Rick Porcello

Tigers 6 Rays 0

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They call him Freeway Ricky and he was smokin balls tonight.

Well, actually, I’m the only one that calls him Freeway Ricky but he did smoke balls tonight. Porcello threw the fourth complete game of his career and his third complete game shutout this season. He allowed only three base runners and at one point retired 20 straight. The most impressive stat, however, is that Freeway Ricky needed only 104 pitches to get the job done.

On the offensive side, Victor drove in five of the six Tigers runs, four on a grand slam in the seventh. He looked terrible yesterday but Vmart looked good tonight.

Ok, Miggy is hurt and he has almost no power. That’s fine. I don’t expect him to find his power this year and perhaps he’ll never have the kind of power we saw from him in the past. But the thing that was driving me crazy about him was the strike outs and lack of walks. It looks like he’s figured the walk part out. There is a lot to be said for getting on base.

Finally, this was the best I’ve seen the bullpen pitch since Ricky’s last complete game. If they keep it up the biggest hole in the SS Tigers has been plugged.

One more thing, up yours Nathan you shit bird!

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Mariners 7 Tigers 2

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Freeway Ricky was bad.

The offense was bad.

The Tigers are now 1.5 games behind the Royals

They only good thing from this game is that Miggy had two doubles and a walk.

I just hope they don’t get swept. I thought today was a must win game. I don’t like their chances tomorrow or Sunday.

One more thing, up yours Nathan you shit bird!

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

Blue Jays 3 Tigers 2

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Put this one on BA. If he doesn’t know this team by now, he’ll never know them.

The Tigers only strength is starting pitching.  Their offense is horrible. Their bullpen is an abomination.

Joe Nathan is horrible.  Joba is returning to the guy that the Yankees gave up on.  Soria, all though he was good today, has not been good in a Tigers uniform.

That being said, let the starters win or lose.   Max had only thrown 106 pitches.  Send him out for the ninth inning. Add this game to the game in Arizona, when he pulled Freeway Ricky in the eighth for a pinch hitter, and Ausmus is directly responsible of two loses in the last three weeks.

This team isn’t going anywhere.

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

Yankees 1 Tigers 0

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The offense is so miserable that it I can’t write about Ricky’s start.

This team doesn’t deserve to make the playoffs.  I’m still sticking to the post I made right before the Price acquisition, this team needs to be blown up, not just tweaked.  We’ve had to sit through the same shit for the last 3-4 years.  The offense scores 10 runs one game than hibernates for two weeks.

BA should have left Miggy on the bench.  Miggy contributed a very disappointing at-bat.  The same is true with Victor when he bounced into an inning ending double play

They make me sick.  The whole lot of them.

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

Yankees 5 Tigers 1

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Somehow, the numbers say the Tigers have the best offense in baseball. This defies logic.

The Tigers could manage only one un-earned run tonight, same as Monday. Even in the top of the eighth, when Chase Headley tried to give them a run, the offense refused to take it.

I’m disgusted. Like I’ve said a hundred times, you can’t pitch well enough to win with an offense so inept.

The Tigers are hard to watch right now.

Good luck to Freeway Ricky tomorrow. I hope he’s not expecting any run support.

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

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Tigers 4 Rockies 0

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There was a lot to like about this game and series.

  • The Tigers won three in a row and swept the series at home, a place they’ve struggled all year.
  • All three pitchers, Verlander, Porcello, and Sanchez had good outings.
  • The offense was good.
  • Sanchez made it through seven complete today and didn’t surrender a run.
  • Miggy and Vmart look like they are getting their power back.
  • Davis is looking good at leadoff.

Keep in mind, this series was a small sample, against a bad, depleted team but there really wasn’t much to complain about all weekend. I hope they can keep it up.

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

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Tigers 11 Rockies 5

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Freeway Ricky lasted eight innings, gave up two runs, struck out 10 and got his 13th win.

The key to tonight’s game was the first inning. It looked like a rare Kinsler error kind of made Ricky uncomfortable. He walked the next batter and had runners on first and second with two out. But the runner at second, Corey Dickerson, tried to steal third. Avila threw him out to end the inning. I was at the game. At the time, I had a bad feeling like this might be a short night for Porcello. Dickerson did him a favor.

After the second inning, when the Rockies scored two runs, Ricky had no trouble setting down a depleted Rockies lineup.

A few game notes:

  • Miggy hit a 455 foot home run in the bottom of the third. Perhaps his power is starting to come back?
  • After scoring 11 runs, I hope the Tigers offense doesn’t go into hibernation for the next two weeks.
  • The ninth inning was another disaster by the bullpen. I guess the hope is that the starting pitching will be good enough to get the Tigers into the playoffs. Once the playoffs begin, a current starter can go to the pen and become Sark’s fireman. I don’t know but this pen is an abomination.

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

Angels 2 Tigers1

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You can’t pitch or play defense well enough to win when your high priced offense can only manage 2 runs in 3 games.

Freeway Ricky was smokin balls. You could blame the loss on Joba who gave up the go ahead homer in the eighth, but the offense only scored ONE run.

Here’s a team rule that needs to be instituted immediately if not sooner. No Tigers pitcher should be allowed to throw to any base other than first. For whatever reason, starting with the 2006 World Series, when pitchers put on a Tigers uniform, they can’t throw to second or third.

The unearned run tied the game, but again, the offense scored one run.

WTF is going on with Miggy. All of the sudden the can’t take a walk anymore? In an average season he walks 77 times. Through 101 games he has taken 37 BBs.  This year he’s on pace to walk just 59 times, which is why is hitting .309, which is good, but not $30 million good.

I know a lot of people don’t care about batting average but I do. A high batting average and OBP means that even when you don’t have a chance to drive in runs, you are still getting on base for someone else to drive you in. I know that’s not saying much on this team, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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

Ricky Deserved Better…

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Through 7 complete, Ricky had given up three runs, struck out 5, walked none, thrown only 77 pitches and trailed 3-2.

Somehow, through a comedy of miscues and a timely Hunter single, the Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two out it was Ricky’s turn to bat. Then the unthinkable happened. Brad Ausmus pinch hit Rajai Davis for Freeway Ricky.

I don’t have the words to describe Ausmus’s lunacy. After 96 games you know what you have. Regarding the Tigers bullpen, you don’t have much.

For Ausmus’s edification, you have one reliable arm in the bullpen, Joba Chamberlain. You decided he wasn’t available tonight. That leaves you with nothing. And that’s what you got.

After Davis failed to deliver, Phil Coke came in to “relieve” Ricky in the bottom of the 8th. He retired the first batter on a line shot into his stomach then walked the next two batters.

In comes The Amazing, Everyday Al. Al gets a fly ball for out number two then walks the bases loaded.

In comes Ian Krol who surrenders a two run single and game over.

Did I mention Freeway Ricky had only thrown 77 pitches?

You (BA) child.

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

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Tigers Sweep A’s 9-2

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WOW! I never expected the Tigers to sweep the A’s.

This was a big three games series. (I guess as big as you can get in the first half of the season.) The Tigers were able to win the first game despite a sub-par start from Drew Smyly. In game two they got a lights out performance from Freeway “Pretty” Ricky. Today the Tigers got a good start from JV. I guess, as Sark always says, as the starting pitching goes, so goes the Tigers.

I’m getting a little fired up now. I hope I’m not treated to another 9-21 run.

The Rays come to town tomorrow Max v Eric Bedard.

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