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  • Game 36: Twins at Tigers

    Virgil Vasquez
    Virgil Vasquez – cr. Roger DeWitt

    PREGAME: It’s the Tigers first appearance on Sunday Night Baseball this year, and the first appearance ever at the big league level for Virgil Vasquez. Vasquez is of course filling in for the blistering Jeremy Bonderman. The numbers speak for themselves, particularly the 5:1 K:BB ratio and Detroit Tiger Tales has a run down of his stuff.

    The Tigers will hope to rough up Boof Bonser and make it a little easier on their rookie. Bonser shut down the Tigers the one time they met last season. This year Bonser is striking out a batter an inning, but can be prone to wildness with games of 7 and 4 walks. Of course those 2 games represent over half his walk total for the season, so it isn’t a consistent problem.

    Finally Happy Mothers Day to all the Mom’s in the DTW readership (like you Anne). I hope you had a nice day with your families and that your husbands/sons did their part today.

    Game Time 8:09 with pregame sprinkled throughout Baseball Tonight from 7-8pm

    POSTGAME: Aquilino Lopez’s 3 innings on Saturday look pretty significant now, as Jason Grilli, Wil Ledezma, and Jose Mesa all were burnt through last night. None were able to come in and hold down the Twins. Instead, they took each took a beating.

    The Tigers offense was okay tonight, save for a rare Carlos Guillen 3 K performance. They racked up some hits, some walks, and some warning track shots, but that just wasn’t going to be close to enough.

    Vasquez at least has that first start out of the way, even if it didn’t go well.

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – 5/12/07

    Toledo 3 Pawtucket 2
    Dallas Trahern, who was called up from Erie to make the start in the wake of Virgil Vasquez going to the Tigers, pitched 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Ryan Raburn homered for the Hens.

    Erie 1 Akron 2 11 innings
    Kody Kirkland had 2 hits and has quietly pushed his season line to 295/345/467. Andrew Miller made his AA debut and allowed 1 run on 6 hits, no walks, and 7 K’s over 8 innings. He posted a 14:2 ground ball:fly ball mix.

    Lakeland 7 Daytona 9
    Mike Hernandez doubled twice and singled. Cameron Maybin added 2 hits and a stolen base. Andrew Kown allowed 6 runs, only 3 earned, in 4 1/3 innings on 7 hits and 2 strikeouts.

    Great Lakes 3 West Michigan 2
    Ryan Strieby had 2 hits and walk and is hitting a very respectable (especially considering his home ballpark) 314/387/466 with a 15/14 K/BB mix. Chris Cody pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 10 hits. He walked none and fanned 13. I know he’s old for the league and reports say his stuff isn’t great, but in any case isn’t it time to promote a guy who has posted a 1.46 ERA over 55 1/3 innings? Especially when you look at a K/BB ratio of 58:8?

  • Game 35: Tigers at Twins

    PREGAME: The Tigers finally get some of that national exposure with an appearance on Fox Saturday Baseball. Of course Fox probably wasn’t looking for a Chad Durbin/Sidney Ponson match-up either so only 8% of the nation will get this game. And thanks to Fox’s exclusivity for Saturday afternoons, MLB.tv won’t be an option for you if you don’t live in Michigan, Minnesota, Northern Ohio, or Montana.

    Once upon a time, Ponson was a good pitcher. That was 2003. This year he is 1 for 6 in quality starts.

    With Chad Durbin you don’t really know what you’ll get. He was great in 2 of his last 3 starts, but walked 6 and didn’t make it out of the 4th inning in the other. (Half of Durbin’s walks for the season came in that one disaster, so at least it isn’t a habitual problem).

    Game Time 3:45

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – 5/11/07

    Toledo 2 Pawtucket 3 14 innings
    Timo Perez and Jack Hannahan homered to provide the offense. Ryan Raburn and Brent Clevlen each had 2 hits. Zach Miner had his best start of the season allowing 3 hits and 1 walks to go along with 6 K’s in 7 innings of shut out ball.

    Erie 12 Akron 1
    Clete Thomas was a triple short of the cycle as he racked up a 4 for 5 day plus a walk. Andres Torres was a single short of the cycle and walked. Kody Kirkland had 2 hits, a walk, and 2 stolen bases. Mike Hollimon added 2 hits and a walk and Matt Joyce had 3 walks. Jon Connolly allowed 1 unearned run over 8 innings despite allowing 9 hits and no strike outs.

    Lakeland 6 Daytona 5 17 innings
    Whole lot of baseball last night on the farm. Wil Rhymes was 4 for 9 and Cameron Maybin was 4 for 7 to lead the attack. There always seems to be someone who takes an 0fer on a night like this. Last night the unfortunate soul was Wilkin Ramirez who was 0 for 8 with 5 K’s – kind of like having a slump all on one night. Making it even more challenging, neither starter lasted through the 5th inning.

    Cedar Rapids 2 West Michigan 4
    Gorkys Hernandez went 3 for 4 and is now hitting 346/410/430. Scott Sizemore added a perfect 4 for 4 night as well. Duane Below pitched 6 shut out innings. He only allowed 4 hits and 1 walk while fanning 14.

  • links for 2007-05-12

  • Times 5

    Wednesday night the Tigers played their 32nd game of the season. That game is significant in that it basically represents one-fifth of the season. While it is a substantial number of games, you can still get some funny results playing the “on pace for game.”

    The Offense

    Using the Baseball Musings day by day database, it’s easy to get the performance over a given time period. The Tigers offensive performances over the first 32 games can be found here.

    Below is a spreadsheet with all the counting stats multiplied by 5: (more…)

  • Game 34: Tigers at Twins

    PREGAME: Ahh, the Metrodome. Yeah.

    Anyways, tonight we have ourselves a rematch of a couple of lefties. The first time Mike Maroth and Johan Santana hooked up the Tigers got the upper hand with some homers by Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames. Brandon Inge got the last big fly with a walk off homer off of Jesse Crain.

    The Twins will be without Joe Mauer who is on the DL. And Luis Castillo has some sore legs and took the day off yesterday.

    Game Time 8:10pm

    POSTGAME: There’s just something about taking a game from Johan Santana. Not in the “I hate him” sort of way, but more in the “how are we going to win this game?” sort of way.

    Much like the last time they hooked up, the Tigers made Santana throw a lot of pitches the first time through the lineup. Then the second time they started jumping on the first pitch fastballs. The damage was limited, thanks in part to a couple sweet plays by Jason Kubel, but it was enough as Mike Maroth managed to allow only 1 run in his best outing of the year.

    It seemed like the Tigers were the beneficiary of the metrodome more than the Twins for a change. Both triples (Guillen and Granderson) were turf induced, and Guillen’s RBI single probably doesn’t make it through on grass either.

    And not to be cynical or anything, but as it gets into the late innings does anyone else think of the term “insurance runs” and think they are really “Rodney runs.” Things continue to be a struggle for him.

  • Virgil Vasquez to start on Sunday

    With Jeremy Bonderman’s finger still causing problems, Virgil Vasquez will take the mound on Sunday Night Baseball. Vasquez has been Mack Avenue Tigers‘ guy to take over Durbin’s spot in the rotation.

    Vasquez has been quite solid in his last 5 outings accumulating 31 innings and 41 K’s against 6 walks. He’s only allowed 5 earned runs over that stretch.

    The move probably won’t be come official until Sunday, because it will mean removing a member of the bullpen – presumably Aquilino Lopez – to make room.

    As for Bonderman, hopefully this is only a one start deal. Right now we’re at the nuisance stage of the injury, and I’d just assume not see it get worse.

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – 5/10/07

    Toledo 2 Rochester 1
    Ryan Raburn picked up a double for one of the Hens 3 hits. Chris Shelton continues to struggle with 3 K’s as part of an 0 for 4 night. Yorman Bazardo pitched 8 shut out innings. It was kind of a weird stat line with only 2 hits, but with 5 walks and 6 K’s. Usually that means a 6th inning departure because of pitch count be made it through 8 on 107.

    Erie – DNP

    Lakeland – DNP

    West Michigan – DNP

    UPDATE: Sorry about disseminating bad information. I checked milb.com this morning quickly, and for each of the other leagues it said there was no scoreboard. It seemed fishy, but I was in a hurry and didn’t probe deeper. All the stats are in the comments. Thanks to Mike G for picking up the slack.

  • Game 33: Mariners at Tigers

    PREGAME: I guess it’s just time to start another 8 game winning streak. The pitching match-up certainly looks favorable with Jeff Weaver taking on Justin Verlander.

    Weaver has made 5 starts and only lasted 17 1/3 innings. But they’ve been productive innings (for the other team) with 29 runs allowed. Of course, the Tigers seem to struggle against Weaver. His ERA against the Tigers is 2.53 in 3 starts, and that doesn’t even include the post season last year.

    On the other side is Justin Verlander, who for only the 4th time this year won’t be facing the Royals.

    Game Time 1:05

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – 5/9/07

    Toledo 11 Rochester 9
    Jack Hannahan had 3 hits and a walk and Timo Perez continues to swing a hot bat with a double. Ryan Raburn and Mike Hessman each homered. Chris Shelton managed a double and a walk. Dennis Tankersley allowed 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Preston Larrison surrendered 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks without getting an out.

    Erie 5 Altoona 1
    It was a 3rd straight gem for Eulogio De La Cruz who pitched 7 innings allowing only 2 hits. He walked 2, fanned 8, and surrendered a homer. Mike Hollimon doulbed and homered and Kody Kirkland went deep as well.

    Lakeland 3 Daytona 5
    Wilkin Ramirez doubled and tripled for the Flying Tigers. Justin Justice, Wil Rhymes, and Ryan Roberson all homered. Lucas French pitched 6 shut out innings allowing only 4 hits while fanning 9.

    Cedar Rapids 9 West Michigan 2
    Brandon Timm had 3 hits, and that was pretty much the offense. Lauren Gagnier allowed 10 hits for 7 runs in 5 1/3 innings.

  • links for 2007-05-10