2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015.47: Tigers at Athletics

37 Comments

Well, that was a forgettable start to the road trip, wasn’t it? Actually, it wasn’t as forgettable as I wish it were. It was also, somehow, the first time they were shut out this season.

If you knew that one of the teams on the field last night was the worst in baseball, it would have been hard to guess which one: the A’s kicking the ball around like they had taken the field with spiked clown shoes, or the Tigers who were unable to score a run off Cy Whatshisname, despite getting 4 guys freely clowned onto base.

To distract myself from the debacle, I read a rant by Cubs manager Joe Maddon about the horrible Memorial Day schedule.  Poor guy had to play a game that ended at 3:45 in Arizona on Sunday, then play another that began at 1:20 on Monday afternoon in Chicago. And this after traveling 1,700+ miles. “Quite frankly to play a day game two time zones away then come back [to] another one the next day … it’s tough,” Maddon said.

I mention this because the Tigers had a similar day game-day game turnaround, and had to travel through three time zones to do it. No whining from Brad though. I would chalk yesterday’s sluggishness up to travel fatigue, were it not for the fact that we’ve already seen the same a lot this month.

My annoyance with last night’s performance was exacerbated when Rod Allen said that Tiger pitchers can count on getting a lot of run support “with the potent offense the Tigers have.” Has he even been watching the games he broadcasts? Yes, the Tigers are at the top of the league in many offensive categories. But they also have already had 21 games with 2 runs or fewer (that’s 46%), including 12 already in May. (The Royals, by way of comparison, have 11 this season). That’s hardly “potent.”  The Tigers actually won 6 of those games, but I think counting on many more 1-0 and 2-1 wins is expecting a bit much out of the pitching staff.

Tonight’s Potent Third-Place Lineup:

  1. Anthony Gose, CF
  2. Rajai Davis, DH
  3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
  4. JD Martinez, RF
  5. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
  6. Nick Castellanos, 3B
  7. James McCann, C
  8. Andrew Romine, SS
  9. Hernan Perez, 2B

Miguel is back in the lineup tonight, night-game woes and all (he is still struggling through a .231 night batting average, with a light-weight .689 OPS). Ian Kinsler, he of the 0-for-20 slump, finally gets his first day off of the season, to be replaced by Hernan the Barbarian, who could probably pull off an 0-for-20 if he only got enough playing time. Kind of makes you miss Don Kelly, doesn’t it?

Brad tries a little something different tonight and leads off with Gose followed by Davis. I like it.

Gold stars for any of you Eastern Time Zone fans who stay up for this one.

37 thoughts on “Game 2015.47: Tigers at Athletics”

  1. I’m gonna buy into this time zone thing. Tigers win big tonight.

    Guys, Prince Fielder is LOCKED IN. It’s fun to watch.

    2. I wish they had gone with Machado-Romine instead of Romine-Perez tonight–I think first start nerves plus jet lag really got to Machado last night (like Rod said, no way he was able to sleep after finding out he was starting). Would have been nice to give him another crack at it.

      1. The Prince is batting 373 which almost 100 points higher than Kinsler.

  3. A DP…gee whens the last time the Tigers did that? The only thing worse than that DP was the swi.g McCann used to hit it with!

  5. Perez got the ball out of the infield —–yay!
    (Guess it would be absurd to have asked “The Babe” to lay down one of those —-what’re they called?—– oh, yeah, bunts!).

  6. I don’t think its fair that the Tigers opponents get to pitch Cy Whatsyourname..every single game. This is hardly fair to the Sluggo’s. I think the Tigers should protest this to the MLB office!

  7. Right, Jud —-a protest should be in order!

    Evidently, someone (Jim Leyland?) did indeed inform Ausmus that bunts are illegal…..

    1. I like how the Tigers fake like they are going to bunt but don’t. Maybe they are trying to show Asmus that its, maybe, legal. Perez and Mc Cann both!

  8. I had noticed that too, especially this year —-Tigers fake bunting on 1st pitch for a strike, then take HR cut on next pitch.
    But you’re exactly right —-always looks like the fake is not to cross up opponents, but for fooling coaches or Detroit fans……

  9. I’m listening to the A’s announcers, so I’m not sure if Rod has played the “potent offense” card or not yet.

  10. Myself, I’m hoping this “potent offense” will wake from the dead. I don’t think one run will win this game.

  11. This is when you know your team is not going so well. Casty gets a ball 4 in the dirt, 2 ft in front of home plate, and he chases it for strike 3.

  12. You wouldn’t want to waste Perez’ power by having him bunt–after all he’d already gotten one to the outfield.

  13. Now we get Joba, because he’s been really hot lately………..
    Tigers might need 4 runs in 9th.

    Come on, Joba —–make me eat my words!

  16. And Brad brings out Soria for the 4-out save. Ausmus is showing a bit of life tonight.

  17. Twinkies move within a game of first….and the manager doesn’t make a difference, does it????

  23. Hey that was fun, 1-0–let’s do it again tomorrow, we can take the series with only 2 runs.

  25. Price was good, D, was good, and BP was good. Brad even gets a thumbs up for going outside the manual and bringing Soria in in the 8th.

    Now if only the potent offense could potentize. At least with a day game tomorrow Cabrera might get a hit or two.

  26. We ran into a bunch of outs…but if we hadn’t been aggressive running, we wouldn’t have scored our only run.

  27. Brad said after game Tigers missed “several” signs. Theres your aggressive running game outs!!!!…..
    ….side note ..Romine has done a good job O and D for a while now!…
    …side note. MIGGY NEVER hits on the West coast swing. Came in at .339…i predict he leaves Anaheim .325..just sayin!

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