Max Scherzer

They found a way…

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to win.  That is the best way I can describe the Tigers 6-5 victory over Sonny Gray and the Oakland A’s tonight.

Max wasn’t great but neither was Oakland ace Sonny Gray.

The Tigers got step-up performances from the following:

  • Miggy, with his bat and glove.  His play in the 9th inning to record the second out might have been as big as his homer.
  • Torii Hunter, hit a solo shot with two out to tie the game at five.
  • A Squared Money, with his bat and glove.
  • Ian Kinsler.  Although he took an ofer, He made a great running catch for the first out in the ninth.
  • Joba and Joe Nathan came through and pitched clean innings to close out the game.
  • Don Kelly made two nice defensive plays at third.

I’m not sure what’s wrong with the starters, but we are in the middle of two turns of the rotation, where the starting pitching looks more like an Asses Carnival than a professional pitching staff.

After Scherzer balked home the third run I heard Rod Allen mention that this was something the Tigers worked on in spring training.  What exactly were they working on, how to allow runners to score from third without throwing a pitch?  I’d say they’ve mastered that move.  WTF?

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

Sweep Complete…

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Indians 11 Tigers 10.

The Tigers lost this game because their entire pitching staff was abominable today with one exception.

For regular readers you know that I recently read Bob Feller’s Little Black Book of Baseball.  The thing I found most interesting in the book was that Rapid Robert said the only pitching statistic that mattered was WINS.

When you look at baseball, or any other sport, The Heater From Van Meter is spot on.  At the end of the year the only thing most fans care about is did their team win.

Applying that thought pattern to today’s game my abominable exception from today’s Tigers pitching performance is Max Scherzer.  His line looks horrible.  He gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits, two walks and five strikeouts.  But he found a way to last seven complete and when he left the game he and the Tigers had a chance to win.  If he had any help from his friends in the pen, the sweep would have been avoided.

After the game Mickey sent me a text asking why Phil Coke is still on the team.  I don’t have an answer.  Can anybody help me out?

Tomorrow is a new day.  The game is another afternoon start at home against the Rangers.

 

“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

TIgers win 6th in a row beat Astros 2-0

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The Tigers got excellent pitching and just enough offense to beat the Astros and Jarred Cosart 2-0 at Comerica Park.

The Good:

  • Max was smokin balls.  He pitched eight complete allowed no runs, on three hits, walked one and struck out nine.
  • Nathan got his sixth save.
  • The Tigers won their sixth in a row.
  • Vmart came up big with a solo shot in the eight to give Nathan and Scherzer a two run cushion.

The Bad:

  • The Tigers were baffled, for the most part, by Jarred Cozart but after their 26 run out burst over the weekend we’ll take it.
  • The Tigers managed only six hits.
  • VMart got caught looking for the first time in almost a year.

The Ugly:

  • After looking like he was retuning to form, Miggy looked bad tonight at the plate.  He was 0-4 with a K and really didn’t have many good swings.

A win is a win and the Tigers found a way to get it done.  I can’t complain about six in a row.

I’m looking forward to Robby Ray’s start tomorrow.  The Tigers, and especially Dave Dombrowski, really think a lot of this kid.  Let’s see what he’s got.

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

Tigers 5 White Sox 1

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Another good effort today by the Tigers.  They swept a short two game series from the White Sox via their 5-1 victory in the Windy City this afternoon.

The Good:

  • The pitching.  Max lasted “only” six innings but he kept the Sox scoreless, striking out seven and walking three.
  • Five runs should be enough to win most games.
  • Bryan Holaday continues to come up big at the plate.  He was 1-3 with 2 RBIs.
  • Victor is still raking.  He drove in two and went 1-3
  • AJax had three walks.  Can you imagine what his numbers will be if he walks 100 times this season.
  • The Amazing Al and Joba were smokin balls out of the pen.

The Bad:

  • Hunter, Cabrera and Castellanos each struck out twice.
  • Evan Reed allowed a run in the ninth.

The Ugly:

  • The Tigers, as a team, struck out 10 times this afternoon.  I hate strike outs almost as much as GIDP.

Does it seem like there are a lot of two game series this year?

Off to Kansas City.

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

Tigers 7 White Sox 4

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Behind six good innings from 2013 Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer, the Tigers earned a split with the White Sox in this four game series.

The only thing I don’t like about Max’s line, while it is hard to complain when he strikes out 10, is that he only lasted six innings.  Max needed 110 pitches to get through six complete.

The Good:

  • The Tigers won.
  • The Tigers scored in five different innings, the second, third, fifth, seventh, and eighth.
  • The Tigers put up seven runs.
  • Max struck out 10 and walked only one.
  • Miggy had three RBIs.
  • Castellanos and Holaday had two hits.
  • Rajai Davis had three hits and two RBIs.
  • Joe Nathan earned his 4th save without surrendering a run.

The Bad:

  • Joba got roughed up today. He allowed two earned runs on three hits in one inning of work.

The Ugly:

  • Nothing today.

The Tigers go to Target Field for a weekend series with the Twins.  Freeway Rick Porcello is on the mound in Minnesota tomorrow.

 

 

White Sox 6 Tigers 4

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I didn’t see the game but it looks like Smyly turned a 4-2 lead over to the bullpen and the pen couldn’t hold it.

Smyly’s line looks pretty good.  He went six complete allowing two earned runs on six hits.  He struck out seven and walked one.

The Good:

  • Four runs should be good enough to win with good pitching.
  • Ajax was was 1-3 with a two run homer.
  • Victor had two hits.
  • J.D. Martinez had a hit and two RBIs.
  • Justin Miller pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two.

The Bad:

  • The Tigers lost the game and will have to win tomorrow afternoon to split the series
  • The bullpen gave up four earned runs.
  • The Tigers only scored in one inning, the fourth.

The Ugly:

  • Even Reed allowed three earned runs in a third of an inning.
  • Ian Krol gave up a grand slam in the seventh to Marcus Semien.

The Tigers need a shut down game from Max tomorrow to split the series.

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

 

Tigers Finally Beat Halos…

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with a little help from an old friend.

In the bottom of the third, Miggy lead off with a routine fly ball to right field.  Former Tiger, Brennan “B Squared Money” Boesch, dropped the ball.  Miggy eventually came around to score what proved to be the winning run.

The bigger story of course, is for the first time in 11 games, the Tigers were able to defeat the Angels, 5-2.

After surrendering a lead off home run, Max Scherzer was “smokin’ balls”.  He pitched seven complete, walked two and struck out nine.

The Good:

  • Max Scherzer had a nice outing and the Tigers needed it.
  • Joba Chamberlain was good again pitching a clean 8th inning and striking out two.
  • Nick Castellanos hit his second home run of the year to put the Tigers in the lead 2-1.
  • Victor and AJax each had two hits

The Bad:

  • I’m beginning to worry about Castellanos at third.  He bobbled a ground ball that was hit right to him.  He got the guy at first but should have been able to turn a double play.
  • Joe Nathan, although getting the save, gave up a homer to Albert Pujols.

The Ugly:

  • Brennan Boesch was not good.  I’m glad he’s with the Angels.  🙂

It would be nice to take the series tomorrow.  We need a big game from Freeway Rick.

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

 

Not Good! Tigers Fall to Padres 5-1, lose series

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The supposedly light hitting Padres got to Max for four earned and beat the Tigers 5-1 this afternoon.

Despite striking out 10, Scherzer only lasted five innings then turned it over to the bullpen.

Max didn’t get much help from the offense either.

The Good:

  • Max struck out 10
  • Phil Coke pitched a clean, 1-2-3 sixth inning.
  • Rajai Davis had two more hits.
  • The Amazing Al struck out Chris Denorfia, the only batter he faced, to end the 7th.
  • Joba Chamberlain pitched a scoreless 8th striking out 2.

The Bad:

  • Miggy was 0-4
  • Ajax was 0-3 with three strikeouts
  • The Tigers could only push across one run

The Ugly:

  • Miggy grounded into a double play in the 8th after Torii Hunter lead of with a walk.
  • Miggy is struggling, big time
  • The Tigers lost the series and finished the road trip 2-3.

The Tigers come home this week to meet the Tribe and the Angels.  I hope they can turn around their struggles against the Angels.  They need a big home stand.

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

 

Tigers fall to Dodgers 3-2 in 10

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Max pitched well.  He got through seven innings, surrendering only two runs but seemed to pitch out of trouble all night, evidenced by the eight hits he surrendered.

Unfortunately, lead off walks and wasted opportunities were the Tigers undoing.

The Good:

  • A Squared Money picked off Crawford in the first
  • Victor came up big with a two out RBI in the 9th to tie the game after DK and Miggy failed to advance Kinsler after his lead off double
  • Joba struck out the side in the 9th
  • Nice steal by Davis in the first
  • Ajax homer in second
  • Romine, Jackson, Kinsler and Victor all flashed leather

The Bad:

  • Hunter couldn’t get the run in from third with one out in the first
  • Even though he got a hit, and swiped second to lead off the game, I didn’t like Rajai Davis swinging on 3-0,  especially to lead off the game

The Ugly:

  • Miggy hit three of the softest ground balls I’ve ever seen off of his bat and struck out in the 9th with the tying run on second.
  • Jackson’s throw to the plate in the 7th that Kemp scored on was an abomination.
  • Kelly grounded softly to third in the 9th with Kinsler on second after a lead off double.  Horrible!
  • Phil Coke gave up the game winning hit.  Although, in a mild defense, he inherited a lead off walk from Joba.

Back at it tomorrow for the last game of a short, two game, series with the Dodgers.

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