2013 Season, Game Post

Game 2013.104: Phillies at Tigers

67 Comments

58-45, 1st place, 3 games up on Cleveland.

I said Friday’s game was a good win. You know, I think I like 10-0 even better.

Check this out: 5 AL Central teams gave up a combined total of 1 run yesterday. KC spoiled the party by scoring a run against the White Sox. Cleveland beat Yu Darvish and the Rangers 1-0. We’re not worried about the Indians, of course. But we should be. From MLB.com:

“It also marked the 13th shutout of the season for the Indians, who are tied with the Rays and Pirates for the Major League lead in that category. Masterson has been on the hill for six of those blankings, which include a trio of 1-0 victories. Cleveland’s four 1-0 wins this season are already the most in one campaign since the club had seven such victories in 1989.”

Last night: Miguel was back with a vengeance (sorry, guys –  the news that he’d be in the lineup came after press time on my busy Saturday), Tuiasosopo bought himself another month of consideration for playing time with both offense and defense (and surpassed Jackson in RBI), Scherzer (15-1) pitched like he didn’t know the score, Alburquerque pitched two (2) innings – that’s right, I said two innings – without incident, and Hernan Perez helped turn a 6-4-3 that the Peralta-Infante combo would have been (and often has been) hard-pressed to turn (Kelly being the “3” might have also played a part). Splendid all around. Well… I suppose Hunter ending up on 3B was a bit of a gift. But Torii’s double wasn’t. Dude’s still on fire, as V-Mart continues to be.

One sour note: Fielder’s 3-pitch strikeout was the ugliest one I’ve seen all season from any Tigers hitter, and I’ve seen about 75% of them. It came against starter Valdes, who had been throwing BP from the start (and still was – he came out after the next batter!). What on earth ails Prince?

I want to start banging the DFA Santiago drum, but I just received word that he’s being kept around for Dancing With The All Stars, so I’ll save my strength. Sure was fun to see Ramon batting in Miggy’s spot.

I didn’t do my homework for this series, and that’s putting it nicely. You with-it people out there know this already, but another break the Tigers caught (and Valdes instead of Lee was pretty big itself) was not having to face Domonic Brown or Ryan Howard, and also not having to deal with the distraction of Ben Revere on base. This Phillies team is one hard-luck bunch this season. They’re like the NL Yankees. Talk about “it’s when you play ’em.” Still want the sweep, though. No charity, foot on their throat.

Jimmy Rollins’s play on the Avila (I think) grounder up the middle… man! So that’s what a real shortstop looks like. I want one for 2014. I thought I was content with Jhonny…. and I am… but I won’t be. Not that I assume guilt or even think much of the whole Biogenesis investigation, but I do want to recognize Vince for Jhonny PEDralta. That was funny.

Fun facts: Tuiasosopo has drawn as many walks as Hunter. Infante’s SLG is higher than Fielder’s. Verlander’s WHIP is the highest on the staff, and it’s a safe bet that this has never been the case this late in the season at any point in his career. Every 2013 Tigers bench guy – every single one, both temps and perms – has a higher SLG than Avila.

Remember Rick Porcello against the Pirates? Any reason he can’t do that to the Phillies? I can’t think of one. I’d encourage the hitters to score more than 0 runs this time. 7 would be good. No, make it 8. Coke and Putkonen might be due for some work.

67 thoughts on “Game 2013.104: Phillies at Tigers”

  1. I am hoping for a close game, in which Papelbon comes in for the save and blows it, which hopefully would put the nail in that rumor’s coffin. Seriously, I’d rather have Benoit close–or Rondon…or Smyly…or Bonderman…or Don Kelly–than give up anything for Papelbon. Well, OK, there may have been a touch of exaggeration there.

    What would you say to Joe Nathan though? Apparently the Rangers are considering trading him.

    http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/rangers-have-considered-dealing-joe-nathan.html

    1. Well, closers are expensive. And we don’t need one. I say stick to the market for 7th and 8th inning type guys.

      1. Agree with Vince. Don’t know what I’d want to give up for said relievers, though. Not much. Would they take some of ours?

  3. Today’s Where’s Torii? Lineup:
    1. Jackson, CF
    2. Kelly, RF
    3. Cabrera, 3B
    4. Fielder, DH
    5. Martinez, 1B
    6. Peralta, SS
    7. Dirks, LF
    8. Avila, C
    9. Santiago, 2B
    Let’s hope Porcello keeps this a low-scoring affair.

    2. Where is Tui, Perez ….. would rather see them than what moron Smokey has inserted.

  4. Another great write up Loon. I believe we are witnessing Little Ricky Porcello becoming a man and a pitcher.

      1. Thank you, OTFIM. Actulaly, I was a bit disappointed in Ricky “Mannish Boy” Porcello today, but he got by. On agility. Dynamite with a laser beam. Guaranteed to… oh, sorry.

  5. Prince seems to be scuffling at the plate which is reflected by his BA ….. but, he has 17 long-balls and 74 RBI??

    1. Last year after 103 games: .303/.390 /.489 /.879 with 16 HR, 22 2B, 72 BI
      This year: .264/.357/.446/.803 17 HR, 21 2B, 74 BI

      The power is the same, but the singles aren’t falling in. I think he has expanded his strike zone and is waving at more pitches that should be left alone.

      1. I view it as a comparison with earlier this season and now. The power has evaporated. The wrongness is evident. What it is specifically.. well, I’m not a hitting coach.

  6. I think Fieldet is one of the biggest pitch guessers around.. He will take a fastball right down the pipe and then swing at a breaking ball 6 inches off the plate .he does it a lot..And In my opinion he isn’t that good of a guesser at .265

  7. The pitcher has thrown more balls than strikes and our .232 hero is swinging on 3-1.Pleeeez!

  12. This game has been extremely frustrating so far ….. but, we have 6 innings to pick it up.

  13. Pretty sad when four batters can’t even hit one pitch in fair territory batting in the 2-3-4 spots with bases loaded 0 outs

  14. Chad Fairchild is an embarrassment to umpiring…his strike zone 6 inches outside is a joke

    1. His strike zone was both huge and inconsistent all game. That the Phillies walked 7 or 8 or 9 anyway… wow.

    1. Schoolboy Rowe (the starting P) was 3 for 5 with 2 doubles. Those were the days. Pitchers came with built-in DH, and your starter tended to be your closer.

  16. Reading Cabrerras lips he said..” that was a terrible pitch”…….he did not say “terrible call”……that was me saying that!

    1. That’s right, Eddie Brinkman was with the Senators before he became a Tiger (my memory of him). There’s a guy who choked up on the bat.

      Didn’t realize Gates Brown was already on the team in ’63. Little before my time. Not surprised to see he had a PH sac fly.

  18. It’s too bad that umps can screw up over and over ….. without impunity!

  19. Chad Fairfield should be reprimanded. If you throw out the best player of the game, and arguably the best player in the league — while at the plate with bases loaded no less — there better be a damn good reason. The exchange between Cabrera/Fairfield did not seem to warrant the ejection. Many payed the price of admission specifically to watch Cabrera play. Many tune in on television specifically to watch Cabrera play. MLB should not allow the vanity and ill-temperament of one umpire hurt the game.

    1. Agreed. I was absolutely dumbfounded. I should admit that I don’t yet know what Miggy said. There was nothing in Cabrera’s gesture or demeanor to suggest anger or aggression. If what was spoken was not utterly beyond the pale, I don’t know how Fairchild explains this to the league.

      1. As far as I can tell, Cabrera’s comment on the first call was “What the #$%&?” or something like it, and apparently he was warned by Fairchild at that point to leave off arguing. The comment on the next call was “That was a horrible pitch.” Hearing the word “horrible” was evidently enough to push Fairchild over the edge. I guess we should remember this was Miggy and that the rest might have been garbled and unintelligible to Fairchild.

        I don’t think the ejection was warranted. I think it was bad judgment and hot-headedness on the part of Fairchild. There was no argument, no gesture, but only a comment from which a negative word was extracted. Fairchild is a bum, and I am so relieved that the Tigers went on to win the game.

        Gameday is showing the pitches as strikes, and the questionable strike three on Tui is also shown as a strike. Didn’t look so clearcut to me on TV. I want a second opinion.

  22. now 7 batters with the bases loaded and not one ball hit well…we will take the 3 ugly runs …but still

  23. I don’t get why a clubhouse guy doesn’t print out the PitchFx image, and then hand it to Leyland so he can wave it in the ump’s face. Won’t change anything, but it would be awesome.

  24. Thank you, Clown Show gods! (Avila was trying for his 2nd bunt into DP of the season).

  25. I think Diekman was pitching for the Tigers in the ’06 World Series, wasn’t he?

    1. He studied the ’06 video before the game. Didn’t get it quite right, but you could tell he was trying.

  27. when you go to bed tonight..and say your night prayers…thank the Lord you are not a White Sox or Phillie follower

  29. every time you think you have seen it all…..a game like this shows up….8 runs on 1 hit

    1. 2 hits, don’t forget the bunt single by Santiago about an hour ago. All the runs should be unearned.

      1. CBS is showing all runs as unearned.

        weird inning. ultimate clown show by Philadelphia.

        1. To me, that whole inning was “Oh yeah? TAKE THAT, FAIRCHILD!!!” Near-instant karma. If the Tigers had lost this game, I would have gone to bed later with heartburn after the Fairchild-Cabrera debacle. I would have considered the game stolen. No one in the world was happier than I to see that Phillies meltdown… except for maybe Jim and Miguel in the clubhouse.

  30. I know it’s 12-3, but man is Fielder bad today. That’s 2 GIDP (could have easily been 4) and 11 LOB.

    1. It’s reached alarm status. Cabrera may not see a pitch again with runners on – even with the bases loaded – if this keeps up. It’s scary. I mean, this is PRINCE FIELDER. This guy is good, mega-good. Isn’t he??

      1. You don’t have to start to keep a consecutive game streak going, but you are probably right.

    1. I’m not sure Washington counts, and then its Chisox after that, so it may be a while. It may be a bit of a shock when it happens. There’s always a Verlander start to keep us on our toes though.

  33. this should count as a W for Coke.in his stats….a rare..rare…rare 3 up three down!!!

    1. Glad he got the outs, but the first two were hit pretty hard. Still not back in his corner.

  34. hey Prince….put the streak away…swallow your ego and sit a couple days…you need it bad!!!

  35. Leading up to the playoffs.
    Games left: 58
    vs. Central Div.: 36 (CWS 12, KC 11, CLE 7, MN 6)
    vs .500 or better teams (as of today – KC made it to 51-51 today): 28
    Last 13 games: SEA, CWS, MN, MIA

    Cleveland somehow keeps hanging on. Are they for real or overachieving like last year’s WS and due to collapse? Anyway our last game vs. them is Sept 1.

    The bad news is that the Indians schedule of 58 games remaining is even easier than ours from here on out, with only 22 games against .500 or better teams and 33 against division rivals (WS 10, MN 10, Det 7, KC 6)

    1. Here’s the breakdown by non-division foe:
      Tigers vs.
      East
      BOS* – 3
      NYY* – 3

      West
      OAK – 4
      SEA – 4

      NL
      NYM – 3
      WAS – 2
      MIA – 3

      Indians vs
      East
      BAL* – 3

      West
      LAA – 6
      OAK* – 3
      HOU – 4

      NL
      NYM – 3
      MIA – 3
      ATL* – 3

      * .500+ record

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