2017 Season, Game Post

Game 2017.68 Rays at Tigers

44 Comments

The tarp is down, so this one won’t happen on time.

Today’s surprise: Anibal Sanchez is with the team, and will be pitching tomorrow’s game. No word on who is being sent down, but it will be someone better than Anibal Sanchez.

Today’s Happy Father’s Day Lineup:

  1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
  2. Alex Avila, DH
  3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
  4. JD Martinez, DH
  5. Justin Upton, LF
  6. Nick Castellanos, 3B
  7. Alex Presley, CF
  8. James McCann, C
  9. Dixon Machado, SS

Pitching: Buck Farmer vs Jacob Faria

44 thoughts on “Game 2017.68 Rays at Tigers”

  1. Anibal Sanchez? That goes beyond surprise, but maybe it shouldn’t. As with F-Rod, I suppose you need to either pitch him, trade him, or let him go, and the second of those isn’t very possible if he isn’t pitching for Detroit at all. What is there to lose besides a game or two to three? Maybe Anibal will be sensational all of a sudden. Stranger things have happened. And the Tigers aren’t exactly locked in a pennant race. Roll the dice.

    1. Probably, and it probably doesn’t depend on how Farmer pitches today. But something else could be cooking. Maybe there’s something going on with Zimmermann or Verlander we don’t know about.

  3. Hmm, that’s not Sanchez pitching today, is it? 2 HR’s in less than 3. If he can hold them to 4 runs in 6 innings it would be great.

  5. No luck for Buck. Don’t want to complain about bullpen management, but I think I might have called for Bell or Saupold when the wheels were clearly falling off, before the grand slam. You do need to give guys a chance in order to see what they’ve got, and that was perhaps Farmer’s last, unless the staff gets riddles with injuries.

    More of the same tomorrow, I expect.

    1. past two Farmer outings could earn him a bus trip back to the farm (Toledo)

      “most” MLB teams do a good job of scouting/figuring out young hitter’s and pitcher’s weaknesses – and make adjustments

    2. Brad seems to be a day late and a dollar short a lot. Yup, Farmer had clearly lost it and Brad waited. My time to replace him was when he hit the batter.

  6. Oh my, 7 games on the West Coast coming up. That should have us all brimming with optimism.

  7. 5 K in a row now for Faria. Make it 6 when McCann bats next inning. This is the definition of a game that is not fun. Maybe they will “make a game of it” if we walk away from it.

    1. Just have to look forward to the west coast trip with Annibal opening in Seattle.

  8. Royal..West Coast 7…lookin like a 3-7 streak coming up…Sanchez…ah never mind!…what ever happened to VerHagen. I thought there was potential there…

    1. Jud, Tiger Management is hoping Sanchez pitches a no-no and someone picks up his contract. We might even throw in our old closer in the deal.

    2. VerHagen? He has never really showed much of anything, least of all at AAA or MLB. Detroit has little talent in the minor leagues, least of all on the pitching side. Everyone they hype turns out be just that, hype. Farmer is about as good as it gets. We’ll see about Jimenez, eventually, I guess.

      1. The crazy part is the Tigers use 20 draft pics a year on starting power pitchers….every year..where are they???

        2. there’s a few good prospects, but most are floundering in the farm system or working a ‘real job’

          1. The name Corey Knebel surely rings a bell. Former closer of the future, before Rondon (I think) and Jimenez. Part of the price paid for Joakim Soria (ugh, remember the ALDS), and later the Rangers’ price for Gallardo, and now the Brewers are having the last laugh (he’s 25 for crying out loud!).

            Where there’s young talent, the Tigers have almost always traded it away. They keep the schlubs like Rondon, McCann, and Castellanos. And Jones.

  9. The quiet hot streak from Iglesias that Coleman mentioned has actually been going on since May 24. He’s hit safely in 16 of 21 games, .377 BA, .914 OPS, scored 12 runs and batted in 10. That and the great defense. At least everything isn’t going wrong.

    And then there’s Machado. Batting .328 in such limited and irregular playing time, hey, good job.

  10. For sure, Jacob Faria had not spoiled his dad’s fathers day who is at the game.

  12. This game marks a new low for 2017. And it’s not even over (I thought it was).

      1. Yeah, it was. But I figured *something* interesting or encouraging might happen. Daniel Stumpf had a clean inning. That’s about the best I can do. It is weird that JD has these games where it doesn’t even seem like he is there. Such is the life of the raw power hitter, I guess.

        1. Or did you mean the season, Tony? I don’t think *that* is over. Interesting things will certainly happen, and there is always the possibility of new lows. Sanchez getting the start tomorrow against Seattle is certainly interesting. Expectations are so low already that a loss worse than today’s seems impossible.

  13. Well that ends the big home stand that was going to fix everything. The Tigers pulled out all the stops and played a brilliant .500 ball at home. Now to the left coast to play 2 sub-500 clubs with a stop at KC on the way back. First series after the trip is the Indians. It’s the darn schedule makers fault!

    1. DET’s only saving grace is they have a busload of games remaining against ALC (mediocre) teams…so DET will likely stay in the playoff hunt for a while

      …the roller-coaster ride will continue – providing signs to be optimistic, only to be shattered by performances like the past two games

      to be a DET fan for any length of time, it helps to become comfortable with frustration and the feeling of ‘the other shoe about to drop’

      1. Yep. Although it’s funny that it feels like a roller-coaster. Definitely a short distance roller-coaster with a very short rise and drop. More of a pendulum.

        I am guessing that Sanchez is going to get more than one start. I also have my doubts that he will be moved to the bullpen again. He’s the #5 starter unless and until he definitely pitches himself a) right off the team or b) right onto another team (the optimistic trade scenario). I guess that we and Matthew Boyd (doing pretty well at Toledo) must await that outcome.

            1. ;)…that’s funny…and i’m with you on that one Coleman

              i suspect “if” (big “if”) there are any positives from Sanchez back in the rotation, it will be short-lived

              1. I wish Sanchez the best, for tonight’s start and the next x number of them. Mere borderline quality starts would be a burst of positive energy for this team.

                I like to criticize the Sanchez contract, but I must remember that he was a unique pitching talent (big arsenal), and perhaps the Tigers can be forgiven for banking on excellence over his prime years. It’s hard to remember now, but when he was good, he was scary good. Didn’t he tie or set the Tigers single game strikeout record?

                I tell you what – if the Comeback Kid turns this season around, it would be worth the $50 mil “wasted.”

    1. We should know by the All Star game if we will be in contention the rest of the year. 6 of our last 9 games just before the break are against the Indians. They’ve gotten hot and if we lose 4 or more, that should do it.

      1. The way I see it (however inaccurately) is when the Tigers get to the point that they would have to play .667 ball to get to a playoff-lock 94-68, it’s all over. Not in terms of selling and all that, but in terms of me entertaining even the faintest notion of Detroit making the playoffs.

        Right now… whoa, they are on the edge. 62-32 from here on out. Lose tonight and I color them gone. Wow, that’s harsh. But they’ve wasted, or at least spent, 42% of the season already. No mercy. I’m not putting any stock in that muddled AL Central thing. Win the division decisively or go home.

  15. DET plays CLE 7 times in ten days 6/30 – 7/9…i suspect that’ll be an important indicator of the extent DET will become sellers at the trade deadline

    of course as has been discussed here, there are some large contracts that DET likely couldn’t trade away, even if they wanted to… but DET does have some players that will be coveted, beginning w/JDMart, Shane Greene, JWilson… perhaps even AAvila.

    my prediction; JDMart will be the only Tiger traded at the deadline

    1. Yes Norman, 7 games with the makeup game on July 1st. I agree our fate should be sealed by then. Although he has a no trade contract, do you think JV might agree to go to a contender (I’m thinking Houston) assuming they want to eat the contract? Houston’s hurting for starting pitching. I agree JD’s the only one likely to go. Not sure what the Tigers could get for the pitchers you named but it seems those are guys they should try to keep. What I get out of this is that the club won’t be able to start their 36th year of rebuilding until after 2020.

  16. for better or for worse, DET is likely stuck w/JV, I doubt he would waive his no-trade clause except for a few select teams…possibly LAD, but they’re not in need of SP, especially at $28M thru ’19 w/a $22M vesting option for 2020.

    …but then again, I never thought DET would be able to trade Fielder (and his contract) – so I guess we’ll see what happens.

    1. I no longer think it’s impossible that Detroit would try to move Verlander and/or Cabrera after the season, to one-two of the four franchises that maybe could afford it, but I still have to admit that I don’t like the idea. I like ’em both Tigers For Life. The rest of the expensive dudes can fall away, as they surely will. The team can afford $56 million a year to have a couple guys you could name.

  17. I’ve been thinking that I wouldn’t mind obtaining Cain and Moustakas from the Royals, as rentals, in exchange for JD and Castellanos. But the Royals would never do that, to begin with, and trading JD to a division rival? Nah.

    But I might make a deal with the Reds along the same lines for Eugenio Suarez and Billy Hamilton. *Not* rentals.

    1. Casty for Moustakas would get their GM lynched. Moustakas is a much better hitter, has more power etc. I don’t think the Royals would do it for Casty’s glove. KC would not want JD as a rental because they can’t sign as a free agent. JD will go to a contender which (to me) eliminates everyone in our division except perhaps the Indians. Norman is probably right, JD is our only likely loss. I’m sure it will be in July only because we will get nothing for him as a free and very expensive free agent at the end of the season. Loon, I am also getting desperate trying to find a way to salvage this season but I can’t.

      1. I think the Royals want to unload Moustakas for someone cheaper, and Castellanos is actually a replacement in disguise for Hosmer soon enough, whom they also want to unload. Or will by the break. I think KC could and would sign JD after 2017. I’m not interested in Moustakas for DET beyond 2017. He’s OK, not fantastic, and doesn’t fit the Detroit economy plan. But he can play 3B, for Pete’s sake.

        Who will we get for JD, you guys? Prospects? Meh. Ride it, I say. A nice rest of 2017 is more than compensation enough for me, as with Scherzer in 2014.

        It is not salvaging the season that I have in mind. Just kicking around some ideas for a moderate take on making the most of a .500 or thereabouts season while still preparing for 2018 without some massive teardown. The Tigers can stand pat, too. A lot of encouraging things could happen without much change in personnel to speak of.

  18. Been perusing MLB Trade Rumors for ideas, just in case that is not apparent soon. So who might Detroit, or me posing as Detroit, be interested in acquiring mid-season?

    2B-3B Yangervis Solarte, San Diego
    RF Avisail Garcia, Chicago Whip Sox
    CF-IF Leury Garcia, Chicago While Sox
    RHRP Pat Neshek, Philadelphia
    2B Scott Kingery, Philadelphia (prospect)
    1B Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia (prospect)
    RHRP Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City

    Ask me why. OK, I’ll tell you:

    Kinsler and the near future of 2B, or Castellanos and the near future of 3B, or both
    The near future of post-JD right field… OK. maybe he’ll never play for Detroit again while Cabrera is on the team
    Better than anyone the Tigers currently have for CF
    Only for 2017, maybe, but I continue to think Alex Wilson is overrated (and will probably continue to be wrong about that)
    Kinsler and the long-term future of 2B
    Cabrera to DH and V-mart departure (or loss)
    Because I never want Detroit to ever have to face his 187 mph fastball again

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