Game 2011.18: Tigers at Mariners

The Tigers look to lock-up a series victory tonight against the Mariners, as Phil Coke takes on Doug Fister.

The not-so-hard throwing Doug Fister takes the mound for the Ms tonight.  Fister is in the majors because he throws a four seamer, a two seamer, a change, a curve and a slider.  Though none of them are particularly effective, when he locates them well he can win a few ball games.  His fastball tops out at 88-89, though that lack of speed certainly had the Tigers fooled for most of last night.  He’s got a career WHIP of 1.29 (good), and a career K/9 of 4.99 (not good).

Coke was nothing short of phenomenal in his last start, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks and 0 ER over 7 IPs against the Athletics.  Couple that with the last 4 2/3 innings of the KC game, and he’s thrown 11 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.  The over/under is set at 15.  Any takers?  Coke dominates in April, posting a career 2.29 ERA for the month.

In roster news – VMart may be headed to the DL.    Omir Santos was called up as an emergency back-up catcher, and they’ll have to send someone else down today before 1st pitch.  My guess would have been Austin Jackson, but he’s listed in the starting lineup.  I can’t see them sending down a reliever, so either VMart will be placed on the DL, or Don Kelly will have a lonely drive this evening.

Your incredibly suspect top of the order lineup (see if you can determine who I’m rooting for tonight):

1. AJax – CF
2. Rhymes – 2B
3. Don Kelly – RF
4. Cabrera – 1B
5. Boesch – DH
6. Raburn – LF
7. Peralta – SS
8. Big Bad Al Avila – C
9. Inge – 3B

31 thoughts on “Game 2011.18: Tigers at Mariners”

  1. My eyes about popped out of my head again when I saw Kelly batting 3rd. My guess is that the line-up is constructed so that Cabrera won’t get pitched around as easily. Leyland wants his best remaining bats, hitting behind Cabrera. I hope it works. I’m sure there will be plenty of grumbling over this line-up. I understand that Tomorrow we play an afternoon game also, so I’m expecting even more surprises with line-up.

  2. I wonder how Eric Wedge is handling the fact that the Indians are in 1st place while he has managed the Mariners to a nice last place 6.5 games back in the AL West.

  3. Where is Maggs? I figured he’d be the DH tonight. Any estimates on how long V-Mart is going to be out?

  4. WOW interesting line up, Other than Miggy, we are barely scaring a good college team.

    Good pick up on Eric Wedge,

    Lets hope everyone pulls together,

    Good Luck tonight to Coke and the Merry K’s (Coleman surely you can do something with that)

    Does anyone know if I can download the audio off MLB and save as a pod cast. I am driving 6 hours or so to the D Wednesday morning and I would like to listen to the game.

    Have a great night,

    Steve

  5. bases loaded with two walks and an error – nobody out and a 3-0… something tells me Mr. Coke didn’t draw it up this way in his pregame meditation.

  6. i thought the Tiger’s lineup looked a bit challenging tonight, until i saw the Mariners have 5 guys in the starting lineup batting under the Mendoza line – obviously that is why Coke was trying to nibble at the corners with such a potent lineup…

  7. I really wish this team would play with the intensity of a man forcing Wal-Mart trucks off the road and threatening to blow up BBQ stands.

  8. Well, whatever happens tonight, I don’t think you can blame the lineup, as bizarre as it looks. Coke looks like a guy who started a bit slow, and just cracked a little under pressure in the first inning. A good tip is not to worry too much about the runner on second once you’ve falling behind 2-0. If you walk the batter, he’ll be on third anyway.

    1. It can all be explained by evil twins. Just like Raburn is sometimes replaced by double-clutching R3L2O-strikeouting Rayburn, Phil Coke is also dogged by his evil twin Fail Coke.

  9. Ah yes, the ol’ first pitch GIDP, a subtle and underappreciated element of the professional clown show.

      1. To be fair, for a long stretch of this game, the Tigers did effectively induce REM for me…

  10. Without Ordonez, Guillen, V. Mart, Perry or Zumaya, and with Austin Jackson looking completely lost at the plate this year, this team just isn’t very good. Once again, the Tigers have too much talent laid up, and this AAAA lineup can’t compete, even with the Mariners. Isn’t that plot device getting old?

    Anyone else totally and completely unsurprised that Inge grounded into a DP with the bases loaded and 1 out? Anyone?

  11. It’s Brad’s Big Top..

    Might be time to focus on Sharks-Kings…Sharks were down 4-0, now it’s 5-5.

  12. Let’s just wake up tomorrow and pretend tonights game was just a bad dream!

  13. Are we just getting bullpen pitchers from the discount rack at Wal-Mart or something? These guys are a dime a dozen and are just awful…

  14. I think they were “due” for a blowout like this. Good to get all the crappy games and injuries out of the way early in the season, so they can come on strong in the second half.

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