2013 Season, Game Post

Game 2013.113: Tigers at Indians

45 Comments

67-45, 1st place, 6 games up on the Cleveland Indians. It appears that the Tigers have won some games recently.

Some game last night. Some EXHAUSTING game. I think I would enjoy a game like that more if I was a pure baseball fan and not one so wrapped up in the fortunes of one team. You could write a book about that game. I’ll keep it brief. I know it’s sacrilege, but sleep is even more precious than baseball at my advanced age.

After striking out 3 times against the sensational Danny Salazar, Miguel Cabrera’s first pitch 2-run HR the fourth time up to put the Tigers ahead was a fine, fine moment. I think we all kinda knew it wasn’t yet won, however… Bruce Rondon – outstanding. Jeremy Bonderman – especially outstanding. Talk about mound presence. I felt intimidated, from a distance of several hundred miles… The low point – for me – of the Bad Baserunning Clinic put on by the Tigers was the pathetic slide by Brayan Pena, who might have scored had he known where home plate was, as you might expect a catcher to do… Dog Fister (Doug’s twin brother) was not good, but he gutted it out, and should maybe buy Jose Iglesias dinner some time. Salazar was the third straight Indians starter to own or mostly own the Tigers and by far the best of them… I had conflicting thoughts with Prince Fielder at the plate in the 14th, men on 1st and 3rd: a) Prince stinks. b) No, Prince doesn’t stink, and I still have faith in him. I was on “b)” just before he did what he used to do more often and obviously still can, whatever it is that has been bothering him physically or mentally or both (at the plate, I hasten to add – I’m loving him at first base) for so long now.

This has been some series, eh? Can’t remember another one quite like it this season.

Go Max.

45 thoughts on “Game 2013.113: Tigers at Indians”

  1. Great observation Rondon excellent…Bondo especially outstanding!!!…Bondo has more than paid his dues…if anyone deserves a break along the way it is Bondo…here’s hoping this win isn’t the end of his story!!!

    2. Maybe he has found his true calling. Long relief isn’t as high profile (or lucrative) as starting, but there is nothing wrong with being an ace long man. Every team needs one, but few actually have a dependable one, and are generally saddled with mediocre mop-up guys to fill the role. With our great rotation, Bonderman may get more time as a 2-3 inning late inning/finisher than traditional mid-game long relief.

      As a side note; can we please ship AlAl back to Toledo for Reed, Putkonen or Ortega? Like, for the rest of the season.

  2. Only pitcher not used last night was Coke. I had to watch the game on Indians broadcast. You would have thought anyone who throws over 100 is unhittable. That is not true just ask Rondon. Great swing by Miggy. Great relief work by Bondo. I hope he keeps it up as well. Now what to do with the pitcher who did not pitch last night. Phil Coke.

  3. changing topics – and I know Loon has indicated that it might be time to put Cabrera on the 15-day DL – I agree. Sure its never a good time to put the reigning MVP and best-hitter-in-the-game on the DL, but with a 6 game lead (and CLE’s Kluber just got put on the DL) and some momentum, I don’t think there’s going to be a better time to rest/possibly heal Cabrera for a pennant run.

    I know keeping him on the roster in a limited capacity enables him to DH or pinch hit, but it also provides an opportunity to compound his injuries or cause something else (while favoring the hip or abdominal-thing). That’s my 2 cents

    1. There is as much chance of that happening as there is of giving Fielder a day off. And let’s face it, without Miggy in the lineup we don’t have a six game lead. The subs seem to be doing a decent immitation of replacement level players lately, so hopefully that continues and they can relieve him late in games and give him a day off now and again. However, if he goes on the DL we will really have cause to worry about, because it will be due to something pretty serious.

      1. Aren’t we 8-1 w/o him (or something close)? Yes, it’s over the past few weeks when everything has been firing on all cylinders, but it’s not the other way.

        I’d hate for him to lose his shot at another triple crown, but I’d be okay with it.

        1. This streak will end and they will come back down to earth, then what? I don’t think we can afford to lose him for 15 straight days, especially during this spell where there is only one day off between now and Sept 4th including 1 DH. Hopefully we can pump up the lead a little bit so that he can get a few days off now and again. I’m not worried about the Triple Crown; I think Davis is too far ahead in HR and may pull farther ahead in RBIs too, especially if Miggy misses more games. In the end the question is probably moot, because I don’t see them putting him on the DL, whether it would be the best thing for him, unless it is really something serious. Plus, how would it impact the rest of the team performance?

    1. i agree, one can’t argue with success. JL has been pulling the right strings and pushing the right buttons. One of his more important decisions that seemed to coincide with this month-long run…and that was sticking with VMart… when VMart started producing, DET really started to gel.

      …and I for one advocated platooning VMart at DH (a/o dropping him in the batting order)… I guess the ‘old school approach’ worked w/VMart.

      1. I’m with StorminNorman$ – I won’t deny that I was all for platooning and other desperate VMart measures. I don’t feel wrong about that now any more than I ever felt hope that Victor would continue to struggle. Tigers winning = me being glad. Few if any of us would rather be right than see all of the Tigers playing well and the team winning.

        Of course, it’s nice when you get it right on the positive side of the ledger.

  5. Tonight’s Tigers lineup against CLE RHP McAllister
    1. CF Austin Jackson
    2. LF Andy Dirks
    3. 3B Miguel Cabrera
    4. 1B Prince Fielder
    5. DH Victor Martinez
    6. RF Don Kelly
    7. C Alex Avila
    8. SS Jose Iglesias
    9. 2B Hernan Perez

    1. Iglesias scratched (bruised toe) and replaced by Santiago. Let’s hope we get this one done in 9.

      1. I was wondering about that. Forgot about the hit he took on the SB-CS double play.

  6. hey Dirks nice at bat…guy cannot throw a strike and you swing at 2 in your eyes…get a clue…maybe Lloyd will straighten him out…duh!

  14. after tonight you can put a fork in the Indians…this will be too much to overcome…physically and mentally…its Gonna be Kansas City or noboday

    1. He should have been in to close out the game in the 8th so that he could throw 50-60 pitches, give up 5-6 runs and then not be available tomorrow against the Yankees.

    1. I wasn’t sure what to make of Raburn pitching. Turned out to be a combination of comic relief and good sportsmanship. It was fun… I guess. I’ll admit that I wanted Tui to take him out the ballpark.

  17. I gotta admit: Coke is pretty useless……..and he won’t be with the team come next year….AlAl will, but at Toledo………

    1. My thoughts almost exactly. Actually, I think Alburquerque could really fetch something in trade. He has some good years in his future. I don’t think I have the patience any more.

      Coke throws hittable strikes, and the batted balls tend to be hit beyond the infield. This and all the foul balls, the inability to put a batter away… when it happens so frequently… it just adds up to “next, please.” I get the impression, time after time, that he’s fooling no one, and can’t any more. But maybe he really *is* saving it for the postseason.

    1. Good story, but actually he just BEAT the Tigers fan (he is a Braves fan). So everything is NOT going our way. Just most things. Let’s win Lucky 13 tomorrow!

      BTW I decided to try playing that this season, and it’s harder than it looks. Especially if you try the Double Down approach, and learn the hard way about picking someone before the lineups are announced, and then he is given the day off, which is fine, and then he pinch hits for the pitcher in the 7th inning and ends the day 0-for1, and your streak is toast. %#&*! National League! But I digress.

      1. Looks like other things not going for us: Avila being evaluated for concussion, will not make the trip to New York. Santiago tweaked something in his left knee, according to Jason Beck. And apparently Cabrera rolled his ankle rounding 3rd, so add “ankle” to the growing list of Cabrera aches and pains. Our bench has grown quite thin; hopefully Iglesias is back tomorrow. On the plus side, Infante re-started his rehab stint today (1-for-3).

        1. They are going to have to bring up Holaday. But who goes down? Can’t see them DL-ing Avila until they get a diagnosis.

        1. their fans are insufferable down here. As the only team in the South, ATL has a very large fan base, but many are front-runners of the worst kind

  21. The Phillies have DFA’d Delmon Young to make a roster spot for…wait for it…Casper Wells. Funny

    2. Not funny at all!! (Was just writing a bit about Casper for tonight’s game post. They totally ruined my “wouldn’t it be funny it…”).

      Also the White Sox recalled Avisail Garcia tonight.

      1. because the CWS gave away Rios… hence AGarcia called up.

        as i understand it the Rangers get $1M and Rios, and CWS will either get ‘a player to be named later’ or cash compensation… Rios will help TX…he’s expensive and not worth his salary, but he’ll fill a need for TX

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