Game 2014.157: White Sox at Tigers

Apologies to Torii Hunter, but last night looked like Septaugust baseball.

Kyle Lobstein continues to be a very promising rookie: he made one mistake, but rebounded with composure and pitched 7 strong innings, after which Joba Chamberlain pitched a good 8th, and Soria came on looking like a closer in the 9th. Unfortunately, rookie Chris “Cy” Bassitt hounded the Tiger bats into submission, and Detroit failed to put up even a single run against him or the 2nd worst bullpen in the league. (The Twin pitching staff and bullpen are even worse, but we saw what Ricky Nolasco was able to do to the Tigers last week).

So far The Lobster has started 5 games, with a 3.38 ERA, and a 1.154 WHIP, which puts him here:

  1. 1.096 Anibal Sanchez
  2. 1.154 Kyle Lobstein
  3. 1.166 Max Scherzer
  4. 1.209 Rick Porcello
  5. 1.216 David Price (as a Tiger)
  6. 1.348 Drew Smyly (as a Tiger)
  7. 1.419 Justin Verlander

Speaking of Price, there is some concern that he will get bombed again tonight. Here is what happened his last 6 starts:

8/21  0 earned runs

8/27  8 earned runs

9/01  1 earned run

9/06  5 earned runs

9/12  1 earned run

9/17  5 earned runs

You see where I’m going with this. It’s Jekyll time, we should have a good start to look forward to.

Comments

90 responses to “Game 2014.157: White Sox at Tigers”

  1. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
    Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

    Thanks for the good write up Coleman. If we follow your above ERA data it trends for Price to give up 0.67 runs tonight (an every other game thing). Perhaps more important, can the Tigers bats provide him with at least one run tonight? JD has proved he can hit Carroll so I am putting the onus on him. Meanwhile my pick to shine is Mr. Sep-tober Hunter!

    1. Coleman Avatar
      Coleman

      It doesn’t really make any sense. But as I learned many years ago when I followed horse racing, when you notice a pattern, you are a fool to just ignore it.

    2. Coleman Avatar
      Coleman

      Also, Price could give up 0 or 1 run, but there’s still the bullpen.

      1. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
        Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

        There are three types of ways to determine probability; classical, empirical, and subjective approaches. Baseball, and most on this website, deal mainly with empirical evidence to infer what will happen in the future. Leyland earned his spurs when he subjectively went out on a limb to put somebody in the line on a warm and fuzzy.

        1. Coleman Avatar
          Coleman

          So…we’re missing the classical? I think that’s it. We need more oboe!

          1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
            StorminNorman$

            …more oboe? …i’m going to say no, but more cowbell, yes!

            1. Coleman Avatar
              Coleman

              Oboe is vastly underrated. But oboe + cowbell? Yeah, that’s a win.

              1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
                StorminNorman$

                https://screen.yahoo.com/more-cowbell-174128899.html – an SNL classic – especially w/Walken’s not so subtle reading of the cue cards

              2. Vince in MN Avatar
                Vince in MN

                Don’t the Angels have an outfielder by the name of Cowbell?

              3. StorminNorman$ Avatar
                StorminNorman$

                Cowgill actually – LAA

        2. Coleman Avatar
          Coleman

          Probability works best over large sample sizes. Leyland was actually pretty good at doing the “”yeah, but” thing with his substitutions, especially in 2006. Maybe it was random luck, but until the World Series he was always putting the right guy in the right place at the right time.

          1. Smoking Loon Avatar
            Smoking Loon

            Big fan of the oboe.

            I could be wrong, but it seems to me that John Bonham completely eschewed the cowbell. Odd. Name a Zeppelin song with cowbell. Maybe I’m forgetting something.

            It’s funny that the song in the SNL bit that made “More cowbell” famous is an example of outstandingly lame and needless use of a cowbell. But of course that was probably the point.

            It’s too bad Corey Knebel is gone. He would have come in handy for “More Knebel!” Kinda close…

            1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
              StorminNorman$

              Loon…for the record, “Moby Dick” off Zeppelin II = cowbell

              1. Smoking Loon Avatar
                Smoking Loon

                Ah, that’s right. I was thinking about various rock song cowbell parts (favorite is “We’re An American Band”) and how those simple quarter-notes can add so much to a heavy drum part… started thinking Bonham = heavy drum part, and was surprised to draw a blank on a Led Zep cowbell tune. I stand corrected. There might even be more. I have it all, I should know, but I don’t listen as much as I used to. Memory fails me.

              2. Coleman Avatar
                Coleman

                Ever seen a video of the live version where he tosses the sticks and plays half the solo with his bare hands?

              3. StorminNorman$ Avatar
                StorminNorman$

                I’ve seen that video – hence the nickname “Bonzo”.

                Coincidentally 34 years ago today, Bonham plowed through over a quart of vodka (and whatever else), went to bed and never woke up again. I was planning on going to see them at the Joe (DET) at the end of Oct ’80 – in a US “In through the out door” tour, that never happened.

              4. Coleman Avatar
                Coleman

                Ah, I didn’t realize this was the anniversary, just one of those coincidences. Your story reminds me that I had tickets to see Joy Division in Detroit in 1980; obviously they never made it. And of course I exchanged my ticket, which would be a collector’s item now.

              5. StorminNorman$ Avatar
                StorminNorman$

                Coleman: the movie “24 hour party people” is a comedy that touches on the beginnings of Joy Division and what evolved (New Order) – good flick starring Steve Coogan…

  2. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    speaking of dbags
    http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/examining-jonathan-papelbon-quandary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
    “The Phillies shopped Papelbon to the Tigers but Detroit wasn’t interested due to concerns that Papelbon wouldn’t be a fit in the team’s clubhouse.”

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      Maybe the clubhouse is really small.

  3. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    2nite’s lineup – against RHP Scott “cy” Carroll 5.10 ERA 5-10 record
    1. 2B Ian Kinsler
    2. RF Torii Hunter
    3. 1B Miguel Cabrera
    4. DH Victor Martinez
    5. LF J.D. Martinez
    6. 3B Nick Castellanos
    7. C Alex Avila
    8. SS Eugenio Suarez
    9. CF Rajai Davis

    I guess since Carroll is a RHP is why Avila’s back in the lineup

    1. Coleman Avatar
      Coleman

      No, it’s because Avila’s moping about his lack of sombrero.

      1. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
        Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

        Give him a cowbell!

        1. Coleman Avatar
          Coleman

          Actually, he’s a bit of a human cowbell.

  4. Kevin at another wedding Avatar
    Kevin at another wedding

    Great discussion gents, good start. Let’s go Tigers!

  5. jud Avatar
    jud

    How bad are things when your best hope is you #1 competition losing because you can’t beat the worst two teams in your division???

  6. Coleman Avatar
    Coleman

    I thought Cy Young pitched last night, what’s going on?

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      going into today’s game hitters were batting about .300 against the CWS ace Carroll…

  7. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    Looking for the Tigers game. Dan & Jim are covering some other game tonight. Anyone?

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      J.D. does it all! Hey, he used to play for the Tigers.

  8. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    KC TCB up 5-0

  9. T Smith Avatar
    T Smith

    KC is now officially on fire

    CLE has officially given up

    DET is still 0-way-to-many with RISP

  10. TigerfaninCA Avatar
    TigerfaninCA

    will someone (besides an Angel fan) tell me why Trout deserves the AL MVP award?

    1. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
      Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

      He has the support of the west coast press?

    2. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      Being the best player on the best team in the AL might be a factor. Not that the MVP award means anything in particular to me.

      1. Vince in MN Avatar
        Vince in MN

        Give it to him this year already, just so we don’t have to hear about it anymore.

        1. Smoking Loon Avatar
          Smoking Loon

          Ha. I agree.

  11. jud Avatar
    jud

    In the past 5-6 years I have watched Miggy bat at least 1500 times on TV..that at bat is the difference in him since last Aug. Two hanging breaking balls right down the middle. He fouled one off and swung and missed the other….he never did that prior to the core injury at the end of last year. He hit those mistakes a country mile..he is just not the same…

  12. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    I don’t feel like the Tigers have the lead. It feels like they’ve been behind all evening. Price notwithstanding.

  13. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    This is weird. This series is weird. If decent offspeed stuff was all it took to shut down Detroit, wouldn’t the league have figured that out about 100 games ago?

  14. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
    Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

    How about a Tyler Collins pinch hit for Avila?

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      I don’t think anything will help. Time to relax and enjoy David Price’s complete game shutout. Forget about the offense. They have.

  15. jud Avatar
    jud

    1 run in 16 innings against two pitchers that couldn’t make the Lakeland Tiger team!

  16. jud Avatar
    jud

    If Avila was any slower Lamont could beat him to second. Even though it was a bad bunt

  17. jud Avatar
    jud

    Nice baserunning to get to third by Romine got us a run

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      True. Proved to be a big run in the end, too. I hope he gets every start at SS from here on out. Even if that means he will have to reach base to be on base.

      1. Smoking Loon Avatar
        Smoking Loon

        Can’t forget about Rajai’s one-man run, either.

  18. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    BFT!!

    now my concern suddenly shifts from offense to the anxiety of the 9th inning (Nathan)

    Price 84 pitches through 7 – I’m hoping for a smooth 8th, then back out for the CG

  19. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    …hope they don’t regret the run Cabrera should have brought in during that AB

  20. jud Avatar
    jud

    Miggy just ain’t right this whole year..he has his streaks but he ain’t right!

  21. Vince in MN Avatar
    Vince in MN

    Both CLE and SEA getting hammered tonight. Looks like the wild card teams will be DET/KC and OAK. What are the odds the Tigers and Royals will have to play a 1 game playoff for the division title?

    1. tbran Avatar
      tbran

      What are the odds? The way things are going this week — high.

      Signed,

      Cptn. Obvious

  22. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    unfreakin believable!

  23. PHToy in HK Avatar
    PHToy in HK

    I am stunned!

    1. PHToy in HK Avatar
      PHToy in HK

      What a surprise, Sloppy Joe Blow walks the first batter he faces.

  24. Vince in MN Avatar
    Vince in MN

    The longer the season goes on, the dumber Ausmus gets.

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      What’s dumb?

      1. Vince in MN Avatar
        Vince in MN

        Leaving in Price too long. Just like leaving Porcello in too long the other night. This is a pattern with him and his Aces.

        1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
          StorminNorman$

          I think it has more to do with the options (or lack thereof) coming out of the bullpen

          if DET had a bullpen similar to KC, Price would have been pulled after the leadoff guy got on in the 9th

          1. Vince in MN Avatar
            Vince in MN

            When your starter is throwing BP, you have to pull him. Even with an iffy bullpen your chances are better. And why not Nathan after the Garcia hit; or Soria. Oh wait, I forgot, he got wasted in yesterday’s loss.

            1. Smoking Loon Avatar
              Smoking Loon

              I have to disagree that leaving Price in was dumb. Price did not stand and deliver. That simple. Fortunately, Cabrera (and Kinsler and Hunter) did.

              1. jud Avatar
                jud

                You want Price or Nathan throwing the 9th. I go with Price. Good decision…just didn’t work.

              2. Smoking Loon Avatar
                Smoking Loon

                Yup.

  25. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    Wow, look how wrong you can be. All of us would have howled if Price hadn’t come out for the 9th… or stayed in there.

    Don’t blow this, Joe.

  26. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    …so I guess Nathan will get to do “his thing” afterall

    …sad

  27. T Smith Avatar
    T Smith

    What are the odds Nathan holds the go-ahead run on 3rd?

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      slim, very slim

  28. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
    Kevin in Dallas

    Nathan is gonna step up when we need him, and the bats will bail Price out in the bottom of the 9th. Price gave it his all, if we had more confidence in Nathan this wouldn’t have come to pass.

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      Aye.

      Oh. Hmmm.

      1. Smoking Loon Avatar
        Smoking Loon

        OK. #DoItForTheRotation. It’s Septober.

        Excelsior! Veni, vidi, vici! Croatoan!

    2. mcb Avatar
      mcb

      If there is no confidence in Nathan then use Soria. We gave a lot up for him and he is the invisible man.

      1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
        StorminNorman$

        unfortunately ‘the confidence’ for Soria is only slightly higher than Nathan… but at least its on the upswing

    3. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      you nailed it Kevin!

      my optimism was in the gutter when Nathan appeared

      1. Smoking Loon Avatar
        Smoking Loon

        Good point by mcb about Soria the Invisible Man.

    4. T Smith Avatar
      T Smith

      +1

  29. StorminNorman$ Avatar
    StorminNorman$

    Cabrera has a shot at redemption… after K’ing w/runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out in the 7th

  30. tbran Avatar
    tbran

    It’s Miggy time!

    1. tbran Avatar
      tbran

      Thank you Mr. Miggy!!

  31. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    About time! Phew!

  32. Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi Avatar
    Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi

    3-0, 4-3, or 7-1….a win is a win

  33. PHToy in HK Avatar
    PHToy in HK

    What a roller-coaster. Credit to KiD for calling the end of the game!

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      +1

  34. jud Avatar
    jud

    Cleveland with everything to lose can’t score in two days and the SUX play like its the frickin World Series!….

    1. StorminNorman$ Avatar
      StorminNorman$

      …this ‘is’ their (CWS) WS, and DET appears content on making it an exciting one for them

      …and DET will also be working another team’s WS this Thurs – Sun …and let’s hope DET is not so accommodating in those 4 games with the Twinkies

  35. Smoking Loon Avatar
    Smoking Loon

    Don’t worry, Coleman. “Hounded” did not go unnoticed.

    1. Coleman Avatar
      Coleman

      Oh, I never worry. There are things that are their own rewards.

      1. Smoking Loon Avatar
        Smoking Loon

        That’s the spirit.

        Kevin, hire this man.

  36. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    In the end, Nathan recorded one more out than Petricka.

    1. Smoking Loon Avatar
      Smoking Loon

      Nomination for post of the game.

      1. Kevin in Dallas Avatar
        Kevin in Dallas

        Second.