2012 Season, Game Post

Game 2012.63: Tigers at Cubs

32 Comments

29-33, 3rd place, 5 games back.

On a night when the Tigers’ big three bats were a combined 2-14 with 1 R and 0 RBI, the Tigers still plated 8 runners and won comfortably, for a change.

Since being reinserted into the 2 hole (this includes a PH appearance), Boesch is 12-22 with 2 HR, and has seen his average rise from .227 to .252. I don’t think that Boesch’s streak has anything to do with Smokey moving him back up in the order, but rather should be attributed to the normal peaks and valleys of a season. Boesch has been streaky in the past, so let’ see how much we can get out of him during this one.

Peralta, on the other hand, seems to be on the path towards career averages, which would be welcomed. He’s hitting .387 over his last 10 and has raised his average from .239 to .267.

In light of the hitting from the supporting cast, I think the real story over the past few weeks is the bullpen. Tigers relievers are posting a 2.25 ERA and a .219 BAA over the past 25 games. Here are the last five outings for each of the relievers:

– Below – 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 3 H
– Benoit – 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 6 k
– Coke – 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 9 k
– Marte – 3.38 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 K
– Putkonen (not so good, but it was 3 weeks ago)
– Valverde – 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 3 saves
– Villareal – 2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP, 9 K

And we’re going to add Al AlB to that in a few months? If the bats can just pick up, we’re going to be alright.

Today’s Notes:

– Ryan Raburn is back after hammering Triple-A pitching to the tune of .194 with 1 HR. Smyly to the DL.
– Are the Tigers looking at Carlos Quentin? He’d be an upgrade in LF over DY.

Today’s Series Winning There is Zero Justification for Batting Rayburn Ahead of Laird Lineup:

1. Jackson, CF
2. Boesch, RF
3. Cabrera, 3B
4. Fielder, 1B
5. Young, LF
6. Peralta, SS
7. Raburn, 2B
8. Laird, C
9. Verlander, P

32 thoughts on “Game 2012.63: Tigers at Cubs”

  1. Ramon Santiago hitting .278 with 5 RBI for the last 7 days, with some good defense. So he takes a seat for Raburn. Because it’s a rule you have to play a guy the same day you bring him up from Toledo. At least he didn’t bat him 2nd.

  2. I don’t see how we add Quentin without deleting DY. Oh wait, Berry gets sent back to the minors.

  5. Nice work picking up the RBI there, Fielder. That’s what he’s here for.

  8. If JV gets injured here b/c Raburn doesn’t know how to run the bases then he may get sent right back down.

  9. Rayburn…welcome back…not…nice Little League base running mistake…at least you got a hit to match your monthly quota

  10. Who teaches these guys baserunning? These mental errors are ridiculous…They all get thrown out at 3rd on balls hit to the SS..A high school kid would be benched for that..It is losing baseball. Overall, though, they appear to be hitting the ball better, Drew Smyly being injured may help him, because he is a rookie and probably needs a bit of a break, anyhow. If The front 4 of the rotation and the pen pitch well for a 6 week stretch, then the Tigers will be in first place, limiting these mental errors will help as well.

  11. JV hasn’t looked right for a month now. Ever since the 1 hitter. I wonder if he’s injured.

    1. Very true Kevin. I have observed that he is missing on his curves and breaking balls. Then when he comes back with a 91mph fastball, they spank him. Also did you see him in the dugout in the bottom of the 8th with the fingernail clippers? Rod said that he was working on a callus.

      1. That could easily be it.

        I feel like he hasn’t been able to throw the pitches he wants, when he wants. Meaning he doesn’t have good feel for his secondary pitches. But I’m sure he’ll get it worked out.

    2. He hasn’t been throwing as many fastballs as he did early in the season. He seems to more touch and feel lately than I can ever remember so I too sometimes wonder if his arm is a bit sore right now. That would explain not cranking it up to the upper 90s and 100 very often as of late.

  12. Are we lucky enough that the Tigers brought up Rugburn to showcase him to the Cubs for a Demester trade…..we can a always hope

    1. The Cubs are rebuilding and will want prospects. Or were you thinking of Raburn as a throw-in?

  15. So was the Raburn call-up and Smily to the DL the big move Leyland was talking about yesterday. or was/is there something else?

      1. Now that the secondbase situation has been resolved by the Raburn Recall, I suppose that puts paid to any trades, at least for the moment.

  17. I see other guys do that all the time (not get out of the way of a HBP), so I’ll remember what Fielder just did before we get upset at someone else.

    1. Fielder is well-protected 🙂

      Technically I don’t think you can get away leaning into a pitch, although in the past I’ve seen Jason Giambi do just that (it’s probably hard for the home plate ump to pick up), but I don’t think you are obligated to get out of the way either. On the other hand, I don’t know how smart it would be to NOT try and get out of the way of a 100 MPH fastball, so you either have to pick your pitch to get hit by or be really brave, or really stupid.

  19. Getaway games after a night game seem to be often low scoring affairs. Perhaps that is just an old myth though.

  20. Justin Verlander becomes the first Tiger in 2012 with 2 sac bunts in a game. And may have just got himself a win.

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