2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015.32: Royals at Tigers

68 Comments

Tonight the Tigers look to bounce back after a lackluster loss in the rubber game of the three-game series against the division-leading Kansas City Royals.

That is if the weather permits–there is a 68% chance of rain predicted for game time. A rainout might not be the worst thing that ever happened: a perplexing and perhaps perplexed Shane Greene will have to keep the Royals under control since the Tigers are facing Chris “Cy” Young tonight.

How bad have the Tigers done against Young? Well the combined career average of tonight’s lineup against Young is .115 (that is not a typo, 7-for-61), with only Andrew Romine with more than 1 hit (2-for-4).

Cabrera is 5-for-16 against Young–in striking out. Not to mention it’s a night game, and Cabrera is for some reason putting up bizarrely bad numbers at night this season:

Miguel Cabrera Day:

76 PA .460 BA 1.381 OPS

Miguel Cabrera Night:

57 PA .167 BA .465 OPS

What’s the opposite of a vampire? We may have one in our midst.

* * * * * * * * * *

If you recall (well, even if you don’t, I suppose), I pointed out yesterday that Anthony Gose was the 3rd most valuable player on the team, ranked by WAR, which is incredible since he is only a platoon player. Today I thought to add the WAR of Gose and Davis to see how much our two-headed center fielder is worth, and he’s the most valuable player on the team with a WAR of 1.5 (Cabrera comes in 2nd with 1.4). Not only that, with a WAR of 1.5 our Gose-Davis guy would be 8th most valuable player in the league, although well behind Lorenzo Cain with his ridiculous 2.6 WAR. It’s a bit early in the season to care about stats like that, but still, the Gose-Davis combination has worked brilliantly so far.

* * * * * * * * * *

I’m currently wearing a Tigers t-shirt that was a gift from my mom. Happy Mother’s Day to her, and all the moms out there!

Today’s Win-One-For-Mom Lineup:

  1. Anthony Gose, CF
  2. Ian Kinsler, 2B
  3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
  4. Victor Martinez, DH
  5. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
  6. JD Martinez, RF
  7. Nick Castellanos, 3B
  8. James McCann, C
  9. Andrew Romine, SS

Iglesias due to return on Tuesday.

68 thoughts on “Game 2015.32: Royals at Tigers”

  1. Good stuff on Gose/Davis. Who knows how long it lasts, but Gose/Davis is what we always hoped AJax could be.

  3. Tigers will be on the next three ESPN Sunday night games. I will be at next Sunday’s game when I attend the three game series in St. Louis.

  4. Great outing Shane. We will need to get a new photo of you for the DTW.

    2. Hochevar was announced, and now has been replaced by Frasor–so they burnt Hochevar without a pitch. Yost -1.

  9. We have the heart of the order coming up. Heres what that means…..last 10 games
    Miggy 1 HR..4 rbi
    Victor 1 Hr…6 rbi
    Cespedes..0 HR…0 rbi
    JD……0 HR…0 rbi
    Casty…0 Hr…3 rbi

    Not that much heart there!!!!!!

  11. Hey, wait…if this delay lasts much longer they may finish the game after dawn, at which point Cabrera might get a hit (see above).

  18. Cespedes and Martinez 0 rbi in two frickin weeks. Then Casty!………we would have had a better chance having Davis steal third and home!!!!!…

    1. I can’t believe he didn’t challenge that. What do you have to lose. Man does he get outmanaged on the reg.

      1. Remember the Inge hit in the 163 game in the Twinkie Dome?

    1. Good call, I was thinking the same thing. We could have used Avila there with his standard ground ball to 2nd into the shift, the DP would have brought the tying run home.

  32. Players are gonna slump. Managers never should. Ausmus lost that game. I remember saying last year “well, he’s new, he’ll learn.”

    I wonder when.

    1. Brad was trying to play Royals Baseball, and failed. Davis should have been stealing 2nd, and then 3rd. Or, should have never come into the game.

  33. 7 runners in 2 innings and the Sluggos led by their great manager fail to attempt any way of winning…Assmus -7

  35. Ned Yost did nothing and out managed Brad!…Brad make one move by replacing Miggy and it was the dumbest baseball move he could have possibly made…..Davis could have batted for Perez…he didn’t need to run for Miggy if he wasn’t going to run…. Assmus will say..”.thats baseball”…bring back Smokey!

    1. And Miggy can actually run OK! He can’t steal, but he can run. Pinch-runners should be saved for Victor, who runs like he has wooden legs that were left out in the rain. Plus that would have left Rajai batting in Victor’s spot, and I’m OK with that.

  36. Asmus is so far over his head its amazing.
    No challenge on HBP!
    No one caught the balk!
    Takes out the best hitter on the planet!
    Puts in fastest guy on team to stand on the bases!
    Has 7 base runners in 2 innings and can’t figure out how to get one in!
    Best thing he could come up with us Hernan Perez with the bases loaded!
    Was hoping for a walk to win in the 9th!
    Was hoping for a walk to win in the 10th!

    He should have gone to managers school instead of some Ivy League school!!

    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw the balk! At least the TV crew were all over the phantom HBP. And it wasn’t even a Brandon Inge uniform HBP, it was a few inches away from the longest loose thread.

      As far as Rajai, it will be interesting to hear if anyone says anything. Maybe he had the green light and didn’t take it. I find that hard to believe though considering how jacked up he looked out there.

      1. Since they didn’t replay it it’s impossible to tell, but the only way that wasn’t a balk is if time was called before he tapped his foot.

  37. And it might be a subtle thing, but JD has passed the Slump Baton to Cespedes. JD had some good swings today, and took a good walk (as Jud pointed out, part of his slump was from swinging at pitches that no bat could reach). Cespedes though…well, hey, maybe he’ll win the Home Run Derby!

  39. From post game:

    McCann said the pitch hit the jersey. Ausmus looked at replay and it looked like the ball hit the jersey from some angles. If a look at a replay is inconclusive and the catcher indicates he thinks the call is right, you don’t challenge…unless it’s the 10th inning!! What are you saving it for?!

    Ausmus said on pinch-running for Cabrera: “It didn’t work out this time, but to me it’s a move you have to make at that point in the game.” Well, OK, if he had to. But who was making him? And hopefully they won’t be skulking around making him do similar things in the future.

    Rajai had green light at 1st but didn;t take it (why?). He had a stop sign at 2nd (why?).

  40. This is for Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi: suddenly that Shane Greene picture looks more appropriate, doesn’t it?

    In fact a selfie of me at the end of the game would have shown a very similar pose.

    1. Well said Coleman….you could also put in a selfie photo of me snoozing in the recliner during the 1 and 3/4 hour rain delay too. However some silver linings amongst the dark clouds including a good Greene performance. Also a hint that JD is going back to his JD ways and Lettuce Romine is a reliable ballplayer when you need his help.

      BTW, in the bio book on Billy Martin that I just read, when he became Oakland A’s manager he told the team that they would steal home 8 times in the upcoming season and that Ricky Henderson would get 100 steals. They accomplished both. Years later Henderson got a $1M bonus for a similar accomplishment but at the end of the season the A’s accounting dept showed they still had the $1M. It seems Ricky had framed the check and hung it on his apartment wall for all to see. I guess they didn’t have photocopiers back then!

      1. Ricky Henderson and Pete Rose were my two favorite non-Tigers. Ricky continued playing in the minor leagues until, what, 46? in un-affiliated A-level ball. And still stealing bases. I remember reading an article about him and some young punk reporter had said something like “do you ever think you’ll get back into baseball” and he said “what do you mean, this is baseball.”

        He did get a gig coaching runners for the A’s, and coached a young guy they had named Rajai Davis. I remember watching Raj on 2nd base last night in the 9th and thinking how much like Ricky Henderson he looked. Rajai knows how to get in pitchers’ heads. He had Frasor all messed up–even though, as we now know, he had the red light.

        1. Ricky stole 371 bases from the age of 35 on, which would put him in the top 100 all-time, if that’s all he had ever done.

          1. My brother was at the game on 01MAY91 in Oakland when Ricky “The Man of Steal” Henderson passed Lou Brock’s for the all time leader in stolen bases.

  41. And I’m still baffled by having Kinsler bunt with nobody out and 2 guys on–he’s our best hitter right now! Best case scenario he moves guys to 2nd and 3rd for Hernan “Strike Out Bait” Perez. Heck, I wouldn’t even have him bunt with Miguel on deck, because then they’d just walk him.

    1. Well, one more gripe and then I can go to bed. By having Kinsler bunt, you’re playing for the tie. And if we had tied, we’d go to the 11th with…Joba Chamberlain. Got to play to win there.

  42. I don’t want to make Jud’s head hurt, but Leyland would have managed this game better. OK, maybe not–he would have pulled Greene in the 7th and put in Chamberlain. But anyway, Jim needs to text Brad and explain the rule: Cabrera needs days off now and then, give him a few. If you put him in the lineup, never, ever, take him out for any reason other than injury. No pinch runners, no defensive replacements.

  43. long time tiger fan, tonight game against the ROYALS WAS A POOR EXCUSE FOR PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL.TELL THE PLAYER TO START EARNING THERE PAY.

  44. LAST COMMENT CUT OFF. START EARNING YOU PAY. I DON’T CARE HOW MANY MORE GAMES YOU HAVE TO PLAY. STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND PLAY SOME WORTH WHILE BALL.

  45. That was tough to watch. Asmus (or Assmus) if you prefer, has to get Lamont out of his ear, and take some risks. Way too many chances, and nothing good in the outcome.

  46. Well, there is a bright side to this debacle…Kevin is doing the next write-up!

  47. Texas in one game does what it takes the Tigers to do on a whole series against the Royals this year….score 8 …win a game….score on their pen……amazing!!!!!

  48. You win a few, lose a few, and others are rained out!

Comments are closed.