the break.

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

Turning Point?

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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

 

Tigers 4 Twins 3

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Well a win and a series win is great but the MVP for the Tigers in this game was Twins right fielder Oswaldo Arcia.

Arcia misjudged two fly balls off of the bat of Victor Martinez that resulted in two runs including the winning run.

Freeway Ricky was good. He pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs and the bullpen, Joba and Nathan, were adequate.

That being said the offense left an individual total of 25 men on base.

Like yesterday, it wasn’t pretty, but the way things have been going we’ll take it.

The Royals come to town tomorrow.

JV on the hill for the opener.

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