torii hunter

Tiger 4 Twins 0

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , ,

Well, this was almost a perfect game to start off the 2015 season.

David Price pitched 8.2 shutout innings and Joe Nathan got the final out, striking out Torii Hunter.

J.D. Martinez and Alex A Squared Money Avila went deep and Yoenis Cespedes was two for three with a double and a triple.

The Tigers flashed plenty of leather today as well. Cespedes, Iglesias, Kinzler Castellanos, and Miggy all had nice plays defensively.

I hope this is a harbinger of things to come for the 2015 Tigers but I can’t help wondering if Price and Cespedes are only here for half a season.

We’ll see.

Twins 8 Tigers 4

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , ,

Is this team better since the David Price trade?

Every Other Start Price was horrible today.

In crunch time the starters have decided to pack it in. The strength of this team has become another weakness. The best Tigers starters down the stretch have been Freeway Ricky and Kyle Lobstein. JV, Scherzer, and Price, have been bad.

I can’t complain at all about the offense, except for Kinsler, they have been mashing the ball but what was Hunter doing in the seventh? The Tigers got away with bad base running on the home stand but it shot them in the foot today.

As much as it hurts me to say, this team doesn’t deserve to make the playoffs.

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 8 Twins 6

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , ,

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

Tigers 9 Royals 5

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , ,

The Tigers survived JV and Joba Chamberlain and came away with a 9-5 win over the Royals.

Let’s face it, JV is bad. There is no way to sugar coat it. I know this is crazy because the bullpen is an abomination, but if Verlander is going to continue to start, he needs to be pulled after six innings, if he makes it that far. I’ve heard all kinds of stats about how a pitcher’s ERA explodes in the 6th year when logging so many innings and Verlander falls into this statistic. If his arm has too many innings on it, then it is time to limit the number going forward. Keeping him out there into the seventh is not doing anybody any good.

The inning that really annoyed me today was the third. The Tigers put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second then JV comes out in the third and gives them back? HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hat’s off to the offense. They put up nine runs today. Castellanos let the way with two RBIs and Hunter had three hits. Miggy was 2-5 and got is 101st RBI.

I’ll take the win but this pitching situation has to be sorted out.

Tigers 4 Indians 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , ,

The Tigers had chance after chance to blow this game wide open. Only in the first inning did the Tigers go out 1-2-3 but couldn’t get the big hit.

Until the 9th. Hats off to Torii Hunter. He doesn’t walk much but worked a lead-off walk in the 9th that seemed to get things started. “Fear His Awesomeness” followed with his third hard hit ball of the night ( This DH thing might be just what the Dr. ordered?). After Victor flied out, J.D. crushed a three-run homer to give the Tigers the lead for good. I think J.D. was still fuming from the bad third strike call that ended his previous at-bat. Whatever the case, the Tigers needed a big hit, and J.D. delivered.

WTF, Kyle Lobstein? He looked good in his first outing against the Yankees but didn’t strike anybody out. In fact, according to Dan Dickerson and Jim Price, he had only one swing and miss. Yesterday was a different story. He struck out 10 Indians in 5.1 and allowed only two runs. Its amazing how much better a few wins makes me feel.

Tigers 5 Yankees 2 – All Hail Freeway Ricky

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , ,

The Freewayman was smokin balls again tonight. He picked up his 15th win of the season. He didn’t go the distance but he lasted eight complete. The only blemishes are the two home runs he gave up Ellsbury.

J.D. and Torii led the way offensively.

Quietly, Castellanos and Suarez have started to look a lot better at the plate.

I don’t understand the defensive replacement tonight. DK in for J.D.? J.D. provided much needed offense, including a two out RBI. Additionally, a three run lead is hardly safe with the turd in to close.

I’ll take the win.

Sent from my iPad

Tigers 8 Twins 6

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , ,

The Tigers survived a bad start from Verlander, a bad game from Miggy, and Joe Nathan to get a badly needed win. I’m not saying this is a turning point but it’s nice to not have to write about another loss.

Even though Miggy was bad, enough of the other guys stepped up to put eight runs on the board.

The key play in this game came in the top of the sixth when Eugenio Saurez got a one out hit that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. It is the kind of hit, although with only one out, that this team has failed to come up with.

Torri, Victor, J.D, Costellanos, Suarez and Bryan Holaday also had good nights offensively. When six of the players in the lineup have good nights, they can overcome a night where Miggy was slightly better than horrible.

When Miggy got his hit and RBI in the eighth, he looked like he was limping when he got to first base. I think he’s hurt a lot worse than I know or even suspected. If he is, I tip my hat for playing everyday.

I’m not sure what to make of JV. His velocity seemed pretty good but I’m not sure about his pitch selection. It looked like when he shook Holaday off, he paid for it.

Oh, well, I’ll take the W.

Pirates 4 Tigers 2

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For the seventh time in nine road games the Tigers lost.

I feel like an idiot for tuning in every game and hoping for a different outcome.

The Tigers aren’t doing anything well. Perhaps Brad Ausmus should consider playing his best defensive team and seeing what happens. It’s not like the offense can get much worse.

By playing defense first maybe they can help the struggling bullpen. The Tigers can’t afford to give anybody extra outs. Their pitching and offense can’t overcome the defensive miscues that plague this team on a regular basis.

Victor is going to have to sit in NL parks. Ever since his injury he hasn’t been doing much anyway and Cabrera can’t play third. Romine has to play short. I’m not sure what to do at third, maybe DK? Actually, I’m not sure what to do with the outfield either. On queue, the minute I commented on how well J.D. Martinez was playing in the field, suddenly he can’t pick the ball up anymore. Torii is old, I don’t think Davis is much of a fielder and I’m pissed at Carrera.

What a mess.

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

Sent from my iPad

Angels 2 Tigers 1

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , ,

This was a pitchers duel. Not only were the starters good, Smyly struck out a career high 11, but both pens got the job done as well.

This game was decided in the sixth. In the top, the Tigers had a 1-0 lead and the bases loaded, with two out. Unfortunately, Torii Hunter couldn’t deliver a hit. The Angels came back with two in the bottom and there you have it.

I can’t complain about Torii though he’s been hot for a month.

If the Tigers can get Victor going and get Avila out of the lineup they could go on a ball smokin run.

It would have been nice to get the first two.

JV tomorrow.

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

Sent from my iPad

Ricky Deserved Better…

Crippy Baseball, Dailies, Detroit Tigers , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Sent from my iPad