Unlike the previous game, last night’s game was not a story of blown chances; it was a game of no chances. The pitcher previously known as Justin Verlander (currently known as Worst Contract In Baseball) had a sub-Kyle outing, and the Tiger bats took the day off to golf.

Tonight the Tigers still have a chance to take the series, with Max “Hoping To Get the Worst Contract in Baseball” Scherzer on the mound against Trevor “Hope the Bats Don’t Wake Up or I’m Toast” Bauer.

Maybe it’s too early to peg this as a “let’s see what they’re made of” game, but…let’s see. And what’s with the Cleveland fans? They are still in a pennant race, and less than 10K last night?

Tyler Collins gets a rookie start tonight, and Hernan joins him at short.

Tonight’s Collins-All-Cars Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Collins, RF
3. Cabrera, DH
4. V Martinez, 1B
5. JD Martinez, LF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Holaday, C
8. Perez, SS
9. Davis, CF

Got to go with JD Martinez for the post picture today. The Verlander picture search was turning up some odd stuff, plus Martinez is the man of the hour right now. His rocket into the centerfield forest not only won the game, but it completely turned around what was looking like a real candidate for “this is when the season was lost,” a game with more consecutive failed Runner at 3rd with Less Than Two Out situations than any this season.

JD is an interesting character. He started out like gangbusters, went a bit cold, and then, just when everyone started muttering “Chris Shelton” and “Brennan Bosch,” started coming back at just the right time.

Martinez does swing at everything: during the Monday telecast they pointed out that his 56% swing at rate is the highest in MLB. And as frustrating as it is to watch him flailing at the outside sliders and chin high fastballs, he obviously hits a lot of them. This hasn’t always been the case: his Strikes Looking percentage has plummeted to 16.8% this season, after averaging about 25% in Houston. The aggressive approach has served him well.

And here’s another thing to like: after the game, Martinez had this to say. “I’ve never been on a team that had a chance to go to the playoffs (in pro ball), and I’m more excited about that than anything. I want to make the playoffs so bad.” How can you not like hearing that?

Just for fun, here is the rundown on blown opportunities:

• 2nd inning. Bases loaded, 0 out: Suarez struck out swinging. Davis struck out swinging. Kinsler grounded out to 3rd.
• 4th inning. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out: Kinsler struck out swinging, Hunter struck out swinging.
• 5th inning . Runners on 1st and 4rd, 0 out: J Martinez struck out looking, Castellanos struck out looking, Avila struck out looking.
• 6th inning. Runners on 1st and 3rd, 1 out: Hunter ground into double play.

That’s 5 strikeouts with a runner on 3rd, less than 2 out, and 1 double play. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this game could have easily ended up as the blown opportunity of the season.

To put that in perspective, as of the end of the 8th they had managed 1 run on 14 hits, which, if it had held, would have been the 14th time a team had only scored 1 run with that many hits since the invention of baseball statistics.

Special tip of the cap to The Lobster, who for the 2nd time pitched well enough to win, but got his W vampired by Phil Coke.

Tonight Justin Verlander takes the mound, and hopefully will bear down and show his stuff.

Alex Avila is out with a concussion, or concussion-like symptoms, or something (no official word). No need for DL with a 3rd catcher on staff.

Today’s One-More-Takes-The-Series Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Hunter, RF
3. Cabrera, DH
4. V Martinez, 1B
5. J Martinez, LF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Suarez, SS
8. Holaday, C
9. Davis, CF

Brad Ausmus is, no doubt, good at some things. Others, not so much. One of those others is nicknames: he referred to today’s starting pitcher as “The Lobber.” OK, I’m sorry, very bad nickname for a pitcher. I’m going with “Lobster.” You know I’m right.

At any rate, if the Tigers hit like they did last night, it won’t matter much who is pitching. If they don’t, it probably won’t matter much who is pitching.  Anyway, K-Lob is a pitch-to-contact type, and has Bozo’s Big Top behind him in the field (statistically speaking). So we’ll see.

Tonight’s Cabrera World Domination Tour Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Hunter, RF
3. Cabrera, DH
4. V Martinez, 1B
5. JD Martinez, LF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Avila, C
8. Suarez, SS
9. Davis, CF

Look for a healthy dose of bench substitutions tonight. Just a feeling.

Well here we go, it’s September Baseball, we’ve got the useful or not-so-useful bits up from Toledo, got the guys all inspired (or not so much?) after a talking to by Mr. Ausmus, and we’ve got a whole lot of AL Central between here and October.

Cleveland has been the hot team in the Central of late, slowing down the previously hot Royals–almost, kind of, sweeping them (1/2 inning to go), and pulling to within 3.5 games of the division lead. Didn’t we see this movie last year?

David Price takes the reins this afternoon. We all remember what he did last time out, but also what he did the time before that. He’ll have his work cut out against Cy Kluber.

Despite speculation to the contrary, Cabrera is in the lineup–“resting” at DH. (Insert standard complaint).

Just to summarize the call-ups:

• James McCann C
• Steven Moya (L) RF
• Tyler Collins (L) LF
• Hernan Perez SS
• Kyle Lobstein (L) P
• Kyle Ryan (L) P
• Robby Ray (L) P

Ausmus announced that Lobstein is the 5th starter right now, and will start tomorrow’s game.

Today’s Laboring Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Hunter, RF
3. Cabrera, DH
4. V Martinez, 1B
5. JD Martinez, LF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Avila, C
8. Suarez, SS
9. Carrera, CF