Detroit Tigers, 37-40, 5 games behind Chicago. Tiger record against AL East: 9-9.
Yesterday we had a long intro and few comments, and the Tigers lost. Today looking to change things up.
It’s Earth, Wind & Fire night at Tropicana, as Rick Porcello takes the mound against the Rays in game 3 of 4 in Tampa.
It’s also pine tar and takedown night, as Tampa regains the services of relievers Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth for tonight’s game.
Stat of the Day: Tampa Bay is mysteriously bad against the AL Central: 4-10, including a sweep by the Royals. In fact, remove the AL Central games from all the AL East teams’ records, and the Rays are comfortably in first place.
Today’s Player of the Pre-game: Delmon Young. Delmon is having one of those mini-hot streaks that can make him seem like an actual threat, hitting .346 with a home run over the last 6 games. Let’s see if he can keep it up another game or two.
Today’s Back-To-Jacksonberry Lineup:
- Austin Jackson CF
- Quintin Berry LF
- Miguel Cabrera 3B
- Prince Fielder 1B
- Delmon Young DH
- Alex Avila C
- Brennan Boesch RF
- Jhonny Peralta SS
- Ramon Santiago 2B
Maybe we should just look at the fact the Tigers are 1 game ahead of the Royals for 3rd place. Maybe that’s the only battle they have a shot at this year. Just sayin’. Both their home-road record is under .500 which shows some consistency, tho it’s a consistency of a mediocre team. Hope I’m wrong, but I’m one of many who’s been waiting for the “dominant force” the Tigers were supposed to be this year. It just ain’t happening.
At best, this is a slightly above average team (we have yet to see them reach those heights though.) Over the winter the big personnel change was Fielder for Martinez, which to me looks like a regression at this point. And when one considers the fact that the only teams the Tigers dominated last year were their Central division opponents (45-45 vs everyone else), the 2011 95-win finish looks to be a statistical abberation. Although I thought last years record was overblown, I expected them to make a good run with an 85-win season this year in a weak division. However, injuries, regression by players like Avila, Boesch and Young (all should have been expected or at least considered as extremely likely possibilities), coupled with an increase in clown show defense and the usual coaching/management flubadubs, has even my original conservative expectations looking overly rosy at the moment. Of course, they still might turn it around, providing some improvements through trade are acquired, but even this is looking less and less likely now (time’s awastin’ – what are they waiting for.) The pitching has been above average, but the offense is poorly constructed, the bench is well below average for a contending team, and the defense is one of the worst in baseball. Championships, or even pretenders, aren’t constructed along these lines.
We just can’t catch a break ….. why did it have to hit the pitcher and not go through into center field.
We did catch a break – Cy Hellickson is out of the game now.
I can’t figure out why in the world MLB has decided I’m blacked out for this game…but what in the world was this about: “P Fielder lined out to pitcher, A Jackson scored, Q Berry to third, M Cabrera to second?”
So much for the Thome to Tigers rumors. He’s an Oriole now.
What Thome to Tigers rumors? Is that anything like the Garza to Tigers rumor, or the Lowrie to Tigers rumor, or the Porcello + to the Padres for Gonzalex rumor, or the….. Anyway, the Tigers don’t need another 1B/DH-type player, they already have 4 or 5 of those.
Tigers have played 5-6 games less in the Central Div than Sox or Indians…so at least they get the chance to do their own work to catch up…
Ramon following a clown show play comes up with a reverse clown show play!!!
this LOB..business is officially disgusting…..
Our season RISP isn’t that bad, we just can’t hit for any power.
Would love to see Ricky go 8.
They exist!
must be great coaching by Mumbles..first 3 run dinger in 37 games…He knew they were due…
Porcello great job again today…
In his last 3, Porcello has allowed 3 ER in 20 IP (1.35 ERA), 13/4 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP.