All posts by billfer

2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 8-10-08

Norfolk 7 Toledo 6
Kody Kirkland was 2 for 3. Timo Perez doubled and walked 3 times. Brent Clevlen had a 0 for 5, 3 K night. Eddie Bonine allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and no walks in 4.1 innings. Francisco Cruceta fanned 3 in 1.1 innings allowing a walk and no hits. He now has a 49:18 K:BB ratio in 32 innings and he hasn’t allowed a homer.

Erie 3 Reading 2
Wilkin Ramirez went 3 for 4 with a homer. Wil Rhymes added 3 hits. James Skelton was 0 for 5 with 3 strike outs. Lucas French only last 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks.

Dunedin 5 Lakeland 1
Dontrelle Willis’s final line wasn’t too impressive: 7.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 6 K’s. But it looked better before he came out for that 8th inning when he allowed a walk and a homer. The long outing is encouraging, as is the walk/strikeout ratio. I know it’s A ball, but his last two outings have been pretty good. We’ll see if he’s done in Lakeland, or if he’ll continue to work down there. Justin Justice homered and singled.

South Bend 2 West Michigan 8
Justin Henry went 3 for 5 and Ronnie Bourquin, Alex Avila, and Joe Tucker all had 2 hit games. Avila is now sitting at a .289 batting average with a .364 OBP, but without much power with only 8 of his 44 hits going for extra bases. Jon Kibler went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 K’s. Orlando Perdomo pitched 2 scoreless innings and Brett Jacobson one scoreless inning.

Oneonta PPD

GCL Tigers DNP

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 117: A’s at Tigers

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PREGAME: Remember when the Tigers bludgeoned the Royals for a series sweep a few weeks back? Yeah, that was the last time they won a series. They have a chance to turn the feat again this afternoon.

It will be Nate Robertson taking the mound for the Tigers. Robertson has been horrific with a 6.11 ERA. He’s allowing 1.3 hits PER INNING. He has been much better at home (4.45 ERA) and much better during the day (4.47 ERA). So maybe he doesn’t blow up today.

Greg Smith takes the ball for the Athletics. He turned in a quality start his last time out against the Blue Jays. He has an okay strike out rate 5.95 and a poor 3.92 walk rate. But he hasn’t given up a lot of hits. He’s given up 62 fewer hits than Robertson in the same number of innings. Lefties have managed only a 572 OPS against him this year. And don’t swing at the first pitch. He’s only allowed a 172/169/328 line when the first pitch is put in play.

OAK @ DET, Sunday, August 10, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: Well this was a nice clean, crisp win. Nate Robertson was in and around the strike zone and efficiently marched through the A’s order for 7.2 innings. In the process he dropped his ERA to the right side of 6.00. Fernando Rodney picked up the last 4 outs, including stranding the runner he inherited, allowing only a double along the way.

The offense had a controlled approach, not offering at pitches out of the strike zone for the most part. They drew 10 walks, though only 2 came around to score. But they did enough to build a comfortable margin by the end of the game.

Gary Sheffield had a kind of cycle of futility. He was 1 for 1 in GIDP opportunities. He also popped up with a runner on second and no outs. And he K’d both looking and swinging.

The only other bad thing about the game was that Curtis Granderson struck out bunting. Grandy has looked so good in so many facets of the game, but his last couple bunt attempts have been awful. I believe it was just last week he popped up a sac bunt attempt.

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 115: A’s at Tigers

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PREGAME: After spending basically every waking minute since the All Star break on the road, the Tigers return home for the awhile. This was the part of the schedule, where if the Tigers kept things close, they could make their run. Except they didn’t keep things close.

As for the game at hand it will be Kenny Rogers and Dallas Braden. Braden is making his 4th start and he’s had mixed results. The Tigers faced him 3 times last year and beat the stuffing out of him the last two times lighting him up for 14 runs in 6.1 innings over the 2 games.

With the exception of the Royals game, Rogers has been awful since the break. he hasn’t recorded an out in the 7th inning, and in his last start he threw 109 pitches before being lifted in the 4th.

OAK @ DET, Friday, August 8, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 114: Tigers at White Sox

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PREGAME: I’m going out to enjoy a lovely day on the beach. When I settle in tonight I’ll see if the Tigers as a collective team have anything left – like pride, or if they simply mail in the season. Zach Miner and Javier Vasquez. Last time this pitching match-up was a win. The bullpen should be well rested after they only had to get 1 out last night.

DET @ CHW, Thursday, August 7, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: Nothing to complain about in this one. Zach Miner was solid. The offense was good with the Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera reaching base in each of their 5 respective plate appearances. Ryan Raburn made a bacon saving diving catch. Fernando Rodney was okay enough, and did K 2 without walking anyone. My man Bobby Seay was rocky, and Ramon Santiago had a 3 K game with an error. But otherwise good times. Now the Tigers just need to win 8 of their next 10 and we can all get excited again.

2008 Season, Managing & Strategy, Pitching

Leyland abuses Verlander’s arm for no good reason

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Jim Leyland before the game:

Zumaya’s right shoulder remains a point of concern. Leyland said Zumaya reported “normal soreness” and indicated that he was able to pitch, but Leyland said that description was “not defined enough for me.”

“I’m not going to have it on my plate that I got Joel Zumaya hurt, getting greedy,” Leyland said. “I’m not going to do it.”

Justin Verlander last night:

  • 7.2 innings
  • 6 hits
  • 5 runs
  • 3 walks
  • 8 strike outs
  • 130 pitches

This is categorically stupid. From an in game management sense, the team was only down two runs and still very much in it. You starter has done his job and worked into the 8th inning. After the Dye double, even if he is still throwing in the high 90’s, get him out of there and bring in a fresh arm. Try and keep the game close. Instead he throws 11 more pitches taking a lofty pitch count to insane. That Lopez finally came in and allowed a single is immaterial.

From a pitching management standpoint it is inexcusable. With last night’s start, Justin Verlander now leads all of baseball in pitcher abuse points. He’s thrown more pitches than any other pitcher in baseball this year. And for what? A 5-1 loss in a season that is already decided? The Tigers just wanted to make sure that all their young pitchers end up on the DL?

It seems that this type of move happens when the manager is on his way out of town.

2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap August 6th

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Toledo 8 Louisville 10
Jeff Larish homered twice. Brent Clevlen had 4 hits and was a triple short of the cycle. Dusty Ryan homered picking up his 5th XBH in 4 games at Toledo. But Eddie Bonine allowed 6 runs in 6.1 innings while Clay Rapada and Brian Rogers were each tagged for a pair of runs in relief.

Harrisburg 2 Erie 11
Casper Wells had a day with 3 homers and 5 RBI. James Skelton homered and walked twice. Deik Scram and Pedro Cotto also homered. Lucas French fanned 8 and walked 1 in 7 innings.

Clearwater 5 Lakeland 1
Dontrelle Willis made the start. He allowed 3 singles and 2 wild pitches in the first inning, but then retired the next 12 hitters. In his 6th inning he allowed 2 singles, but then struck out the side. In the 7th he was touched up for a triple, a double, an error and two singles. His final line was a non-inspiring 6.1 innings, 10 hits, 5 runs, no walks and 6 strike outs. But from the game log it definitely seems encouraging.

West Michigan 5 Great Lakes 0
Joe Tucker had 3 hits and Ronnie Bourquin had 3 walks. Kody Kaiser homered and drove in 3. Jon Kibler pitched the complete game 2 hit shut out with no walks and 9 K’s.

Oneonta DNP

GCL Tigers 7 GCL Braves 5
Luis Salas homered, walked and singled. Luis Palacios and Chao Ting Tang each doubled twice. Luis Sanz allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while fanning 5 in 6 innings.

2008 Season, Managing & Strategy

Ah, the closer by committee

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The Tigers are going the route of closer by committee. Sort of. In the sense that Kyle Farnsworth, Fernando Rodney, and Joel Zumaya will all get opportunities there is definitely a committee of people who will be closing games. But it seems as if it will be pre-determined heading into the game – at least tonight when Joel Zumaya will close if the situation presents itself.

I guess what I’d prefer is to just wing it each game. See who is throwing well, and the match-ups coming up in the 9th. And on another note, why not throw Bobby Seay into the mix.

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 112: Tigers at White Sox

557 Comments

PREGAME: Here we are at one of those critical junctures where if the Tigers lose, even the optimists have to call it a season. It reminds a lot of a series like this 2 months ago where Detroit improbably swept the White Sox. Of course that series was in the confines of Comerica Park.

It will be Nate Robertson taking on Gavin Floyd. Robertson has been the awful in 2 of his last 3 starts. Both of those came on the road. Both of them he was showering before the 4th inning started. And in both of them the team gave him a ton of run support. In between he picked up a quality start against these same White Sox.

Floyd’s ERA is 2 runs lower when pitching in Chicago. He has allowed 11 homers in 76 home innings, and the Tigers have been known to hit some homers, so that might be good.

As for all those changes Leyland was talking about, there were no roster moves, and other than Ryan Raburn starting in left (5 for 12 off of Floyd) there’s really nothing of note.

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Guillen, 3B
  4. Ordonez, RF
  5. Cabrera, 1B
  6. Sheffield, DH
  7. Raburn, LF
  8. Inge, C
  9. Renteria, SS

Game Time 8:10

POSTGAME: Oh Holy Hell.

I’d like to say something about Polanco’s game. Or Fernando Rodney being the man. Or Ryan Raburn’s 4 hits. Or Nate Robertson making it through 5 innings. Instead…

Oh Holy Hell.

Farnsworth has allowed more homers than all but 25 AL pitchers. All 25 are starters. Edgar Renteria had had a good game with 3 hits and some nice defense…until he booted a routine grounder. The game should have been over. Joel Zumaya should have thrown something that wasn’t a fastball.

Oh Holy Hell.

2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 8-4-08

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Toledo 0 Louisville 11
Jeff Larish went 2 for 4 and Kody Kirkland was 2 for 3. Yorman Bazardo was pounded for 10 runs in 3.1 innings with 8 hits and 4 walks. Francisco Cruceta allowed 2 hits in an inning of work but struck out the side. Casey Fien threw another scoreless inning with a K.

Harrisburg 8 Erie 7
Santo De Leon singled and homered. Wil Rhymes and Casper Wells each had 2 hits. Danny Christensen allowed 5 runs on 11 hits in 5 innings with 1 walk and 4 K’s.

Lakeland 5 Tampa 10
Cale Iorg went 3 for 5. Ryan Strieby hit his 27th homer. Alfredo Firgaro was torched for 6 runs on 9 hits in 4.1 innings.

West Michigan – DNP

Oneonta 6 Tri- city 4
Bran Donglas went 3 for 6. Luis Arlet tripled and singled. Darwin De Leon pitched a 3 hitter with 2 runs allowed over 6 innings. Aaron Furhman fanned 7 in 4 scoreless innings.

GCL Tigers 4 GCL Phillies 8
Luis Salas had a hit and a walk.

2008 Season

The 6th Inning -2008

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Last year Sam Hoff started breaking down the season into 18 games segments, each representing 1/9th of the season, or an “inning.” Here is the 6th inning report. This doesn’t include the Tampa series which got the 7th off to an awful start.

The 6th Inning is over.

Each 18 games represent 1 inning of a baseball season. The Tigers record for the first 6 innings in 2008:

Starters: Bullpen:
W-L RS –RA HR-SB-AVG/OBA/SLG W-L-IP- ERA W-L-S-ERA
1: 6-12 74 -112 15-10-262/345/404 3-9- 96.2-5.96 3-3-3-5.28
2: 9-9 98 -87 21- 6-261/350/426 5-8-105.2-5.11 4-1-2-3.61
3: 8-10 89 -75 19- 2-275/326/442 8-5-109.2-4.19 0-5-4-3.83
4: 11-7 85 -74 19- 8-268/350/416 8-4-113.0-3.27 3-3-5-5.17
5: 12-6 86 -78 25- 6-297/347/476 6-4-106.1-4.23 6-2-6-3.43
6: 9-9 118-96 25- 8-299/368/483 8-6-105.0-5.49 1-3-2-4.03

In the 6th inning found the Tigers put up their best scoring effort by outscoring their opponents by 22 runs. The unfortunate part is a 1-5 record against the 2 teams they are chasing including five 1-run loses in those games made for a lot of “what-if” thoughts amongst their fans. They did actually gain 1.5 games on the White Sox during the 6th inning (5.5 back on July 31).

The Starting pitching was horrible. Justin Verlander (2-2-5.68era) allowed 16 of 31 base runners allowed to score. Nate Robertson is fooling no one (0-1-11.29era) and is starting to form disastrous 2008 numbers. Kenny Rogers (2-1-4.74era) is pitching mostly on guts allowing 40 runners in 24.1 innings. Armando Galarraga (2-2-3.65era) continues to have a fine rookie season and Zach Miner (2-0-1.50era) gave the Tigers 2 great starts.

In the Bullpen, Todd Jones (0-1-2saves-5.68era) had a huge blown save (only his 2nd) against the White Sox and is now on the DL. Bobby Seay continues to be the Tigers best reliever (1.08era) and had 12ks in 8.1 innings. Joel Zumaya (2.70era) – 9 walks in 10 innings and Fernando Rodney (3.48era) – 8 walks in 10.1 innings both continue to struggle finding the plate. Casey Fossom pitched a scoreless 5.2 innings and picked up the only bullpen win getting out of a huge self created jam against Cleveland. Freddy Dolsi (8.22era), Aquino Lopez (5.68era), and Clay Rapada (10.80era) were all no relief.

The Hitters finally scored on a 1000 run pace for an inning. Matt Joyce (4-11-327/383/691) was awesome. Now every day catcher Brandon Inge did well (3-8-270/372/568) and made management feel Pudge (1-3-333/395/436) was expendable. Miguel Cabrera was an RBI machine (3-23-299/329/481). The biggest struggle on offense came from 5th inning hero Marcus Thames (3-5-184/231/429) although Gary Sheffield is still not performing at a career level (3-11-236/306/455).

The Tigers now sit 2 games over .500 with 1/3 of the season left to play. Winning 36 and losing 18 over the last 54 games will leave the Tigers at 91-71, which still may not be good enough. The present lack of energy and the dud the team played in the first game of the 7th inning makes it seem that a lot of players will be getting 2009 auditions in September.