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  • The sweep thread – Detroit takes down Seattle

    For a few minutes there in the 8th inning, I thought I might be titling this post “Sweepless in Seattle.” Fortunately the Tigers held onto the lead and Detroit heads into Anaheim wiht their second 5 game winning streak of the season. In the process of knocking off the Mariners, Detroit guaranteed themselves a winning record on the road trip. When the team left Detroit last Monday, I think everyone would have been content coming back 5-4. But thanks to their recent play I can enthusiastically say a 5 win trip would be disappointing.

    I’ll post a full series wrap up tomorrow. In the meantime, a few bulletized thoughts on the game (more…)

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – April 22nd

    Toledo 3, Columbus 2
    Josh Phelps had two hits, including his first home run. Jack Hannahan added two more hits, and David Espinosa reached base twice via the walk. Espinosa’s OBP now stands at .421. Zach Miner pitched 6 shutout innings. He only allowed one hit, but 5 walks (and 6 K’s). Chris Spurling saw his first action since his demotion and allowed two hits, a walk, and a run in one inning.

    Erie was postponed due to rain

    Fort Myers 9, Lakeland 1
    I’m sure Lakeland would have liked to have had this game postponed. The L-Tigers had as many hits as they did errors (2). Jeff Larish continues a tough week striking out 3 times in 4 at-bats. Dallas Trahern was pounded for 7 hits and 6 runs in only 4 innings.

    West Michigan 4, Clinton 3
    Burke Badenhop allowed 3 runs in 4 innings, but Andrew Kown came in and allowed a single hit in 3 innings of relief along with 4 K’s. Kown hasn’t allowed a run, or a walk in 12 innings of work. Orlando Perdomo didn’t allow a baserunner and struck out two for a one inning save. Offensively there wasn’t much of note. Pedro Cotto had two hits, and Michael Hollimon walked twice. Cameron Maybin was 0 for 3 with a walk.

  • I like this better

    Do you rememer the last time the Tigers went to Seattle? It was in July of last year. The team had just finished a big homestand in which they took 3 out of 5 games from the Twins to evelvate their record to 49-49. While still not in the thick of th wild card race, there weren’t any teams pulling away at that point so the Tigers were one of 7 or 8 teams with some sort of shot. They went into Seattle looking minimally to take two of three, and ideally a sweep from a team that was struggling. After splitting the first two games of the series, The Tigers took the field for the rubber game.

    Mike Maroth was on the mound, and Craig Monroe was in center. Mike Maroth struggled early and staked the Mariners to a three run lead in the first inning. The Mariners came back in the second inning and loaded the bases with two outs. Adrian Beltre hit a routine flyball to Monroe that should have ended the inning. Instead it bounced out of his glove, 3 runs scored, and the Tigers went on to lose 9-3. After another defeat, this time to Oakland, Pudge got himself ejected and suspended. The Tigers were swept by Oakland, eliminated from any sort of contention, and Kyle Farnsworth was traded. The players gave up, Pudge took his suspension/vacation, the lockerroom went into disarray, and Trammell was fired. (more…)

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – April 21st

    Charlotte 6, Toledo 3
    It was another strong start for Wil Ledezma who allowed 3 runs in 7 innings. He struckout 9 against only two walks. For the season his K:BB ratio is 26:6. Ryan Raburn homered and frove in 3. Kevin Hooper raised his average to .404 with two more hits. Josh Phelps struck out 4 times in 5 at-bats. Mark Woodyard continues to struggle. He took the loss allowing 3 runs and his ERA now stands at 15.19.

    Binghamton 8, Erie 4
    Tony Giarratano and Brent Clevlen each had two hits – including a double for Clevlen. Nate Bumstead was roughed up for 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3.

    Lakeland 6, Fort Myers 5
    Josh Rainwater allowed 4 runs, 3 were earned, in 5 innings. He struck out 6 and walked none. Victor Mendez picked up 4 hits, Gil Mejia added 3, and Chris Robinson had two. Jeff Frazier struck out 4 times, and Jeff Larish was 0 for 5. PJ Finigan, Eddie Bonine, and Jeff Hahn combined for 9 strikeouts and one hit in 8 scoreless innings.

    West Michigan 3, Clinton 0
    Sendy Vasquez threw 6 shut out innings. That brings his total to 16 innings with no runs allowed. Tonight he struck out 8 and walked 2. Orlando Perdomo picked up his 6th save with a scoreless 9 inning. Perdomo has now struck out 11 in 7 1/2 innings. Cameron Maybin was 1 for 3 with a walk. Justin Justice picked up two hits.

  • Tigers-Oakland Series Wrap

    Baseball is a funny sport. We have all kinds of statistics to look at how things have gone in the past, and what to expect in the future. And then you have a series like this one between the Tigers and the A’s. The Tigers are notorious for not walking, and at least this year for hitting home runs. Meanwhile the A’s have had books (or at least a book) that looks at their plate discipline. The Tigers have been labeled this year as a team that can’t score without a home run, and they are typically solo shots. In fact, coming into the series, the last Tiger runs (over two games) had all come on solo shots. So what happens when the Tigers go to Oakland to face a team they have typically struggled with?

    Tigers Athletics
    Wins 2 1
    Offense
    Runs 18 11
    BA .288 .172
    OBP .377 .245
    SLG .384 .354
    HR 0 4
    SB/CS 0/1 0/0
    Pitching
    BB/9 3.1 4.3
    K/9 4.5 4.3
    ERA 3.46 5.00

    Detroit takes two of three without slugging the ball at all. They post a .377 team on base percentage that was largely fueled by walks and 3 hit-by-pitches. They score 18 runs in the series while only slugging .384 and not hitting a home run.

    On the pitching side, the Tigers pretty much kept the A’s off balance and off base. While it should be noted that the A’s had been struggling coming into the series, mustered only a .599 OPS.
    (more…)

  • Jones back, Spurling to Toledo

    Todd Jones has been reinstated from the disabled list and will be available to pitch tonight. To make room for Jones, Chris Spurling was optioned to Toledo.

    With Jones coming back, one of three pitchers were likely to be sent down. The group included Spurling, Jordan Tata, and Jason Grilli. Spurling and Grilli have had similar results. However, Jason Grilli would have had to clear waivers where Spurling had options remaining.

    As for Tata, I thought he would still be the choice. He’s been fairly effective in his 3 outings, mostly because he’s limited the opposition to 4 hits in 8 2/3 innings. The downside to Tata is that he has walked 7 batters in those 8+ innings while only striking out 4. So while his results have been good, he may be walking a fine line. Also, I would have guessed the organization would have liked to get him more starting experience in Erie/Toledo.

  • Tigers Minor Leauge Wrap – April 20th

    Charlotte 5, Toledo 4
    It was a rough start for Lance Davis. He allowed 11 hits and 3 walks in only 4 1/3 innings. Amazingly it only resulted in 5 runs. Brian Peterson continues to perform well in limited playing time. He entered tonight hitting 429/429/714 in his 4 games and added a homer. David Espinosa also picked up two hits.
    In non game news, Don Kelly was hospitalized after being beaned by a relay throw.

    Erie 9, Binghamton 6 (13 innings)
    At press time (or me going to bed time) the game was tied in the 11th inning. Brent Clevlen, Kody Kirkland, and Mike Rabelo each had two hits. On the downside, Clevlen struckout 4 times and Kirkland K’d 3 times. Kirkland also committed his 5th error. Vincent Blue had two walks to go along with his two singles. Jeremy Johnson was hit hard, but Brian Rogers provided 3 scoreless innings of relief (3 K’s).

    Lakeland 3, Fort Myers 2It was an excellent start for Jair Jurrjens as he went 7 innings and only giving up one run. He allowed one extra base hit and 3 singles while striking out 3. Wilkin Ramirez managed a hit, but he also made his 5th error. Chris Robinson picked up two walks, and Brent Dlugach picked up two hits. Jeff Larish, who had been heating up, had a rough night strking out 3 times (he singled in his 4th at-bat). Kevin Whelan picked up his 5th save, but this one was a little tougher. He allowed two hits, two walks and a run before retiring the side.

    Cedar Rapids 5, West Michigan 4 Cameron Maybin continues to impress defensively. It seems like he has an outfield assist every other night, and he added one more doubling a runner of first. Erik Averill was pretty effective, striking out 5 and walking none in 7 innings. However he was victimized by an error and two home runs to allow 4 runs (1 earned).

  • Pudge to play first?

    It appears that Pudge has volunteered to play first base, or any other position for that matter. Rodriguez just wants to stay in the Tiger lineup, and if that means playing another position when he isn’t catching, he’s all for it.

    “Give me a glove,” Pudge said Thursday morning before a game he was scheduled to catch. “Trust me, I can play anywhere.”

    While the thought of Pudge playing first base is intriguing, it only becomes practical if he hits more like the 2004 version than the 2005 version. He’s off to a good start this season, even after the 0-11 the last two days. However, if it is last year’s offensive version of Rodriguez, there really isn’t a reason to try and keep his bat in the lineup.

    And while Chris Shelton will probably need a day off before Dmitri Young is able to play the field, I question having a 5′ 8″ first baseman. While he’s very athletic, his stature limits his reach. Then again, the only real alternative right now is Carlos Guillen who’s first base experience includes the WBC and one inning today.

  • Tigers Comeback Jubilation Thread

    It was a very solid series for Detroit, capped off by a very dramatic come-from-behind win against the Oakland A’s. I’ll have more about the series tomorrow, maybe even some real analysis. In the meantime here are a couple thoughts. It will also give you guys a place to put your enthusiastic comments.

    • I don’t think enough can be said about Brandon Inge’s at-bat in the 9th inning. For him to fall behind and still see 15 pitches was uncharacterisitic, unexpected, and unbelievable. I didn’t see the at-bat, but on the radio it sounded like he got a little help from the umpire on a check swing. But the Tigers took advantage of it.
    • Fernando Rodney had me worried today, but I’m not worried about him on the season. He still hasn’t allowed a run, and I’d attribute the control issues more to the fact that he sat for 40 minutes between innings. In any case he threw 37 pitches and I wouldn’t expect him back tomorrow.
    • Rodney’s availability, or lack thereof could be interesting if there is a save situation tomorrow night. Todd Jones is expected to be activated, but the plan was to ease him back. In a close situation do you handle the ball to Jones, or see what Joel Zumaya can do?
    • I still don’t think that Alexis Gomez (or Marcus Thames) should be hitting ahead of Chris Shelton. However, you have to give him credit for some big hits over the last two games.
    • Pudge’s 0 for 6 last night was surprisingly the sixth of his career, and second as a Tiger. Amazingly enough the last time it happened was in Coors Field.
    • I think everyone can breathe a little easier about Jeremy Bonderman. That first inning had the “here we go again” feeling, but he settled down. He uncharacteristically had only one strike-out, but he also allowed only 5 hits and his velocity was back in the mid 90s.
    • Unlike the last get-away day, the Tigers certainly didn’t quit. They continued to have good approaches at the plate. They drew 6 walks today. As a point of comparison they drew 9 in the entire Indians series. Maybe Leyland’s tirade worked?
    • TIVO Alert – This Sunday Justin Verlander will make his first televised start. (at least in Detroit). What’s more is that he’s facing fellow phenom Felix Hernandez.

  • Tiger Minor League Wrap – April 19th

    Charlotte 12, Erie 4
    Colby Lewis was rocked for 8 runs in only 2+ innings of work. Mike Hessman and Ryan Raburn each homered for the Mud Hens. Ryan Ludwick, Mike Hessman, and Kevin Hooper all reached base 3 times.

    Erie 3, Harrisburg 2
    Brent Clevlen hit his first homer and drew a walk. Garth McKinney also homered and Kody Kirkland added two hits. Preston Larrison pitched 6 innings and allowed two runs on 6 hits and a walk.

    Lakeland 6, Dunedin 1
    It was a good day for the prospect bats today. Clete Thomas homered, and Jeff Frazier, Jeff Larish, and Wilkin Ramirez all doubled. For Ramirez his double was one of 3 hits on the day. Kevin Ardoin struck out 3, walked 1, and allowed 5 hits – all singles – on his way to the win. Kevin Whelan came in and pitched a scoreless inning. However, Whelan allowed a 2 out walk. This is significant only because it is the first base runner he’s allowed this season, breaking his string at 13 batter faced.

    West Michigan 4, Cedar Rapids 0
    Another strong outing by Ramon Garcia who pitched 7 shutout innings. He walked two and struck out two. Cameron Maybin had triple and two singles, and Matt Joyce drew 3 walks.

  • Verlander throws 121

    Justin Verlander was throwing heat last night, but 121 is the number of pitches he threw – not his top speed. I’m a disappointed, but not surprised that Jim Leyland would leave him out there.

    I’m not going to blame the loss on Leyland’s handling of Verlander. Yes Verlander allowed the home run to Nick Swisher leading off the 7th, but then he quietly retired the side afterwards. I don’t think that Verlander’s pitch count had anything to do with the home run, and by all accounts it sounded like Verlander wasn’t fatigued. On the last pitch of the 6th inning he hit 101mph.

    My issue is that it was completely unnecessary for Verlander to throw that 7th inning. This is a prized young arm making his 5th big league start. He wasn’t working on a complete game and it wasn’t part of a pennant race. This was a tie game in the 7th inning in mid April.

    Pitchers are all different, and there is nothing magical about the 100 pitch mark. It’s very possible that Verlander is and will be fine, and this outing won’t have any negative impact on his arm. I just don’t see why he even took the chance.

    Related: Ken Arneson of Catfish Stew was in attendance and likes what he saw from Verlander.

  • Tigers Minor League Wrap – April 18th

    Charlotte 4, Toledo 3
    Lee Gardner again had trouble closing out a game. He blew the save allwoing 2 runs in the 9th. Chad Durbin went 6 2/3, scattering 7 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts. Jack Hannahan continues to hit. He added two singles and a walk to raise his average to .368. He may provide a nice option if Omar Infante’s shoulder prevents him from playing the left side of the infield.
    Erie 5, Harrisburg 2
    Brent Clevlen and Kody Kirkland each reached base multiple times. Clevlen had a single and walk while Kirkland had the same plus a double. Virgil Vasquez went 7 innings allowing 4 hits and a walk against 6 strike outs. Eulogio De La Cruz who has had an up and down year faced 3 batters, two of which walked.

    Dunedin 6, Lakeland 3
    Jeff Larish had 3 hits and a walk in 5 plate appearances. His line for the season is now 308/449/538. Wilkin Ramirez had two hits as did Brent Dlugach. Christian Martinez allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2 homers) in 5 innings. He struck out 5 and walked none.

    Cedar Rapids 4, West Michigan 1
    Lucas French was effective in six innings allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3. Unfortunately the Whitecaps bats were shut down. Through 8 innings they had managed only 5 singles.