PREGAME: And the homestand is over today. For the Tigers it will be Nate Robertson who is coming off of his best start of the season in Minnesota. He’ll take on Brian Bannister.
Bannister has been the mark of consistency going at least 5 innings in his last 11 starts, and allowing 4 runs or less in 10 of them. His biggest asset is keeping the ball in the park with only 7 homers allowed on the season – and 3 of those came in his last start.
Game time 1:05
POSTSERIES: Seeing as I missed wrapping last night’s game (a little up North time) I figured I just knock out the series here. In all, blah. But not at all unexpected. I just had the feeling that the Tigers were pretty burnt after the Twins series. I don’t mean to imply they played tired or without effort. That’s pretty hard to judge on TV regardless and any effort without a lot of offense can give that impression.
Plus, the Royals are playing really good baseball right now as they cleaned up on the road in Cleveland, Boston, and now Detroit. The Tigers were just out played, plain and simple.
- As for Todd Jones, I read the ire in the comments. Early in the year Jones was getting hit hard with regularity, and/or he was walking people. That wasn’t the case Saturday night. He was mostly ahead in the count and was inducing weak contact. The weak contact found holes, and so did some decent contact. It had nothing to do with the size of the lead. Jones isn’t a strikeout pitcher, and that’s what happens when you don’t have strikeout pitchers.
- Craig Monroe looks to be getting back on track. He had 3 big hits the last 2 days, but still left quite a few on base with pop outs or strike outs. Still, production is better than non-production. And I was happy to see him start today over Timo Perez.
- I thoguht the Tigers would get to Bannister today when the first 3 hitters all reached full counts. At the very least I thought they might get him out of the game. And even after a 7 pitch 2nd inning, the first trip through involved 5 full counts. But that was about it, and when you measure offensive production in terms of full counts you can tell it was a slow day.
- Brandon Inge had been on quite the roll with highlight plays at the corner, but had a miscue on Saturday night (not coming home on a slow roller) as well as throwing a bunt away today. But he redeemed himself on one account with the walk off homer.
- I admittedly only saw parts of today’s game, but whenever I’d come back into the room it seemed that the Royals had a man on third base. Nate was pitching in stressful situations all day today.
Now back to Harry Potter…
Wow. Did we get lucky with that call. The triple hit by KC being argued that it was a HR. They stuck with the triple and Nate pitches out of the inning.
His pitches look terrific so far.
Hi there,
as always, greetings from Germany to all .
First Inning , no runs for K.C. Better than the 2 days before 😉
Please, no nailbiter today. Hopefully Nate has his stuff again like in his last game
Nate has 3 K’s against 5 batters in the 2nd inning.
So far, our bats are dead cold. The need to get something going pretty soon.
In wonder if Billfer is at this game.
Yeah, C-Mo is back on track
btw: Carlos Pena with his 23rd HR for the Rays. He’s playing a good season so far
Hopefully the Rays can avoid such a debacle as last night
I keep waiting for Carlos Pena to slow down, but he doesn’t appear to be.
This is another nerve-wracking game with all sorts of odd thing happening. Unless the Tigers get some hot bats, it’s going to be another nailbiter.
Big trouble again. Pesky Royals 😀
Pesky indeed, Dirk. And after this series we go to Chicago for 5 games. KC and Sox are fighting each other to stay out of last place so that means all these games are going to probably be very stressful.
I just hope we win today.
The White Sox are down 3-0 at the moment. If these 2 Scores will stand til the End (God beware) they would be tied with the Royals. Unbelievable. From First to last in 2 seasons
Man, this Bannister Guy is very solid. He doesn’t strike out a lot, but that doesn’t matter. 81 Pitches in 5 Innings, 1K, 3 Hits so far
And Nate has only 62 Pitches, 6 K but 7 Hits.
the same procedure as in Inning 4. Not good, really not good
Well, now it’s 4-1. I think they better pull Nate out. We can still win if we could just string some hits together off this guy.
The Royals just play very relaxed and loose. Nothing to lose and everything to win by just improving their standings in the division. They certainly are a better team than last year.
I’m just wondering if the Tigers will make a move to get someone in the bullpen. If this Capellon guy doesn’t work out, I’m betting they will.
If they win this game, they are 5-4 after the All Star Break with the heavy roadtrip to Cleveland, Boston and now Detroit. Since the LA Angels Series they are 13-8
But: It ain’t over ’til it’s over 😉
5-1. Oh, this is awful.
No chance against (de) Jesus
What’s frustrating to me is that Rogers pitching has not been very good the last 2 games, Verlander didn’t look good last night and now Nate konks out. I hope this is not the start of a swoon.
Spoiled, I guess. I know they can’t win every game but I sure hate to see ’em lose.
Did I see that right on the broadcast, the Royals have 39 hits in the series? Wow.
Now it’s 40. BP for KC.
Rod and Mario are surmising if Dombrowski is contemplating any changes. They basically said anything about trades has been very quiet and the deadline is only 9 days away.
This is just a bad series. Let’s not get too down on the guys. You had to lose a series to KC, but heck, we are still the best team in the majors. It’s all a matter of perspective, and oftentimes I feel that we are too close to be subjective. BOS fans are probably lining up to jump into the Charles River, but when I look at them, I see the AL favorites.
I am, however, curious to see what kind of a throwing arm Maybin has.
BTW – has anyone checked out the Yankees score?
Yes I’ve checked it. Another Debacle. 18 runs so far…still counting 😉 Is it 42 Runs in 3 Games ? Crap
Note, I meant to say we are too close to be “objective.”
Maybe the Royals will let us back in…
Roar of the Tigers!!!
Bases loaded bottom of the 9th, nobody out.
maybe……
Sorry, 2 on and 1 out now.
Monroe can erase two months of personal misery with one swing…
I’d take Marcus in that situation any day.
Down to a miracle
That guy would look good in on old english D
Waaaah, Waaaah, waaaah!!!!!!
Is Dotel on the block?
Yes he is. Royals are looking for prospects in return.
One of those days 🙁
And now the White Sox….Actually trailing 1-8 in Boston. Halleluja, 5 Game Series.
I’d give anything if they’d trade Monroe and let Marcus be the starting LF. Maybe C-Mo is getting back his groove back but I just don’t trust him.
Dotel looks pretty good, but I bet the KC fans felt like they were on a rollercoaster.
at least this wasn’t embarrasing, unlike Friday. KC has been performing below their capabilities all year – they deserve a hot streak.
With a CWS loss they would be tied with KC for the cellar. I hope we can take the series from Chicago and watch them fall to the bottom
Kathy, don’t you think they ought to weight until they find out how bad the damage is on Marcus’ hammy?
Whoops! Make that “wait.”
Surely they must know by now about his hammy. It’s more of a hope thing with me when it comes to Marcus. Monroe is a good outfielder but I think Marcus is just about as good or would be if he played regularly and he has a better eye for the ball. Honestly, I think he’d turn into a .290 – .300 hitter and 30 HR if he played all season.
Can’t blame Jones for this loss. Let’s see who is it ? Nate? Monroe? .600 [win 3 out of 5]. We’re on track for 96 wins. On to Chicago. Go Tigers.
No biggie. I can live with this clunker of a weekend. After taking two out of three from CLE, sweeping BOS, splitting four @ SEA at a time when Seattle had won 16 out of 21 heading into the series, and then sweeping the Twins @ MIN I can live with dropping two out of three at home to KC. Its human nature to have a letdown after a tough stretch of games in which the team went 10-3 against other AL playoff-quality teams.
Yes, it’s time to move on. This is actually a “real” loss… the kind of loss you have little gripe with. The Tigers were out-pitched, out-hit, out-managed, out-played (as Leyland would say).
The thing is:
To make room for these kind of losses, which are inevitable, you have to finish the games you’re supposed to win. It’s actually kind of refreshing to just endure a loss as a loss, instead of one of the more frustrating losses (which of late have seemed much more prevelant) of a blown game variety, or a loss due to some ridiculous, avoidable twist of luck/fate/unfortuante circumstance/sub-par bullpen performance.
I have no problem losing this series. If every game this team loses, from this point forward, were of a similar vein, I feel fine about this team. I feel confident this team wins 100+ games this year and represents the AL in the classic.
That doesn’t mean I’m advocating we skate into post-trade season without doing anything to bolster the pen, as, unfortuately, I don’t see the picture playing out quite that favorably.
T Smith: I agree with all you just said. Pretty much sums it up.
I also agree with Billfer on Todd Jones. The size of the lead doesn’t have anything to do with anything; striking out only 11.9% of hitters, does. He’s a contact pitcher who’s been successful because he normally doesn’t walk hitters — which was his problem early in the year.
Brandon Inge has struck out in 16 of his last 17 games. 8 of those games, he’s K’d twice. His longest stretch without striking out was 11 AB’s in a row, from April 29th-May 2nd.
What do you guys think it’d take to get Isringhausen from the Cards? There’s talks if the Cardinals have a back week or so and fall out of the race even more, they could unload him as they have in house replacements that could take over. He’d have about half of his $8.75 million salary left for us to pay this year, and a player option for next season at $8 Million with a $1.25 million buyout clause. With attendance through the roof and only getting better (a ton of series down the line are sold out) our payroll has the flexibility to jump to top 5 in baseball if need be, so the cost isn’t a problem.
So who do you think it’d take to get Izzy and what would you guys give up to get him?
This article from the Washington Nationals website says the Nats are looking to move some pieces. It also says that the Nats were openly scouting Erie. i would definitely be down for any combination of Jurrjens/Trahern/Larish/whoever else on Erie’s roster for Chad Cordero, even if he is a FA at the end of the year. If we don’t resign him, no big deal, we’d get probably type B draft compensation for him, which is good compensation.
And I’m posting a lot, but I just read an article online in the Washington Post that says he’s under contract through 2009. So, I’m not sure which one is it, but if he’s under contract through 09 that’d be a great pick up. He also said in the article he said he’d be willing to change roles.
“Cordero said yesterday that he was open to changing roles.
‘I’ll do whatever the manager wants me to do,’ Cordero said. ‘If they want me to close, if they want me to be a seventh- or eighth-inning guy, whatever they want me to do.'”
All I’ll say in addition on Jones is this – we don’t win it all without a serious addition to the BP IMHO.
If you guys think Jones is sufficient, you’re entitled to your opinion and I’ll be happy to be proven wrong when all is said and done.
All I know for sure is that I hate watching him pitch because in my gut I never feel ANY lead is big enough with him, and therefore don’t enjoy watching even when its one, two, three.
ADR:
I hear your drums. But until we hear “Jones is going on the DL with a tired-arm…” (only likey after surrendering a consecutive string of embarrassing blown saves — due to the injury, of course)… you’re just gonna have to endure some unenjoyable ninth innings. I don’t see any moves to replace the closer.
That said, if the Tigers ever DID make such a bold move, bet the farm that an injury will be involved.
I think the main focus should be to bolster the setup guys, and if Zumaya and/or Rodney comes back to form, consider it a bonus. Then, if Jones does fall off the mound to the point where a move has to be made, you can always re-shuffle within the ranks with what you got.
It’s not ideal, but the reality is, it’s July 23rd, a seller’s maket, and not much out there.
ADR:
I hear your drums. But until we hear “Jones is going on the DL with a tired-arm…” (only likey after surrendering a consecutive string of embarrassing blown saves — due to the injury, of course)… you’re just gonna have to endure some unenjoyable ninth innings. I don’t see any moves to replace the closer.
That said, if the Tigers ever DID make such a bold move, bet the farm that an injury will be involved.
I think the main focus should be to bolster the setup guys, and if Zumaya and/or Rodney comes back to form, consider it a bonus. Then, if Jones does fall off the mound to the point where a move has to be made, you can always re-shuffle within the ranks with what you got.
It’s not ideal, but the reality is, it’s July 23rd, a seller’s market, and not much out there.
Sorry about the double post — I must be emphatic about that one.
Do you suppose we could have a separate place to post discussions like this versus posts like “nice pitch” during the game?
I think a rumors-type section of the site would be handy. I like discussing trades/rumors/etc and would like to see what others here have to say about certain things.
The fact that Nats are looking at Jurrjens is interesting. Although, as far as I understand it, Bowden is extremely hard to deal with. I can’t even imagine what he would expect in return for Cordero.
By the way, what is the “smart” scouting report/general opinion on Cordero?
Mike R — and anybody else following the trade rumors:
What are your thoughts on Brad Lidge? Sifting from the rumor mill, acquiring Lidge looks like a deal DD is trying to make