Richmond 1 Toledo 4
Chris Shelton homered and singled. Andres Torres added 2 hits as well. Yorman Bazardo pitched a complete game alloing 1 unearned run on 4 hits, 2 walks, and 4 K’s – and it only took him 92 pitches.
Harrisburg 7 Erie 14
Jeff Larish hit his 20th homer, walked, and singled. Wilkin Ramirezwas 3 for 4 and hit his first homer since joining Erie. Mike Hollimon added a 3 for 5 day. Jon Connolly was knocked around for 5 runs on 8 hits, 2 walk, and 2 homers in 6 innings.
Lakeland 3 Dunedin 8
Deik Scram was 3 for 4 with a homer. Kyle Sleeth allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 K’s in 5 innings.
West Michigan 5 Cedar Rapids 0
Jordan Newton went 3 for 4. Ryan Strieby homered twice bringing his total to 13. Jonah Nickerson pitched the complete game 2 hitter allowing only 2 hits while fanning 7 and walking none.
Aberdeen 10 Oneonta 8 (10 innings)
Ronnie Bourquin and Casper Wells each homered and singled. The team made 8 errors which is obscene. Sean Finefrock allowed 2 homers among 7 hits as he was chased after 3 1/3 innings.
GCL Indians 2 GCL Tigers 5
Cameron Maybin was 2 for 4. Orlando Rodriguez homered. Hayden Parrott was 1 for 3 with a walk. Brandon Johnson allowed 1 run on 5 hits, no walks and 4 strikeouts. Richard Zumaya came on in relief and walked 4 allowing a run without allowing a hit. Brandon Hamilton fared better fanning 3 and allowing 1 walk in 2 innings of work.
Category Archives: 2007 Season
Game 103: Tigers at Angels
PREGAME: The Tigers will turn to Andrew Miller to try and turn the starting rotation around. Miller will try to get past the 5th inning which is something he hasn’t done in his last 3 starts.
The Angels will send out a young pitcher of their own in Joe Saunders. Saunders just rejoined the rotation last week and shut down the Twins to the tune of 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings of work. He’s made 6 starts this year and has a 2.89 ERA despite not striking out many (only 19 in 37 1/3 innings). His strength his keeping the ball in the park with only 2 homers allowed. Left handed hitters only have 32 PA’s but have a meager 194/219/226 line. We’ll see if Leyland goes with his regulars or the Toledo crew for the National TV tilt.
Game Time 3:55
DET @ LAA, Saturday, July 28, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
Tigers Minor League Wrap 7/27/07
Pawtucket 4 Toledo 2
Timo Perez homered and doubled. Chris Shelton added a double as well. Anastacio Martinez pitched the first 2 innings and allowed both runs on 4 hits. Fernando Rodney fanned 2 and walk 1 in his inning of work.
Harrisburn 7 Erie 8
Matt Joyce went 3 for 4 with a homer. Mike Hollimon also had 3 hits and Kody Kirkland doubled twice. Eddie Bonine allowed 6 runs (4 earned) in 6 innings work with 1 walk, 7 K’s, and 2 homers.
Lakeland 6 Dunedin 8
Dusty Ryan homered twice. Shawn Roof added 2 hits. Angel Castro allowed 3 runs in 5 innings. Ed Clelland was rocked for 5 runs on 2 homers in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
West Michigan 2 Cedar Rapids 3
Joe Tucker singled and 2 walks. Brennan Boesch hit his 8th homer of the year. Charles Furbush went 5 innings and allowed 1 run on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 7 K’s.
Aberdeen 9 Oneonta 4
This box score stopped updating in the bottom of the ninth, so things may change a tad after I write this. Alfredo Figaro started but only pitched 1 1/3 innings and all he surrendered was a walk. Kody Kaiser had 2 hits and Ronnie Bourquin had 3 hits.
GCL Yankees 7 GCL Tigers 3
Cameron Maybin is on rehab assignment and went 2 for 3 with 2 walks. Justin White added 2 hits. Jonathan Kibler allowed 3 hits and 2 runs in 2 innings as the starter.
Minors News
Matt takes a lookat Edward Reynoso who has been putting up sick numbers in the Dominican Summer League. Players in the DSL are of course a long, long ways from helping the big club but his numbers are freakishly good and all of 18 years old.
Game 102: Tigers at Angels
PREGAME: Back to the left coast, and in search of some sort of groove. The Tigers have been playing pretty uneven since sweeping the Twins. Tonight they’ll take on a team that is in first place despite being in a little bit of a funk. Remind you of another team?
The Tigers will be up against Jered Weaver who they rocked earlier in the year chasing him in the 2nd inning. It was one of only 2 starts this year where he’s surrendered more than 4 earned runs.
The Tigers will send out Nate Robertson. Robertson was knocked around for 11 hits and survived 6 innings allowing 4 earned runs his last time out. Surprisingly this is his first career start against the Angels.
The Tigers will run out the regular lineup which means Sheffield is back batting 3rd. It also means that Craig Monroe is playing left field.
Game Time 10:05
DET @ LAA, Friday, July 27, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
Jose Capellan is back
Jose Capellan has been recalled from Toledo. He’ll be taking Zach Miner’s spot on the roster who has been granted bereavement leave due to a family emergency.
Game 101: Tigers at White Sox
PREGAME: Finally the series that wouldn’t end reaches the rubber game. It’s Justin Verlander and John Danks. No Carlos Guillen or Gary Sheffield so Magglio will be lonely in the middle of the lineup.
Game Time 2:05
POSTGAME: I’m usually bummed with get-away day games because I’m at work and the best case scenario is I can listen. I think I was lucky to miss the bulk of this game, and while they are replaying it as I write this I really have no desire to watch it. And yes the bullpen blew it. And they didn’t even really give the White Sox a chance to beat them. They just kind of handed it to them by their inability to throw strikes. Yes, it really really sucks. That’s all I have.
Game 100: Tigers at White Sox
PREGAME: Kenny Rogers and Jose Contreras. Here’s hoping for better than yesterday.
UPDATE: Sheffield is out with a sore shoulder, and he may miss tomorrow also.
Game Time 8:11pm
DET @ CHW, Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: Great bounce back win. Going to bed real quick here but first:
- Kenny was awful. Even as the team kept coming back the ball kept leaving the yard.
- Ryan Raburn drove in as many as Kenny let in. So he was anti-awful.
- Great outing for Byrdak as well with 2 perfect innings.
- Bullpen picked up 15 outs and only allowed 2 runs. Nice job.
- That was a lot of offense with 1/3 of the regular lineup out.
On Bullpen Help
Perusing Lynn Henning’s Burning Questions today I came across the following:
Q . Are the Tigers any more inclined today to make a trade ahead of next Tuesday’s deadline?
A . Probably not.
It’s not as though they wouldn’t seek one more arm for their bullpen, or another hitter or catcher, but the asking price is going to be so steep that it doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend heavily on additional players that might or might not help a well-constructed team make the playoffs.
The Tigers have to be careful. They’ve added significant pitching help to their bullpen and stand to add more in the coming weeks as Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya heal. Trading young talent they will need to compete in coming seasons is a price that should not be paid unless there is a serious need and reasonable guarantee that you’ll get better.
This pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. I fully understand that the team has to “win it all this year” because “you never know when you’ll get another opportunity.” But even taking the best team into the playoffs doesn’t mean that you win it all.
Now of course you have to question whether the team is good enough to make the playoffs. It’s a fair question and as tempting as it is to say they aren’t, especially after a debacle like last night, look at the record this team has compiled even with their bullpen. Of course this team is capable of making the playoffs the way they are currently constructed. And no matter how demoralizing the loss was last night, it doesn’t change the Tigers negotiating position. One game should never do that. If you’ve thought for the other 98 games the Tigers needed help, it shouldn’t change your mind. Similarly if felt the Tigers pen was good enough, you arrived at that conclusion despite the bullpen struggles and that one game shouldn’t dissuade you.
As much as the Tigers want to win this year, they plan on winning for the next several years. In 2008 they’ve already committed $78 million (assuming they pick up the Pudge option, $68 million otherwise). And that money is spread out over only 11 players. It’s the same story in 2009 with $68 million going to 8 players, and other guys who are cheap now (Granderson, Zumaya) getting hefty raises with that money.
The reason the Tigers felt they could give out extensions to Gary Sheffield and Carlos Guillen was because a)they felt that was the most efficient way to secure that production and b)they’re counting on filling open positions with cheap home grown talent. If you make the system bereft of that talent then you’re looking on the free agent market or settling for replacement level production. And the Tigers system just isn’t loaded with guys who project to start at the Major League level, there isn’t an endless supply. It’s why you go above slot money and invest early on in top talent in the draft so that you save the money while players are under club control.
Dave Dombrowski isn’t building a team for 2007. He’s trying to put together an organization that can compete year in and year out. You’ve got a GM with well earned job security who isn’t under the gun to win it now or he’s gone. You aren’t going to see moves made out of desperation and instead you’re going to see moves that are in the best long term interests of the team. Isn’t that really what you want?
The Tigers are looking to add a bullpen arm, but they aren’t going to overpay for it and risk the future. It’s why the Tigers have scouts in every city that might be looking to trade quality relievers. Not only as due diligence but as a means to bring the price down. If it appears that the Tigers are casting a wider net it does give them at least a smidgen of leverage. It’s why you get reports that Fernando Rodney is about to rejoin the team and Joel Zumaya throws off a mound way ahead of schedule. It’s all about trying to muster the leverage available. The Tigers will deal if the price is right, but trading a Maybin for a rental or an aging pitcher just isn’t the right price.
Tigers Minor League Wrap – 7/24/07
Pawtucket 3 Toledo 2
With a chunk of the team playing in Chicago tonight, the Mud Hens came up short. Jack Hannahan doubled and walked and Henry Mateo homered. Jordan Tata turned in a 7 hit, no walk, 2 run 8 inning performance.
Erie 12 Trenton 1
Clete Thomas had 3 hits and a walk. Matt Joyce had 2 hits and 3 walks. Wil Rhymes added 3 hits. Andrew Kown didn’t need much support with 1 run allowed on 3 hits and a walk in 7 innings. And the Seawolves damage came at the hands of Kevin Whelan (part of the Sheffield deal) who started and surrendered the first 5 runs as he allowed 6 walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Fort Myers 2 Lakeland 3
Still no Cameron Maybin. Ovandy Suero had 2 hits. Mike Hernandez doubled and walkd and knocked in a run. Burke Badenhop allowed 1 run in 6 innings on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 5 K’s.
West Michigan 2 Burlington 5
Lauren Gagnier allowed all 5 runs on 8 hits in just 3 2/3 innings. James Skelton was 2 for 3 with a double plus a walk.
Staten Island 1 Oneonta 3
Oneonta managed only 2 hits, one each for Mike Sullivan and Cory Middleton. Sendy Vasquez allowed just 1 run on 4 hits, a walk and 2 K’s.
GCL Tigers PPD Rain
Jose Capellan optioned out
The Tigers optioned Jose Capellan to Toledo to make room for Virgil Vasquez to start tonight. Capellan was one of the 3 pitchers in the Tigers pen who actually has options. Apparently that takes precedence over performance because Jason Grilli would otherwise be the odd man out.
Tim Byrdak has joined the team and will be added to the roster after tonight’s game when Vasquez is optioned back to Toledo. Byrdak was awesome early on for the Tigers, but was awful in his last 3 appearances with 7 runs on 9 hits and 2 homers in those 4 innings of work. Hopefully that was the result of injury and not general ineffectiveness.
Capellan sent down, Byrdak returns from rehab – Detroit Tigers Insider – MLive.com
Game 98: Tigers at White Sox
PREGAME Ah, the day night double header. In the first game it will be Jeremy Bonderman taking on Javier Vazquez. Once upon a time there was a rumor that the Tigers had a deal worked out for Vazquez where they sent Joel Zumaya and Curtis Granderson to the Diamondbacks. Glad that didn’t work out.
But Vazquez has been pretty good this year with a 3.73 ERA. He’s fanning nearly a batter an inning and has a 4:1 K:BB ratio. He can be taken deep though with 17 homers allowed, and it isn’t just a product of playing in the Cell because he allows long balls at the same rate on the road.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Bonderman will be looking for his 6th straight quality start. He allowed 10 base runners in 6 2/3 innings his last time out, but limited the damage to 3 runs thanks in part to 6 strikeouts.
Game Time 2:05
DET @ CHW, Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
Tigers Minor League Wrap 7/23/07
Toledo 3 Richmond 4
Jack Hannahan went 3 for 4 with a walk. Chris Shelton added 2 hits and 3 strike outs. Yorman Bazardo went 6 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks and 2 K’s.
Erie 4 Trenton 2
Matt Joyce homered and walked twice. Jon Connolly allowed 1 run on 5 hits, a walk, and 2 K’s in 6 innings.
Fort Myers 4 Lakeland 1 (in progress)
West Michigan 1 Burlington 3
Joe Tucker had 2 hits, and that was half of the offense. Duane Below went 7 innings, fanning 6 and walking none but allowing 3 runs on 8 hits.
Oneonta DNP
GCL Blue Jays 4 GCL Tigers 1
Luis Arlet homered, his 5th of the year, in the 9th to break up the shut out. Brandon Johnson struck out 7 in 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks.