2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015.63: Indians at Tigers

37 Comments

JV was okay yesterday. Not great, but not bad either. He only allowed 3 hits and 2 walks in 5 IPs, while surrendering 2 ER. His fastball velocity was okay, sitting at 92-94 and touching 97, and his command was decent enough for a first start. I am worried that he only got 5 swings and misses, this could be a harbinger of things to come.

Anyway, I said I’d be pleased with 6 IP and 3 ER, so 5 IP and 2 ER ain’t bad. The bullpen, however, was awful. Again. This is becoming an alarming trend, one that gave us nightmares late last season and that was outright terrifying in the playoffs. The pen is posting a 5.47 June ERA, and the Tigers are now 2-11 in their last 13 games decided by 2 runs or fewer. Much of this can be blamed on Ausmus. This smart guy on Bless You Boys points out that other than handing the ball to Soria in the 9th from time to time. Ausmus isn’t doing so hot with the pen. The gist of it is that Ausmus’ bullpen management WPA is below average, and if you remove Soria it’s flat out awful. Let’s all say it together now “he’s learning.”

Anyway, Tigers go up against Indians ace Corey Kluber in today’s rubber match. Don’t let Kluber’s 3-7 record fool you, he’s only getting 2.46 runs behind him per game. He’s actually throwing slightly more strikes, striking out more, and walking less than he did when he won the Cy Young award last year. His BABIP currently sits at .356, the highest for his career. So I hate to break it to you, but he’s likely pitching even better than he did last year. Though the Tigers’ big three do rake against the guy (see below).

The Indians are calling up highly touted SS prospect Francisco Lindor, but he’s not in the starting lineup.

Lineup (career numbers off Corey Kluber):

  1. Anthony Gose, CF (1-for-3, HR, 2 K’s)
  2. Ian Kinsler, 2B (4-for-18, triple, walk, 4 K’s)
  3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B (19-for-33, 2 doubles, 4 HR, 2 walks, 6 K’s)
  4. Yoenis Cespedes, LF (4-for-10, double, HR, 2 K’s)
  5. J.D. Martinez, RF (5-for-12, double, HR, K)
  6. Tyler Collins, DH
  7. Bryan Holaday, C (2-for-6, 3 K’s)
  8. Andrew Romine, 3B (1-for-4, walk, 2 K’s)
  9. Jose Iglesias, SS (0-for-4)

37 thoughts on “Game 2015.63: Indians at Tigers”

  1. Just another strange Ausmus thing is why doesn’t Romine play third more than once a week and a couple of ninth innings…Castallanos whole game is brutal!

  2. On McCann and Castys day off someone should take them down in the cage and throw 1000 pitches outside of the strikezone away and low and let them learn to watch them go by. In fact bounch a few…….

  3. While CLE is below average in hitting into double plays this season, the Tigers have already turned six on them during this series.

  5. Looks like rain is coming! Way to go Miguel! You will bring rain with that blast!

    1. Its official….this just in: Miggys Home Run went so high there is now a rain delay!!

  7. Is there a worse (research dept) team in baseball than the Tigers RISP with 2 OUTS. I know they are first in LOB…but doesn’t seem that they evet get that 2 out RBI hit…

    1. Would have to research for specifics, but I know they’ve actually gotten a few of late.
      Anyone have the update on this rain delay?
      What does radar say?

  8. Watching Red Sox – Blue Jays. SOX JUST made three errors on three consecutive plays….8-0…Ferrell might get fired during this game…its a circus!….again!!!…maybe this inning!!!

  12. That scares me a bit ——Gorz getting ready to start 9th.
    When’s the last time he made good showing? (At least therte’ll be no one on base, so he might be alright….

  14. Great series for Cabrera going 7 hits in 10 at bats, 6 RBIs, and 2 mammoth blasts to CF.

    1. Yeah, poor Miggy struggles so much against Tribe hurlers. All he can muster is a .657 avg (22/34, 5 HR, 15 RBI) this year ——but he isn’t even done yet!

  15. Tom G = Can this guy actually pitch?
    I don’t think so; sort of like a Phil Coke.

  16. First game Tigers scored 8 runs or more since 15MAY15 when Martinez went on DL.

  19. A bit of a tough season so far for the Tigers, but they are a solid team and in the hunt for the post-season.

  20. I can’t remember which DTW All-Star ( I voted multiple times for all of us, you know like a Missouri fan) it was who recommended the Billy Martin book. As I wait patiently for the library to move me up, I found a book about Lefty Gomez, his life in and out of baseball. It was written by his daughter, and it is quite simply one of the finest books I have ever read. I had the honor of meeting him in ’79, he was the speaker at the Spokane Indians banquet. Funny, funny man. One of the waiters told him about the lefty chef who was a baseball expert, and he came into the kitchen to meet me. We talked pitching, grips, why we can pitch and not hit etc. It was an awesome day for me. He is one of two Hall of famers I have ever met, the other guy likes pasta a lot and is still kicking ( and talking) at 88!

    1. The first baseball book I ever read was Behind the Mask by Bill Freehan; I loved it, I think I stayed up until 3am with a flashlight to finish it, like one does when one is that age. Recently I saw that there was a reality series called Behind the Mask which I thought might be based on the book, or about catching, or something, but it turns out it was about…being a sports mascot. Oh.

      1. I read Freehand’s book too back when I was in the 9th or 10th grade. A great read and I recall Freehand proudly boasting in the book that he got an extra pair of spikes when renewing his contract with the Tigers. He also wrote some on Denny McClain doings and him flying over Tiger Stadium in his Cessna when games were going on and he wasn’t pitching…..Jim…that was me who recommended the Martin bio. A great read with lots of Tigers mentioned in the book. Willie Horton was Martin’s Tranquility Coach with the Yankees who kept order!

        For a good article on Bill Freehand’s son getting drafted by the Tigers see: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2015/06/11/detroit-tigers-blaise-salter-freehan/71072196/

  21. I have a great story to share. Its a bit long, but a great story. For years as you all know I went to spring training. This one particular year I was staying in Winter Haven next door to the Indians Training Complex. One morning I come out of my room and an older gentleman comes out of the room next to mine..its Bob Feller. So I say hi, he introduces himself and another guy walks up with a briefcase and asks Bob to autograph a copy of the Soprts Illustraded cove of Bob Feller and Herb Score on the cover from 1948. The mag was in perfect condition in the case. After Bob singed the guy noticed I was carrying a radar gun, to gun some pitchers. He says to me” I was there when they timed Bob Feller at 100 mph.” He says “they didn’t have radar guns back then, sonny”!!!!…he said they lined up a motor cycle, got it going 100 and Bobs Pitch beat the motorcycle 60′.he says we didn’t know how fast it actually was, but knew it had to be over 100.”…I said “you were there?.”. He says yes!. I said “I gotta have your autograph”””!!!

    1. You know, baseball execs have been talking for years about how to make baseball more exciting and appeal more to younger people. A dirt bike takes off from the pitcher’s mound; if it crosses the line before the pitch gets there, batter awarded first base. Unless he swings, which Castellanos would always do.

      Seriously though, cool story!

  23. Have you guys read Ball Four? It’s absolutely hilarious.

    Padres fired Bud Black today…they are 2 games behind the Tigers.

    1. RE: B Black’s firing… I honestly am surprised we don’t see more MLB managers and coaches fired during the season – especially with teams with high payrolls and high expectations that are NOT living up to expectations (sound familiar?).

      When you look at the teams with the top 9 payrolls http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/ (incidentally DET has the highest pitching payroll in ’15) – these teams are shelling out anywhere from $142M to $277M in payroll – and if there’s a drop in attendance and the team is floundering, in the parlance of our times, one would think that firing a Mgr whose making $1M-$2M might be logical step to jump start a team.

      …to be clear, I’m not advocating firing Ausmus…unless of course DET doesn’t make the playoffs.

  25. Brennan Boesch is in tonight’s lineup for the Reds. My wife will be thrilled to see him again. So will Sanchez!

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