Erik Bedard vs. Max Scherzer tonight.
Detroit Tigers on BBREF or MLB
Tampa Bay Rays on BBREF or MLB
Team comparison: The Rays are stronger in the OF, at 3B, and in the bullpen, but are otherwise overmatched.
DETROIT HITTING RE24/WPA – PITCHING RE24/WPA
DETROIT RECENT HITTING – RECENT PITCHING
TAMPA BAY HITTING RE24/WPA – PITCHING RE24/WPA
TAMPA BAY RECENT HITTING – RECENT PITCHING
TONIGHT’S LINEUPS: Victor is back.
NOTABLE (PREGAME): The Tigers just swept the best team in the AL to finish the first half on one of the season’s highest notes… The emergence of one and the decline of two have combined to yield a fluid situation in the outfield that may yet turn a weakness into a strength… Detroit is rumored to have trade interest in Joaquin Benoit. Given his contract, I find this hard to believe… Ian Krol has been cleared for rehab assignment and is expected to rejoin the team within a week or so.
Nice pregame write-up Loon, you have out done yourself.
What will the next 81 games bring?
Thanks. Not sure if you’re kidding or not, but I think I deserve to be kidded. I’m having trouble formatting this the way I want, and I don’t even know if the links work. Work in progress. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
I like this start… If they keep this up they will score about 35 runs tonight.
How would you like to have tickets for this game and happen to walk in a little late…5-1….WHAT!!!!!
Money means nothing…just more pizza…Sign Benoit, or trade for him. Great clubhouse guy, has done the job asked of him in Detroit. Pay him!!!!
Just say no to Long Ball!
I agree with the no.
Already 7 Tigers with hits. Rays right now are a AAA team + David Price. How’d that happen?!
Ausmus pulling out all the stops with the ol’ fake Don Kelly pinch-hit trick.
Yeah, still wondering what that was about.
Someone suggested Castellanos went to the bathroom and was late returning. Makes as much sense as anything. I mean, that must have happened before, right?
I think they should at least put Kelly in for defense in the 9th, after getting all ready to bat and all. I mean, why not?
…I could get used to this…
You and me both.
8 Tigers with hits, 6 Tigers with multiple hits.
I think Hanigan’s 11 pitch AB just took Scherzer out of a possible CG scenario
It looks like Max is really lobbying, unsuccessfully.
but another great/efficient outing by Scherzer.
when DET starting pitching and offense play at or near their potential, they are a force
Scherzer’s line: 8.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO. Retired the last 13 batters and 23 of the last 24 batters he faced.
Good to see each of the starting pitchers returning to somewhat normal…Strange how that changed in May and now changed back….Baseball is a strange game!
The strange is what makes it fun! Have a happy and safe 4th of July! What’s her name and her love slave are just chillin!
Ha! so that really WAS the explanation: the #7 guy was hitting #2:
Tom Gage tweet: not many decisions for #Tigers Ausmus in 8-1 win – “the only thing I really had to do was put Kelly on deck while Nick was in the bathroom.”
I must be getting slow in my old age; had to read that one several times before I got it! well played sir!
I’m just getting old in my old age.
If you read between the lines, Ausmus was unhappy about the whole thing. He didn’t have to mention it at all, but he chose to throw Nick under the bus–or the stall, if you will. I actually cringed when I read that. Nick is going to take a lot of…um, grief…for that one.
Well, clearly, Brad is just upset that he didn’t pinch #hit Kelly for Castellanos in the first place.
Hey, maybe this is where the “pinch” in pinch hit comes from. Way back in 1894 or whenever, when lineup substitutions were unheard of and not allowed (these were the days of the 9-inning save), it was discovered that certain emergencies called for substitute hitters, and so…
It boggles the mind that this is the same team that was so bad for a 30 game stretch. It’s almost inconcievable that they all could go into a slump simultaneously, but I guess that is what happened. Hopefully they worked out all the kinks now, although the jury is still out on Nathan.