2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015.42: Astros at Tigers

24 Comments

Nick Castellanos had his biggest hit of the season last night, a slicing line drive with the bases juiced in the 8th inning. Castellanos was credited with a triple and showed a ton of emotion standing on third, rightfully so. It was a huge moment for a team that sorely needed a big hit. (Let’s be clear, the RF took an awful angle, but it would have driven in at least 2 in any event).

So the Tigers avoid being swept, at home, by Milwaukee, and are rewarded with a 1:08 PM eastern start against the 13 games over .500 Houston Astros. Yes, 13. The Tigers are 7 over, which means they are 17-17 in their last 34 games. For all the great hitting and solid bullpen work, this team is not winning as many games as you would expect. Or is it…the expected win loss for this team is 22-19, which would suggest that the Tigers have been very lucky to date. Though that could easily even out over the course of the season. I’ll say it again, I think they are being mismanaged, and Ausmus has probably cost the team a game or two.

1. Gose, CF
2. Kinsler, 2B
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. Martinez J.D., DH
5. Cespedes, LF
6. Castellanos, 3B
7. Davis, RF
8. McCann, C
9. Romine, SS

24 thoughts on “Game 2015.42: Astros at Tigers”

  1. Great picture! I hope that feeling carries over to today. I think it may, since the Tigers are still tearing it up in day games (15-4).

  3. “didn’t you get the memo?”–Bill Lumbergh

    Memo to DET offense: no more GIDPlease!

  4. Cespedes does the unusual thing and draws the walk, and Nick makes it pay off big time!

  8. Looks like the Tigers are finally realizing that they are playing a day game today.

  9. I just hope this onslaught of runs means they don’t go back to their usual 1-2-1 the rest of the weekend!

  11. All this aggressive baserunning only occurs when the Tigers are ahead. Asmus does not try and take any chances in games tied or if behind. I know there are a lot less runners, but to me that would be even more reason to take chances. Asmus doesn’t believe that….Thats another reason for 19 out of 40 games 0-1-2 runs.

  12. Nesbitt throws 2 pitches and gets two outs….he must have gotten tired because Asmus pulls him!

  15. Lead off douboe becomes a triple..then you might as well had three 7-8year old t ball kids bat. They could have done what Casty, Davis and McCann did

  17. The best thing about that was that he spared us the horror of watching Hernan Perez bat.

  18. This one could have and should have been put to bed in the 8th if Assmus had any managerial skills. Rajai(excellent bat control) should have been given the squeeze sign with man on third and one out.

  20. Plus Casty bats with ROTL2Os, no one on the right side of infield. So bunt..ground ball…flyball…single anything….oh no how about first pitch weak groundball directly to the SS…

  21. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12922131/money-mlb-biggest-obstacle-154-game-season

    new push to shorten the season from 162 to 154 games…I’m OK w/it.

    I believe the season needs to be shortened in ‘calendar terms’, and if the owners, etc don’t want to cut games (concede revenue), then that means condensing the 162 into a shorter timeframe – which means more double-headers… and I’m all for that. Maybe increase the roster to 27 players (extra pitcher and position player) to accommodate a more rigorous schedule.

    And I’m not a big fan of the new type of double-headers either (noon game… few hours off, then a night game – (that’s all about revenue) – I’m talking the old-school double-headers where your ticket covered both games…and game 2 started after the ground crew tidied up after game 1.

    I think regular season should end by 9/15, and then 3 days off and the ‘wild card’ games on day 4…and Day 5 division series start. this way the season should wrap up by 10/15, before the snow starts falling

    1. Thanks for sharing….yeah, it is all about money but I can recall an era where the Tigers played one twi-night doubleheader (played on a Friday) each season and every Sunday there was a doubleheader. It would also be great for the wild card games to go beyond one game to best out of three. The first game could be played at the best record team’s stadium and the next two at the other team’s stadium with a double-header if needed. Baseball teams are too balanced to leave such to just the winner of one game….Happy Memorial Day to all.

  22. I agree entirely with TIGERS RULE’s thought about Brad Ausmus needing better managerial skills. With score tied or a 1-run game, late innings, Tigers put 1st two batters on, 1st and 2nd. Next man up is 7th or 8th in order,.220 avg (no names here —use imagination). How many times have you seen this?: Swinging for power, hits into classic easy DP.
    Is Ausmus (like predecessor Leyland)embarrassed to play some small-ball?
    I don’t want to just criticize the manager here, because I like Brad; I think he tries with the skills he has. But I implore him and the Tigers coaching staff: PLEASE take one day to teach the position players (not counting Miggy and a couple others who know how to avoid DP)and pitchers how to lay down a successful sac bunt!! This, to me is smarter aggressiveness than hit-and-run, since success rate on that is lower.
    But the “old-fashioned” sac bunt = high success rate, and you’ve got 2 in scoring position, only 1 out. Flyout or good groundout brings in run, inning continues. But Tigers, 95% of time, opt for swing-away (Hi-percentage DP rate)= runner on 3rd, 2 out. Opposing dugout reaction must be: “Bless you, Tigers’ skipper —-you just took my pitcher off the hook, by making it so much easier for us to get out of the inning unscathed”.
    Someone here said 2 or 3 wins. I think Tigers’ reluctance (usually) to employ sac bunt in close-game key late-inning situations, probably costs the team 12-15 wins a year.

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