Well after a day to savor their Opening Day victory, and to let Minneapolis warm up a bit (game time looks to be a relatively balmy 45), the Tigers hand the ball to Anibal and look to keep their perfect record intact.
Today’s Tigers-Twins game is also the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day.
While most of the talk about the opener was related to the bullpen use (or misuse, if you prefer). The play of the game may have been in the first inning, when the Tigers took an early lead and never looked back. After Austin Jackson led off with a single, he took off for 2nd, and Torii Hunter executed the hit-and-run to perfection, and before you knew it the Tigers had runners at the corners with nobody out.
As it turns out though, Jim Leyland said that there was no hit-and-run called on the play. Jackson was stealing second, and when Hunter saw the space open up between first and second he reacted; it was just something Hunter did on his own. I am looking forward to having a real #2 hitter this season, which the Tigers have been missing since the days of Placido Polanco (who, by the way, opened the season for the Marlins batting clean-up. Oh dear).
Speaking of the Marlins, the Tigers claimed pitcher Evan Reed off waivers from Miami and assigned him to Toledo. This tops off their 40-man roster at 40.
Today’s fun fact: According to Baseball Prospectus, the Tigers have a 76.1% chance of making the playoffs. The Twins chances are a slim 0.9%.
Today’s Player of the Pre-game: Miguel Cabrera, who is 9-for-19 lifetime against Correia.
Today’s Undefeated Lineup:
- Austin Jackson, CF
- Torii Hunter, RF
- Miguel Cabrera, 3B
- Prince Fielder, 1B
- Victor Martinez, DH
- Andy Dirks, LF
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Alex Avila, C
- Omar Infante, 2B
Technically then, it was a run-and-hit.
PP is batting cleanup for FL?
He did opening day. They have quite the lineup.
And again tonight.
He was batting cleanup in ST as well.
Leyland got the order wrong. It should have been Coke followed by Benoit.
I rather see Valverde than this “committee”
It’s not the committee, it’s how the committee is used. There is nothing wrong with this approach as long as you stick to “matchups”. No matter how well Coke did in the playoffs last year, he is generally unreliable against RH batters, and simply shouldn’t be trusted against them. We needed a RH pitcher to face Dozier and Escobar there. That is why I say Blind Squirrel got the order wrong. Either that or pull Coke for AlAl there. Leaving Coke in was Leyland’s wish for Coke to be his closer, because no matter what he says about going with a “committee” I think he is married to the “closer” idea.
I agree that Coke was out there because Leyland is anxious for a closer to emerge. He’ll go with what’s working until it stops working. I don’t have a problem with Coke being brought in. It’s what Coke did. RHBs or not, he threw a couple mistakes in a row. I don’t think LHBs would have been kinder to those pitches.
I don’t have much of a problem with it. I would have had a much bigger problem had it been Rondon.
This is going to happen dozens of times this year. We just need to come out and win the series tomorrow. The bats have been bad.
Well, Benoit’s leadoff walk was no help, but this one is all on Coke. He hung a couple in a row. Bottom of the order. Not good, Mr. Phil. I expect Octavio Dotel to be the next to audition.
While Coke is the goat, there were a few what-ifs. Hunter trying to take third base (with 2 outs and Fielder due up) on a shallow RF single. Downs’s only failure, the leadoff walk he allowed. Avila not having solid possession of the ball (happenstance, really) before pulling back to throw to second on Plouffe’s SB.
Downs and Benoit both managed to walk Trevor Plouffe to lead off an inning. In the same game. Trevor Plouffe. The runner scored both times. If this is a good bullpen, that or anything like it will not happen again this season.
Hey Coleman – nice photos of Verlander and Sanchez so far. You’re catching some great expressions.
I’m just doing my best to squeeze their faces in that little window of space.
All the Tigers’ earned runs allowed have been charged to lefty relievers.
In every situation where a reliever has inherited runners, at least one of them has scored. 3 times, 3 pitchers, 3 runs.
It’s only been 2 games, but this is a strange way to start.
Oh wait – I guess Benoit has had an earned run charged to him. One more reason to be annoyed with him.
Personally I’m more annoyed with the offense of the team than the relief pitching concerns.
The game-winner by Escobar kind of looked playable from the standard angle, but I think it was just hit to no man’s land and got there too quickly. I can’t fault Dirks or Jackson for it.
And in even older news, the Cabrera error Monday that they reversed to the benefit of Mauer… is still an error. You know it, I know it, Cabrera knows it.
I’d like to find out more? I’d want to find out some additional information.