Last night’s ultimate slam was epic. I felt fortunate to be listening. But it only counts as one win. We gotta win this series.
For whatever reason the Tigers have had the A’s number over the past few years, and David Schoenfiled postulates that the Tigers may be in Oakland’s head. I wouldn’t take it that far, but it has been wonderful theater.
*****
Last night the ’84 team was honored (again). It’s still cool. Check out the fans roaring “Louuuuuuuuuu” one more time. Man I used to love that.
We should have a Trammell/Whitaker HoF discussion on here one day. I called into a local radio show when I was 14 and asked about them. They hosts said they were on the fence.
VMart is out again, hopefully this doesn’t last much longer.
1. Jackson, CF
2. Kinsler, 2B
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. Martinez, DH
5. Hunter, RF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Holaday, C
8. Suarez, SS
9. Davis, LF
Comments
38 responses to “Game 2014.80: Tigers 3, Athletics 0”
Jackson has had one great at bat this whole season…lets lead him off while he is hot!!!
Victor K’s about 80 a year in recent years. He has K’ed 40 times this year already and we are not close to half way…
I think you must mean J-Mart. His K rate will probably fall between 25-30% or so (a tick above 25 now), given career numbers, which is normal for an average type power hitter. If Gameday can be believed, he got screwed on that called strike. And I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this is game no. 80.
In fact Victor and Miggy have K’ed 93 times so far which seems like alot!
Victor has K’s 23 times, walked 32.
By the way, Flowers+Dunn, CWS = 179 and neither of them plays every day. Tack on Abreu’s 71 (and he was on the DL) and you have a lot of air movement being generated in Chitown. Guess that is why they call it The Windy City.
I like what you did there… I heard ( or read) the real reason they call it that was due to political speechifying, not the weather off the lake
Porcello with 10 GB outs in 4 innings already.
Miggy has got the wheels going on the base paths this year. I wish his home run swing would come back.
JD……Where would we be without you!!!! Atta boy!
Rick Porcello…Ace of the staff? Wish they would have extended him before this season.
He is dealing today. Though I don’t think I would have been in favor of an extension before the season.
Maybe the only difference between Oakland and Detroit is something simple. I mean if you can’t beat JV or Porcello…you aren’t going to win a 5 or 7 game series!!!
Something tells me the Jackson hitting leadoff idea isn’t working.
Hey Brad…your leadoff hitter experiment has gone 0-8 and created 10 outs….I know you will say” AJ is doing great”….@ Disneyland maybe!
If Ricky doesn’t make the All Star team it will be an absolute travesty!!!
Three more GB outs. That’s 16 now.
Quick, who was the last Tiger pitcher to pitch 2 consecutive complete game shutouts?
MOrris
Ricky is dialed in!! I agree; the kid should be an All Star! Neither JV nor Mad Max have tossed back to back CG SOs.
Porcello was outstanding…again!! In light of what the A’s have done offensively this year, its even more impressive.
I hope JV was taking notes of Porcello’s last two outings – 0 K’s 0 BB’s, located his pitches, stayed ahead of hitters (lot of 1st pitch strikes) and keep hitter off balance. It’s not how hard you throw the pitch…
BTW – Holaday called a great game (though he looked pretty bad hitting) – I didn’t see Porcello shake off many pitches
Well done Little Ricky! Best pitched game of the season. BTW, Dan and Jim said last night’s super slam ending was only the 11th time in AL history since 1920.
JD Martinez continues to amaze. If you were to combine his Toledo (AAA) numbers with his DET numbers:
210 ABs – 20 HR’s – 56 RBI – OPS over 1.000 — not bad for a guy drawing a league minimum salary, initially signed to a minor league contract
we’ve all seen rookies or young guys offensive number implode in the 2nd half, but DET will be a much better team if JMart can continue something close to what he’s done thus far.
He made some adjustments in his hitting approach during the off-season. I guess!
Dave Bergman mentioned this link at last night’s game. It is his projection for the 2014 season…a good read: http://sigmainvestments.com/wp-content/themes/sigma/pdf/2014/March%20SigSumm%202014.pdf
Torii made a nice catch in right tonight. Has anybody else noticed that after Torii’s extended time off that he has been playing a much better outfield? Maybe as a part-time player he will actually have more to offer.
i agree, in the later innings Hunter also cut off a ball headed for a double, pivoted threw to 2nd and held the guy to a single.
Capt Smarty announced Jackson will remain in the leadoff spot. Despite batting 9 times and making 11
Outs. DESPITE being 0-18….hey Brad ….nevermind!!!
In the first half of the 2014 season Rick Porcello
Just added a few Million, to his value, to the Organization
I know i have mentioned a couple bazillion times my fondness for AAA ball, but just one more example… A LHP reliever named Kevin Chapman was pitching for OKC till yesterday. When I was in Tacoma two weekends ago, we got to talking during bp and during the games. We bonded in a way lefties do, talking mechanics, life in general, and he tossed me a couple of pearls to take home to the grandsons. Tonight he was up in Houston, the M’s knocked him around a little bit, but it was still fun to see.
Speaking of the ‘suddenly looking like an exciting team’ Astros, who just dominated DET (except for one pitch to Kinsler) throughout the weekend series… so DET limps back to Detroit (to win two games against the best [so far] team in AL) and SEA comes to HOU and totally dominates HOU 23-6 in two games… go figure. Funny game.
BTW – SEA is suddenly looking like a playoff team… so I guess the proverbial tip-of-the-cap is in order for Lord McClendon
ESPN national broadcast Sunday night – battle of the aces: (if he doesn’t get traded before then) Price – TAM vs. Porcello – DET
They wouldn’t dare trade Porcello the way he has been pitching lately.
Porcello finished the game without a strikeout or walk, which makes him the first pitcher to do that since 1989, which I learned doing the game. The amazing part of that, which I learned this morning: he only went to a ball 3 count on 2 batters, and only had 2 swings and misses all night.
twas an amazing outing for Porcello, one that reminded me of the following quote from Sandy Koufax: “I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.”
OAK pitching RHP Jesse Chavez (good pitcher)
1. CF Austin Jackson
2. 2B Ian Kinsler
3. 1B Miguel Cabrera
4. RF J.D. Martinez
5. DH Torii Hunter
6. 3B Nick Castellanos
7. C Alex Avila
8. SS Andrew Romine
9. LF Rajai Davis
Jackson still leading off…
Jackson’s perfect .000 OPS batting leadoff is at stake.
Can’t wait to hear JV and Smarty talk on how good JV stuff is today…Oakland sure likes it!