Game 2013.111: Tigers at Indians

64-46, 1st place, 2 games up on them Indians. In the Elbow Room series, things have gotten a bit more cramped.

About last night: I’m sorry. I was really tired, and I guess my mind was elsewhere. Oh, sorry. Wrong speech.

About last night: Sanchez was good, but Kluber was better, even though a number of Tigers seemed to have a line on him the first time through. That 8th inning rally that could have turned the game, well… what’s worse, Jackson asleep at the wheel for out #2 or the lame grounder from M. Cabrera that would have killed it anyway? 2-0, something like the 16th or 17th shutout for Cleveland in 2013. Hunter cost the Tigers one run, and Michael Bourn cost ’em another – wait! Stop the presses!

65-45, 1st place, 4 games up on them Indians. In the Elbow Room series, things have gotten a bit less cramped. Wow wow wow!

When all seemed lost in that eleventh hour, Prince (who I had traded for Jason Kipnis straight up earlier in the game) started the rally, Victor spoiled the shutout, and then Alex won it all (as it turned out, as we hoped, as we all but knew – anticlimax would have had some nerve to show up last night). All against Chris Perez on the very anniversary of his famous 2012 meltdown against your very own Motown Bengals. Prince even batted again in this 9th inning, with the bases loaded for him instead of empty this time, and I wanted those insurance runs, believe me. ‘Twere not to be. But Joaquin was no-drama. A win! All is forgiven. Almost.

Even a big fan of Torii Hunter has to admit that his erratic judgment and impulsiveness has cost the team more times than you can count on your fingers and toes.

DL Miguel? The guy can’t run or field his position, and the Tigers already have a DH. Eh? What do you say? Should this go on for the next 50 games? Didn’t I just beg to have him reinstated in the lineup? No. That never happened, and anyone who says differently is lying.

So Jhonny is suspended for 50 games and possibly done as a Tiger. That’s a drag, even if Jose Iglesias is already paying dividends. One question for Jhonny: Why the denial this past spring? Why not a simple “no comment”? Why do people do this? Lie, then stonewall, and then admit it.

Tigers vs. Indians in 2013 (coming into the series):

Verlander: 3 games, 17 IP, 11 ER, 23 H, 22 K, .311 BAA, .810 OPSA
Fister: 1 game, 6 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 3 BB
Scherzer: 3 games, 23 IP, 7 ER, 0 HR, 21 K, .175 BAA, .447 OPSA
Benoit: 4-20, 488 OPSA
Smyly: 9-29, .858
Rondon: 2-8, .583
Veras: 1-4, .500
Coke: 3-14, .714
Alburquerque: 4-12, 1.054

Jackson: 5-27 (10 K), .493 OPS, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Hunter: 17-51, .919, 2 HR, 10 RBI
M. “DL” Cabrera: 15-47, 1.129, 5 HR, 14 RBI (no further comment at this time)
Fielder: 10-47, .744, 2 HR, 7 RBI
Martinez: 17-46, .980, 1 HR, 8 RBI
Dirks: 18-50, .916, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Avila: 4-24 (10 K, 7 BB), .552, 0 HR, 4 RBI
Iglesias: 4-8, 1.170, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Santiago: 3-22, .356, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Tuiasosopo: 1-7, .821, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Pena: 8-18, 1.088, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Kelly: 4-14, .944, 1 HR. 4 RBI

Don’t stare at these stats too long, lest the word “sweep” should come to mind.

Man. Hell of a win last night. These are the days. Time for Justin – the Verlander one – to join the party.

OK, I admit that I made a mistake. I want to apologize to [everyone] for asking for Miggy back in the lineup, when he really belongs on the DL, as long as he can still pinch hit from there. I fully accept my 24-hour suspension.

19 thoughts on “Game 2013.111: Tigers at Indians”

  1. Torii Hunter, being 37, has the legs of a 37 year old. He is not nearly so old in his mind. He just needs to fine tune that a bit.

    1. Well said Coleman. It also appears that he is a clubhouse leader that pays many benefits on and off the field.

  2. in order for DET to make a successful run, they need JV to get back to ’11 or ’12-form…and tonight would be a great time for him to turn it around. As the Loon pointed out above, JV has not been very effective (5.82 ERA) against CLE this year, and in his only start at CLE, he gave up 5ER 10H in 5IN. JV has walked 14 in his last 24 innings… so as the saying goes “location, location, location” is the key.

    Masterson has been really good (2ER in his last 21IN) of late.

  3. Now that we have some speed in the lineup (Iglesias & Perez) to go along with AJax, Infante, Donkey and Dirksy, our great leader should learn how to play small ball and start manufacturing runs to go along with the 2 & 3 run dingers. This would really put our opposition back on their heels!

    1. Heh. Intentional. After the 8th inning rally died, I was ready to get the post written so I could call it a night. I had summed up the loss just as Fielder doubled. I thought leaving that in was apt for this game, as we’d probably all thrown in the towel by then.

  4. Miggy running looks brutal ….. he is still hurting quite a bit, and a liability to the team. He should be removed from the lineup before he injures himself even more. Castellanos should be brought up and inserted at third till Miggy is 100%.

  5. Prince should have touched first to get the batter, and then get the guy at third in the run-down. That way we would have saved a run.

    1. That’s what I was thinking. Not sure if it’s right, but he sure seemed close enough to the bag to get the out at 1B without conceding everything else. Maybe he made the smart play – I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

  6. Alex Avila yesterday and Don Kelly today…I’d be tearing my hair out if I were an Indians fan.

  7. well this couldn’t be better. 10-gamer; win the first 2 vs Cleveland; can’t be worse than 3 ahead if we split……friggin’ excellent! by my reckoning, after the KC series after the All-Star break, the Tiges are 13-1…..if we include KC they’re 14-3. now THAT’S some playin’……. 🙂

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