Fortunately for queasy Tigers fans, the 2016 season started on the road. More good news, the Tigers scored early and added on late. The bad news is that I thought the Tigers finally figured out their bullpen problems. I had no idea that Neftali Feliz was the closer with Joba Chamberlain setting up for him.
It looks like the Tigers are going to be the spoiler – whether they deserve it or not. They pulled last night’s game off, somehow, finding a way to win, when they didn’t deserve it. They overcame three infield errors and a sacrifice fly to second base to beat the Twins 6-4.
With one more win the Tigers can avoid a 90 loss season.
Rajai Davis came through with a big two out, two strike, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and Neftali Feliz closed it out.
Davis’s homer came after Nick Castellanos lead off the eighth with a double but both James McCann and Dixon Machado took third strikes, failing not only to score Castellanos, but even to advance him to third. These are the situations that I start doubting the competence of Brad Ausmus. It is the bottom of the eighth in a tie game. Your #6 hitter just lead off with a double. Why aren’t you having McCann bunt him over to third? You only need one run and it is late in the game.
Daniel Norris was smokin’ balls for five innings. In fact, he had a perfect game going but was lifted after throwing just 62 pitches. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I understand trying to protect a young arm but how many more times in his career will Norris be perfect through five complete. Couldn’t they have extended his outing and then skipped his next start?
In any case, the Tigers were two outs away from completing their first combined no-hitter in team history until Neftali Feliz allowed a triple in the ninth and eventually blew the save.
Fortunately, they rallied in the 10th for the win. It was least the offense could do. They have scored a combined four runs in the first three games of this series while they have pitched well enough to be 3-0. They will try for a series split tomorrow with JV on the hill.
Bruce Rondon was dismissed from the team. Brad Ausmus cited “lack of effort” as the reason but refused to elaborate. I wonder what his issue is? I had heard he was upset about losing the closer’s role but can what he was doing be considered closing? He was atrocious.
I never thought I’d be typing this but more good news from Comerica Park. For the second straight night, the Tigers beat the Royals in extra innings, making it four wins in a row. This is the first four game winning streak since starting the season 6-0.
The good news keeps on coming.
Ian Kinsler had the walk off solo shot in the bottom of the 11th. After a rough start Kinsler is staying hot. He’s hitting .348 since the all-star break and leads baseball in multi-hit games.
Miggy had two more hits and drove in two more runs and all of the sudden Victor’s bat has heated up. Vmart was 2-2 with two walks and a two run-homer.
There is even good news out of the pen. No not Bruce Rondon, who struggled again tonight, but Neftali Feliz and Tom Gorzelanny got the job done in extra innings and held the Royals down until the offense could win it in the 11th.
If you missed the game, the Tigers thought they won in the bottom of the ninth, but for the first time in MLB history, in the re-play era, a walk-off win was reversed. Kinsler was originally called safe at home on a sac-fly by Andrew Romine but was called out after re-play.
I guess that’s why we continue to tune in, you never know what you’re going to see.
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.
If there was any hope for the Tigers left in the 2015 season Franklin Gutierrez ended it in the eighth inning last night. His pinch hit grand slam off of Neftali Feliz should make it clear to the Tigers brass that 2016 is what they need to start concentrating on. For all intents and purposes, 2015 is over.
Lost is this debacle was a mammoth home run by J.D. Martinez. J.D. continued his impressive season with an absolute CONNIPTION shot to straight away center field to give the Tigers signs of life in the third inning. If Miggy can’t come back it should be fun watching J.D. the rest of the way.
Flashin' Leather 