After what looked like a breakout game, the Tigers last night struggled offensively again, as former-Wolverine Rich Hill baffled them with curve after slow curve. Cabrera and Victor Martinez seemed to adjust to it and hit some very hard shots in later at bats, but the rest of the time was left flailing or standing there like the house by the side of the road. The good news, as the Tiger announcers pointed out, is that there is nobody else they are going to face this season who throws so many curveballs.
Manager Brad Ausmus did decide to shake up the lineup a little, focusing on that #2 spot, where Justin Upton has been strikeout-prone. JD Martinez says that he has never hit 2nd before, so this may feel a bit odd for him.
In other news, Francisco Rodriguez is back, and Finger Collins is back to Toledo
Today’s Lineup:
- Kinsler, 2B
- JD Martinez, LF
- Cabrera, 1B
- V Martinez, DH
- Upton, LF
- Castellanos, 3B
- Iglesias, SS
- Wilson, C
- Gose, CF
- Iglesias, SS
Upton and JD swap places; Saltalamacchia gets what is probably a well-needed rest in place of Bobby Wilson. (McCann is due back soon).
Verlander takes on Sonny Gray on the pitching side of things.
Ty “fingers” Collins is back in Toledo and F-Rod our closer is back. Since we’re up against Sonny Gray tonight, I’d be very, very happy if F-Rod had to pitch the 9th tonight.
Fingers! That cracks me up! When my wife left her news anchor gig 16 years ago, about a week later she comes home with a big grin on her face, “some jerk cut me off so I flipped him off, because I can now!”
funny story Jim!
… and now that Collins is back in Toledo, he may be feeling that same ‘finger freedom’… that won’t get the airplay he did in DET
Gray will be tough to hit; let’s hope JV is also. Although Gray’s BB’s are up this year, that doesn’t necessarily bode well for the free-swinging Tiger hitters. I’m seeing a 3-2 final…but not sure who’s going to have the ‘3’.
I’m impressed with the plate discipline we’ve shown so far.
JD batting 2nd works for me!
I think he likes it! Got to give Brad a thumbs up for trying it.
I wonder what The Strategy Expert has to say about this move….
I can really empathize with Oakland fans right now. Superstar starter struggling with a high pitch count…
We don’t have to empathize since we experience it much too often. Right now it looks like JV wants to do the same.
how about that 5 runs on just 3 hits?!… go figure. I’ll take it!
what a difference 5 years and 5 mph makes; hitters against JV fastballs: 2011 = .362 SLG% vs 2016 = .653 SLG%. In ’11 he’d top out at 101 mph, in ’16 96 mph. Let’s hope he continues the evolution from a thrower to a pitcher
Great stuff StorminNorman$
Those numbers are not encouraging. But what I expected.
For the record: I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to see F-Rod in the 9th.
Liam Hendricks comes in for OAK, throws 11 pitches, 11 strikes – 1 hit, 3 K’s… a good approach for a reliever entering the game in the 5th inning trailing 5-1
actually i’d rather see FRod w/a 7 run lead in the 9th rather than a 1 or 2 run lead.
if Mr Ausmus “needs” to name a “closer”, it should be Wilson
It occurs to me he probably needs some work after his absence and if JV gets past this inning we may see him.
Perhaps the fans should try the Gil Hodges solution to pull J-Up out of his slump.
Maybe J-Up should keep sliding down the order to the 8th spot.
I give VerHagen a pass on the “triple”, but wonder why he was brought in.
I wonder if Sanchez will be playing throw and duck tomorrow?
a “W”!! back to .500…and back on the road… to Twinkie town, then CLE – good time to start piling up ALC wins
correction: 1 more game w/OAK (on MLB network – tomorrow noon CST – Dirty Sanchez v Bassitt) before traveling to Twinkieland
Positives: 1-4 have 6 runs and 7 RBI..
Pen solid with one hiccup…
JZ strong 6…
A win is a win…
Non positives:. My Cybernetics thinks like this. Upton has 4 RBI for the year and at the end of the year he should have 80. So therefore I sould bat him 5 so he can start collecting those RBI….raise your hand if you would have batted JUp 5 today… Brad put your hand down!
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/04/27/detroit-tigers-michael-fullmer-top-prospect-call-up/83631906/
Greene likely heading to DL, and Fulmer called up to make Friday MIN start – need to find some solutions for SP issues, hopefully Fulmer becomes a part of the solution rather than…
Luckily there are some decent options now at SP. The past two years its been anyone who can walk and breathe. The group at Toledo is fairly solid. One of the things DD did before getting fired!
We need this one tomorrow!