Rick Porcello

Tigers Complete Perfect Homestand, Sweep White Sox 3-2.

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Behind 7 and 2/3 strong innings from Rick Porcello, the Tigers beat the White Sox 3-2, swept the series and finished the current home-stand 8-0.  And, they needed the win, as the Indians keep rolling.

Ricky allowed only one run, a home run to Adam Dunn, on 8 hits.  He struck out 4 and walked 1 while throwing 93 pitches.

The Tigers were leading 2-1 going into the top of the 9th.  Smyly came on to relieve Porcello with 2 out in the eighth and struck Adam Dunn out to end the inning.  In what can only be called an interesting move, Jim Leyland sent Smyly out for the 9th.  The first batter he faced in the 9th was right handed, power hitter, Paul Konerko.  Konerko hit Smyly’s second pitch, a 91 mph hour fast ball into the seats to tie the game.

The Tigers were unable to score in the bottom of the 9th so on they played into extra innings.

In the bottom of the 12th inning Miggy came in to pinch hit for Ramon Santiago and lead off with a single. Tui pinch-ran for Miggy and Jackson sacrificed Tui over to second with one out.  Torii Hunter stepped to the plate and delivered a single which scored Tui, ended the game, and gave the Tigers a perfect home-stand.

What was interesting about Leyland’s decision to leave Smyly in for the 9th, is that I thought this was the situation the Tigers got Veras for.  Benoit was unavailable today, so I wrongly assumed that Veras would be used to close the game.  Instead he left Smyly in to face the right handed hitting Konerko?  To make things more confusing, Veras was immediately brought in to replace Smyly and retired the next three White Sox in order.  I guess my question is, why not bring Veras in to start the 9th especially with a righty leading off?

Anyway, Veras pitched scoreless 9th and 10th innings and Bruce Rondon was money as he pitched the 11th and 12th allowing only 1 hit, striking out 3 and the big number, he walked 0, and got the win.

Two things really impressed me.  The first was Miggy’s ability to step to the plate after not playing for almost 5 games and deliver a lead-off single.  The second, was Bruce Rondon’s pitching.  For a guy who had problems finding the strike zone, he had nice command today.

A big series with the Indians starts tomorrow.  Perhaps the Tigers can break their will with a series win?  We’ll see.

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

Porcello, Perez Lead Tigers Past White Sox

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Ricky Porcello pitched 7 scoreless innings and Hernan Perez had two hits including a triple to pace the Tigers to a 6-2 win tonight in Chicago.

After the first inning, Ricky looked strong.  He recorded 9 ground ball outs, walked 3 and struck out 1.

I was a little worried in the first as I thought Porcello was getting squeezed on the inside corner to lefties and the outside corner to righties.  In the bottom of the first with two out, Alex Rios singled and stole second.  Then it looked like Ricky struck out Adam Dunn but didn’t get the call and Dunn went to first base.  The same corner gave Porcello problems when Konerko was at the plate.  Konerko walked to load the bases.  At this point Porcello could have come unglued but held it together and got Jeff Keppinger to ground out 5-3.

From then on, Porcello really didn’t face anymore trouble.  He left the game after 7 innings and 93 pitches.  Keep in mind that he threw 25 pitches in the first inning.

Al Alburquerque came on in the 8th and retired the Sox 1-2-3.  Leyland sent him back for the 9th and he walked the first two batters he faced.  This brought Benoit into the game who gave up a two run double to Konerko but retired Keppinger, Gillaspie and Viciedo to end the game.

A few things have me scratching my head.

  1. Tuiasosopo started and was replaced by Dirks again. I heard Leyland in an interview say he was trying to protect Tui from getting “eaten up” by a tough right handed pitcher.  But what about Dirks?  He’s not exaclty tearing the cover off of the ball.
  2. If Benoit is the closer, why is he being brought in when the score is 6-0?  The only thing I can think of is that Leyland wants him to get used to pitching the 9th.
  3. Jackson and Fielder are struggling.  If those two don’t hit, the Tigers can be in a lot of trouble.
  4. What is going on with Alex Avila?  I had hope after his 3 hit game a few nights ago and he did have two walks today but his other at bats were horrible.  He got caught looking both times and seemed like he didn’t have a clue on what was going on.
  5. It looks Alburquerque is a one inning pitcher.  When he came out for the ninth he couldn’t find the strike zone and this seems to be his MO.
  6. The Tigers need Miggy back.

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

Just About Unwatchable…

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that’s what the 2013 Tigers have become.  This team BLOWS!

Rick Porcello started, went 6, and gave up 3 earned.

After Miggy tied the score at 1 in the top of the 4th the Rays came right back with 2 in the bottom to take the lead for good.  I hate to blame coaching, especially at the major league level, but I’m wondering what in the sam hell Jeff Jones says when he visits a pitcher at the mound.  Does he offer any useable advice?  It sure doesn’t seem like it.

After 3 straight singles loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 4th, out comes Jones for a confab with Porcello.  It was obvious, Ricky was trying to induce a ground ball for a double play to end the inning.  Ricky was pounding the bottom of the zone but Lobaton and Escobar weren’t biting and Ricky wasn’t getting the strikes called.  It seems obvious to me, who knows nothing, that Ricky needed to change the eye level or move the hitters off of the plate, but no, he just kept throwing the same pitch in the same location.  When Lobaton finally got one that caught the strike zone he singled in a run.  Escobar drove in the second run by walking and seemed to have no intention, whatsoever, of swinging the bat.  During Jones’ visit what was he saying, “we need to get a ground ball here Ricky”.  Did he have anything productive to say?  I guess perhaps he did but Ricky wasn’t listening.  Luckily, Porcello got Matt Joyce to line into an inning ending double play.

Next it was the offenses turn stink up the place.  They loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the 7th and couldn’t score a single run.  Apparently, the Tigers are now the worst hitting team in baseball, in terms of runs scored and batting average, from the 7th inning on.  This shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that follows them regularly.  Even Cabrera and Fielder don’t look like they have good at bats late in games, and if they don’t do it, rest assured, nobody else will.

The 2013 Tigers suck.  They are now either tied, or percentage points behind, the surging Indians who just finished a 4 game sweep of the White Sox.

Honestly, it is getting to the point where I can’t watch this team anymore.  The same shit for the last year and a half.

To really rub salt in the wound, The Crooked Hat came out and got the save surrendering only 1 hit in the 9th, a double to Omar Infante.

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

Not Good!

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The Angels took Rick Porcello, and the Tiger bullpen, behind the woodshed again tonight, pounding the Tiger pitching staff for 14 runs.

I can’t make any excuses for Rickey this time, he was not good, and that is kind.  He allowed 7 earned in four and a third innings and didn’t get any help from his friends in the bullpen.

Darin Downs came in with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth and allowed all three inherited runners to score.

Evan Reed relieved Downs and sabotaged himself.  He allowed 4 runs but none of them were earned.  He made two errors himself.  His first error was a pick off throw to first that went down the right field line where Tori Hunter had to field it.

By the time the top of the fifth was over the Tigers were down 10-2.  The offense tried to fight back, answering the Angels’ 8 with 3 of their own in the bottom of the fifth, but the pitching staff couldn’t stop hemorrhaging runs.

The Angels demolished the Tigers 14-8.

This is two bad starts in a row for Rickey and all of the sudden I’m finding holes in the Tiger rotation.  The last two starts for Porcello and JV have been terrible.  Add to that an empty closer position and Sanchez on the DL, and I’m getting a little worried.

One of the key at bats for me was when Porcello faced Josh Hamilton in the top of the fifth.  With one out he had Hamilton 0 and 2 on two straight change ups.  I was expecting a high heater to try to induce him to chase.  Instead, Porcello threw him a 78 MPH curve ball low and in and Hamilton promptly drilled it to right, driving in a run.  If this is the pitch and location Holaday wanted, they should re-evaluate their game plan.

Alvarez goes tomorrow, hopefully he can stop the bleeding.

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

Tigers Start Homestand With Win Over the O’s

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The Tigers downed the Orioles 5-1 tonight at Comerica Park.  Besides the win, there was a lot I liked about the game.

First, the Tigers scored early and added on runs but the thing I really liked the most was Jim Leyland’s use of the bullpen.  After 6 strong innings from Scherzer, Leyland brought in Smyly for the seventh.  Smyly got the O’s in order on 9 or 10 pitches.  I was elated when Leyland sent Smyly out for the 8th and speechless when he let him pitch the 9th.  I thought for sure Leyland was going to replace Smyly after the 7th.

Scherzer moved his record to 10-0, the first time since 1909 that a Tiger pitcher has started a season this well.

On a different note, I’m very concerned that the Tigers are going to trade Rick Porcello sometime this year for a closer.  I hope I’m wrong and here are my reasons:

1) I have to admit it, like Avila, I’ve liked Porcello since they brought him up

2) I really think that Rickey is going to turn into a top of the rotation pitcher and would like to see him reach that potential in a Tiger uniform

3) I hate giving up prospects and/or paying closers a lot of money.  This thinking is probably influenced by my reading of Money Ball.  Billy Beane says he can always find a closer and he has the track record to prove it.

I guess I don’t have an answer for the closer problem but I’d hate to see another trade like the John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander trade.  It is true Alexander was great down the stretch in 1987 but the Tigers didn’t win the World Series and Smoltz became a hall of famer.

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

Another Gem By Rickey

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Rick Porcello turned in another quality start going 7 innings, striking out 5, walking none, and allowing no runs as the Tigers downed the Twins 4-0.

Fielder again showed his dislike for teams walking Cabrera in front of him as he got the Tigers on the board in the 6th.  After a walk to Cabrera put runners on first and second.  Fielder promptly lined a double, the first of three consecutive Tiger doubles, to score Jackson and Cabrera.

Alex Avila continues to struggle mightily at the plate.  He went 0-3, striking out twice and dropping is average to .166.

Porcello threw 94 pitches through 7 and lowered his ERA to 4.37.  I would have liked to see him come out for the 8th but it appears that only JV is allowed to go much more than 100 pitches.

Valverde pitched a scoreless 9th rebounding a bit from his blown save in KC.

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

Tigers Beat Indians 6-4; Another Good Outing for Rickey

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Saturday, June 8th, 2013

The Tigers beat the Indians 6-4 on Saturday with Rick Porcello pitching 6 strong innings giving up 2 runs but only 1 earned.

Porcello was solid but I was a little concerned early because a lot of his outs were in the air.  As a sinker ball pitcher it seemed like he was missing up but getting fly ball outs.

It doesn’t like Prince Fielder, aka PF Money, likes it when a pitcher walks Miggy in front of him.  In the 2nd inning Carrasco walked Miguel Cabrera to load the bases.  Fielder stepped to the plate and delivered a bases clearing double.

Papa Grande came in to close the game out and as usual, it wasn’t easy.  But to be fair, Santana hit a Texas Leaguer that dropped between Infante and Hunter.  It was a cheap hit but nothing is ever easy when Papa comes into the game.  Valverde walked Gomes but struck out Rayburn and Aviles to end the game.

I’m very concerned about Alex Avila.  I have been a huge fan of his since he came into the league but I’m not sure there is a place on any roster for a guy that hits under .200.  If he doesn’t get on a little roll in the next week or so, I’m wondering if sending him down to Toledo for a few weeks to work on his stroke might not be a good idea.

I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

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