In honor of the wonderful job the Tigers Bullpen has done five games into the 2017 season, let alone the last 10 years, I’m starting a new twitter hashtag campaign, #NiceBullpen.
Bruce Rondon’s ERA is 40.50, is that good for your setup man? Fear not, he has run into some bad luck, opponents are only hitting .500 against him.
Kyle Ryan, Anibal Sanchez, Alex Wilson, and Shane Greene haven’t been much better.
The Tigers got swept in today’s day / night doubleheader but you can’t point the finger at the pitching staff. Tonights’s starter, Randy Wolf, like this afternoon’s starter, Kyle Ryan, deserved better. However, in 18 innings of baseball today, the offense could produce only two runs.
I was willing to tip my hat to Jeff Samardzija in the first game, but enough hat tipping, the offense has to be better. Geez! I guess this doubleheader was a microcosm of this entire season.
Sark, I’m beginning to agree with you on Miggy, despite being on the verge of his fourth batting title, he almost seems disinterested. He had a hit tonight but his at-bats aren’t very good. He struck out twice and almost looked like he didn’t care. I hope I’m just wrong and frustrated because I tune in every night just to watch him hit.
I’m very disappointed. Again.
Too bad for Kyle Ryan. He pitched extremely well. Well enough, on most days, to get a win. But Jeff Samardzija was smokin’ balls. He needed only 88 pitches for a complete game, one hit, shut out of the Tigers.
The Sox take the first of the day night double header. The Tigers will try for the split this evening.
J.D. continues to hit the ball hard and Kyle Ryan looked good in out of the bullpen. I was really happy with Ryan’s performance because Ausmus had to make another early call to the pen and Ryan delivered 4.2 solid innings. Ryan and VerHagen just might be long relief options for 2016.
Andrew Romine is a solid utility player that can flash leather at any position and can swing the bat just enough. I haven’t said enough about him this year.
I’m not sure if anybody else noticed but Nick Castellanos has similar offensive numbers to Minnesota’s All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier. Nick “The Quick” is hitting, .250, with 15 hrs and 68 rbis. Dozier is hitting .239, with 27 hrs and 70 rbis. The homer are way higher for Dozier but he only has two more runs batted in. I know you expect more power from third base but I I couldn’t help it, the numbers just struck me as interesting.
The Tigers won the series finale and took two out of three from the Mariners with a big 5-4 win this afternoon.
Anibal Sanchez didn’t pitch great, but well enough to give the bullpen a bit of break. He lasted 6.1 innings, allowing four runs, three earned on five hits. I guess it qualifies as a quality starts but his walks were high, five, and he continues to give up home runs. However, given the starts they got from Ryan and Simon and the way the offense is to click, this looked like a gym.
What is the story with Jose Iglesias wearing his sunglasses on his hat instead of over his eyes. He made one error and almost made another one. With the struggles the pitching staff is having the last thing they need is to have to throw extra pitches and get extra outs. If it’s sunny enough to get your sunglasses out why not put them over your eyes?
Off to Minnesota.
In yesterday’s post I mentioned that the Tigers have no answer for the 3-5 starting slots and unfortunately Kyle Ryan doesn’t provide one. The offense staked him to an early three run lead that he promptly squandered.
Ryan couldn’t complete three innings and he departed the Tigers were down 5-3.
All things considered the pen did a good job. They were called on to pitch 7.2 innings, allowing 9 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, and struck out seven. If that were the starters line the outcome would have probably been different.
Alex Wilson pitched another 2.1 strong innings last night and, ‘where would the Tigers be without him’? How many more times can they call on him and ask him to pitch multiple innings?
I’ve been very critical of Nick “The Quick” Castellanos. Last night, he followed up the first four hit game of this career with a two run shot. I hope he stays hot and consistent. I really don’t want to see him traded. I’d like to see some home grown talent on this team.
I have to give Brad Ausmus a lot of credit for this win. He didn’t wait around. He pulled Kyle Ryan and didn’t give him a chance to squander a second lead.
I also like 20 runs in two games even if it is the Indians.
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.
This game came down to a tale of two pitchers. Kyle Ryan came on in the eighth to preserve a tie game when three other Tigers relievers, Chamberlain, Coke, and The Amazing Al, could record only one out and surrendered the two tying runs. Ryan relived Alburquerque an got an inning ending double play.
In the top of the ninth, Casey Fien came in for the Twins. On three pitches he surrendered back to back home runs to Torii Hunter and Jose Miguel Cabrera.
Joakim Soria closed the game for the Tigers in the ninth.
Max was not good tonight. He was ok through five innings but ended up giving up four runs in seven complete. When the offense stakes you to a six run lead you can’t leave with the game that close.
I’ll take the W.
FYI: Kansas City overcame a three run deficit to beat the White Sox 4-3
Normally, a split of a four game series, on the road, is acceptable, but not this time.
Yesterday, the Tigers split a double-header in an unconventional fashion. The 2013 CY Young winner got beaten into a conniption in game one but a rookie stepped up, and was lights out in game two.
Hats off to Kyle Ryan.
Today, Freeway Ricky got dealt a bad hand. He took the loss and gave up six runs in six and two thirds. However, only three runs were earned. The defense let him down making four errors. He wasn’t lights out, he allowed 11 hits, but he deserved a better fate.
I guess the Tigers will have to regroup in Cleveland. At worst, by the end of the day, they will be only one game out if the Royals win.
Flashin' Leather 