Detroit Tigers, 54-48, 2nd place, 1.5 back.
The Tigers, who were a Peralta away from being swept by the Blue Jays, will stay East and try the Red Sox for a 3-game set that ends Wednesday night on ESPN.
Even though the Tigers have started strong in the 2nd half (10-6), they have still been a bit of an offensive jugger-not. They are batting .257 as a team since the break (.269 before), with a bit less power (.400 SLG vs .420 first half).
Maybe Fenway will perk them up: Detroit hit .296 in its first 4-game series there, smashed 6 home runs, and scored 18.
If the suddenly-consistent Max Scherzer has another outing like his last, they may not need much offense. Scherzer now is 5-1, 2.54 over his last 7 starts, with 54 Ks and only 14 walks, although he has given up a home run in 4 consecutive starts.
Stat of the Day: Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn are batting a combined .000 at Fenway in 2012. The bar is low for Infante.
Today’s Player of the Pre-game: Jhonny Peralta. The H-Factor already has 2 home runs at Fenway this season. Can he do it 2 games in a row?
Today’s Leftist Lineup:
- Austin Jackson CF
- Quintin Berry LF
- Miguel Cabrera 3B
- Prince Fielder 1B
- Delmon Young DH
- Brennan Boesch RF
- Jhonny Peralta SS
- Alex Avila C
- Omar Infante 2B
0 for 3 RISP so far.
I prefer to think of it as a Rangers-Like Offense.
Except, you know, with the GIDP accessory.
I’m predicting a big game for Infante. “He’s due!”
Delmon Young, your clutch No. 5 DH.
I’m predicting we will wish Delmon Young came down with the flu today.
Too many strikeouts.
He could’ve used 1 more.
OK, there’s the obligatory home run, at least that’s out of the way.
When is Dirks back? And is it me or should Laird play more?
He is batting below the Mendoza line at Toledo.
You can at least say that the Tigers are consistent ….. consistently swinging at pitches way out of the strike zone!
Ha, Avila right on cue.
And Leyland wakes up.
This is looking like the same lethargic bunch that sleep-walked its way through May and into June.
The bats have gone back into hibernation.
I’m amazed at how many of these guys insist on pulling the ball. Use the whole field!
The seduction of the Green Monster.
With Young, Boesch and Peralta, I’m predicting a 1,2,3 ninth on less than 10 pitches
A lead off walk to Delmon Young…this is NOT what one wants to start off the 9th…very Papa Grande…
if Young..Peralta…Boesch and Avila went to the plate with no bat in their hands they might just get on base more that 2 out of 15 at bats
Last 7 game totals for Boesch~Peralta~Avila~Young
2/13..2 r..2rbi
3/15..1 r..1rbi
1/14..0r..0rbi
3/14,,1r..1..rbi
3/11..3r..4rbi
3/15..1r..1rbi…
Rayburn isn’t going to be the reason the Tigers lose the
ALCentral the reasons will be Avila…Young..Peralta.. and Boesch
Basically, the Tigers just don’t do very well outside of the Central:
This year: 33-33
Last year: 45-45
On the bright side, the WSox are doing approximately the same. The division title will likely come down to those head-to-head games with the Sox. After that, if the Tigers take the division, Fate (or if you prefer, Luck) will probably decide how far they go in the playoffs.
The little things, like baserunning, plate discipline, fielding (this is actually a big thing, but they treat it like it isn’t veery important), and coaching acumen, add up over a 162-game schedule and become even more important in a short post-season series (e,g, pitchers fielding in ’06 Series.) As a team, most of the fine points of play and strategy are a negative for them, has been for quite some time (e.g. pitcher fielding), and is unlikely to change any time soon. But I guess we can still wish them Good Luck.
14-13 against East.Only team in the central over 500
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/tigers-seeking-middle-of-the-order-hitter.html
apparently any hopes for a VMart return this season may be dwindling
Soriano, huh. Panic creeping in? It’s taken almost 100 games to admit they need major upgrades at 2B, OF and DH (I’ll give them a pass on C and SS.) And then there is the bench.