Game 2011.73: Tigers at Dodgers

The Tigers stroll into LA on the tail of another JV masterpiece.  The last time the Tigers had multiple 9 game winners this early in the season was 1985, when they had 3.  Can you name them?

For the Tigers, tonight’s game is all about Brad’s balls.  How many, to be exact.  Did you know that when he gives up more than 2 walks he’s 0-3 with a 9.73 ERA?  On the flip side, when he allows 2 or fewer BBs he’s 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA.

Penny will be opposed by Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw.  Kershaw is a mid-90’s lefty who relies heavily on his fastball with a good slider out pitch.  On the year he’s 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.  He strikes out a ridiculous 9.67/9 (contrast that against JVs 8.20/9) against less than 3 walks per 9.  He had his two worst outings of the season on June 4th and June 9th, but then righted the ship with a 7 inning, 4 hit, 1 ER performance last time out.

A few notes:

– JV was named co-player of the week in the AL (second time he’s shared the award this season) alongside James Shields.
– Inge is hitting .176 through four games at Toledo.
– Clayton Kershaw has 9 hits and is second in the majors among all pitchers with a .290 BA.
– The Tigers are batting .312 with 95 runs scored, 31 doubles and 20 home runs in 18 games during June.

Today’s pre-game player of the game is Ryan Raburn.  For no reason other than he’s on my Scoresheet team.

Your Maggs is Due Lineup:

1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Casper Wells, LF
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, C
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Ryan Raburn, 2B
8. Danny Worth, 3B
9. Brad Penny, P

37 thoughts on “Game 2011.73: Tigers at Dodgers”

  1. I like this line-up vs Kershaw. He’s very tough against lefty hitters. Magglio, career wise, usually crushes lefty pitchers. Boesch can hit lefties, but Casper gives us a much more defense.

        1. Was it Juan Berengar? It seems like I remember him doing something. Dave Rosema would be my other guess.

  2. Apparently Verlander was the only Tiger pitcher to get the memo about pitching to Nat’l league pitchers… you’re not supposed to walk them (with bases loaded – Porcello, or on 4 straight balls – Penny)

  3. Maggs fields the ball in right field like my wife picks up dog crap. Slow and unsure.

    1. I can’t help but think that his time is limited with the Tigers…He really hasn’t started hitting yet and he is a liability in the field.

    1. but we were playing teams like Pittsburgh and Washington at home.
      West Coast road trips usually suck anyway. The Rockies are a good team at Coors and this Kershaw guy is one of the best pitchers in the game.

      We should do well vs D’Backs and Mets when we get back home. Then the Giants will give us some tougher games.

  4. a game like this makes me think why are we poor on the road.

    would you believe the tigers hit .275 on the road, and .260 at home. that seems amazing to me

    (our road era is 3rd worst in baseball at 4.83, compared to a 4.33middle of the pack home era.)

    1. didnt mean to cut short kershaw, dude is a stud. but those hitting numbers stunned me.

      1. Kershaw was the #7 pick of the 2006 draft. With the #6 pick, the Tigers took Andrew Miller. (And shortly after with the #10 pick, the Giants took Tim Lincecum).

  5. No Peralta or Cabrera for tonight; it’s Smoking Man’s patented rest-the-best strategy.

  6. FYI – having trouble with Word Press, will get a thread up as soon as I can.

  7. FYI – having trouble with Word Press, will get a game 74 thread up as soon as I can.

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