This one was billed billed as a classic pitchers duel between two aces - right hander Justin Verlander for the Tigers and southpaw David Price of the Rays. It did not quite turn out that way as Verlander was not sharp tonight and the Rays won 4-2. Tampa Bay cracked three solo home runs off Verlander, two by left fielder Desmond Jennings and one by right fielder Ben Zobrist.
It took Verlander 120 pitches, but he continued his well-publicized streak of six or more innings per start. He now has 59 consecutive starts of six or more innings, the fourth longest such streak since 1918 (the first year full seasons of box scores are available). Tonight he passed Hall-of-Fame right hander Walter Johnson. The only three ahead of Verlander are Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Catfish Hunter, who did their work in the 1980s or earlier.
The Tigers hitting star was designated hitter Delmon Young, who had a solo homer and a single in three trips. Young now has 9 hits in his last 26 at bats over a span of six games. The only other Tigers run came on a double by Ramon Santiago and two ground ball outs in the seventh.
The loss leaves the Tigers 4 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central. With the White Sox up 13-7 late over the Yankees tonight, it could be up to five by the end of the night. If the Tigers want to win any championship trophies in 2012, they better get moving soon.
Showing posts with label game recaps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game recaps. Show all posts
Friday, June 29, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Tigers Get Squeezed by Rangers
The Tigers lost to the Rangers 3-2 today as the eventual winning run scored on a controversial squeeze play in the top of the 11th inning. With the bases loaded and Tigers rookie right hander Thad Weber making his major league debut, Rangers third baseman laid down what appeared to be a perfect suicide squeeze scoring Nelson Cruz from third. The Tigers all looked confused on the play and Weber held onto the ball while everybody was safe. At first, it appeared to be a rookie mistake but it turned out to be an umpire mistake as the ball had actually been fouled off Gonzalez's foot. No further damage was done but the Rangers held on to win.
As frustrating as it was to see the Rangers score in that fashion, the fact is the Tigers did not play well in the series. Detroit was outhit, out pitched, and outrun by a strong Rangers team and deserved to lose three of four. The supposedly hard-hitting Tigers scored just 12 runs in 4 games as a team-wide offensive slump continued. Starters Adam Wilk and Rick Porcello were shelled and their defense did not do them any favors.
The one positive that came out of today's game was rookie Drew Smyly pitching another solid game against a tough Rangers line-up. Smyly allowed a solo home run versus Texas slugger Josh Hamilton in the first, but not much else. The young southpaw allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings. This was a big test for Smyly today and he passed it with flying colors. It's beginning to look like the youngster could make an important contribution this season.
The Tigers don't face the Rangers again until June 24. For now, they get a much needed day off (where their bullpen can rest) before hosting the Mariners in a three-game series at Comerica.
As frustrating as it was to see the Rangers score in that fashion, the fact is the Tigers did not play well in the series. Detroit was outhit, out pitched, and outrun by a strong Rangers team and deserved to lose three of four. The supposedly hard-hitting Tigers scored just 12 runs in 4 games as a team-wide offensive slump continued. Starters Adam Wilk and Rick Porcello were shelled and their defense did not do them any favors.
The one positive that came out of today's game was rookie Drew Smyly pitching another solid game against a tough Rangers line-up. Smyly allowed a solo home run versus Texas slugger Josh Hamilton in the first, but not much else. The young southpaw allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings. This was a big test for Smyly today and he passed it with flying colors. It's beginning to look like the youngster could make an important contribution this season.
The Tigers don't face the Rangers again until June 24. For now, they get a much needed day off (where their bullpen can rest) before hosting the Mariners in a three-game series at Comerica.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Tigers Lose 10-4 in Ugly Start to Doubleheader
It was not alarming when rookie left hander Adam Wilk struggled versus a very dangerous Rangers line-up in the series opener on Thursday night. However, a little better was expected from today's starter Rick Porcello, who was coming off two strong outings. Instead, he allowed nine runs on ten hits in just one inning of work and saw his season ERA balloon to 6.32.
There were a few lucky hits and some sloppy defense, but there were enough hard-hit balls to say it was a disastrous outing for Porcello. He was throwing strikes, but serving up too many fat pitches. I won't analyze it further than that. We can only hope he gets back on track in his next start.
The primary source of poor defense mentioned above was Brandon Inge who looked like a third baseman trying to play second base for the first time. He muffed a double play ball in the first inning on a poor decision and a bad throw and ended up getting nobody. He also failed to convert two make-able plays on grounders which could have been handled by a good second baseman. By good second baseman, I'm talking about someone like Ramon Santiago rather than Ryan Raburn.
I have been more willing than many others to see how Inge adjusts to a platoon role at second base. However, if he's not going to be a strong defender, there is no point in experimenting any further. They already have a poor defensive right-handed second baseman who is not hitting. At least, we can expect Raburn to provide some offense at some point. Some fear that the Tigers will not release Inge no matter how poorly he plays. Given that he was released just last year, I think that is an irrational worry though and that he's actually on a short leash.
On a positive note, Austin Jackson continued to display his early season power with his third homer. It was his first hit of any kind in four games. Additionally, Miguel Cabrera had three hits including his first home run in 10 games. Hopefully, that's a sign he is ready to take off again.
So, the Tigers have lost the first two games of the series 10-3 and 10-4 which is reminiscent of a similar blow out in game six of last year's American League Championship Series. Tonight, they will attempt to get back to their winning ways behind ace Justin Verlander.
There were a few lucky hits and some sloppy defense, but there were enough hard-hit balls to say it was a disastrous outing for Porcello. He was throwing strikes, but serving up too many fat pitches. I won't analyze it further than that. We can only hope he gets back on track in his next start.
The primary source of poor defense mentioned above was Brandon Inge who looked like a third baseman trying to play second base for the first time. He muffed a double play ball in the first inning on a poor decision and a bad throw and ended up getting nobody. He also failed to convert two make-able plays on grounders which could have been handled by a good second baseman. By good second baseman, I'm talking about someone like Ramon Santiago rather than Ryan Raburn.
I have been more willing than many others to see how Inge adjusts to a platoon role at second base. However, if he's not going to be a strong defender, there is no point in experimenting any further. They already have a poor defensive right-handed second baseman who is not hitting. At least, we can expect Raburn to provide some offense at some point. Some fear that the Tigers will not release Inge no matter how poorly he plays. Given that he was released just last year, I think that is an irrational worry though and that he's actually on a short leash.
On a positive note, Austin Jackson continued to display his early season power with his third homer. It was his first hit of any kind in four games. Additionally, Miguel Cabrera had three hits including his first home run in 10 games. Hopefully, that's a sign he is ready to take off again.
So, the Tigers have lost the first two games of the series 10-3 and 10-4 which is reminiscent of a similar blow out in game six of last year's American League Championship Series. Tonight, they will attempt to get back to their winning ways behind ace Justin Verlander.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
It's Not 1984
When the Tigers won their first four games, fans started dreaming about a 35-5 start and a wire-to-wire divisional title like 1984. A few days later, the Tigers are out of first place and fans are back to reality. After two lackluster performances at Chicago, resulting in 5-2 and 5-1 losses, the Tigers are now 5-3, and one half game behind the White Sox.
For the second straight day, the Tigers bats were silent today, this time against White Sox starter Gavin Floyd. Detroit managed just three hits off Floyd in six innings and five overall. Floyd did give the Tigers some opportunities with three walks and three hit batsmen, but they failed to capitalize going zero for four with runners in scoring position and hitting into three double plays.
Lead-off hitter Austin Jackson continued to set the table with three more hits today and is now batting .433/.528/.700 on the young season. The other offensive bright spot was right fielder Brennan Boesch hitting his first homer of the season to account for the only Tigers run.
Tigers rookie Adam Wilk pitched fairly well in his first major league start allowing just two runs on three hits in five innings. Unfortunately two of the hits were solo home runs. The Tigers young southpaw had a strange and almost tragic finish to his outing. While sitting in the dugout in the top of the sixth, he was hit in his pitching shoulder by a line drive off the bat of Prince Fielder. I would bet that not two many pitchers have left their first major league start after getting hit in the shoulder by a teammates line drive. fortunately, it's just a bruise and he is not expected to miss any time.
The Tigers bullpen was a problem again with Collin Balster and Daniel Schlereth allowing three runs in three innings. You have to wonder how many more chances Schlereth will get before he ends up in Toledo. He has not gotten the job done in any of his appearances so far this year. He has given up runs in three out of his four games and in the other game he walked the only batter he faced.
The Tigers still should have a great season and are heavily favored to win the AL Central, but it may not be as easy we imagined. We know it won't be wire to wire anyway.
For the second straight day, the Tigers bats were silent today, this time against White Sox starter Gavin Floyd. Detroit managed just three hits off Floyd in six innings and five overall. Floyd did give the Tigers some opportunities with three walks and three hit batsmen, but they failed to capitalize going zero for four with runners in scoring position and hitting into three double plays.
Lead-off hitter Austin Jackson continued to set the table with three more hits today and is now batting .433/.528/.700 on the young season. The other offensive bright spot was right fielder Brennan Boesch hitting his first homer of the season to account for the only Tigers run.
Tigers rookie Adam Wilk pitched fairly well in his first major league start allowing just two runs on three hits in five innings. Unfortunately two of the hits were solo home runs. The Tigers young southpaw had a strange and almost tragic finish to his outing. While sitting in the dugout in the top of the sixth, he was hit in his pitching shoulder by a line drive off the bat of Prince Fielder. I would bet that not two many pitchers have left their first major league start after getting hit in the shoulder by a teammates line drive. fortunately, it's just a bruise and he is not expected to miss any time.
The Tigers bullpen was a problem again with Collin Balster and Daniel Schlereth allowing three runs in three innings. You have to wonder how many more chances Schlereth will get before he ends up in Toledo. He has not gotten the job done in any of his appearances so far this year. He has given up runs in three out of his four games and in the other game he walked the only batter he faced.
The Tigers still should have a great season and are heavily favored to win the AL Central, but it may not be as easy we imagined. We know it won't be wire to wire anyway.
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Tigers Sweep Red Sox on Another Walk-Off
The Tigers completed a sweep of the Boston Red Sox this Easter Sunday with an incredible 11-inning 13-12 win. How do you capsulize a game like this in a few paragraphs? You really can't. With the type of line-up the Tigers have though, I don't think Tigers fans ever doubted that they could come back from two late multiple-run deficits to win it.
With the Tigers down 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth, you knew there was a chance with slugging Miguel Cabrera coming up third. They just needed some base runners against Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves. Red hot Austin Jackson led off with a single, his fourth hit of the game. Brennan Boesch followed with another single setting up Cabrera. Cabrera then crushed one into the left-field stands to tie it at 10-10. It was his third homer in two days.
The Red Sox then went up 12-10 in the top of the eleventh and brought in Mark Melancon to close it out. Again, Tigers fans sensed it was not over with Cabrera and Prince Fielder coming up in the inning. The two big boppers settled for singles this time to bring the potential game-winning run to the plate. Delmon Young hit one hard to left center, but not far enough and was retired on a sacrifice fly, the second out of the inning.
Melancon then got two strikes on catcher Alex Avila, but couldn't put him away. Instead, Avila blasted a walk-off home run just barely over the left-field fence. The ball caromed back onto the field so quickly that it initially appeared to be in play, but the umpires called it a homer and the game was over.
I could dwell on Max Scherzer's awful performance (7 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 2 2/3 innings) here, but I'll save that analysis for later. Scherzer has those types of games from time to time , but he picked the right day to be off today.
A 3-2 walk-off win on Thursday; a 10-0 five home-run blow out on Saturday; an amazing walk-off win today; a sweep of the Red Sox. Tigers fans could not have asked for a better way to start the season.
With the Tigers down 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth, you knew there was a chance with slugging Miguel Cabrera coming up third. They just needed some base runners against Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves. Red hot Austin Jackson led off with a single, his fourth hit of the game. Brennan Boesch followed with another single setting up Cabrera. Cabrera then crushed one into the left-field stands to tie it at 10-10. It was his third homer in two days.
The Red Sox then went up 12-10 in the top of the eleventh and brought in Mark Melancon to close it out. Again, Tigers fans sensed it was not over with Cabrera and Prince Fielder coming up in the inning. The two big boppers settled for singles this time to bring the potential game-winning run to the plate. Delmon Young hit one hard to left center, but not far enough and was retired on a sacrifice fly, the second out of the inning.
Melancon then got two strikes on catcher Alex Avila, but couldn't put him away. Instead, Avila blasted a walk-off home run just barely over the left-field fence. The ball caromed back onto the field so quickly that it initially appeared to be in play, but the umpires called it a homer and the game was over.
I could dwell on Max Scherzer's awful performance (7 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 2 2/3 innings) here, but I'll save that analysis for later. Scherzer has those types of games from time to time , but he picked the right day to be off today.
A 3-2 walk-off win on Thursday; a 10-0 five home-run blow out on Saturday; an amazing walk-off win today; a sweep of the Red Sox. Tigers fans could not have asked for a better way to start the season.
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Tigers Hit Just as We Dreamed They Would
Image created by @LindsayBeavs
When the Tigers signed hefty first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year $214 million contract back in January, it was like a dream for Tigers fans. After recovering from the initial shock, we imagined games where the middle of the line-up would bludgeon opponents in ways never seen in Detroit. Today Fielder, Miguel Cabrera and company gave us the type of performance we've been thinking about the past three months.
The Tigers mauled the Red Sox 10-0 on national television and before a sell-out crowd in Comerica. Cabrera and Fielder electrified the hometown crowd with two home-runs apiece and catcher Alex Avila added another, all off Red Sox starter Josh Beckett. Cabrera hit a monster home run deep to right field in the top of the first to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish. In the fifth inning, he added a controversial just over the yellow line blast which was initially ruled a ground-rule double, but was changed to a a home run after instant-replay review.
We've been accustomed to seeing Cabrera have big days in a Tiger uniform, but today we saw Fielder do damage for the first time. Fielder hit an opposite field solo blast in the fourth inning and then pulled another solo shot in the fifth. That's exactly what he is being paid to do and we will see a lot more of it.
Not wanting to be left out of the home run party, catcher Alex Avila drilled an opposite field bomb in the fourth. He now has four hits including a double and a homer in first two games. Who says Avila has to regress this year?
The only bad news on the day was that starting pitcher Doug Fister had to leave the game with two outs in the fourth inning due to a strained muscle in his left side. He did not appear to be in intense pain, but there is no word on how much time he'll miss. It doesn't sound serious, but side injuries can sometimes linger, so we'll just have to wait.
The bullpen was brilliant pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Southpaw Duane Below, who would not have made the team but for the injury to Luis Marte, was pushed into early action and retired the first six batters he faced before allowing his only base runner, a single by Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Octavio Dotel, Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit handled the last three innings without incident.
The Tigers even made it through the game without any errors. Particularly impressive was Cabrera who handled third base like he's been there all along making a diving catch of a line drive and fielding several other chances flawlessly. It was encouraging to see after his opening day adventures.
Other than the Fister injury, this game was about as perfect as any Tigers fan could have imagined. It's a long season, but today gave us the feeling it could be a really special year in Detroit.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Tigers Win Dramatic Opener
There was greater anticipation among Tigers fans for this opening day than any in recent memory. And for good reason. This is the most talented Tigers team since the 1980's and everyone wanted to see the season get off on the right foot. We were not disappointed.
Justin Verlander was brilliant commanding all his pitches in holding the Red Sox to just two hits and one walk in eight innings. He threw 107 pitches which is not a lot for him (he averaged 116 per start last year), but Jim Leyland was not going to take any chances with his ace on a cool day in early April. Remember, that Verlander does not generally start the season so well. His lifetime ERA in April is 4.75 and even last year he was only at 3.75 prior to his no hitter versus the Blue Jays on May 7. So, today's game was a good sign.
While Verlander picked up where he left off last year, closer Jose Valverde did not. After going through the entire 2011 season including the playoffs without a blown save, Valverde blew a two-run lead in the ninth today. He allowed three hits including a game-tying triple by Ryan Sweeney extending the game another half inning. It was Papa Grande's first blown save since September 2, 2010. It was about time though as he's just not as good as his perfect record indicated last year. He should still be a solid closer, but you can expect him to blow a few more this year.
Austin Jackson bailed out Valverde with a walk-off single down the third base line with the bases loaded off Red Sox reliever Alfredo Aceves in the bottom of the ninth. Earlier, Jackson led off the game for the Tigers with a single and then tripled and scored in the eighth. Tigers had loaded the bases in the ninth on singles by Jhonny Peralta (his third hit) and Alex Avila (his second hit) and a hit by pitch to Ramon Santiago.
New first baseman Prince Fielder celebrated his Tiger debut with a single in his first at bat and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. He also made a couple of nifty scoops at first base saving shortstop Peralta a couple of errors.
New third baseman Miguel Cabrera did not have it so good defensively. He had only two plays, both coming in the sixth inning. First, he fell down and tumbled catching a relatively easy pop up in foul ground. Moments later he olayed a hard ground ball off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez for an error. No harm was done as the Red Sox failed to score.
All in all, it was entertaining start to a long season. I can hardly wait for game two.
Justin Verlander was brilliant commanding all his pitches in holding the Red Sox to just two hits and one walk in eight innings. He threw 107 pitches which is not a lot for him (he averaged 116 per start last year), but Jim Leyland was not going to take any chances with his ace on a cool day in early April. Remember, that Verlander does not generally start the season so well. His lifetime ERA in April is 4.75 and even last year he was only at 3.75 prior to his no hitter versus the Blue Jays on May 7. So, today's game was a good sign.
While Verlander picked up where he left off last year, closer Jose Valverde did not. After going through the entire 2011 season including the playoffs without a blown save, Valverde blew a two-run lead in the ninth today. He allowed three hits including a game-tying triple by Ryan Sweeney extending the game another half inning. It was Papa Grande's first blown save since September 2, 2010. It was about time though as he's just not as good as his perfect record indicated last year. He should still be a solid closer, but you can expect him to blow a few more this year.
Austin Jackson bailed out Valverde with a walk-off single down the third base line with the bases loaded off Red Sox reliever Alfredo Aceves in the bottom of the ninth. Earlier, Jackson led off the game for the Tigers with a single and then tripled and scored in the eighth. Tigers had loaded the bases in the ninth on singles by Jhonny Peralta (his third hit) and Alex Avila (his second hit) and a hit by pitch to Ramon Santiago.
New first baseman Prince Fielder celebrated his Tiger debut with a single in his first at bat and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. He also made a couple of nifty scoops at first base saving shortstop Peralta a couple of errors.
New third baseman Miguel Cabrera did not have it so good defensively. He had only two plays, both coming in the sixth inning. First, he fell down and tumbled catching a relatively easy pop up in foul ground. Moments later he olayed a hard ground ball off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez for an error. No harm was done as the Red Sox failed to score.
All in all, it was entertaining start to a long season. I can hardly wait for game two.
Monday, September 05, 2011
Fister Punches Out Indians, Tigers Win 4-2
You know I've been waiting to use that corny headline for a while, but today it's appropriate. Doug Fister is not known for strikeouts - just 5.5 strikeouts per nine innings coming into today - but this afternoon he punched out a career high 13 batters. Fister always has good control and generally keeps the ball down, but today he appeared to have a little extra movement on all his pitches.
The six-foot-eight Fister was almost un-hittable allowing just two runs on four hits and one walk in eight innings. One of the runs was unearned due to his own throwing error. The other came on a home run by Indians right fielder Kosuke Fukodome in the eighth inning. Fister now has an outstanding 2.64 ERA and 36/3 K/BB ratio in 44 1/3 innings as a Tiger.
Fryman - Alexander - Fister
Fister may be the best in-season pitching addition to the Tigers since Doyle Alexander in 1987. Alexander was acquired from the Atlanta Braves on August 12 of that year for young fire baller John Smoltz. Alexander proceeded to go 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch and helped the Tigers win the division title on the final weekend of the season.
One can question whether the trade was worth it. On one hand, it gave us the best Tigers pennant race of my lifetime and they would not have won it without him. On the other hand, Smoltz went on to have a tremendous career with the Braves. From a WAR perspective, it was a horrible trade. However, my question is how good would Smoltz have been and how many division titles would the dismal Tigers of that period won with him? My guess is not many if any. I've always considered it a good trade for the Tigers on that basis.
Another late season acquisition was Woodie Fryman, who was acquired of the waiver wire from the Phillies in August, 1972. After an undistinguished career with the Phillies, the southpaw went 10-3 with a 2.06 ERA in 16 games for the Tigers. He helped the Tigers beat the Red Sox by a half game in the strike-shortened 1972 season.
Fister may be following in the footsteps of Alexander and Fryman this season, but the difference is that he's not a one-year fix. At just 27 years old, he is expected to be a fixture in the Tigers rotation for the next few years.
The six-foot-eight Fister was almost un-hittable allowing just two runs on four hits and one walk in eight innings. One of the runs was unearned due to his own throwing error. The other came on a home run by Indians right fielder Kosuke Fukodome in the eighth inning. Fister now has an outstanding 2.64 ERA and 36/3 K/BB ratio in 44 1/3 innings as a Tiger.
Fryman - Alexander - Fister
Fister may be the best in-season pitching addition to the Tigers since Doyle Alexander in 1987. Alexander was acquired from the Atlanta Braves on August 12 of that year for young fire baller John Smoltz. Alexander proceeded to go 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch and helped the Tigers win the division title on the final weekend of the season.
One can question whether the trade was worth it. On one hand, it gave us the best Tigers pennant race of my lifetime and they would not have won it without him. On the other hand, Smoltz went on to have a tremendous career with the Braves. From a WAR perspective, it was a horrible trade. However, my question is how good would Smoltz have been and how many division titles would the dismal Tigers of that period won with him? My guess is not many if any. I've always considered it a good trade for the Tigers on that basis.
Another late season acquisition was Woodie Fryman, who was acquired of the waiver wire from the Phillies in August, 1972. After an undistinguished career with the Phillies, the southpaw went 10-3 with a 2.06 ERA in 16 games for the Tigers. He helped the Tigers beat the Red Sox by a half game in the strike-shortened 1972 season.
Fister may be following in the footsteps of Alexander and Fryman this season, but the difference is that he's not a one-year fix. At just 27 years old, he is expected to be a fixture in the Tigers rotation for the next few years.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Verlander Dominates Diamondbacks
After losing five out of their last seven games including squandering a four-run lead last night, the Tigers needed a big performance from their ace Justin Verlander tonight. Once again, Justin responded with a superlative performance pitching the Tigers to a 6-0 shutout over the Diamomdbacks. It was one of his most dominant performances ever as he struckout a career high 14 batters in eight innings. He allowed just four hits and one walk and lowered his season ERA to 2.38
As is often the case, the fireballing right-hander saved some of his best stuff for late in the game. After allowing the first two batters to reach in the eight inning, creating a runners on second and third and nobody out jam in the eighth, he proceeded to strikeout the side. The Brooks Baseball Pitch f/x chart below shows that some of his fastest pitches came in that eight inning. He averaged 95.2 MPH on his fastball, but reached as high as 99.5 MPH in his final frame.
Verlander did not need much offensive support tonight, but he received plenty of it anyway. The hitting hero was catcher Alex Avila, who knocked in four runs with a home run, a double and a single. The young backstop did look silly in the eighth when he thought he had his second homer of the game, failed to run the bases at full speed and was thrown out at second. At first glance it appeared that he may have been hurt, but it became clear that everything was fine when his teammates teased him in the dugout.
The win moved the Tigers back into a first-place tie with the Indians. Verlander can't pitch every night, so they are going need some better starts from a struggling staff in upcoming games. Brad Penny opposes Joe Saunders in the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon.
For tonight though, Mr. Verlander was a pleasure to watch and the final three outs of the eighth inning were breathtaking. You can not help looking forward to his next start.
As is often the case, the fireballing right-hander saved some of his best stuff for late in the game. After allowing the first two batters to reach in the eight inning, creating a runners on second and third and nobody out jam in the eighth, he proceeded to strikeout the side. The Brooks Baseball Pitch f/x chart below shows that some of his fastest pitches came in that eight inning. He averaged 95.2 MPH on his fastball, but reached as high as 99.5 MPH in his final frame.
Verlander did not need much offensive support tonight, but he received plenty of it anyway. The hitting hero was catcher Alex Avila, who knocked in four runs with a home run, a double and a single. The young backstop did look silly in the eighth when he thought he had his second homer of the game, failed to run the bases at full speed and was thrown out at second. At first glance it appeared that he may have been hurt, but it became clear that everything was fine when his teammates teased him in the dugout.
The win moved the Tigers back into a first-place tie with the Indians. Verlander can't pitch every night, so they are going need some better starts from a struggling staff in upcoming games. Brad Penny opposes Joe Saunders in the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon.
For tonight though, Mr. Verlander was a pleasure to watch and the final three outs of the eighth inning were breathtaking. You can not help looking forward to his next start.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tigers Salvage One Game from Dodgers
The Tigers beat the Dodgers 7-5 today for their only win of the three-game series at Dodger Stadium. For the fourth time in five games, a Tiger starter failed to get a quality start. This time it was Rick Porcello who allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings. It sounded on the radio like he ran into some bad luck, but that's what happens when a pitcher can't get batters to swing and miss very often. Porcello has allowed 14 runs in 7 2/3 innings in his last two road starts and now sports an unattractive 4.50 ERA for the season.
The amazing Al Alburquerque did a great job bridging the gap between the fifth and eighth innings. He allowed no runs on no hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. He also added four strike outs to give him an absurd total of 44 K in 26 1/3 innings for the season.
The game got very scary in the bottom of the ninth when closer Jose Valverde loaded the bases. The game ended on a leaping grab by Austin Jackson in deep center field. Jackson did not start the game, but had come in as defensive replacement.
Most of the offense came via the long ball as Casper Wells, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Don kelly all went deep. The Tigers now have 72 homers on the year which is good for sixth in the American League.
Inter-league Woes
After five years of winning records in inter-league play, the Tigers have been uncharacteristically bad versus the National League this year:
2006 15-3
2007 14-4
2008 13-5
2009 10-8
2010 11-7
2011 3-6
What's the reason for this? It could be that they are catching teams at the wrong time. It has not helped that the last six games have been on the road in two rather extreme parks. Coors Field is, of course, a great hitters park and Dodger Stadium is one of the better pitching parks.
One poster on MotownSports theorized that losing the designated hitter hurts more this year than in the past because they are finally getting production from the position. Of course, that doesn't explain the lousy starting pitching.
Perry is Back
The Tigers have optioned lefty Adam Wilk to Toledo and have recalled Ryan Perry from the same club. No decision has been announced regarding Brandon Inge's return as of yet, but there is a possibility that he will also be back for the weekend series versus Arizona in Comerica Park.
The amazing Al Alburquerque did a great job bridging the gap between the fifth and eighth innings. He allowed no runs on no hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. He also added four strike outs to give him an absurd total of 44 K in 26 1/3 innings for the season.
The game got very scary in the bottom of the ninth when closer Jose Valverde loaded the bases. The game ended on a leaping grab by Austin Jackson in deep center field. Jackson did not start the game, but had come in as defensive replacement.
Most of the offense came via the long ball as Casper Wells, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Don kelly all went deep. The Tigers now have 72 homers on the year which is good for sixth in the American League.
Inter-league Woes
After five years of winning records in inter-league play, the Tigers have been uncharacteristically bad versus the National League this year:
2006 15-3
2007 14-4
2008 13-5
2009 10-8
2010 11-7
2011 3-6
What's the reason for this? It could be that they are catching teams at the wrong time. It has not helped that the last six games have been on the road in two rather extreme parks. Coors Field is, of course, a great hitters park and Dodger Stadium is one of the better pitching parks.
One poster on MotownSports theorized that losing the designated hitter hurts more this year than in the past because they are finally getting production from the position. Of course, that doesn't explain the lousy starting pitching.
Perry is Back
The Tigers have optioned lefty Adam Wilk to Toledo and have recalled Ryan Perry from the same club. No decision has been announced regarding Brandon Inge's return as of yet, but there is a possibility that he will also be back for the weekend series versus Arizona in Comerica Park.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Verlander Solves Coors
The Tigers looked very bad in the first two games versus the Rockies at Colorado. Neither Rick Porcello nor Phil Phil Coke were able to solve the Rockies in the first two games of the series. The usually unflappable Porcello, perhaps intimidated by the high altitude of Coors Field, did not seem to be himself in game one. Phil Coke simply couldn't get the ball over the plate in the second game. Not only that, but the whole team seemed out of sorts with sloppy base running and fielding in the first two games.
So, the Tigers once again needed Justin Verlander to come to the rescue in game three and, as usual, their ace did not disappoint. He pitched his fourth complete game of the season leading the Tigers to a 9-1 rout. The Tigers right-hander struck out only five batters, but allowed just four hits and walked nobody. The only run came on a solo homer by Rockies third baseman Ty Wigginton.
Verlander is having his most consistent season to date as he seems to be avoiding the one bad inning which hurt him on occasion in the past. With 15 Quality Starts (six or more innings and three of fewer earned runs) in 16 games, Verlander leads the majors with a 93.8 Quality Start percentage.
While Justin is striking out batters at his career rate (8.2 K / 9 IP), he has been especially good at not allowing base runners this year. He has shown better control walking 1.9 per nine innings compared to 2.6 in 2009-2010. Similarly, his hit rate is down to 5.7 per game, down from 7.9 over the last two years. The result is a league leading WHIP of 0.85.
The Tigers supported Verlander with some heavy hitting today. Brennan Boesch had three hits, including his tenth homer to pace a 13-hit attack. Miguel Cabrera (a homer and a double), Alex Avila and Don Kelly each chipped in with two hits.
So, the Tigers once again needed Justin Verlander to come to the rescue in game three and, as usual, their ace did not disappoint. He pitched his fourth complete game of the season leading the Tigers to a 9-1 rout. The Tigers right-hander struck out only five batters, but allowed just four hits and walked nobody. The only run came on a solo homer by Rockies third baseman Ty Wigginton.
Verlander is having his most consistent season to date as he seems to be avoiding the one bad inning which hurt him on occasion in the past. With 15 Quality Starts (six or more innings and three of fewer earned runs) in 16 games, Verlander leads the majors with a 93.8 Quality Start percentage.
While Justin is striking out batters at his career rate (8.2 K / 9 IP), he has been especially good at not allowing base runners this year. He has shown better control walking 1.9 per nine innings compared to 2.6 in 2009-2010. Similarly, his hit rate is down to 5.7 per game, down from 7.9 over the last two years. The result is a league leading WHIP of 0.85.
The Tigers supported Verlander with some heavy hitting today. Brennan Boesch had three hits, including his tenth homer to pace a 13-hit attack. Miguel Cabrera (a homer and a double), Alex Avila and Don Kelly each chipped in with two hits.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tigers Take Series from Indians
Summer officially starts next Tuesday, but the weather is heating up, the NHL playoffs are over and the Tigers are in a pennant race. So, it feels a lot like summer. The Tigers beat the Indians 6-2 this afternoon to take the three-game series two games to one. The win put them one game over Cleveland in the American League Central Division.
Jhonny Peralta broke a two-two tie with a solo home run in the fourth inning off of Indians starter Mitch Talbot. Ryan Raburn followed with his sixth home run of the year to make it 4-2. Raburn tends to heat up with the weather and a typical second half from him would really give the Tigers a boost. He's got a long way to go before we can say that his slump is over though. His .237 June batting average is more than double his .113 mark of May, but still not good.
Max Scherzer allowed just two runs in 5 2/3 innings but left with the bases loaded after 111 total pitches. Traditionalists may like Scherzer's 9-2 record, but he has not pitched as well as his record indicates and continues have trouble pitching deep into games. He has a 4.32 ERA and has allowed five of more runs five times. It will be important to get just a little more consistency out of him the rest of the way.
The Tigers got some good work from their bullpen this afternoon. Al Alburquerque got out of the six inning bases load jam with a fly out and went on to pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He recorded two more strikeouts and now has 15.5 K per nine innings. Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde followed with a scoreless inning apiece.
Brennan Boesch bashed three singles to raise his season batting average to .290. He is hitting .393 with nine extra base hits in 61 June at bats.
Who will Play Third?
The Tigers now go on a six-game inter-league road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles. Thus, they will have no designated hitter for a full week. So, that means that one of their catchers - Alex Avila or Victor Martinez - will have to sit every day. Or does it? Manager Jim Leyland hinted that he might use Avila at third base. Kurt Mensching of Bless You Boys discusses the possibility, but decides that it probably won't happen.
I am a big believer in the importance of defense and am normally against playing players out of position. However, when the alternatives are utility men Donnie Kelly and Danny Worth, I wouldn't mind seeing Avila play a couple of games at third. He won't be there every day, but I think we might see him play a game or two over there.
One player who won't be at third base for either series is Brandon Inge. He is recovering from mononucleosis and started his rehab in Toledo tonight. However, they want him to take it slow and he'll be there for at least six games.
Jhonny Peralta broke a two-two tie with a solo home run in the fourth inning off of Indians starter Mitch Talbot. Ryan Raburn followed with his sixth home run of the year to make it 4-2. Raburn tends to heat up with the weather and a typical second half from him would really give the Tigers a boost. He's got a long way to go before we can say that his slump is over though. His .237 June batting average is more than double his .113 mark of May, but still not good.
Max Scherzer allowed just two runs in 5 2/3 innings but left with the bases loaded after 111 total pitches. Traditionalists may like Scherzer's 9-2 record, but he has not pitched as well as his record indicates and continues have trouble pitching deep into games. He has a 4.32 ERA and has allowed five of more runs five times. It will be important to get just a little more consistency out of him the rest of the way.
The Tigers got some good work from their bullpen this afternoon. Al Alburquerque got out of the six inning bases load jam with a fly out and went on to pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He recorded two more strikeouts and now has 15.5 K per nine innings. Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde followed with a scoreless inning apiece.
Brennan Boesch bashed three singles to raise his season batting average to .290. He is hitting .393 with nine extra base hits in 61 June at bats.
Who will Play Third?
The Tigers now go on a six-game inter-league road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles. Thus, they will have no designated hitter for a full week. So, that means that one of their catchers - Alex Avila or Victor Martinez - will have to sit every day. Or does it? Manager Jim Leyland hinted that he might use Avila at third base. Kurt Mensching of Bless You Boys discusses the possibility, but decides that it probably won't happen.
I am a big believer in the importance of defense and am normally against playing players out of position. However, when the alternatives are utility men Donnie Kelly and Danny Worth, I wouldn't mind seeing Avila play a couple of games at third. He won't be there every day, but I think we might see him play a game or two over there.
One player who won't be at third base for either series is Brandon Inge. He is recovering from mononucleosis and started his rehab in Toledo tonight. However, they want him to take it slow and he'll be there for at least six games.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Another Gem for Verlander
The Tigers blanked the Indians 4-0 tonight behind the brilliant pitching of Justin Verlander. The Tigers' ace threatened to toss his second no hitter of the season and third of his career, but fell five outs short. With one out in the eighth inning, Indians second baseman Orlando Cabrera stroked a clean single to center field to break up the no no. Justin had to settle for a two-hit complete game shutout. He also struck out a season-high twelve batters and walked just one. It was a truly dominating performance by Mr. Verlander.
The Tigers scored all the runs they would need in a three-run third. The runs scored on on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Miguel Cabrera, a single by Andy Dirks and another sacrifice fly by Alex Avila. Dirks (3 singles) and Austin Jackson (2 singles) paced Detroit's 11-hit attack.
One thing the Tigers did not do tonight was get an extra base hit. This ended a streak off 66 games with at least one extra base hit going back to the beginning of the season. It was the longest streak to start a season for the Tigers since 1919, the first year for which complete records are avialable. The previous team record was 51 by the 1986 Tigers. The longest streak in the majors was 143 by the 1996 Indians.
The Tigers are now in sole possession of first place for the first time this season. Game two of the series is tomorrow night with Brad Penny facing Fausto Carmona.
The Tigers scored all the runs they would need in a three-run third. The runs scored on on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Miguel Cabrera, a single by Andy Dirks and another sacrifice fly by Alex Avila. Dirks (3 singles) and Austin Jackson (2 singles) paced Detroit's 11-hit attack.
One thing the Tigers did not do tonight was get an extra base hit. This ended a streak off 66 games with at least one extra base hit going back to the beginning of the season. It was the longest streak to start a season for the Tigers since 1919, the first year for which complete records are avialable. The previous team record was 51 by the 1986 Tigers. The longest streak in the majors was 143 by the 1996 Indians.
The Tigers are now in sole possession of first place for the first time this season. Game two of the series is tomorrow night with Brad Penny facing Fausto Carmona.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Tigers Tied for First
The Tigers pounded the Mariners 8-1 tonight to move into first place for the first time all year. More accurately, they are tied for first with the reeling Indians who were shutout by the Yankees 4-0 today.
Max Scherzer rebounded from three consecutive poor starts to hold the Mariners to one run on four hits in seven innings. In his three previous starts, he had allowed 19 runs and saw his ERA climb to 4.68. He went through a similar bad stretch last year, but was one of the best pitchers in baseball once he got going. Hopefully, he can do the same this year.
The Tigers got to rookie Michael Pineda for six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings. This was the first time he had given up more than four runs in any start. He came into the game with a sterling 2.33 ERA.
As has often been the case lately, the Tigers had several big offensive contributors. Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesch and Victor Martinez had three hits apiece and Johnny Peralta added his ninth home run. Two of Jackson's hits were triples making him the second Tiger this week to hit two triples in a game. The other, of course, was Alex Avila on Thursday night. Jackson getting a pair of three baggers was a little less surprising.
The Tigers now lead the series 2-1 and will try to win it tomorrow when Rick Porcello faces Felix Hernandez.
Max Scherzer rebounded from three consecutive poor starts to hold the Mariners to one run on four hits in seven innings. In his three previous starts, he had allowed 19 runs and saw his ERA climb to 4.68. He went through a similar bad stretch last year, but was one of the best pitchers in baseball once he got going. Hopefully, he can do the same this year.
The Tigers got to rookie Michael Pineda for six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings. This was the first time he had given up more than four runs in any start. He came into the game with a sterling 2.33 ERA.
As has often been the case lately, the Tigers had several big offensive contributors. Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesch and Victor Martinez had three hits apiece and Johnny Peralta added his ninth home run. Two of Jackson's hits were triples making him the second Tiger this week to hit two triples in a game. The other, of course, was Alex Avila on Thursday night. Jackson getting a pair of three baggers was a little less surprising.
The Tigers now lead the series 2-1 and will try to win it tomorrow when Rick Porcello faces Felix Hernandez.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tigers Can't Solve Mariners Pitching
With the Indians trailing the Yankees 11-3 late in their game, the Tigers probably had a chance to move into a first place tie tonight. However, the Tigers were were unable to get it done losing to the Mariners 3-2. The quartet of Eric Bedard, Chris Ray, David Pauley and Brandon League held the Tigers to just five hits tonight.
It was the kind of game you would have expected from the Tigers bats earlier in the season. The way the Tigers have been hitting as of late though, you had the feeling they would eventually break loose. Victor Martinez belted a two-run homer to right field to give them a brief 2-1 lead in the fourth, but that would be it.
Other than the Martinez homer, the only highlight for the Tigers was another strong effort from a couple of young relievers. Southpaw Charlie Furbush pitched a scoreless eighth to lower his ERA to 1.72. Then the amazing Al Alburquerque picked up two more strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. The 25-year-old Dominican now has 37 k's in 20 2/3 innings. That gives him 16.1 K/ 9 IP, a rate that has never been achieved by any pitcher over a full season.
It's now going to be tough for the Tigers to win the series as they face rookie sensation Michael Pineda tomorrow night and last year's Cy Young Award winner Feliz Hernandez on Sunday. The Tigers will counter with Max Scherzer and Phil Coke.
It was the kind of game you would have expected from the Tigers bats earlier in the season. The way the Tigers have been hitting as of late though, you had the feeling they would eventually break loose. Victor Martinez belted a two-run homer to right field to give them a brief 2-1 lead in the fourth, but that would be it.
Other than the Martinez homer, the only highlight for the Tigers was another strong effort from a couple of young relievers. Southpaw Charlie Furbush pitched a scoreless eighth to lower his ERA to 1.72. Then the amazing Al Alburquerque picked up two more strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. The 25-year-old Dominican now has 37 k's in 20 2/3 innings. That gives him 16.1 K/ 9 IP, a rate that has never been achieved by any pitcher over a full season.
It's now going to be tough for the Tigers to win the series as they face rookie sensation Michael Pineda tomorrow night and last year's Cy Young Award winner Feliz Hernandez on Sunday. The Tigers will counter with Max Scherzer and Phil Coke.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Boesch, Tigers Outslug Rangers
Brennan Boesch had his biggest game of the year as the Tigers outslugged the Rangers 13-7 tonight. Swingin' Brennan paced an 18-hit Tigers attack with a career high five hits, including a pair of homers, a double and two singles. After batting just .186 in May, the streaky Boesch is 10 for 21 so far in June.
Other Tigers with multiple hit games were Austin Jackson with three and Miguel Cabrera and Danny Worth with two apiece. In addition, Andy Dirks hit his third homer in 15 games and Alex Avila hit his 9th of the year.
The Tigers needed a lot offense tonight because Max Scherzer was off his game once again allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings. He has now allowed 19 runs in his last three starts to raise his season ERA to 4.68. He went through a similar stretch last year, but quickly turned it around after a brief trip to the minors. Another trip to Toledo is not likely this year, but he needs to get going fast as they aren't going to score 13 runs very often.
The Indians lost again tonight so the Tigers are just 1 1/2 games back now. Tomorrow night, it will be Rick Porcello versus Rangers lefty Matt Harrison in game two of the series.
Other Tigers with multiple hit games were Austin Jackson with three and Miguel Cabrera and Danny Worth with two apiece. In addition, Andy Dirks hit his third homer in 15 games and Alex Avila hit his 9th of the year.
The Tigers needed a lot offense tonight because Max Scherzer was off his game once again allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings. He has now allowed 19 runs in his last three starts to raise his season ERA to 4.68. He went through a similar stretch last year, but quickly turned it around after a brief trip to the minors. Another trip to Toledo is not likely this year, but he needs to get going fast as they aren't going to score 13 runs very often.
The Indians lost again tonight so the Tigers are just 1 1/2 games back now. Tomorrow night, it will be Rick Porcello versus Rangers lefty Matt Harrison in game two of the series.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Raburn Helps Tigers Slam White Sox
The Tigers beat the White Sox 7-3 this afternoon and took the weekend series two games to one. With the Indians getting swept the Rangers this weekend, the Tigers are now just 2 1/2 games behind. Cleveland has now lost 9 of 12 and the White Sox and Twins have been playing poorly all year. The American League Central is there for the taking and I think the Tigers are in great position to seize it, despite their shortcomings.
The Tigers took control of today's game with a six-run fourth highlighted by a Ryan Raburn grand slam. Chris Hannum of Motor City Bengals points out that the Summer of Raburn may have started. Ryan now has a modest five-game hitting streak with only three strikeouts in those games. That's certainly nothing to get excited about by itself. However, his track record suggests that he can be a dangerous second-half hitter. So, there is hope that this is the start of something good.
The Tigers bullpen, which was very shaky for much of the first two months, has been much better as of late. Brad Penny only pitched five innings today allowing three runs, but the bullpen contributed four shutout innings. The amazing Al Alburquerque pitched the sixth and seventh, Joaquin Benoit the eighth and Jose Valverde the ninth.
Alburquerque now has 35 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings giving him 16.01 K per 9 innings pitched. How good is that? According to Baseball-Reference, only one pitcher in the history of the game has finished a season with a higher ratio in 20 or more innings pitched. Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel had 17.42 K/ 9 IP in 20 2/3 innings in 2010. The highest ratio in a full season was by Carlos Marmol of the Cubs with 15.99 K/9 IP in 77 2/3 innings last year.
Many Tigers fans including myself panicked when Benoit allowed 11 runs in 6 appearances between April 27-May 16. However, he has not allowed a run in his last eight appearances.
The Tigers took control of today's game with a six-run fourth highlighted by a Ryan Raburn grand slam. Chris Hannum of Motor City Bengals points out that the Summer of Raburn may have started. Ryan now has a modest five-game hitting streak with only three strikeouts in those games. That's certainly nothing to get excited about by itself. However, his track record suggests that he can be a dangerous second-half hitter. So, there is hope that this is the start of something good.
The Tigers bullpen, which was very shaky for much of the first two months, has been much better as of late. Brad Penny only pitched five innings today allowing three runs, but the bullpen contributed four shutout innings. The amazing Al Alburquerque pitched the sixth and seventh, Joaquin Benoit the eighth and Jose Valverde the ninth.
Alburquerque now has 35 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings giving him 16.01 K per 9 innings pitched. How good is that? According to Baseball-Reference, only one pitcher in the history of the game has finished a season with a higher ratio in 20 or more innings pitched. Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel had 17.42 K/ 9 IP in 20 2/3 innings in 2010. The highest ratio in a full season was by Carlos Marmol of the Cubs with 15.99 K/9 IP in 77 2/3 innings last year.
Many Tigers fans including myself panicked when Benoit allowed 11 runs in 6 appearances between April 27-May 16. However, he has not allowed a run in his last eight appearances.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Verlander and Cabrera Lead Tigers Over White Sox
Before Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning tonight, it had been a frustrating series for the Tigers and their fans. Last night, they had 16 base runners but managed only four runs in a 6-4 loss. In the first first eight innings tonight, the Bengals had 14 batters reach base versus Edwin Jackson and two Chicago relievers but plated only two runs. It seemed like they should be dominating this game, but instead it was tied at two after eight.
Austin Jackson then led off the ninth with a triple off of reliever Jesse Crain. Nobody out and a man on third. Surely they should score here but we remembered the first 17 innings of the series and feared the worst. Donnie Kelly followed with a weak pop out to shortstop. Brennan Boesch then struck out and two were down with Jackson still on third.
Cabrera was up next. He's been intentionally walked a lot in this situation in the last couple of years. Not so much recently though, not with the way Victor Martinez has been hitting behind him. So, the big guy got his chance. Crain got two quick strikes on Miguel and it looked like another scoring chance would go by the boards. However, Cabrera belted a 1-2 pitch to left field for his 12th home run of the year and the Tigers were up 4-2.
The Cabrera blast was one of the biggest moments of the Tigers' season so far but there was still work to be done. Closer Jose Valverde frightened us by walking lead-off batter Alex Rios in the bottom of the ninth. He then retired the final three though for his 15th save of the season.
Ace Justin Verlander, who came up big in his last appearance versus the Red Sox, had another big assignment tonight against the Pale Hose. He pitched eight innings allowing two runs, with the only tallies coming on a two-run homer by Gordon Beckham in the fifth. He did have to work out of a couple of jams. He allowed the first two batters to reach in the fourth but got out of it with a strikeout and a double play ball. He also worked out of a first and third one-out situation in the eighth.
The only other Tiger runs came in the first inning when Brennan Boesch hit a towering shot to right for a two-run homer. Boesch later added a single and a walk. The only other Tiger with multiple hits was Jackson who had two singles to go with his triple.
The win left the Tigers just 3 1/2 games behind the now slumping Indians. The final game of this series comes tomorrow afternoon with Brad Penny facing Jake Peavy.
Austin Jackson then led off the ninth with a triple off of reliever Jesse Crain. Nobody out and a man on third. Surely they should score here but we remembered the first 17 innings of the series and feared the worst. Donnie Kelly followed with a weak pop out to shortstop. Brennan Boesch then struck out and two were down with Jackson still on third.
Cabrera was up next. He's been intentionally walked a lot in this situation in the last couple of years. Not so much recently though, not with the way Victor Martinez has been hitting behind him. So, the big guy got his chance. Crain got two quick strikes on Miguel and it looked like another scoring chance would go by the boards. However, Cabrera belted a 1-2 pitch to left field for his 12th home run of the year and the Tigers were up 4-2.
The Cabrera blast was one of the biggest moments of the Tigers' season so far but there was still work to be done. Closer Jose Valverde frightened us by walking lead-off batter Alex Rios in the bottom of the ninth. He then retired the final three though for his 15th save of the season.
Ace Justin Verlander, who came up big in his last appearance versus the Red Sox, had another big assignment tonight against the Pale Hose. He pitched eight innings allowing two runs, with the only tallies coming on a two-run homer by Gordon Beckham in the fifth. He did have to work out of a couple of jams. He allowed the first two batters to reach in the fourth but got out of it with a strikeout and a double play ball. He also worked out of a first and third one-out situation in the eighth.
The only other Tiger runs came in the first inning when Brennan Boesch hit a towering shot to right for a two-run homer. Boesch later added a single and a walk. The only other Tiger with multiple hits was Jackson who had two singles to go with his triple.
The win left the Tigers just 3 1/2 games behind the now slumping Indians. The final game of this series comes tomorrow afternoon with Brad Penny facing Jake Peavy.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Tigers Sweep Twins Again
The Tigers topped the Twins 4-2 tonight to complete a three-game sweep of their most feared opponent most years. The Tigers have won all five games versus Minnesota this year and nine in a row going back to last year. Nine consecutive wins versus the Twins. Imagine that.
Rick Porcello pitched a solid game allowing just two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Both runs came on a homer by Drew Butera, who came into the game batting .126. The bullpen which has looked better as of late closed it out as Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead when Alex Avila singled in a run in the second. Miguel Cabrera then crushed a three-run shot to left to make it 4-0 in the third.
Jim Leyland continued to juggle the line-up benching the slumping Austin Jackson and Ryan Raburn in favor of Donald Kelly and Ramon Santiago versus the the right-handed Scott Baker. The Raburn to full-time second baseman plan looks to be in jeopardy already. It did make sense to have the superior fielding Santiago behind the ground ball machine Porcello though.
The win will likely keep the Tigers five games behind the first-place Indians, who lead the Blue Jays 13-7 in the eighth inning. Next up is a big series at Chicago versus the third-place White Sox.
Rick Porcello pitched a solid game allowing just two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Both runs came on a homer by Drew Butera, who came into the game batting .126. The bullpen which has looked better as of late closed it out as Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead when Alex Avila singled in a run in the second. Miguel Cabrera then crushed a three-run shot to left to make it 4-0 in the third.
Jim Leyland continued to juggle the line-up benching the slumping Austin Jackson and Ryan Raburn in favor of Donald Kelly and Ramon Santiago versus the the right-handed Scott Baker. The Raburn to full-time second baseman plan looks to be in jeopardy already. It did make sense to have the superior fielding Santiago behind the ground ball machine Porcello though.
The win will likely keep the Tigers five games behind the first-place Indians, who lead the Blue Jays 13-7 in the eighth inning. Next up is a big series at Chicago versus the third-place White Sox.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Verlander Saves Tigers
Justin Verlander averted a doubleheader and series sweep by shutting down the Red Sox in the second game of today's twinbill. Verlander shutout the powerful Red Sox for 7 2/3 innings allowing four hits and two walks. It was not a dominant strikeout performance by Verlander (just three of them) but there were not a lot of hard hit balls either. The patient Red Sox did force him to throw 132 pitches and he left after two were out in the eighth. Fortunately, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde finished the job uneventfully.
The combined shutout gave the Tigers an MLB-leading eight shutouts on the season. They had only five all last year. Despite a couple of recent poor performances, their starting pitching has been quite good this month.
The Tigers lost the first game today when Valverde allowed a tie-breaking pinch-hit homer to David Ortiz in the ninth. The Tigers fell behind 3-0 after three innings when Andy Oliver struggled with his control in his season debut. Oliver settled down and the Tigers came back due, in part, to solo homers by Andy Dirks and Brennan Boesch.
Many fans, including myself, were critical of a managerial non-move in the bottom of the ninth. With the Tigers down 4-3 and hot-hitting Alex Avila on the bench, Jim Leyland allowed slumping Ryan Raburn to strike out to end the game. Perhaps, Leyland was hoping that Raburn would get on so he could pinch hit Avila for Brandon Inge giving Alex a chance to win the game. They needed a hit to extend the game though and I think Avila should have been in there.
The doubleheader split leaves the Tigers at 26-26, six games behind the Indians. With the Yankees and Red Sox out of the way, the Tigers have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. This should help them avoid their usual second-half swoon.
The combined shutout gave the Tigers an MLB-leading eight shutouts on the season. They had only five all last year. Despite a couple of recent poor performances, their starting pitching has been quite good this month.
The Tigers lost the first game today when Valverde allowed a tie-breaking pinch-hit homer to David Ortiz in the ninth. The Tigers fell behind 3-0 after three innings when Andy Oliver struggled with his control in his season debut. Oliver settled down and the Tigers came back due, in part, to solo homers by Andy Dirks and Brennan Boesch.
Many fans, including myself, were critical of a managerial non-move in the bottom of the ninth. With the Tigers down 4-3 and hot-hitting Alex Avila on the bench, Jim Leyland allowed slumping Ryan Raburn to strike out to end the game. Perhaps, Leyland was hoping that Raburn would get on so he could pinch hit Avila for Brandon Inge giving Alex a chance to win the game. They needed a hit to extend the game though and I think Avila should have been in there.
The doubleheader split leaves the Tigers at 26-26, six games behind the Indians. With the Yankees and Red Sox out of the way, the Tigers have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. This should help them avoid their usual second-half swoon.
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