71-61, 2nd place, 1 game behind CWS, 2 games behind WC.
One game at a time.
Max Scherzer continued his August assault on the American League with a masterful 4 hit, 1 walk, 0 ER and 9 strikeout performance over the White Sox last night. Don’t look now, but Scherzer has an outside chance at 20 wins. The Tigers got timely hits from Cabrera and Garcia, and Delmon Young hit two HRs, though one only counted as a triple. (Are you guys with me here? That ball clearly hit the yellow. How could they miss that?) It was a complete team performance.
So that gets us to tonight. Regular season games don’t get any better. Division rival. Sunday night baseball on ESPN. Ace v. Young Phenom. Win and we’re tied for first. My plan is progressing as planned, and I fully expect JV to bring it tonight.
To give you an idea of just how good Justin Verlander is, even with the 8 ER aberration last time out, JVs August ERA is 3.53.Verlander shut down the White Sox in his only start against them this year back on July 20th,when he allowed 2 ER in 8 IPs. Pierzynski has 3 career HRs off of Verlander in 71 ABs. JV has a 1.75 ERA and .92 WHIP at Comerica this year.
The Tigers have had Sale’s number this year, scoring 8 ER in 12 IPs covering two starts. Sale was roughed up last time out against Bal, but it’s nothing like what KC did to JV. Despite the Tigers’ successes against Sale, only Laird and Peralta have hit him well. Jackson, Cabrera and Fielder are a combined 3-26. I expect this to be a low scoring affair. Hopefully JV can keep his pitch count down.
A few notes:
– JV has allowed 10 unearned runs this year. Chris Sale has allowed 1.
– Before the single in the 9th off of Valverde, the White Sox were 0-17 in the series with RISP. It happens to everyone.
– Rangers rookie phenom and #1 overall prospect Jurickson Profar went yard in his first ML AB.
– DY is 12-27 over his last 7 games. His .740 season long OPS is only a shade off of his career .748 OPS. I hope he continues to mash this September and perhaps even into October, and I hope equally as much that DD doesn’t neglect his career body of work this off-season.
– Brandon Inge will undergo season ending shoulder surgery. Too bad he won’t be with Oakland for their stretch run.
– Al Al will be available tonight. Look for Smokey to use him in the most high leverage situation possible.
Tonight’s Series Sweeping Lineup:
1. Jackson, CF
2. Infante, 2B
3. Cabrera, 3B
4. Fielder, 1B
5. Young, LF
6. Peralta, SS
7. Garcia, RF
8. Boesch, DH
9. Laird, C
I’m going jersey + cap + Modelo Especial for the watching party with my 15 month old. Special night.
Boy, that De Aza HR sure did take the wind out of my sails. Only his 2nd ever leadoff HR allowed.
Will the real JV please stand up!
JV confidence not there; getting way too much plate.
Ball really looked like it carried to me. I think he’ll be alright.
Maybe JV and Jones need to look at some tapes from pre AS game.
Cabrera, Fielder, Young and Peralta = 72 GDP. Team total is 129.
Expected for the middle of the order – guys on base in front of them, hit the ball hard. I don’t think our GIDP is out of whack with anyone else in the AL.
Of the better hitting teams in the league:
WSox: Dunn (6!), Konerko, Ramirez, Viciedo – 58, Team 91
Yankees miiddle of the order (50ish) although Jeter leads the team with 19!; total 109
Texas middle is 60ish, Young has 19; team 95.
OAK middle is negligible with a team total of 83.
BAL middle 5 upper 60s, total 120
BOS negligible with 86.
MN (they have scored only 20 fewer runs then the Tigers): Mauer, Morneau, Willinghham, Doumit = 66, total 128.
LAA Kendrick, Hunter, Pujols, Trumbo = 62, total 120
I love that Andre Dawson commercial.
JV says, I see your Ks Max! And I will match you.
That’s the way to pitch Young – off speed stuff. 2 Ks and he hasn’t seen a fastball yet.
Sale made DY look silly.
History repeats itself.
Boesch Baesch!
Fans and analysts overwhelmingly expect the Tigers to win the Central.
Citation please.
ESPN poll showed 65/35 (though could be that Sox fans are too dumb to vote). Barry Larkin agreed with the fans. Local Dallas sports talk guys don’t even know that CWS exist (based on my listening patterns).
Not the best sources, I realize that. But in general, no one doubts as much as we do.
I meant to write no one seems to doubt as much as we do.
Well, they were all on the bandwagon before the season started. People must just not believe the WSox are real
I smell a rally.
Surprisingly, that is only Cabrera’s 44th unintentional walk this year.
ESPN just mentioned that Prince leads the majors in OBP. I didn’t know that.
McCutchen and Fielder both at .410 before today’s games.
DELMON!
Too Many Sliders Sale.
Let’s put Berry in for DY now.
Forgot, Kelly is up. Still would have preferred Berry.
Or even Dirks, with the 6th spot coming up again.
How did Flowers get to 3rd, was that a defensive indifference wild pitch?
Laird lost the ball.
Although Laird has been OK, only 45 RBIs from our catchers is a bit of a concern. Even Boesch is better than that, and he has sat a lot.
Baltimore’s X W-L is 63-70, instead they are 15 games over .500. Talk about a bullpen.
No bunt from Dirty Don Kelly there? Leyland getting complacent already?
Even Fielder could have made it to third on that Peralta fly ball, and with Garcia’s single, we would have another run. But no.
With Valverede coming in, you absolutely, positively have to try to scratch out extra runs.
My biggest concern now is the Tigers will forget the season isn’t .over and they have to keep playing well….
That being said I will take the Tigers starting pitching the rest of the way against anyones
Tiger catchers batting, have stranded 13 runners in this series….business as usual….
Let’s win this one, and then talk about Cle.
Because Cleveland is the visiting team in this instance, the Tigers have a big advantage. The biggest potential problem as I see it, is the two pitchers with 5+ ERAs goign for them in the series. 😉 The Indians have been awful and if we are on our toes we could sweep the series. The WS meanwhile will be hosting the Twins, and that should be a tougher series for them than ours. Hopefully we can pull ahead by the end of Wednesday’s play.
They are 12-36 since the break and 2-17 in last 19. No more Mr. Niceguy, we should kick them while they are down.
Exhale.
Nice weekend boys…..keep up the good work!!!!!
Looks like I am SWEEPING the d_mn garage tomorrow, I know it’s a holiday, but when you are retired every day is a holiday! As my recently departed Dad said, it’s Labor Day, time to do some labor… Anyway, 29 to go, lets see if they do remember they need to keep playing well, and that the Twinkies and less than Royal KC boys play a lot of call ups and we get to play in the post season…..
Not a lot of time to enjoy this one. I don’t really have much of a plan beyond the sweep. Part 4 of my 4 game master plan was to win and have the WS lose to the Twins at home. I’ll leave it up to Coleman to take it from there.