Category Archives: 2008 Season

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 93: Twins at Tigers

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PREGAME: Another day game on Fox, another Twins starter the Tigers struggle against. This time it’s Scott Baker.

Nate Robertson is on the mound for Detroit. He went 9 innings of excellent work against the Mariners. But the start prior to that the Twins handed him his worst start of the year and the only one in which he allowed more than 5 runs this season.

MIN @ DET, Saturday, July 12, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 3:55

POSTGAME: Another one run loss to the Twins. I don’t have a lot to say. One point I will make is that I don’t usually get too upset about strikeouts. It’s just another out right? And the Tigers team isn’t particularly prone to fanning (9 AL teams have whiffed more often). But in this series the Tigers have saved their strikeouts when they mattered most.

Thursday we Jeff Larish and Pudge Rodriguez K in the 9th inning with the winning run 90 feet away.

Friday it was Thames and Rodriguez each striking out with men on second.

Today it was Granderson fanning with a runner on second and 1 out in the third. Miguel Cabrera struck out with 2 men on and nobody out in the 8th. And then in the 9th Sheffield, Larish (who’s last 3 at-bats have come against Nathan. How much fun is that?), and Granderson all fanned.

Their clutch striking out the last 3 games, all one run losses, has been demoralizing to say the least.

2008 Season

The 5th 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 5th inning report. Sam sent this to me Thursday morning, but I haven’t had a chance to post until now.

The 5th Inning is over.

Each 18 games represent 1 inning of a baseball season. The Tigers record for the first 5 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
4:  12-6  86 -78     25- 6-297/347/476    6-4-106.1-4.23    6-2-6-3.43

The 5th inning found the Tigers put up their best record since the 4th inning of 2007 (13-5). The Tigers won a lot of close games having a 6-1 record in one run games and a 3-1 record in two run games. Not surprisingly, the bullpen put up their best numbers of the year. Despite the performance in the inning, the Tigers lost ground to red hot the White Sox (now 7 games back).

Justin Verlander is back to his old self (3-0-3.00era and 26Ks in 24 innings). Nate Robertson (1-1-4.26), Armando Galarraga (0-0-4.32) and the demoted Eddie Bodine (1-1-4.22) were all serviceable. Kenny Rogers (1-2-5.68era) may be a concern as elbow and age issues make you feel a cliff is coming sometime in the near future.

In the Bullpen, Jones continues to gets saves (4 total) and allow stupidly high totals (15 runners in 8.1). Bobby Seay (6 innings) and Aquino Lopez (3 innings) were unscored upon. Zumaya (1.93era – 19 runners in 9.1) and the demoted Miner (1.23era – 13 runners in 7.1) were both lucky. Rodney (5.14era – 8 runners in 7.0) had a 5.14era and a big loss. Dolsi (4.50era) and Fossum (4.22era) were serviceable in long relief.

The Hitters were a bit perplexing in the fact that they hit a lot of homeruns, batted 296, and were patient at the plate could not manage more than 86 runs. On a positive note, they were only shut out once and did not skew the numbers with a big blowout (the most they scored in a single game was 9).

The offense are being lead by the Mudhens. Holliman, Joyce, Raburn, Larrish, and Thomas were a combined 4-13-306/390/556. Granderson is scorching 1-6-438/487/616. Cabrera had six of the 25 homers hit by Tigers while only striking out 9 times.

Go Tigers!

2008 Season, Minors, Uncategorized

The plans for Ryan Perry

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The Tigers officially announced the signing of first round draft pick Ryan Perry yesterday. In the conference call there was discussion about what Perry’s next steps are as well as his role.

Earlier reports indicated that Perry would likely be a September call-up. However, David Chadd indicated that wasn’t really a consideration at this point. Of course the Tigers have been known to change their minds in these types of situations – or at least let the performance of the players change their minds. I’d still say it’s up to Perry in large part.

Chadd also speculated that Perry, who is already in Lakeland, would likely be starting out with the Gulf Coast League Tigers as opposed to the A ball Lakeland Flying Tigers. But that decision didn’t sound set in stone either and there would be discussions with Jon Matlack (minor league pitching instructor) and Glenn Ezell (player development).

The audio from the conference call is here if you’re so inclined.
[audio:http://detroittigersweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/perry_conf_call.mp3]

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 92: Tigers at Twins

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PREGAME: Those of you who believe in momentum may have had your beliefs shaken after yesterday’s gut-wrencher. Armando Galarraga faces the one team that he seems to struggle the most with, the Twins. He’s managed to last 6 innings in each of his starts, but his 10:8 K:BB ratio in 18 innings isn’t all that inspiring.

Glenn Perkins takes the mound for the Twins. Perkins has stymied the Tigers twice already this season and has given up no more than 3 runs in any of his last 6 starts.

And I’m going to this game so there will most definitely be a rain delay.

MIN @ DET, Friday, July 11, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 91: Twins at Tigers

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PREGAME: If you’re a believer in momentum you have to like this series for the Tigers. The Tigers make a 6 run come back for a walk-off win and the Twins were swept by the Red Sox with an 18-5 loss to finish the series. As for my views on momentum, I’m in agreement with Jim Leyland that mo is the next day’s starter.

In Detroit’s case that would be Kenny Rogers. In Rogers last start against the Twins he struck out 6 in 6 innings, but that game is remembered as the one where the Tigers scored 6 in the first and still lost.

On the Twins side it will be Kevin Slowey. Slowey has 60 K’s against only 11 walks. Like most Twins pitchers he’s a strike throwing machine. In fact, he’s gone to a 3 ball count in only 39 of 311 plate appearances this year. Lefties hit him considerably better so I’d anticipate the all left handed outfield this afternoon.

Given Slowey’s 1.04 WHIP the hope here is that Rogers keeps them in the game long enough to get into a bruised and battered Twins bullpen.

MIN @ DET, Thursday, July 10, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 1:05 (I have no idea why this is a day game)

POSTGAME: Some prognosticator I am. Keep it close against the starter and then beat up on the bullpen. Yeah. Not so much. This game blows for so many reasons. It’s the polar opposite of last night. One game starts out awful and ends up glorious. This one starts great and ends as a huge punch to the gut.

The story of this game comes down to a wicked combination of Not Good and Not Good Enough.

The offense managed 6 runs off a Twins starter which is a feat for them this year. But it proved not to be good enough. They managed to load the bases against Joe Nathan, but it wasn’t good enough.

Matt Joyce homered and doubled which was good. But he made a costly error and failed to lay down a bunt making his day not good enough.

Jeff Larish had 3 hits which is good. But he failed to drive in the winning run, or even put a bat on the ball meaning it wasn’t good enough.

Todd Jones was not good. Not even in the vicinity of good.

Freddy Dolsi went 2.1 innings, but he gave up the winning run to an unstoppable Justin Morneau. Not good enough.

Fernando Rodney got 3 weak ground outs. But it was after a moonshot double to that freakin Justin Morneau. Not good enough.

Marcus Thames went 3 for 4 before being yanked. He was actually good.

Granderson and Polanco each drove in a run, but combined to go 2 for 12. Not good enough.

Miguel Cabrera launched a shot to right field with runners on first and third, but it was caught at the wall. Not good enough.

Losses happen. It’s one of 162, but it certainly feels like more. The Tigers struggle to score runs against the Twins starters, and yet they managed 6. And they combined it with a volatile, yet in the end effective starting performance. This game was theirs. It was one for the win column. But they let it get away.

2008 Season, Game Post

Tigers Minor League Wrap 7-9-08

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Scranton 1 Toledo 2
Timo Perez homered again and Mike Hessman tripled and singled. Brandon Inge was 0 for 4 with 2 K’s. Virgil Vasquez went 7.1 innings fanning 5 and walking none in allowing 1 run. Francisco Cruceta went 1.2 innings with 2 K’s and no baserunners.

Erie 6 Reading 1
Wil Rhymes and Wilkin Ramirez each had two hits. Dusty Ryan who will participate in the EL All Star Home Run Derby went deep for the 14th time and walked twice. Juan Cedeno pitched 4.2 shut out innings.

Lakeland 5 Brevard County 1
Cale Iorg went 3 for 5. Brennan Boesch had 2 hits and 3 RBI. Guillermo Moscoso allowed 1 unearned run in 5 innings while fanning 9 and walking 2.

Clinton 3 West Michigan 5
Ronnie Bourquin doubled and walked. Jon Kibler was strong with 7 K’s, 2 walks, 4 hits, and only 1 run in 8 innings.

Oneonta 5 Staten Island 4
Ben Guez and Brandon Douglas each went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Matt Hoffman went 4 shut out innings on 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 3 hits.

GCL Indians 5 GCL Tigers 1
Brett Anderson was 2 for 3. Darlin Duran allowed 4 hits in just 3.1 innings. Cory Satterwhite allowed 2 hits, but also fanned 2 in 1 inning of work.

GCL Tigers 11 GCL Indians 9
Josh Workman was 4 for 5 with a triple and a walk. Alexis Espinoza singled, doubled, and walked. Brayan Villareal allowed 4 runs in 4 innings. Richard Zumaya struggled allowing 4 hits and a walk and 2 runs crossed the plate in .2 innings.

2008 Season, Injuries, Roster Management

Tigers make roster moves

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Following the game tonight Eddie Bonine was optioned to Erie and Dane Sardhina was optioned to Toledo designated for assignment. Taking their places are Jeff Larish and Brandon Inge.

Inge of course is returning from the disabled list.

In the case of Bonine, he struggled his last 2 outings and his command was particularly good. With the All Star break coming up the Tigers won’t need a 5th starter for over a week so they are giving themselves an extra bat.

As for who will fill that 5th starter role, I’d guess it will be Zach Miner after the break. He was great in a 4 inning start for Toledo and will get at least one more start to further stretch his arm out prior to being needed.

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 90: Indians at Tigers

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PREGAME: Eddie Bonine tries to rebound tonight as he takes on Paul Byrd.

Byrd has given up at least 4 runs in 6 of his last 7 starts. The one start he didn’t you ask? When he held the Tigers to 2 runs in 7 innings sending them to a season low 12 games below .500. Jim Leyland, looking to avoid a similar fate sends out this gauntlet of a lineup:

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Thomas, LF
  3. Guillen, 3B
  4. Cabrera, 1B
  5. Joyce, RF
  6. Sheffield, DH
  7. Renteria, SS
  8. Santiago, 2B
  9. Sardinha, C

Byrd has allowed 23 homers, so it probably makes sense to keep the team leader in homers on the bench.
CLE @ DET, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: There was a time in my life that I despised Rafael Betancourt. Partly I hated him because he dominated the Tigers. But I thought I hated him because he worked sooo slow. After seeing the Tigers beat him up a couple times, I think it was the former that fueled my hate. I didn’t even notice him working slow tonight.

This game was downright ugly for the first 5 and a half innings. Bonine wasn’t good. The defense wasn’t good. Clete Thomas fought the sun and lost on a first inning fly ball and Carlos Guillen made a run costing error in the sixth. Meanwhile the offense couldn’t do more than tring 2 singles together at a time. So coming back from a 6-0 deficit didn’t really seem likely – especially with a less than primetime line-up.

But comeback they did.

  • What was the biggest hit? Guillen’s bases loaded double? Matt Joyce’s 2 strike homer? Miguel Cabrera’s walk-off? Does it matter?
  • Casey Fossum went 3.1 eventful innings. He loaded the bases with nobody out before fanning the side. In the end he finished with 5 K’s and kept the team in the game before handing it over to Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones.
  • Todd Jones needs to be buying dinner for Carlos Guillen tonight who turned 2 slick plays, one kept the Indians off the board.
  • Walk-offs and big comebacks are fun when your team does the coming back and walking off
  • FSN does a nice job with their postgame show. But one item was severely lacking tonight. When Matt Joyce was interviewed on the field there was no mention of the kitten. How does this happen?
2008 Season

Tigers ink Ryan Perry

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The Tigers have signed first round pick Ryan Perry to a $1,480,000 signing bonus. There was no slot busting drama this year with Perry signing for about the same amount as the guys immediately above and below him in the draft.

Reportedly the Tigers would like to bring up Perry when the rosters expand on September 1st. In the meantime he’ll head to Lakeland. I’d guess that he pitches out of the bullpen the remainder of this year.

2008 Season

Tigers housing rally kitten

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Maybe Matt Joyce found a good luck charm in the Tigers batting cage in the form of a kitten.

Tigers outfielder Matt Joyce, hearing the tiny black cat whimper, climbed up on a stool and, with batting gloves on to protect his hands, pulled the animal down, before carrying it up the stairs into the clubhouse.

The kitten was last seen being fed milk in a bowl by Joyce in the Tigers clubhouse kitchen.

The report doesn’t mention a lot:

  1. What did they name the cat?
  2. Was it a black cat and is it in fact bad luck? How long had it been in the batting cage and is it in anyway responsible for for Edgar Renteria’s slump?
  3. Who gets to clean out the litter box?
  4. Will Joyce take the cat on road trips?
  5. Where will it live? Perhaps someone can make a bed out of a pillow in Brandon Inge’s locker?
  6. How the hell did a cat get in the batting cage?
2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 7-8-08

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Scranton 2 Toledo 10
Michael Hollimon was a homer short of the cycle. Brandon Inge had two singles and a walk, as did Timo Perez and Mike Hessman. Zach Miner pitched 4 innings allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk while fanning 5 and he did it with 60 pitches.

Erie 3 Reading 6
Wilkin Ramirez tripled and Kody Kirkland added a double. Josh Rainwater allowed 4 runs, but only one was earned, in 6.2 innings with 4 walks.

Lakeland 9 Brevard County 0
Brenna Boesch hit two homers and Mike Bertram was a triple short of the cycle. Jeramy Laster went 3 for 6. Rick Porcello allowed 1 walk and 1 hit in 6 shut out innings with 2 K’s.

West Michigan DNP

Oneonta DNP

GCL Tigers PPD

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 89: Indians at Tigers

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PREGAME: I’m not big on advocating games as must-win. The term is way overused and it’s something I’ve heard thrown around at least a dozen times already this season for the Tigers. So I won’t call this a must-win. Instead I’ll call it “they better freakin’ win.” It’s not that the game holds that many ramifications. But the Tigers send out their ace against a replacement starter. A replacement starter with a 7.53 ERA and half as many homers as strikeouts. It’s time for the Tigers lineup to wake up.

Jeremy Sowers takes the mound for the Indians. The last 2 times he faced Detroit he went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits. I’d take that again. If you look at his splits, they are all bad except for when the hitter is down 0-2. So Tigers hitters, don’t do that.

Justin Verlander, who was moved up a spot with the off day allowing him to make 2 starts on the homestand, will look to be more efficient. He’s been racking up strikeouts, but racking up walks as well with 12 in his last 17 innings.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Prior to tonight’s game Placido Polanco will become a US citizen. So we’ll have to remember this day to check his splits by citizenship.

CLE @ DET, Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: Well 9-2 will certainly do. I have to admit I was worried at the outset. Verlander needed 25 pitches to get through a 2 run first inning, while it took the Tigers 9 batters before they hit a ball hard. But then it all got better.

The Tigers remembered they were facing Jeremy Sowers. Justin Verlander remembered he was a stud and the rest was gravy.

  • Very happy to see Verlander have a light workload with only 99 pitches. He’d been piling up the pitch counts as of late.
  • Miguel Cabrera seems to be hitting better with the bad hip flexor with a 4 hit night including a couple of sore leg friendly homers.
  • Marcus Thames stopped the sucking with a double and a opposite field homer yet he still isn’t allowed to finish a game.
  • And Edgar Renteria reached on an error. He seemed to like his time on base because he ripped a solid single to center his next time up snapping an “awful for his last lot of at-bats” funk.
  • Aquilino Lopez looked good. Real good.