After a quick and satisfying 4-game home stand vs the Yankees, the Tigers hit the road for a costly 4-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Not that I’m predicting it will go badly, it’s just that players’ taxes are pro-rated depending on venue of performance, so they have to pay the higher Canadian taxes for playing in Toronto.
One presumes they left the bus home. At any rate, sadly, the Tigers may have dibs on the team plane again soon.
The Blue Jays are also known as the Toronto Jose Bautistas. Bautista not only leads the AL in OPS, he leads the league in each category: BA (.357) OBP (.530) and SLG (.762). And to make matters worse, the opponent he did best against in 2010: Detroit.
Fortunately, the Tigers don’t have to face him today (neck spasms), and he is day-to-day for the rest of the series. Time to capitalize on our good fortune.
The Tigers send Phil Coke to the mound, who has so far mixed flashes of brilliance with problems finding the strike zone. The Jays counter with Jesse Litsch, whose numbers this season are about the same as Coke’s.
Today’s Player of the Pre-Game: Brandon Inge
Jim Leyland has proclaimed–and this time I paraphrase–that Inge is “due,” adding that we have to understand that Inge is a “Spurt guy.”
Today’s Overtaxed Lineup:
- Austin Jackson CF
- Scott Sizemore 2B
- Brennan Boesch LF
- Miguel Cabrera 1B
- Victor Martinez DH
- Maggio Ordonez RF
- Jhonny Peralta SS
- Alex Avila C
- Brandon Inge 3B
I’m at the Rodgers Center. Kinda of a beat crowd tonight. 5 mins to go and maybe 11,000 people. A Decent amount of Tiger fans here. I have not scene Coleman yet. V-Mart looks good warming up
Let’s Go Tigers !!
Wacky Gene Lamont with the clown nose
I’m at the game, too, near 3rd base. I don’t know what Lamont was signalling, but I can’t believe Boesch went on that. A simple hit to shallow left and even a bad throw was enough to get him.
OK, on the count of 3, Steve and Andrew wave to each other…1…2…3…wave! Detroit Tigers Weblog, bringing fans together.
If Maggs wasn’t on deck, Lamont might have held BB.
You won’t be able to see me waving because of all these cheering Blue Jay fans.
No body up in the pen yet. With the exception of one hit. They have all been hard hits. He needs to settle in.
Jays fans are rabid and into the game. Large beers are 10.25. W O W
Inge at a Buck 98 with that K. AJax at a buck 97. Ouch
Don’t worry, Steve, they’re still not the worst in this lineup.
“I think you can get him now”
That’s 3 for Inge
He’s even more due now.
This isn’t the best episode of the Rreality Show
Just tuning to the game via ESPN as I sit on an airplane — no TV — but the picture is still the same. A. Jackson leading off and accumulating more Ks tonight, check. Inge with 3 Ks, check. Well, at least his defense is a plus. Oh wait, his “golden glove” made an another error. Note to Dave D: David Wright is looking for a new team. He has a bat and he can play 3rd.
Has this one looked as bad as the box makes it look?
You can only expect so much when you’re up against Cy Litsch
I see that Mr. Thomas has now entered the fray after Mr. Villareal through gas on the fire. Nice. And what a nice line Villareal put together. Leyland must be tearing his hair out.
@TBran — yes, it has.
Why does JL keep putting Inge out there. 0-3, 3 strikeouts now hitting .194. Wow, there is no one else to play 3B?
He’s a spurt guy.
I guess thats why
Why does JL put Kelly out there? Hes hitting .212. (maybe it will work again)
ok, Why does JL put Sizemore out there? Hes hitting 269
Ok, Why does JL put Boesch out there? Hes hitting .306.
I believe we now have sufficient data to declare the Phil Coke as starter experiment a failure. His line for today’s experiment:
Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA
P Coke 6.0 11 4 4 0 5 0 79-58 4.75
Trouble is, Mr. Leyland’s gut will probably require more data before Phil is sent back to the bullpen.
Darn!!
Hey, you got us 3 runs, not bad
3 more K’s tonight for Inge….he’s now hitting .156 over his past ten games and .200 on the season as his late inning 2B brings him back over the Mendoza Line. OBP is .248 and SLG is .290 (!!) on the season. Why is there NO discussion of benching this guy? He’s another of the guys friggin’ killin’ us.
Coke is a reliever, pure and simple. Our bullpen is worse without him and our rotation isn’t better with him. But, I’ve been saying this since it was announced. Unfortunately, management apparently doesn’t read blogs.
Tomorrow’s lineup:
1. cf
2. 2b
3. lf/rf
4.1b
5. dh
6. rf/lf
7. ss
8. c
9. 3b
Please note that Leyland is NOT completely inflexible.
I have to say I get a perverse pleasure from anticipating the day Cabrera gets a day off and we get “batting 4th, first baseman Don Kelly.”