Who knew?  Jim Leyland is a fan of alternate realities.

After refusing to answer questions on the subject, and despite all the proper things being said by Leyland and Rick Knapp, it looks like Benoit will no longer be Joaquin to the mound in the 8th inning.

Who will replace him has not been specified.  In light of yesterday’s rainout, it would make sense to bump Porcello back one day, move Coke back to the pen to be the 8th inning guy, and bring up Andy Oliver to take over Coke’s rotation spot next time around.

Yet, there he is, Phil Coke, today’s starter.  He is a lefty, which is useful against Boston’s lefty-heavy lineup.  But this is the 2nd time Rick has been skipped in the rotation;  and, plus:  Porcello vs Youkilis.  C’mon, who doesn’t want to see this?  At any rate today will feature Phil Coke vs the suddenly hot Clay Buchholz, weather willing.

Today’s Player of the Pre-Game:  Al Alburquerque

With Coke starting, Captain QuerK stands a good chance of being the 8th-inning guy du jour.  A good outing against the Red Sox could make it tempting to leave him there.

Today’s V-Mart Returns to Fenway Lineup:

1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Scott Sizemore 2B
3. Brennan Boesch LF
4. Miguel Cabrera 1B
5. Victor Martinez DH
6. Jhonny Peralta SS
7. Alex Avila C
8. Ryan Raburn RF
9. Brandon Inge 3B

May 16, 2011.  Alternate baseball reality.

It’s a cold, windy evening at Comerica park, and looks to be a pitcher’s game.  The pitchers did not disappoint:  the undefeated Max Scherzer, while not overpowering, made all of the right pitches at the right times, only giving up 1 run (unearned) in 7 innings.  Son of Doug Drabek was also good, after escaping a bases-loaded no-out Cabrera-at-bat situation with only 1 run, getting the hot Victor Martinez to ground into an inning-ending DP.  So when Al Alburquerque came on in the 8th inning, and mowed down the side with a slider even more unhittable than usual in the cold, the excitement at Comerica began to build.  When Jose Valverde closed the top of the 9th with a K and a dance, the chants of “walkoff” began.

It didn’t take long.  After a popup by Victor Martinez,  Jhonny Peralta launched a blast to deep left center, and the Tigers suddenly increased their win streak to 8, and as the dugout emptied and danced around Peralta at the plate, it was hard not to wonder if we were watching the beginning of something special in Motown.

Back to reality.

As good as the Tigers’ starters have been, Detroit now has an AL worst 5.50 ERA for its relief pitchers.  It’s not Valverde:  he’s at a nice 1.50.  And the youngster Al Alburquerque has surprised with a decent 3.46, and an amazing 15.9 K/9 inning.  No, it’s the 8th inning guys, Ryan Perry (7.88) and Joaquin Benoit (7.98).  Oh, and Brad Thomas (9.00), but that’s kind of a given.

Jim Leyland is unlikely to replace Joaquin Benoit as the 8th inning guy, which he confirmed by even refusing to take questions on the subject. It’s a tricky problem:  so much of a relief pitcher’s success is related to confidence, and sometime knowing the manager has faith is an important part of a turnaround.  But what if confidence isn’t the issue?  Then you end up with a .175 Ordonez batting 3rd for 20% of the season, or a 2008 Sheffield wincing through a season as DH.  Whatever happens, it would be unlikely for Leyland to make changes anytime soon.

So what IS wrong with Benoit?  Bless You Boys takes a look at Benoit’s F/X data, and wonders if perhaps Benoit isn’t just overthrowing, and thinks things may work themselves out.

Today Rick Porcello takes on Jesse “Cy” Litsch, who gave the Tigers all sorts of trouble last start.  But that was before we had Andy Dirks.

In other alternate reality news:  Tomorrow’s probable starters:  Clay Buchholz vs Jair Jurrjens

Today’s Player of the Pre-Game:  Rick Porcello

Porcello looks to continue the string of brilliant Tiger starting pitching.  His mission:  to make it through 7 innings, and turn the game over to Alburquerque and Valverde (surely, Benoit’s, um, arduous outing yesterday means he’s unavailable today?)

Today’s Where’s Ramon? Lineup:

1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Andy Dirks LF
3. Brennan Boesch RF
4. Miguel Cabrera 1B
5. Victor Martinez DH
6. Jhonny Peralta SS
7. Alex Avila C
8. Scott Sizemore 2B
9. Brandon Inge 3B

September 1, 2011.

That is the day the Tigers look to finish the 3-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals, since Sunday they were thwarted by weather.  By then, the Indians should be in the rear-view mirror.  Breaking news:  Grady Sizemore back on the DL (sighs from Grady’s Ladies).

Today, May 16, 2001, is the clash of the unbeaten streak teams–Detroit with a 7-game winning streak, and Toronto with a 5-game winning streak, the 2 longest current streaks in the league.  Something has to give.  Or does it?  This could also be the 2nd of a 2-game rainout streak.  Weathermen are standing by.

Today’s game features Max Scherzer, who looks to become MLB’s first 7-game winner, as he continues on pace to a 28-0 season.  About that Blue Jays winning streak:  their last loss? To Max Scherzer and the Tigers. The Blue Jays counter with, Kyle Drabek (2-2, 4.81), son of Doug.  Jim Leyland coached his dad.  Advantage:  Tigers.

And also:  Jose Bautista.  For the love of Paws, pitch around him this time, do you hear what I’m telling you? For Detroit, Victor Martinez is cruising along with a 13-game hitting streak, and was named AL player of the week.  Advantage:  even

Ingetangibles:

Two weeks ago in these very pages, looking for some bright spot after a demoralizing sweep by Cleveland, we noted that Brandon Inge called a team “unifying” meeting, and proclaimed “we are going to be a winning team.”

Tiger record since that meeting:  10-2.

Sure, the winning can mostly be attributed to pitching, starting with Justin No-Hit Verlander.  But why has the starting pitching been so good?  Clearly something has inspired them.  Brandon “Team Chemistry” Inge should certainly be the Player of the Pre-Game.  Advantage:  Tigers

Yesterday was to be the much anticipated unveiling of Andy Dirks, the young LH OF called up to replace Groundouttlio while he rests his ankklio.  Normally, when the Tigers call up someone from Toledo Leyland plays him immediately.  Unfortunately, in Dirks’ case it appears the team inadvertently called up Andy Dick, who luckily was unavailable because of legal troubles.  Management has now sorted out the situation, and Andy Dirks gets the start today.

Today’s Player of the Pre-Game:  Ramon Santiago

Yeah, I know I said it would be Inge.  But then I found out via Leyland that there is no such thing as team chemistry, so forget everything I said above.  But, Ramon Santiago:  the most useful backup infielder in the league?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

Today’s  Lineup:

1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Andy Dirks LF
3. Brennan Boesch RF
4. Miguel Cabrera 1B
5. Victor Martinez DH
6. Jhonny Peralta SS
7. Alex Avila C
8. Brandon Inge 3B
9. Ramon Santiago 2B

A few quick thoughts on JV –

– He’s awesome.
– I love the way he is mixing up his pitches as of late.  Yesterday he opened the game with four four-seamers against Gets.  Threw one changeup to Cabrera, then closes with three changeups to K Gordon.  He then introduced the slider in the second inning, but stuck with the fastball for the walk to Butler and first 2 outs.  So a very hot Mike Aviles comes up likely looking fastball, and JV throws 4 curveballs.  For the game, JV threw only 43% fastballs, 25% curveballs, and then 16% changeups and sliders.  He is legitimately throwing 4 + to ++ pitches at all points during the game.  Just sick.

The Tigers hope that Jeff Francis is poised to become the latest Clown Show Bop Bag, as he lugs his 5.09 ERA to Comerica this afternon.  The Royals are hoping that Francis can find some of his early season success that saw him open the season with a 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP after four starts.  The Tigers, on the other hand, want late April/early May Jeff Francis who has given up 4 bombs and 33 hits in his last 19 innings.  Francis walks almost no one, as he is currently sixth in the AL with a 1.76/9 walk rate.

Even though he’s following a guy who’s averaging 1 hit per game, Bad Brad Penny has plenty to be proud of.  Over his last 4 stats BBP has lasted at least six innings in each game, winning 3 of them.  The only loss came when he opposed Seattle rookie phenom Michael Pineda.  BBP has posted a 1.32 ERA and fantastic 1.01 WHIP during that span.  Despite a low K/9, Penny has been able to have success as of late because he’s keeping walks down – 12 in his first 4 starts, 5 over his last 5, and pitching to contact (whatever that means).

A few notes:

– Billy Butler’s 22 game hit streak vs. the Tigers was snapped yesterday.
– The Tigers have at least 1 XBH in every game this season, the second longest such streak since 1919 (1986 – 51 games).  I’m guessing the XBH to start a season research guy got a better offer the day before he was set to open the book entitled “1918 – Every Box Score.”  The Tigers are the only team to have an XBH in every game in 2011.
– Peralta is 2 hits away from 1,000, which would make him the 47th Puerto Rican to do so, but the first with a typo on his birth certificate.

Today’s Ghostly Lineup:

1. Jackson – CF
2. Sizemore – 2B
3. Raburn – LF
4. Cabrera – 1B
5. Martinez – C
6. Peralta – SS
7. Boesch – DH
8. Wells – RF
9. Inge – 3B

On June 15th, 1938, Johnny Vander Meer, in only his second big league season, took the mound for the Cincinnatti Reds against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.  It was only four days after Vander Meer had no hit the Boston Braves at Crosley Field.  Despite walking 8 against 7 strikeouts, Vander Meer pulled off a feat never before accomplished, and yet to be repeated to this day, as he threw his second consecutive no hitter.  This was the highlight of Vander Meer’s otherwise nondescript career.

Verlandermeer takes the hill tonight against the 2nd place Kansas City Royals.  KC got off to a fast start and has been holding steady since, largely in part to their hitting.  The Royals are currently hitting .265 as a team (tied for 2nd in the AL, Tigers are 5th at .257), and are 3rd  in the AL with a .758 OPS (Tigers are 7th at .729).  The Royals’ team ERA finds them 10th in the AL at 4.18, one spot ahead of the Tigers.  Where the Tigers do have the Royals is starting pitching.

Luke Hochevar takes the mound for the Royals tonight with a 4.91 ERA, following up a solid outing against the Athletics where he allowed 1 ER and 4 hits over 7 innings.  The three starts prior to that, however, didn’t go so well.  In two games against Cleveland and one against Minnesota from late April to early May, Hochevar allowed 15 earned in 18 2/3 with a 1.55 WHIP. On the season Hochevar is striking out only 5.7 per 9, though he does have a salty walk rate of 2.1/9 and 1.15 WHIP.  The explanation is XBH, as he’s allowed 28 of them against 19 singles, with 10 of them leaving the yard.

JV is good at pitching.  Not much else needed here, other than a great post by the Onion regarding JV’s no hitter.

Maggs finally went on the DL today, with Dirks getting the call-up from Toledo.

Today’s pick to click is Miguel Cabrera.  He’s a career .500 hitter off of Hochevar in 20 ABs with 2 bombs.

Lineups will be posted shortly. Dirks did not get the auto just up from Toledo JL start.  Odd.

1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Scott Sizemore, 2B
3. Brennan Boesch, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Don Kelly, LF
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Alex Avila, C
9. Brandon Inge, 3B

Tigers look for a quick two game sweep of the MLB worst Twinkies today

Baker goes for Minnesota today as the lone bright spot in their rotation.  On the season he’s posting a 2.97 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 7.8 K/9.  After being hit hard in his first two starts, Baker has allowed only 5 earned in his last 4 starts, covering 28 1/3 IP.

Phil Soda takes the mound trying to keep up some of the AL’s best starting pitching.  Tigers starters are tied with the Rangers for the most wins this season from the rotation with 16. Moreover, our front five have 25 quality starts of six innings or more and have allowed three runs or less in 37 games.

Ordonez and Peralta with an off day today.

1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Scott Sizemore, 2B
3. Brennan Boesch, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Ryan Raburn, LF
7. Alex Avila, C
8. Santiago, SS
9. Brandon Inge, 3B

Tigers finished the second inning yesterday (if you break the season down into 9 innings, there are 18 games per inning) at 10-8.  This inning saw three 3 game win streaks, and a 7 game losing streak.  Tigers enter the third inning at .500, and in third place in the Central.  They are 5.5 games behind Cleveland, but 4 games ahead of Chicago and 4.5 ahead of the Twins.

The Bizarro Twins take the field against the Tigers tonight.  They have had injury problems, Carl Pavano leads your rotation problems, and even Justin Morneau isn’t hitting, as John Lowe points out in today’s column.  Even so, the organization knows how to win, so we need to take our swings while they are down.

Liriano climbs the hill for the Twins after throwing an excuse me no-hitter last time out against the meager White Sox.  He managed to walk 6 and strike out two on his way to throwing 47% balls over 123 pitches, yet did not allow a hit.  A no-no is always great, but I don’t think he necessarily had great stuff.  Had last week not gone so well, Liriano might find himself out of the rotation, as he’s putting up a 1.56 WHIP and 24 BBs against only 20 Ks…with the complete game last week. His 9.13 ERA dropped to 6.61 after the outing.

Today’s Playgglio of the Gamegglio is Magglio.  Ordonez is a career .327 hitter against the Twinkies and leads all active players with 230 hits, 45 doubles and 145 RBI against them.

– Cabrera (7/20), Ordonez (10/26) and VMart (8/18) all hit Liriano well.
– VMart is on a nine game hitting streak, batting .438 during that time.
– In his last 11 games, Austin Jackson is hitting .341 with three doubles, a triple, a homer and seven RBIs.

Today’s DTW Player of the Game Friendly Lineup is:

1. Jackson – CF
2. Sizemore – 2B
3. Ordonez – RF
4. Cabrera – 1B
5. Martinez – DH
6. Peralta – SS
7. Boesch – LF
8. Inge – 3B
9. Avila – C

Today’s senseless DTW feedback question of the game is: why in the world are airplane seats shaped such that your head is in front of your body?