32 thoughts on “Game 2015.117: Tigers at Astros”

  3. I don’t think Marte is the answer… takes a called third with runnets on 2 and 3…next K’s on a pitch even with the D on his cap, Then Takes a called third runners on 1 and 2…and to make things worse he was followed by Avila….take about a black hole!!!

  4. Best Jim Leyland quote ever: “It’s not so much who you play but when you play them.” Houston 3-7 in last 10 starting today.

    Marte hasn’t done much to help his 2016 chances today. Neither has Alex.

    Our dugout looks like a foxhole between fire fights! JD did something to his foot(?)’ Miggy had his leg up, perhaps iced?

  5. And Ausmus pulls a dominant Al-Al for Gorzelanny to face Rasmus. What could possibly go wrong?

  6. This may be a case of over managing. Al has been magnificent but he will not be allowed to pitch to Rasmus at all. I’m not sure I would bring in the big Gorgzo into any close came. Hope it works.

  8. As I said, genius MBA at work. Pitch to their best hitter with the winning run on third and a 220+ hitter on deck. Lucky to have survived Gorzo, our manager does it again!

    Father Al, hope you’re paying attention.

  9. Hey Gorzo….hows that new arm angle working out for you!!..Assmus for the 1000000001 time has to have his horsecrap match up fail..in high school we call this a “refusal to learn”!!!!

    1. Yes, refusal to learn. Personally I wouldn’t feel so frustrated about the team, even if we were 30-85, IF we had a manager who was applying his intelligence every game, in every game situation. I need to see something more in-game from our Skipper than just spitting out pumpkin seeds, and going with lefty/righty matchups, irregardless of past results.

    1. Agree about Avila, but before today’s start, I was actually thinking that playing Marte at 3rd, spelling Nick, was a great idea.
      Did Jefry have a bad day, or was he showing us his real self?

      1. He swung at one pitch a foot inside and at his nose level…then in another at bat he swung at strike three on a fastball even with the D on his cap….you can’t make stuff like this up….Straight from the Tigers organization of swing batter batter, swing!…they don’t teach bunting, Kaline fan, but they do teach swing batter batter!

        1. Cabrera is a very aggressive swinger. He tries to figure out what pitch he’s going to get, and goes for it. Sometimes he gets fooled. But when he doesn’t get what he wants, he doesn’t swing. Right before his home run, the Astros announcers were talking about hoe Cabrera doesn’t mind having 2 strikes, because that’s better than swinging at a pitch you don’t want.

          There’s a fine line between aggressive and hacking.

  12. Its an excellent article, and pretty much right on. I guess what I don’t get from Mr Illitch is, if you were trying to make a point by firing DD now then Ausmus had to go also. Otherwise the firing doesn’t make sense. After all DD is a huge reason why the Tigers are this good,( past 5 years) and very little of the reason they are this bad.(2015). By the end of the season Ausmus will be under .500 as a manager.

    1. …as I’ve stated before, short of a miraculous finish for the ’15 Tigers, I don’t see any way they bring Ausmus or any of his coaching staff back for ’16. New GM, new management, new attitude…I hope anyway.

  13. Communication error about why they pitched to the best hitter on the Houston team in the 9th. Isn’t it strange that in a dugout that isn’t that big that everyone is in, plus all Capt” Chew seeds all game long” had to do was walk out and Tell Wilson what he wanted. Amazing that Asumus just left the mound and Wilson didn’t know the plan!!!!!…one of the most important non written rules of baseball is, ” never let the best player on the other team beat you. See if someone else can”!!!..communication error #100045350001 for Ausmus. There is definately a pattern here!

    1. Communication breakdown? It’s always the same. I’m having a nervous breakdown, it’s driving me insane.

      1. Maybe they’ll let all of us bunk in the same ward at the Wacky Bin after the end of this season. And we’ll all surely be there, especially if Ausmus is retained.

      2. good point Coleman, and one has to wonder if Ausmus will have the ‘presence’ to admit, it’s ‘nobody’s fault but mine’…

          1. yes, although sometimes he does tend to ‘ramble on’ in the post-game pressers, the song remains the same

  14. One other very consistent thing is it is never Ausmus fault……NEVER…. I have never heard him say. I screwed up.
    Wilson still has a different story than Brad…. Price has a different story than Brad,,,,Cespedes has a different story than Brad…Joba gave up 5 consecutive hits……No one ready in the Pen…LH/LH match up…RH/RH match up 100% of the time….can go on and on and on with examples.
    …and 100% of the time Brad will say “I would do it the same way again”…..

  15. Has anyone else noticed DET’s twin brother team in the NL??? …the Nats – another team allegedly loaded with talent, came into the season with high expectations, and they’re currently 1-game under .500 after losing 6 straight (only won 6 of their last 20 games).

    Nats = 6th largest payroll ($164M) in MLB, a good number of “star players” AND another team with a 2nd year newbie Mgr who seems to be in over his head.

    BTW: DET’s payroll for ’15 is $174M (4th largest)

  16. Once “sure thing” Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer’s last 45 innings pitched: 26 ER’s and 11 HR’s = 5.20 ERA over last 45 innings

  17. That’s an interesting compare with the Nats, Stormin’; I hadn’t thought about them like that, how disappointing their season must seem now to them, similar to Motown’s. One area that sets the teams apart tho, is the main offensive categories, thus:
    Runs: Wash = 17th; Det = 11th
    BA: Wash = 24th; Det = 1st
    OBP: Wash = 17th; Det = 3rd
    Slug%: Wash = 19th; Det = 6th
    Which is a little scary actually, because this makes the Tigers look like they’re way ahead as under-achievers, or more accurately, not being able to get Wins with such a potent offense. Pitching collapse, and poor bullpen is partly to blame, manager’s in-game decisions (or lack thereof) accounts for a good deal of the rest, I would say.

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