Jose Iglesias

Tigers 8 Mariners 7

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Nice win and a needed win.  After losing the last three to Kansas City the Tigers could ill afford to lose their first game in the home-stand.

Justin Upton came through with two home runs including the walk-off in the bottom of the 12th.  If they Tigers are going to keep their heads above water they are going to need J-UP to stay hot.

Iggy scared me at short.  He made an error and almost booted another ball in the 11th.

Did anybody else notice that Upton almost missed the plate on his walk-off?

JMC and J-UP both had CONNIPTION SHOTS!

I have to tip my hat to the bullpen.  I don’t like the Tigers’ chances  battle of the pens but they pitched well tonight.

Pelfrey was bad.

White Sox 10 Tigers 9

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This game was like watching a train wreck.  When the Sox started chipping away I knew this game was lost.  I guess we can give K-ROD a pass, he had converted 19 in a row but this one is going to leave a mark.

I thought Brad Ausmus had a good game in the losing effort.  I liked the suicide squeeze with Iggy and Salty to extend the lead to 9-7 and I liked leaving Nick “The Quick” in the game in the late innings. There was not much he could do about the pitching, I thought he made the right moves at the right time, it just didn’t work out.

I often call Robin Ventura the dumbest manager in baseball but I have to give him and Big Game Jame Shields credit.  The Tigers were beating Big Game James into a conniption but Ventura left him in the game and he ended up giving the White Sox five innings and a chance to win.  This is the type of move that can turn Shields’ season around, not good news for the Tigers.

Anyway, Hat Tip to Robin Ventura and James Shields and Brad Ausmus.

 

BIG WIN! Tigers 3 Blue Jays 2

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I haven’t seen a comeback win like this in a long time.

For eight innings the Tigers could do nothing with Aaron Sanchez.  He struck out 10 and allowed one hard hit ball, a double off of the bat of Justin Upton. That all changed in the ninth.

Iggy led off the ninth with a single. Kinlser doubled him in. Romine, playing in place of Maybin, IMHO a questionable move, bunted Kinsler to third. Then Jose Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate.  Miggy didn’t look good in his first three at-bats but when Jays reliever Osuna came up and in on the Big Man, I had a feeling the deal was done.  Two pitches after the brushback, Miggy launched a one hop double off of the center field wall to drive in Kinsler and tie the game.

Hat Tips go to Ian Kinsler for driving in the first and winning runs, Tigers starter Matt Boyd and relievers Shane Greene, Blaine Hardy and Bobby Parnell for keeping the game close.  Also, a huge Hat Tip to Nick “The Quick” Castellanos for flashin’ leather at third.  I dare say, Nick has improved considerably in the field.

Five in a row!

Sweep tomorrow?

Details…

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apparently, Monday’s offensive explosion was an aberration because the bats went quiet again Tuesday night putting up another ZERO.

Mike Pelfrey, wasn’t as bad as his final line.  He was charge with five runs but his defense didn’t help help him. In the top of the fourth, when the A’s scored three, Jose Iglesias dropped a strike from Salty that would have caught the runner at first stealing. Later in the inning, Nick Castellanos dropped a cut-off through from Justin Upton that would have cut the runner down at third.  Both of these runners ended up scoring.

The devil is in the details; shoddy fielding along with bad base running are ingredients for disaster.

Side Note: Justin Upton was flashin leather.  He made a home run saving catch early in the game.

 

 

Tigers 10 Cubs 8

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I was listening to MLB radio yesterday afternoon, I guess like every afternoon, and they were discussing what went wrong with the Tigers in 2015.  One host said that basically it is starting pitching. It isn’t the bullpen because they have never had a bullpen. The difference between this year and the past few years is starting pitching.  I guess you don’t have to be a genius to figure that out. When you don’t have good starting pitching it taxes your bullpen even more, not good, especially when it’s weak, and it demands that your offense produce everyday, and produce a lot.  Tuesday night, the Tigers’ offense, despite a two hour and sixteen minute rain delay, produced a harvest and the pitching staff needed it.

Kinsler had five hits, Iggy had two and J.D. had a conniption shot in the first.  Kinsler has really turned a miserable season around.  Too bad it isn’t in the middle of a playoff run.

Can the Tigers afford J.D. now?

Red Sox 7 Tigers 2

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Well JV looked pretty good although his pitch count was too high and he had to turn it over to the pen and we all know how that turns out more times than not.

I didn’t see the end of the game but it looked like Krol imploded.

What is the story with giving up home runs and waking number nine hitters? Especially number nine hitters batting under .200?

For me not scoring runners at third with less than two outs is an abomination. In the third, I know Davis eventually scored, but it took a two out hit by Victor, but Iggy and Kinsler had horrible at-bats. They have to find a way to hit a ground ball to shirt or second. Boston was conceding the run and they refused to take it. They can’t just tip their cap to the pitcher game after game.

Another series loss to a bad team.

Red Sox 7 Tigers 2

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Daniel Norris’ second start didn’t go as well as his first.  In fact, he needed 40 pitches to get out of the first inning.  His offense didn’t show today either but that’s another story.

I have tried to defend Brad Ausmus and give him the benefit of the doubt but I am at my end with this team’s base running.  This has to be the worst base running team I’ve ever seen an I have seen some abominations.  How many double plays and does this team have to hit into? How many line drives have to not get through, with runners taking off, do we have to sit through for something to change? Can’t they at least try sacrificing? Can’t they at least try to move runners over?

Tempers flared in the dugout.  Jose Iglesias shoved James McCann after they exchanged words over something apparently regarding defense.  I like Iggy but he may need an attitude adjustment.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/141789874/jose-iglesias-james-mccann-exchange-words

The Tigers just can’t win three in a row.

Tigers Drop Two Out of Three in Boston

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The only pitching staff in the American League worse than the Tigers’ is Boston’s and the Tigers still couldn’t win a series.  Yet, I’m listening to MLB Radio and the hosts are still expecting the Tigers to acquire a pitcher and make a playoff run.  Here’s the problem; on the statistical anomalous occasion when they do get good pitching their offense decides not to score runs. There is an almost perfect discordant balance with this team that is hard to explain if you don’t watch them every game.

Rod Allen was on MLB Radio last week and he was asked if he thought the Tigers had a run in them.  He said he didn’t see it.  I agree.

I’ll be interested in seeing how Castellanos, Iglesias, and Verlander finish the season.

O’s 9 Tigers 3

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Nebraska sent me an article that that the fire sale has begun in Cincinnati.  I think it should begin in Detroit as well. Verlander was horrible. The offense wasn’t far behind.

It appears JV’s start in Minnesota was the anomaly. He gave up seven earned again today and wasn’t fooling anybody.  He couldn’t make it out of the third.

The offense could manage only three runs despited getting 14 hits.  There was pretty much nothing to like except Iggy’s four hit day.

This is going to get ugly but it doesn’t have to stay ugly for long.  I just don’t want to sit through another 2003.