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Is Rodney pitching injured? He said his neck has been stiff. Hopefully it hasn’t altered his mechanics causing another injury
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Are the Tigers thinking about Ohman? I saw this in a Chicago paper yesterday as well.
Monthly Archives: April 2007
Tigers Minor League Wrap – 4/22/07
Toledo 7 Durham 4 16 innings
It was a nice day, so they almost played two. The Hens pushed across a run in the 12th, only to see Durham answer. The Mud Hens broke through for 3 in the top of the 16th to end it. Ron Chiavacci allowed 2 runs and fanned 10 in 6 innings starting. He was the first of 8 pitchers used. Chris Shelton was 2 for 7 and scored the winning run in the 16th. Mike Hessman had 4 hits, and Ramon Santiago had 3. Ryan Raburn had a rough night going 0 for 7. Brent Clevlen had a rougher night also posting an 0 for 7, but with 6 K’s.
Bowie 6 Erie 11
Jeff Larish was a triple short of the cycle and drove in 6 runs. Mike Hollimon doubled and walked twice. Eulogio De La Cruz went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, 3 walks, 2 K’s, and a homer. Andrew Kown came on in relief and allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, on a hit, and a walk. He fanned 5.
Lakeland – DNP
Wisconsin 2 West Michigan 8
The dream is over, Chris Cody allowed a run. Well, just the one actually in 7 innings of work to go along with 7 strikeouts. His ERA now stands at 0.34. In 26 2/3 innings he’s fanned 28 and walked only 6. Ryan Strieby and Louis Ott had a 3 hit game and Jeremy Laster hit his 2nd homer. Gorkys Hernandez singled, stole a base, and walked twice.
Game 18: White Sox at Tigers
PREGAME The Tigers need this win to salvage a .500 homestand, and to keep their record from sliding back to .500 overall.
One thing that definitely isn’t a key to the game is grabbing the lead early.
Gary Sheffield gets the day off today, so naturally Omar Infante will get the start at designated hitter and bat 3rd. It should be noted that Infante has amassed 32 at-bats against Jon Garland and is hitting .438 against him. Infante won’t be any less productive than Gary Sheffield has been at driving in Placido Polanco and Curtis Granderson, but it is a curious decision nonetheless. If Infante comes up with a big hit it is Leyland’s magic touch. If not …
Marcus Thames will start in leftfield and Mike Rabelo will start behind the plate.
Jon Garland gets the start for the White Sox. The Tigers end out Justin Verlander who’s been great this year. Last year the White Sox were the team Justin struggled with the most posting a 7.84 ERA over 5 starts.
Game Time 1:05pm
POSTGAME: Ah, so many thoughts and so many emotions. To hard to string them together logically, so I’m going bulletized: Continue reading Game 18: White Sox at Tigers
Tigers Minor League Wrap – 4/21/2007
Toledo 10 Durham 2
The bats came out in a a big way with Kevin Hooper, Brent Clevlen, Timo Perez and Ramon Santiago all having multi-hit games including a homer for Hooper. Chris Shelton was one of the few who didn’t get in on the party with an 0 for 4 and 3 K’s. Virgil Vasquez didn’t need much help with 6 shut out innings allowing only 4 hits and a walk while striking out 10. If nothing else it keeps the pressure on Chad Durbin.
Bowie 4 Erie 8
Mike Hollimon doubled and walked. Hollimon is 24 and the organization skipped him over Lakeland. So far with a 324/480/514 line things are looking good. Kody Kirkland doubled and singled and Jeff Larish drove in 3 runs without a hit. Jair Jurrjens pitched 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and 5 K’s. He had people pounding the ball into the ground with an 11:1 GO to FO ratio.
Dunedin 8 Lakeland 1
Andrew Miller was knocked around for 9 hits (singles), 2 walks, and 5 runs. He fanned 3, and posted the same 11:1 ground ball-fly ball ratio that Jurrjens did. Cameron Maybin doubled and walked and is now hitting 308/463/635.
Wisconsin 3 West Michigan 4
Duane Below had a very good start allowing 4 hits and no walk for 2 runs over 6 innings. He also struck out 9 and induced 8 ground ball outs. Scott Sizemore and Gorkys Hernandez each had 2 hit games.
Brian Bluhm Memorial Fund
The community at Motown Sports is collecting donations to send to the Brian Bluhm memorial fund. I’ll be making my contribution as part of that group effort. The thread can be found here.
If you’re interested in contributing as part of that group, but not interested in registering for the site, drop me a line here. We’ll work it out so that we can get your donation in with the rest of the group.
If you want to donate directly you can do it via: Brian Bluhm Virginia Tech Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund, c/o Marathon Bank, 4095 Valley Pike, Winchester VA 22601
Game 17: White Sox at Tigers
PREGAME: The Tigers look to snap their first losing streak of the season. To do it they’ll send out Nate Robertson.
Robertson has been very effective this year because he’s kept the ball in the park. In twenty innings he’s only given up 1 long ball. (I know, beware of the DTW reverse jinx). Last year Nate surrendered 7 homers in 26 2/3 innings to the White Sox. (trying to counteract the DTW reverse jinx).
The White Sox will send out Jose Contreras. Contreras has had severe control problems this year to the tune of 10 walks in 12 innings. Of course the Tigers have made lesser pitchers look great this season, so this doesn’t mean a whole lot.
Game time 1:05pm
POSTGAME: For the 3rd time in 3 games the Tigers had another come from ahead loss. Once again it was the same story in that only a couple of guys provided offense and the pen couldn’t secure the lead.
I lamented Jim Leyland going with Jason Grilli in a high leverage situation yesterday. Today he went with Joel Zumaya who did the job in the 7th, but couldn’t protect the lead in the 8th. After a scoreless 9th from Todd Jones, Fernando Rodney was hammered for a couple doubles and a single in the 10th. I can’t be upset with the bullpen use today. Leyland went to his top guys, but 2 of the 3 let him down.
And as for Rodney, he was awful today. He’s been pretty bad in all but one of the losses. Yet if you want the Tigers to ditch him, it ain’t gonna happen. Rodney signed a 2 year deal and the Tigers aren’t going to eat that 3 weeks into the season. That would be a tremendous overreaction. I can understand short of that wanting him to not see as many high leverage situations. From a baseball strategy standpoint it would be hard to argue with that. But I’ve never been one to understand the psyche of a Major League reliever. I’ll leave it to Leyland to manage Rodney’s mental state, and hope that Chuck Hernandez can straighten out the mechanics.
The bottom 3 in the lineup combined to go 0 for 12 today, and Pudge batting 6th was right there with them until a single in his last at-bat. The Tigers continue to rely on 4 guys to provide all of the offense. Even bunching it today wasn’t enough.
And one note for Gary Sheffield. I’m still pretty confident he’ll get things turned around. But in the meantime stop complaining. That pitch to end the game on Friday was a strike. Instead of arguing the foul ball on strike 3 today, run. And instead of arguing the swinging bunt, run. If you don’t like the car, hit the ball farther than 6 inches.
links for 2007-04-21
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Humberto Sanchez and Tommy John surgery
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Tata out 4 to 6 weeks but won’t need surgery
Tigers Minor League Wrap – 4/20/2007
Buffalo 6 Toledo 5
Zach Miner started and allowed 5 runs over 6 innings. This was actually an improvement as he allowed only 5 hits and a walk against 4 k’s. Ryan Raburn was 1 for 2 with 2 walks. Chris Shelton doubled, singled, and walked.
Bowie 1 Erie 4
Dallas Trahern allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings while fanning 3. Ian Ostlund struck out the side for the save. Jeff Larish and Kody Kirkland each doubled and walked.
Dunedin 5 Lakeland 7
Ronnie Bourquin had two hits. Wilkin Ramirez hit his 2nd homer and walked. Cameron Maybin was 1 for 4 with a stolen base. Speaking of SB’s Ovandy Suero added 2 to run his total to 10 against 2 caught stealings. Sendy Vasquez allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks over 5 innings. Anthony Tomey added another scoreless inning.
Clinton 3 West Michigan 1
The Whitecaps had 8 hits and their opponent made 4 errors, and yet they only scratched across 1 run. Scott Sizemore was 2 for 4. Audy Ciriaco was 0 for 3 and saw his average drop to 196. Angel Castro allowed 4 hits, but 3 of them were homers. He walked one and struck out 7 in 7 innings.
Game 16: White Sox at Tigers
PREGAME: Now it gets interesting. The Tigers will be taking on one of the contenders from the AL Central. Not to diminish the Royals, but this is the first divisional series that can really be used as a measuring stick.
The Tigers send out Chad Durbin. Durbin struggled in his first 2 starts and the Tigers had to rely on Wil Ledezma and Jason Grilli to share the load in those games. Leyland has said that Durbin’s job isn’t in danger, but another outing where he doesn’t really give the team a chance to win and I think it will be hard for Leyland to send him out there again. I’m not looking for a quality start, but 6 innings and 4 runs allowed would be fine out of the 5th starter.
The Tigers will face John Danks, who the White Sox acquired from the Rangers. Danks has a pretty solid WHIP of 1.235 and has fanned 10 in 11 1/3 innings. The only knock against him in his first 2 starts is that he’s allowed 3 homers already.
Game time 7:05
POSTGAME: Chad Durbin did his job tonight. He gave the team 5 innings and allowed only 2 runs, and did it relatively easily. Of course, he was charged with 2 more runs in the 6th after he loaded the bases on a tweener and a couple of walks. Leyland then went to Jason Grilli who gave up the 2 run single.
I don’t blame Grilli so much. He is what he is, and chances are runs are going to score in a bases loaded no out situation. I would have felt better with Joel Zumaya pitching, but at the same time I can’t expect to see him in every high leverage situation. Yet the way the pitching has been handled the last 2 games just hasn’t sat well with me.
Bobby Seay and Aquilino Lopes did a nice job in their turns in relief.
I still don’t understand starting Thames and lifting him with a lead in the 5th inning. Both times the Tigers went on to relinquish the lead. I hear Leyland talking about defense and such, but I guess I still just don’t get it.
And Gary Sheffield, I just don’t know.
Jose Mesa to the DL
The Tigers placed Jose Mesa on the 15 day disabled list retroactive to April 17th. Mesa’s injury is a groin pull. Aquilino Lopez’s contract was purchased from Toledo to take Mesa’s spot. Lopez has 4 saves and 6 1/3 scoreless innings this year. He’s only allowed 1 hit and 2 walks while fanning 6. Lopez is a right hander and will turn 32 tomorrow (nice birthday present).
Edward Campusano was transferred from the 15 to 60 day DL to free up a spot on 40 man roster.
I’m thinking the impact of this will be minimal. Mesa only has a couple of appearances and only one came in a game that was still in question. He wasn’t a key cog in the pen. If anything it may mean a little extra work for Bobby Seay. Given Mesa’s performances this year this could be a good thing (although I’m not someone to root for guys injuries).
As an aside, every time I hear about a groin injury I can’t help but think of the Cheers where Sam Malone filled in as a sportscaster and rapped “g-g-groin, g-g-groin, g-g-groin injury.’
Tigers Minor League Wrap – 4/19/2007
Buffalo 1 Toledo 3
Yorman Bazardo gave up an unearned run in the first inning, and then shut out Buffalo for the next 5 allowing 7 hits, 2 walks and fanning 5. Preston Larrison added 2 scoreless innings of relief. Brent Clevlen was moved up to the 2nd spot in the Mud Hen lineup, perhaps to help him focus on contact like they did with Chris Shelton. Clevlen was 1 for 4. Shelton doubled and struck out 3 times. Mike Hessman homered.
Bowie 11 Erie 5
This was a tight game until an 8 run 7th inning. Kyle Sleeth and Kevin Ardoin each gave up 4 runs in relief of Jon Connolly. Matt Joyce singled and hit his first homer. Steve Torrealba and Nick McIntrye added 2 hits apiece.
Dunedin6 Lakeland 13
There’s a whole lot of offensive highlights in this one. Jusitn Justice was a double short of the cycle and had 6 RBI. Justice was hitting behind Maybin who was a homer short of the cycle and added 2 walks scoring 5 times. Maybin and Justice each added a stole base. Mike Hernandez doubled twice and tripled. Elezar Aponte pitched 6 innings allowing 44 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks.
Clinton 3 West Michigan 0
The Whitecaps only mustered 4 hits, but they did add 8 walks. Gorkys Hernandez, Scott Sizemore, and Jeff Kunkel all had 2 walks a piece. Lauren Gagnier had a pretty strong effort allowing 3 runs, 1 earned, in 6 1/3 innings. He fanned 8, walked 2, and gave up 6 hits.
Tigers Minor League Wrap 4/18/2007
Buffalo 4 Toledo 0
The Hens were held to 3 hits, Brent Clevlen had one of them. Dennis Tankersley started and went 4 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 walks. Corey Hamman pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing 1 hit and fanning 3.
Erie 1 Akron 2 (10 innings)
Matt Joyce tripled and singled to pick up half of the Seawolves offense. Eddie Bonnine pitched 6 strong innings fanning 4, walking 1, and allowing 6 hits.
Lakeland 4 Fort Myers 7
Ryan Roberson had 2 hits including his 2nd homer. Mike Hernandez had 2 doubles. Cameron Maybin walked 3 times and added his 5th stolen base. Lucas French was touched for 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 innings.
Clinton 3 West Michigan 4 (11 innings)
Gorkys Hernandez went 3 for 5 in the leadoff spot. Scott Sizemore singled and hit his first homer. Brennan Boesch and Ryan Strieby each had 2 hits as well.