Game 2014.33: Twins 4, Tigers 3

Happy Mother’s Day Moms of DTW, and DTW Moms!

Nice win yesterday, another “complete game”. Starting to get spoiled by these.

Miggy had a troubling R3L2O strand in the 1st yesterday. For the year, he’s 2/12 in that situation with a .432 OPS. For his career, he’s got a 1.046 OPS in the same situation. He does have 2 sacrifices, but his 31% score rate this season is well below his career average of 55%. Also concerning – his HR% this year is 2.9%, well below his career average of 5.1%; and his BB rate is 5.9%, versus a career 11.1%. His K rate is about the same, 18.4% versus a career 16.9%. The good news is that his LD rate and XBH% are very near career averages, and he’s on pace for a normal number of RBI. My unofficial and officially uninformed diagnosis – just a bad slump.

Rookie Phenom Robbie Ray (admitted overstatement)) gets the ball today for the rubber match v. the Twins. If he gives us a few more outings like the last one, then we’ll call it as we see it. But for now, I’m enjoying the minor league pitching depth. Another nod to DD.

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Hunter, RF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. Martinez, DH
5. Kelly, 3B
6. Jackson, CF
7. Avila, C
8. Romine, SS
9. Davis, LF

 POSTGAME:

Awful loss. It starts with the HBP and the BB by Chamberlain. Even if Davis doesn’t make that error, are we confident that Joba gets out of the inning? Late inning guys have got to pound the strike zone (which is why Albuquerque isn’t an 8th inning candidate). Hanrahan is going to be given the 8th inning with a big bow on it in another 5 weeks.

You really can’t lose division series at home to the Twins. Frustrating.

It’s a long season though, we’ll get ’em tomorrow.

Make sure you call your mom.

32 thoughts on “Game 2014.33: Twins 4, Tigers 3”

  1. Loon,
    Besides Ray, what MiL pitching depth do you speak?

    How’s our base running going? It seems that there have been relatively few runners thrown out attempting to take an extra base this year, and not for lack of trying. Meanwhile, the Tigers are tied for the league lead in stolen bases – who would have thunk it!

    1. Ray, for one. Below could fill in as well. And I’m excited about this Knebel kid, he’s off to a great start (though he’s likely going to be a reliever).

      And part of our minor league depth is in the bigs. That we have 5 bona fide starters is a rarity.

  2. Jackson last had an rbi April 29, a 10-game drought. Seems like a long spell for a 5/6 hitter.

  3. Toledo:
    Below
    Crosby
    Lobstein
    Ortega
    Putkonen
    VerHagen
    Potential there. And with Ray…the cupboard isn’t full but it certainly not bare.

    1. The problem is that right now you couldn’t call one of those pitchers up in an emergency and expect to get any quality work out of them – they are all struggling, with the exception of Putkonen who is injured. The best that could be said of that group is that they are potential Potential.

    1. I’ve been thinking about Jackson for a few games now, should have said something earlier.

  4. Four hits and a HP…Tigers scratch out 1 run…if that isn’t the Tigers what is?

    1. Last year an inning like that would have been normal, resulting in a shoulder shrug. This year it is just a freak rare play, serving to illustrate the wonder of the game.

  5. The 6th will be Ray’s last inning, and Ausmus should have somebody up in the bullpen just in case. Ray started out very efficiently, but has run up his pitch count in the last couple of innings.

  6. Asmus better be listening to us…Mumbles listened and then did the opposite just to show us!!!!

  7. Why take AlAl out for just one left handed batter ….. especially when he was pitching well ….. dumb move!

    1. Agreed. Over-managing by Ausmus there. On the other hand, he didn’t bring in Coke.

      1. I just realized why Coke is still on the team–to make Ausmus look good every game for not bringing him in. Rather clever, actually.

    2. No one on base two outs…hey Brad leave him in????..its not like you have plenty of good arms out there!….poor decision

  8. The Tigs have turned on their this is good enough offense which we see so often where the just go up and swing just to swing….I hope they are right that this is enough!

  9. Is this now the worst Defensive outfield in baseball…I bet there are more outfield errors than infield errors on this team….Hunter should have gotten an error for his stupid play

  10. 7 outfield errors..the joke of it is though is Hunter has recorded only 1 and I have seen at least 3 by him alone..

  11. Thanks Ray..Kinsler and Cabrerra nice game today….everybody else thanks for taking another day off….

  12. Pitching and defense wins and loses games. Big fail in both today late in the game.

  13. Worse kind of loss… at the hands of the bullpen… Reinforcements cannot come fast enough.

    Still having a good season, but these losses just are a punch in the gut, especially when it leads to a loss to a sub .500 division opponent…

  14. Hanrahan and Putkonen in….Miller and Coke out!!!…you heard it here first…just do it!

  15. I just read that Robbie Ray threw 29 change ups today. That’s every 3rd pitch.

  16. The toughest kind of loss. Poor plays by Davis and Hunter, but Chamberlain’s on the hot seat. He made the mess, couldn’t clean it up. I tend not to blame a manager in these instances, and I don’t here.

    Still no confidence in this bullpen. It’s flip a coin with all of them, any of them. More offense, more often, please.

    Robbie Ray was pretty good again. Getting a glove on Plouffe’s liner was a game-changer, too bad it didn’t stand up that way.

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