Justin Verlander

Tigers 5 Indians 4

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The Tigers won their third straight and second against the Indians, 5-4.

JV, was very good tonight.  He pitched seven innings, allowed two runs, one earned, struck out eight and walked one.

At first, I was annoyed that he didn’t come out for the eighth inning.  However, after thinking about it, I believe sitting him down was the correct move.

JV has thrown a lot of pitches and innings over the last five or six years.  It might be time to pull the reins in a piece. Also, he’s struggled lately, so let him come out of the game feeling good about himself.

The problem is that he has to turn the game over to one of the worst bullpens in MLB.  In fact, according to the CBS post game show, the Tigers bullpen ERA is second worst and has surrendered 10 more NINTH inning runs than the next worst team. I think the Astros are the only team with a worse bullpen ERA this season.

I’m not going to complain too much about Nathan tonight.  He blew the save but sometimes you just get a bad run of cards and there’s not much you can do about it.  Nathan struck out the first two batters in the ninth.  He had David Murphy 1-2.  Murphy worked the count to 3-2 then hit a ball off the ground into center field to extend the inning.  In fact, Nathan had Murphy, Gomes, and Bourn down to their last strike and ended up giving up three consecutive singles.

The good news is, Phil Coke was SMOKIN BALLS.  When have I ever said that before?  Have I ever said that before? He came in to pitch the 10th inning, struck out the side, and got the save.

Blaine Hardy came into relieve the The Amazing Al in the eighth and looked pretty good.  I’m not going to get too excited yet but so far so good.

One more troubling statistic that I saw on the post game show was that this isn’t the first year the Tigers bullpen has hit the skids.  They’ve been among the worst in baseball for the last five years.  This is probably a big reason why the Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984.  You’d think Dave Dombrowski would have plugged this hole by now.

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

 

 

4.98…

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That is JV’s ERA after the Royals beat him into a conniption tonight at Comerica Park.

Verlander pitched six innings, gave up seven earned runs, on 12 HITS. He struck out only two and walked two.

At this point, JV, is horrible!

Not to be outdone, Evan Reed, allowed four runs in zero innings. In Reed’s defense though, only one run was earned. He was the victim of two errors although one was his own.

Oh yea, the Tigers defense, blows too. I think Suarez is averaging an error a game. WTF?

Even though they scored eight runs, six came in the ninth, after the game was decided.

Miggy was hitless and grounded into another double play.

Don’t look now but the Royals are a half game out and will probably be in first when they leave Detroit.

The ship is taking on water and is starting to sink. And stink.

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

Sent from my iPad

Verlander, Tigers Get Smoked in Windy City

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Make it three losses in a row.  The Tigers went down to the Whites Sox last night 8-2.

JV was horrible.  I listened to the game on my iPad.  All I kept  hearing about was even though his line didn’t look good, JV had good “stuff”.  Guess what.  They can take all that good “stuff”, roll it into a huge ball, and shove it up their arse.  I don’t care what kind of “stuff” anybody has.  Baseball teams need pitchers that can get people out.  Right now, few on the Tigers pitching staff can do that effectively and their record shows it.

How’s that Doug Fister trade look now?  Lombardozzi, isn’t even on the team.  Robbie Ray is in the minors and didn’t look great when he up in the show.  And Ian Krol hasn’t exactly been lights out.  I know his ERA looks good but he comes into games where he is supposed to strand runners.  Guess how many he stranded yesterday? ZERO!  He couldn’t get  Brandon “I Money” Inge out  and he’s retired.

I know.  I know.  The Tigers needed another left hander out of the bullpen.  But the caveat to that is that they needed a left hander that can get people out.  If all they need is a left hander then sign me up.  I can come in, throw left handed, and not get anybody out too.  And I’ll do it for the league minimum or less.

By the way, Fister is 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA for the Nationals this year.

The only bright spot from yesterday is Nick Castellanos, whose glove I’ve criticized plenty, flashed some leather last night and seemed like he saved the game in the fifth inning.  Unfortunately, the White Sox came to bat in the sixth.

Basically, the Tigers suck and I’m losing hope that they are going to turn it around.

 

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

The Tigers Are In Trouble…

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After winning the first two against Boston I thought the Tigers were going to turn it around.  Instead they proceeded to lose two in a row.

The Tigers don’t have a closer.  Nathan hasn’t been good and Joba failed a test on Sunday, giving up three runs in the ninth to take the loss.

They followed that debacle up with a loss to the White Sox yesterday.  Ricky pitched horribly and I’m getting worried he’s not going to have the season I thought and hoped he would.

Perhaps today’s rain out is a good thing.  Maybe it will break the bad mojo.

The one thing that perplexes me is why the Tigers can never seem to find a closer.  In contrast, the A’s never sign a closer and always seem to find someone to pitch the ninth inning.  Maybe DD should take a look at what they do.

In any case, all we have now is to hope this team can somehow put it together.

Maybe it can start with a ball smokin performance from JV tomorrow.

We’ll see.

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

Tigers 6 Mariners 3

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I think we can put to rest the stories about JV losing his velocity.  He threw 17 pitches tonight at 95 MPH or above.  Instead, I think his issues have been command and not pitching inside.  That being said, he pitched well tonight.  He went seven and two thirds and allowed three runs, struck out seven and walked one.  Really, his only blemish to was the homer to Kyle Seagar. At least it wasn’t to the Ackley Kid. 🙂

I know Seattle is not really a powerhouse team but the Tigers don’t seem to play very well there so this was a very impressive outing for JV.

Ok, it is way past time to say this but Miggy and Victor are smokin balls!  Miggy hit a two run shot and Victor hit a three run homer after Legendary Lloyd McClendon intentionally walked Miggy in front of him.

Let’s see if Smyly can put in a good performance tomorrow.

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

Indians 6 Tigers 2

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Ok, so, that 1984 euphoric feeling is fading just a little.  What bothered me most about tonight’s game was JV.  He’s the Tigers Ace.  And we needed him to be a stopper tonight.  After a rough outing from Smyly last night, the Tigers needed seven strong innings from JV but didn’t even get a quality start.

What makes this more troubling is this is JV’s third non-quality start in a row.

The offense doesn’t get a free pass for tonight either.  They squandered chances to cash in runs mostly by grounding into three double plays.

So, eight games in to the road trip, the Tigers are 6-2, not bad, but avoiding a sweep tomorrow afternoon would go a long way to regaining the warm and fuzzies.

Also, I thought the strike zone was an abomination for both pitchers.  Before Verlander even took the mound I was complaining to Nebraska that home plate umpire, Gabe Morales, was squeezing Trevor Bauer.

Let’s hope Max can be the stopper.

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

Indians 5 Tigers 4

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Well,  I guess the Tigers can’t win them all and truthfully, last night, the Tigers didn’t pitch well enough to win.  I know they only gave up five runs but that was mostly due to the Indian’s inept hitting. (Sound eerily familiar?)

Between a combined six base on balls, five by starter Drew Smyly, and 14 Indians hits there was traffic on the base paths all night and it seemed like the Tigers were pitching out of trouble all night.

When J.D. Martinez hit the game tying shot in the bottom of the ninth, visions of 1984 raced through my brain.  However, when Rod Allen said, in the bottom of the 10th, that The Amazing Al couldn’t let Michael Brantley beat them, I knew it was over.  And it was.

Let’s hope for a good outing from JV tonight.

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

 

Tigers Sweep Orioles with 7-5 Victory,,,

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which is a good thing.  I’ve been delinquent with my game analysis because I’m suffering from debilitating back pain. It makes it very hard for me to sit behind my computer for more than a few minutes at a time.  In fact, I had a major ordeal just getting back home so I can see a doctor..

That being said,  I have been able to listen to the games on my iPhone, my third favorite gadget behind my iPad and satellites radio, and JV is starting to piss me off.  He gave up five runs today and from what I can tell the majority of the runs came off of hanging breaking balls.  If he can’t throw that pitch decently, perhaps he needs to scrap it or throw it less; MUCH LESS.

On another note, JV’s real trouble started with two out in the fifth.  With David Lough at first it looked, and sounded like, Verlander struck out Machado and the inning should have been over. Unfortunately, home plate umpire, John Tumpane, decided to change the strike zone.  JV walked Machado on what had been a strike all day long, and before we knew it, the O’s had put five on the board.

OK, I’m in a pissy mood but if a pitch is getting hammered why keep throwing it?  Is it just hubris?  It didn’t cost the Tigers today but JV better get his head out of his ass before it becomes costly.

Like I said, I’m in pain and in a mood but I’m happy for the win!

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

 

Twins 4 Tigers 3

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The Tigers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Tigers wasted a nice pitching performance from Robby Ray. Ray pitched six innings allowed four hits, no runs, struck out two and walked one. He turned three a run lead over to the bullpen but the pen couldn’t hold it.

The Tigers ended the home stand on a down note.  They lost two of three to the Twins and wasted good pitching performances from JV and R Squared.

Joba and Krol were not good today.

Well, let’s lick out wounds and get on back on track in Baltimore tomorrow with Freeway Rick on the hill.

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

Tigers 9 Royals 4

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The Tigers swept the weekend series with the Royals.  They got good starting pitching and the offense exploded, scoring 26 runs in three games.

I really like this new look offense.  I know it’s early but we really aren’t seeing the huge swings like we have the last few years.  The ability to, as Nebraska says, getem on, getem over and getem in is nice to watch.

Ok, so I have to complain a little.  JV got the win but I don’t like the three earned runs surrendered in seven innings. Extrapolated over nine innings, that’s a 3.86 ERA, which is good, but not for Justin Verlander.

The Good:

  • The offense is smokin balls!, Davis, Hunter and Romine each had three hits. Could Romine be the solution at short?  He looks like it. Again, it’s early.
  • Hunter and Romine had three RBIs each and Miggy had two.
  • Castellanos had a home run on his only hit.  I like what I see so far out of Castellanos but I’d like to see his average over .250.
  • 16 hits
  • No errors.

The Bad:

  • The Amazing Al gave up a run on two hits in the ninth.
  • OK, I’m nitpicking, but the three runs given up by JV I’m classifying as not good.

The Ugly:

  • Nothing ugly most of this series

Houston comes to Comerica tonight with Max on the hill.

I’ll be in Vegas this weekend so if you want any bets, you know how to get in touch with me.

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