Jose Miguel Cabrera

Astros 5 Tigers 1

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Well I didn’t give the Tigers much of a chance to win this game going into it. Astros’ starter Dallas Kuechel was undefeated at home and I didn’t think the Tigers offense, even with the return of Jose Miguel Cabrera, was much of a threat to change that.

I was correct.

Alfredo Simon wasn’t good and neither was the offense.

The best offensive play came from the Astros. They executed a beautiful safety squeeze, a play I wish the Tigers would try, in the sixth to extend their lead to 4-1.

JV pitches tomorrow.

Cabrera was 0-3 with a walk and two strike outs.  He hit the ball hard his last time up but lined out to I believe short or second.

Tigers 8 Royals 6

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Ian Kinsler has turned what started out as a miserable season completely around. Sort of under the radar, well at least under mine, his batting average is up to .296, he’s hitting in Miggy’s old #3 spot, and he knocking in some runs. He’s making me forget that 4-50 streak, or whatever it was earlier in the season, where he was just an automatic out.

Let’s turn to Victor now. Since Miggy went on the DL he has been horrible. This afternoon, however, he hit two bombs and drove in five runs. The Tigers needed every one of them and more because Anibal wasn’t very good and didn’t get any help from Neftali Feliz or Blaine Hardy.

Blaine Hardy gets a pass, he has been excellent all season but why is Feliz still around? He wasn’t good in Texas. He has been worse here. Why not go through growing pains with someone else?

Big Nice series win.

Tigers 12 Mariners 5

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If my memory serves me correctly, the only two places the Tigers play worse than Seattle are Anaheim and Yankee Stadium, so it was nice to start this road trip off with a win.

Alfredo Simon continues to be a mess. He allowed five runs in five and two thirds  Luckily, the bullpen showed up tonight with good performance from Blaine Hardy, Ian Krol and Bruce Rondon.

Everyone got in on the 12 run, 19 hit parade except Ian Kinsler who was an absolute abomination at the plate. He went 0-5 and hit into two double plays.

Don’t look now but Nick Castellanos has started to hit the last few games.  He had four hits tonight including a home run,

All-Star J.D. Martinez had three hits and raised his average to .290 with another homer and three more hits.  He is basically on Miggy like tear right now.  I hope he continues this pace.  With JMC on the shelf, the Tigers are going to need it.

Victor seems to finding his form again. At the risk of sending this offense into a tailspin with the my fingers and keyboard, this offense is firing on all cylinders, the only problem is the Tigers only have two starting pitchers.  After Price and Sanchez I’m not sure where they turn for the 3-5 starting slots.  I guess if they score 5+ runs a game they might be able to squeak by for a while.

Doesn’t it seem like this is 180 degrees opposite of the first two months of the season?

I’ll the take W any way they can get them.

Tigers 8 Blue Jays 3

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Make it two in a row over the Blue Jays and two in a row scoring eight runs.  The highlight of the game however, was a fantastic catch by Alex “A Squared Money” Avila who played his first game at first base filling if for the injured Jose Miguel Cabrera.

Avila was 1-3 at the plate with a walk and a K and didn’t exactly tear the cover off of the ball but I think there is an outside chance the his bat could come alive if he continues to play first base.  There is no chance he is going to hit playing catcher but a first there may be a glimmer of hope.

Home run derby contestants, fear not, you don’t have to be on a major league roster to pitch.  If you remember, a few years ago Bryce Harper’s father pitched to him in HRD so I’m pretty Joba is still available.

Alex Avila 7/4/2015
Alex Avila 7/4/2015

Tigers 8 Blue Jays 6

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How do you take an 8-0 lead and a no-hitter through 7.1 and turn it into a nail biter?  Turn it over to the Tigers bullpen.

With Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny designated for assignment earlier in the day, it was Alex Wilson’s and Bruce Rondon’s turn to pitch the eighth.  They performed slightly better than Joba did on Wednesday night against the Pirates.

Houston, we have a problem.  Did I mention Miggy is on the 15 day DL?

I really feel bad for Anibal.  He’s final line looks pedestrian after not allowing a Blue Jay hit for seven and a third. To add insult to injury, his no-no was broken up by a former teammate whose base hit in the eighth equaled his hit total with the Tigers all of last season.

I have to give BA credit for trying out a new lineup.  For one day it looked pretty good but now with Miggy hurt all bets are off.

Side note:  I heard Rod Allen on MLB radio yesterday.  It is no secret I really like Rod.  I’ve often said that the best part of the 2003 season was Rod Allen coming to the Tigers broadcast.  Anyway, he was asked who the Tigers MVP is.  He said that hands down it is Jose Miguel Cabrera.  He said J.D. should be an All-Star but everything runs through Miggy. I agree with him and that’s why I think this injury just about puts to rest any idea the Tigers had of competing for a playoff spot this season.

Tigers 5 White Sox 4

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The Tigers got their first win of the season when trailing after the 7th and it didn’t look like they were going to get their first Sunday either.  They were doing nothing with Jeff Samardzija until James McCann led off the eighth with a single.

The four run, eighth inning, rally was even more impressive because the Tigers got nothing from Miggy.  Samardzija was able to blow three 95 mile an hour fast balls by him, the last up and away, for the first out of the eighth, with bases loaded.  Luckily, he tried to do the same thing to Victor who took the first pitch and cleared the bases with a double.

It looks like, when the bases are loaded Miggy, is trying to hit a home run instead of just a single or a sac fly and as result he’s striking out.  I believe he is 0-5 now with the bases full this season.  Usually, especially with RISP, he’s fine with taking the pitch the other way between first and second.  I guess it’s hard to complain about a guy hitting .350 but he did leave five runners on base yesterday.

Anyway, big win.  Even thought the White Sox suck, they’ve played the Tigers fairly even this year.  At this point, every win is big.  The Tigers are basically a .500 team so far.

Reds 5 Tigers 2

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Kyle Ryan was cruising along until he wasn’t.  Still, the only runs he gave up were courtesy of solo home runs.  This seems to be an epidemic among Tigers pitchers this year.  Once they give a long ball they can’t stop.  It’s like eating one potato chip.  It begins to snowball.  Before you know it they’ve given up four bombs and the game is over or you’re 300 pounds but I digress.  It is a very odd phenomena that I wish would stop, along with hitting into double plays.

It didn’t take Reds manager Bryan Price long to realize it probably isn’t a good idea to keep pitching to Jose Miguel Cabrera. I suspect he won’t get much to hit in Cincinnati either.

The Tigers caught a bit of bad break on the line drive hit by Cespedes that hit the Reds pitcher, Michael Lorenzen.  That should have scored a couple instead of only one.

Back to the drawing board.

Tigers 6 Reds 0

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Our old friend, Brennan “B Squared Money” Boesch, just keeps showing up and I’m not sure why. Not that have any ill will towards him, or anyone else for that matter, but I just can’t figure out why teams keep having a look at him.  Perhaps there is little risk and the price is right?  Granted, he did win the Pacific Coast League batting title last year but he looks like the same old B Squared Money to me.

When Boesch first came up, you’ll remember, he was on fire for two months, exactly 30 days longer than Chris “Red Pop” Sheldon.  In fact, B Squared Money, almost hit himself onto the all-star team. Unlike, Red Pop, who I knew was going to to cool off, I wasn’t sure about Boesch.  I didn’t like his lack of plate discipline but he was making a lot of hard contact.  I thought, he’s either a left handed Vladimir Guerrero or a left handed Red Pop.  He was the latter.  Did I mention he plays the outfield like I do?  (I’m fat, have a bad back, and haven’t played since 8th grade. )  I guess my question for major league organizations is, haven’t you seen enough?

Getting to the game, Anibal pitched a gem and Miggy and J.D. might be heating up. Now add to that, Victor, JV and Rondon coming back and perhaps I had started on the obit prematurely?  I’ve been told I have a tendency to fly off the handle?

Have I mentioned that I sat through about 50 home games in 2003?  Remember, the year they lost 119 games?

I’m not hating this team that much right now.  Funny, winning does that to me.

Tigers 8 Indians 1

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The Tigers didn’t exactly get to Corey Kluber but they touched him for two runs, including another monster blast from Jose Miguel Cabrera, and the rain did the rest. Both starters, Kluber and Simon, only lasted five innings thanks to a two hour rain delay.  The Tigers then beat the Indians pen into a conniption.

J.D. Martinez got some redemption with a three run homer to break the game open after the rain delay that extended the Tigers lead to 5-0.

It is one game, one series, but we’ll take it.

The Reds come to town tomorrow and we’ll welcome Nebraska back.