Game 2014.132: Yankees at Tigers

Derek Jeter – I’ve enjoyed watching you play for the past twenty years. Best of luck with whatever is next.

Drew Smyly has allowed fewer runs in 5 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays than David Price allowed last night in the 3rd inning.

In no way would I go back and unwind that deal. I loved it then and I love it now. But baseball is a funny game, and there are a lot of intangibles which we can’t see nor measure. For the better part of the last four years, we all took those intangibles for granted, and many of us, including me, even suggested that other teams had better intangibles than us. I blamed the manager. Though it sure did seem that things tended to fall the right way for the Tigers more often than not.

Not I’m starting to rethink whether we were missing much at all.

This team is missing something. Perhaps JV isn’t the same in the clubhouse, or Miggy’s injury means he can’t laugh as much, or the bullpen is on pins and needles and that’s hurting things. But this team hasn’t been right in a month, and I’m not sure how we get there.

Winning is contagious, Royals are showing us that. Is mediocrity the same?

There’s still time, the Royals can’t play .800 ball the rest of the way out. But they’re likely going to play better than .500 ball. Can we be 3 games better than whatever that number is?

Kyle Lobstein makes his first career start this afternoon. I’ll be tuned in all game. Let’s go Tigers.

#DoItForTheRotation

1. Rajai Davis, CF
2. Ian Kinsler, 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. Victor Martinez, DH
5. J.D. Martinez, RF
6. Nick Castellanos, 3B
7. Don Kelly, LF
8. Alex Avila, C
9. Andrew Romine, SS

Comments

54 responses to “Game 2014.132: Yankees at Tigers”

  1. jud Avatar
    jud

    Your this team is missing something paragraph was right on…..what that paragraph indicates to me is that the Tigers have the wrong captain steering the ship! This is a team going nowhere. .500 doesn’t do it…theres no plan…theres no direction..whose in charge?..whose leading?…whose calling the shots???…whose taking responsibility for this failing season?..injuries hapoen to evety team .KC loses Hosmer and shoots to first place…NY loses most of their rotation and will catch the Tigers soon.. This team finishes 85-77 or worse and alot of people starting with Asmus have to go.

    1. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
      Kevin in Dallas

      I too fear that. 7/9 of a season doesn’t seem like long enough to make a final determination, but we’ll know here in 30 games.

    2. StorminNorman$ Avatar

      if DET “finishes 85-77 or worse”, in light of the relatively weak remaining schedule, that should be viewed as disastrous, and questions on Ausmus’ leadership should/would be in order.

      1. StorminNorman$ Avatar

        i say DET closes out the regular season 18-13 and finishes 89-73 (but hopefully slightly better)… because KC likely ends up with at least 90 wins

        as for the wild card, SEA has a tough remaining schedule and NYY’s is much more difficult than DET’s…so the WC is do-able

        1. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
          Kevin in Dallas

          Porcello vs. Samardzija?

          1. Smoking Loon Avatar
            Smoking Loon

            KC with 90 wins? I’m doubting it.

            Detroit has beaten Kansas City 9 of 13 and outscored them 72-48. Maybe they’re better now… and maybe they won’t be by the time the Tigers face ’em again. I don’t think the Royals are suddenly the A’s or Angels.

            1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
              StorminNorman$

              You are correct Sir! KC is not LAA or OAK; and I hope you’re also right that they won’t win 90.

              …but math seems to compute; when considering their 74-59 current record and of their remaining schedule 29 games, 20 games against TEX, BOS, CWS & CLE – teams w/ an avg. winning % of .448, (the other 9 = 6 vs DET, and 3 vs NYY), I can see them going at least 16-13 against that schedule, and getting to 90.

              Captain Obvious feels the 6 DET-KC head-to-head games will be critical…and I tend to agree.

  2. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
    Kevin in Dallas

    Nice, efficient 1st inning for Lobstein. Couldn’t have gone much better.

  3. jud Avatar
    jud

    Tigs know they have to step it up for the kid today..they never handle that pressure well..0-1-2 runs today!

  4. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
    Kevin in Dallas

    Lead-off walk. Let’s see how the kid reacts.

    1. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
      Kevin in Dallas

      Nicely done.

  5. StorminNorman$ Avatar

    surprising stat: Avila has a better OBP than Kinsler (.324 to .313)

    1. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
      Kevin in Dallas

      That’s unbelievable. You can see why the Rangers fans were so excited to get Fielder.

  6. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    Avila with a sac fly? Now that’s a good omen!

  7. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    And now The Clown rears its ugly head.

  8. jud Avatar
    jud

    Do the Tigers have a hitting coach???…does he watch Kinsler bat???

  9. jud Avatar
    jud

    Everyone in America knew Avila would K there..why not try a bunt.. theres nothing to lose he is going to K…

    1. Coleman Avatar
      Coleman

      And everyone knew Kinsler would pop up there.

  10. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
    Kevin in Dallas

    Price was the first pitcher to give up 9 consecutive hits in 25 years. I wasn’t watching, how many of those could have been fielded?

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      I watched about 3 of the 9 hits, and there were some bleeders

      also “could have been fielded” is a very subjective term especially when considering the ‘range’ (or lack thereof) of a few DET infielders

      1. jud Avatar
        jud

        I thought Suarez should have gotten to two ground balls, and he never got close???. A routine fly ball to Martinez in medium left field…no throw home…no throw to third with Gardner tagging who went to third???? Cadsy never covered third on another…just our regular clown show stuff!

      2. jud Avatar
        jud

        Why is Miggy playing???. Don Kelly can give you more effort than Miggy has this entire week. And especially that at bat!!!

    2. TIGERS RULE Avatar
      TIGERS RULE

      ….. starting with the first one by a gimpy Miggy. That would have changed the whole complexion of that inning.

      1. Smoking Loon Avatar
        Smoking Loon

        Kevin – there were some defensive shortcomings, but Price’s pitching was every bit as hittable as the results indicate. It’s not like he was hanging ’em. More like he was consistently just off his spots with unusually lifeless pitches.

  11. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    Does The Lobster come back out for the 7th?

  12. jud Avatar
    jud

    Hey Lobstein great job today…the Tigers would have gotten you a win but you gave up a run or two and for them to get you 3 is asking a bit much!

  13. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    pitching-wise – thus far this game has been a pleasant surprise (go figure: veteran LHP Price gives up 9 hits in a row, 8 runs (in one inning!), then the next day a rookie LHP in his first start holds the same NYY lineup to 1 ER and 4 hits thru 6… strange game indeed.

    offensively, I pretty much expected Kuroda would hold down DET hitters

    …didn’t think DET would even be in a position to win this game in the 8th or 9th – so why don’t they just go ahead and do that (win)?!

  14. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    Cabrera’s got nothing right now, maybe he needs time off, as sad as that would make the lineup look.

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      in about a month he might be getting 6 months off 😉

  15. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    Cabrera looks like 2/3 the hitter he used to be…can’t catch up w/good fastballs, chases bad pitches, bad AB’s

    …that K in the 8th looked bad

  16. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    can’t agree w/replacing chambermaid w/coke to face beltran (switch)

  17. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    I’m pretty confident the secret to winning this game comes down to this simple premise: No Nathan

  18. Angus Avatar
    Angus

    Wow, we escaped that one. Let’s win this with a walkoff.

  19. jud Avatar
    jud

    Coke….atta boy!

  20. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    is Holaday that much faster than VMart…and if you go into extra’s don’t you think you might need your best hitter?

    …or is it win in the 9th or bust?

  21. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    Ausmus must be thinking, why even bother to bunt Castellanos…as it probably will end badly…let him swing away and run into one

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      he just swung at ball 4

    2. jud Avatar
      jud

      Casty is no bunter..but he has hit that groundball to the right side…when he swings. Ok to not bunt there…The Tigs are so bad at it anyway!

  22. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    holy sh*t

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      Avila!!!

  23. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    Avila?!! Are you kidding me?!

  24. Angus Avatar
    Angus

    We sure do not play much small ball for a team that was supposed to this year. Reminds me a lot of Ole Smokey.

  25. jud Avatar
    jud

    Are you kiiiidddiiinnng….me!!!!…OUR BOY Alex!!!!

  26. Angus Avatar
    Angus

    Avila picks up his manager.

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      He looks pretty light. I could pick him up.

  27. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    big win!

    now NYY have to sweep their series w/KC to stay in the WC hunt

  28. jud Avatar
    jud

    This was an Old Smokey all the way…the old three run dinger!!!…even if it was a single!..

  29. jud Avatar
    jud

    As a side note..The Tigers could learn so much from Victors approach to hitting……..they just don’t!

  30. Jim EggersUSMC Avatar
    Jim EggersUSMC

    Had to get some work done, so DVR in effect watched the playback, saw AA coming up: 2 on, 2 out bottom 9, said to no one in particular: Extras!, and surprise, surprise! Totally ran into one!!!

  31. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    Kelley flung his glove to the ground as soon as Avila connected.
    “That’s about as bad as I’ve felt walking off a mound in my career,” Kelley said. “I got myself in a hole, but then I got the two outs I needed, and I had a chance to keep the team alive. But I hung a slider, and Alex Avila can hit that pitch. Most guys can hit that pitch.”

    …Tiger fans can find some humor in those last two sentences

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      I’ve always been a strong supporter of Avila. I can’t be responsible for what other people have said writing under my name.

  32. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    Was Lobstein more lucky than good? I’ll take either or both, of course.

  33. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
    Kevin in Dallas

    Minnesota with 6 in the top of the 10th. Hopefully that’s enough to hold off the Royals.

    Did anyone watch Texas A&M destroy South Carolina tonight? Wow.

    Also, I forgot to ask TIGERS RULE how his “night out” was last night.

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      A&M was very impressive…or SC was over-rated… tough to tell this early