2011 Season, Game Post

Game 2011.82: Mets at Tigers

22 Comments

The Tigers limped in to the midway point last night, allowing 14+ runs on consecutive nights to the Mets, who are two games above .500 for the first time since April 5th.  The Tigers pitching staff has been pummeled by the Mets, and change is coming.  First of all, Schlereth was sent down last night and Villareal was called up.  Secondly, Coke’s spot in the rotation is in flummox, and Furbush may be offered the spot.  I would love to see Coke return to the pen, but I’m not sure that Furbush or Oliver at the 5 gives us a better chance every week.  We’ll likely find out shortly.

It’s going to take a heroic effort from JV to tame Mets bats that have set a club record with 52 runs scored in 4 ball games.  During that time, the Mets have 17,14, 18, and 20 hits, and are batting a ridiculous .404 as a team.  Maybe we just caught them at the wrong time.

On the bright side of things, the Tigers enter game 82 5 games over .500, in a tie for first place, and get JV versus Mike Pelfrey today.  Verlander’s last month+ has been epic.  He’s 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA in his last six starts, and 8-0 with a 1.56 ERA in his last 10.  Over his last six he’s allowed just 26 hits over 49 2/3 innings.

The Tigers have been something between bad and awful in the 2nd half under Leyland since he’s been here, and I’m not sure that he’s done anything to change that.  On the other hand, even with all of their shortcomings the Tigers have the most talent in a pretty weak AL Central, and according to two odds predictors, they have the best chance of winning the Central.  We should be in a pennant race for the next three months, and for us baseball junkies, we can’t really ask for anything more.

22 thoughts on “Game 2011.82: Mets at Tigers”

  1. Lineup today:

    1. Austin Jackson, cf
    2. Don Kelly, 3b
    3. Brennan Boesch, rf
    4. Miguel Cabrera, 1b
    5. Victor Martinez, dh
    6. Andy Dirks, lf
    7. Jhonny Peralta, ss
    8. Alex Avila, c
    9. Ramon Santiago, 2b
    P: Justin Verlander

    1. I don’t think we have a better set of 10 players to put out there. These 9 should be starting everyday. Wish Verlander could, too.

  2. Tigers scored more runs than any other team in baseball last night, other than the Mets.

  4. And now Verlander gives up a home run?

    THE SKY IS FALLING AND IT’S ALL SO VERY DARK

  5. Call me petty, but a lineup without an Inge or Raburn seems to cheer me up… and as an added bonus having JV on the mound

  6. Kelly ,Dirks and Santiago have already accomplished more in this game than Inge, Raburn, and Ordonez have in any game all year…..too bad they will be back on the bench tomorrow…….

    ….oh ya and I didn’t know h*ll froze over cause that was the only way Coke was going back to the pen….makes you think with that happening and Thomas doing decent in Toledo there is a trade in the works…..too many pen lefties!!

    1. i also wondered if a trade (for a starting pitcher) may be in the works; if so, its definately been ‘on the sly’ because i haven’t really heard of any teams looking to move any quality starter …possibly in the last year of his contract, or from a team that has (or soon will) become ‘a seller’…someone like Brett Myers/Astros or Dempster or Zambrano/Cubs or Nolasco/Marlins?

      the Tigers could dangle an Oliver (or another non-Turner prospect), Raburn and/or one of their pen lefties for a 4 or 5 starter…

      Adding a dependable solid 3, 4 or 5 starter to the Tiger roster would greatly improve their chances to win the AL Central – outside of JV, there have to be some concerns with their current (coke-less) rotation.

    2. Looks like we coulda had, if we wanted, Mark Ellis at 2nd for approximately nothing.

      1. Fortunately we didn’t, because nothing is about what he is worth – hitting .217 at the moment.

        1. Um, true. Yet our 2B is hitting .207 and can’t field like Ellis even in his own fantasies.

          1. Perhaps we could still work a straight up deal of Raburn (.207) for Ellis (.217). While we are at it, how about a straight up deal with CLE, Inge (.199) for Everett (.217). Talk about the best of all possible worlds: shed salary, improve defense, and increase offensive production!

  7. QUESTION: when is the last time the Tigers had FIVE .300 hitters (200+ ABs) in their lineup at midseason? That is impressive.

  9. 10 hits, again. Props to to Santiago and Avila for their plays on Reyes, and Avila’s block. Those were huge.

  10. Can’t count on my fingers how many wins Verlander has now and it’s still June.

  11. LETS TO TIGERS. shaping into a great season. lets add a SP and RP, bring back infante (my own wishful thinking).

    and go all the way!

    1. AA has been pretty much the only ‘consistent’ bright spot in this year’s bullpen… but based on reports that his elbow has been barking for about a month, it was just a matter of time, as elbow pain is not something that typically ‘works itself out’ or is solved with a couple days rest – especially for a pitcher that relies so heavily on his slider.

      maybe Coke can pick up the slack?

    1. We cashed in most of our DL frequent flier miles before the season started. Zumaya and Guillen are travel gifts that keep giving.

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