Game 2017.78: Royals at Tigers

“Daniel Norris fades in and out, like AM radio on a cross-country trip.” (Lynn Henning)

Today we get Fulmer, and a day game.

Today’s Lineup:

  1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
  2. Alex Avila, C
  3. Justin Upton, LF
  4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
  5. JD Martinez, RF
  6. Victor Martinez, DH
  7. Nick Castellanos, 3B
  8. Mikie Mahtook, CF
  9. Andrew Romine, SS

Pitching: Michael Fulmer vs Jake Junis

16 thoughts on “Game 2017.78: Royals at Tigers”

  1. Good series win against a
    Must beat team.. JUp staying hot….sure. glad Victor back. Strand 5 And GIDP…. He’s an Albatross in a game of sleek fighter planes…BRAD will whine about rust… But he has been rusty all year!

  2. Fullmer is smart… Don’t let them score at all to get a win… Great outing.. He unlike JD and Norris and Zim, is not a nibble!! He just comes right at you, like JV used to do…… Ok bring on those Indians!!!!

  3. I got in in the top of the 7th, Fulmer shutout and 60+ pitch count! Unbelievable. Great start to home stand. Now we must hand wring through Sanchez and Boyd against a recovering Indians team.

  4. I don’t really want to see Verlander and Cabrera traded, ever, and I’m not interested in a fire sale, but if Detroit wanted to take it to the limit, not next offseason but next month:

    Trade Verlander to the Orioles
    Trade Cabrera to the Yankees
    Trade JD and Kinsler to the Dodgers
    Trade Upton to the Cubs
    Trade V-Mart to the Astros for Carlos Beltran
    Bad contract swap Zimmermann to the Yankees for Jacoby Ellsbury
    Trade Castellanos to the Red Sox

    There’s a clean slate.

    1. Loon, if the return (talent) packages were great, i would not veto any of those deals, though i think based on this year’s performance (and age), Cabrera and VMart and Zimmerman are untradeable

      i’ve always like Ellsbury, though injuries are typically his bugaboo

      can you imagine how many HR’s a healthy Cabrera could hit in Yankee stadium a/o @ Fenway?

      i still believe that JD is the only definite that will be traded, but may either Greene or JWilson…and possibly Iglesias

    2. Quite a dream you have, Miggy and JV should be extremely safe. J-Up is already playing for free agency (opt-out). JD should certainly be traded by the end of July or we will lose him for a draft choice at the end of the year. We can not afford him. V-mart will end his career here. Zimm’s contract and record will probably keep him here. Casty’s glove and .240 average will keep him here. Kinsler may be safe because of his age, but he will bring more than his bat and glove to any team he might go to.

      1. Oh, I forgot to add the safest of all is probably Brad since I don’t think Jim Leyland can be talked into being interim manager the rest of the year. My condolences to Jud.

        1. Thanks for the feedback (Jud below as well) on my extreme scenario, guys. It’s my best effort at something that could be rationally defended, if not actually advocated or called “quite possible” (hardly). The other teams mentioned were carefully considered.

          A survey of Cubs fans (one guy) has revealed that the Cubs probably wouldn’t be interested in Justin Upton. I still think they would be. If one supposes that the Tigers are not going to contend this year and playing for a NOW contender is a factor in Upton’s option decision, *and* the Cubs aren’t one of the teams in his no trade thing (I have no idea), he could be in Chicago next season. Upton is quite good, just overpaid. I don’t know if you could say I *want* him to be gone so much as I think he *should* be gone.

          1. Tony is right, Verlander and Cabrera are safe. The only Detroit pitcher the Orioles would be asking about is Fulmer. The Yankees could afford Cabrera and it might even do them good in the long run, but it’s really hard to see an alignment of interests there between the teams that would make a trade a trade.

            Zimmermann’s contract is so bad it makes Ellsbury’s contract look good. V-Mart for Beltran is fine for shedding 2018 salary but only seems plausible as a peripheral part of an extreme sell-off. The Dodgers are perhaps not so much in the market for JD, more for Kinsler (who I just threw in there to sweeten the deal and the return).

            With the weird and wild dispensed with: The Rockies could really use J.D. Martinez. The Cubs could certainly use Justin Upton. Boston would totally trade for Castellanos (Robby Scott+ ?). Unfortunately, Detroit has no one on hand to even sort of replace these guys. The return would have to be amazing. If we agree that JD is the most likely or even the only trade chip, what kind of amazing return do the Rockies or someone else offer for half a season of him? Is it really worth it, the cost to the rest of the season? I really don’t think it is.

            I don’t have any magical trade ideas. The Tigers have no surplus of anything besides expensive, underperforming veterans. Which leads to thoughts of crazy fire sales…

  5. Loon, I wouldn’t veto any of those trades either. Lotta good stuff there…. Something has to be done.

  6. Fulmer was phenomenal yesterday…He was so good…All Star good…It is amazing that if you don’t locate like he wasn’t at the end…a hitter will make you pay…He is a great competitor…Loved how ticked he looked at not getting the complete game and shutout…He was a young JV for sure. His velo is getting up there in that over 95 mph to 98 range. Love his take it right to you attitude.
    Just want to see some good ball.

      1. Absolutely. Different temperament, though, obviously. I sure didn’t like the trade of Yoenis Cespedes and said as much, but there you go, and here we are. Cool.

  7. WAR ranking vs. entire MLB…

    Catcher= #1
    1b = #19
    2nd = #10
    3rd =#22
    SS = #24
    LF =#8
    CF = #29
    RF = 10
    DH = #13
    Bull pen = #30 dead last

    Starting pitching = #11th (Fulmer 5th best)
    Have some gapping holes and some underachievers for sure…

    1. Oh, be nice and limit it to the American League. National League WAR is Confederate money, anyway.

  8. Remember with the DH …there are only 15…and we are #13. yikes…

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