If the Tigers, and not the Indians were the ones in first place, Justin Verlander’s season would be one of the  baseball stories of the year. I don’t think any of us foresaw him having one of his best seasons ever. Many tips of the cap to JV. Unfortunately the Indians got many whiffs of the bat from the 9-headed Cy Young they sent out there yesterday, and the season continues to flicker and fade.

Today’s Go Lions Lineup:

Kinsler, 2B
Maybin, CF
Cabrera, 1B
V Martinez, DH
JD Martinez, RF
Upton, LF
Aybar, 3B
McCann, C
Iglesias, SS

The Cleveland Curse continues. Verlander takes the mound looking to keep this from becoming the Hey, It’s Football Season! Series. If he is going to get any run support this time, look to Cabrera, who has hit Carrasco at a .375 pace.

Today’s Every Day Andrew Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Maybin, CF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Saltalamacchia, C
8. Romine, 3B
9. Iglesias, SS

The Tigers are a uniquely frustrating team: when they are good, they really do seem like they belong in the playoff picture. Then they flail against batting practice pitchers and throw out starters like Not Ready Yet Zimmermann and It Is What It Is Pelfrey, and give up a load of runs, and struggle against the mighty White Sox and Twins etc. So I fully expect them to run the table against the Indians here to get your hopes up, then tank shortly after.

Today’s Glass Half Fulmer Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Maybin, CF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Aybar, SS
8. McCann, C
9. Romine, 3B

The Lettuce is hot, and not wilting.

It’s a bad sign when you clear the bench in the middle of a playoff run game, although the subs did just as well as the starters had been. Signs were that Zimmermann was not ready to come back yet: in his rehab he had lost a couple of mph on his fastball, and was having trouble with location. But I assumed the coaching staff knew something we didn’t. Not so much I guess. I guess the plan was to cross their fingers and hope for the best.

The good news is we have Verlander on the mound today, although it seems the better he pitches, the fewer runs the offense scores, and the O’s have their ace on the mound also. Who will step up?

Today’s How About Some Run Support? Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Maybin, CF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. McCann, C
8. Aybar, 3B
9. Iglesias, SS

The Tigers now sit with basically a 50-50 chance of making the playoffs, if you believe the projections. That’s not really what we were looking for before the season started, but considering the Tigers went into June at 24-27, it’s not so bad.

Tonight is the Zimmermann Experiment phase of the Wild Card Project. Zimmermann’s last comeback from DL was forgettable, or, even worse, not forgettable. Zimmermann faces off against Ubaldo Jimenez, who the Tigers knocked about for 5 runs in 5 innings last time up. Jimenez got in such a funk that he got the Sanchez Bullpen Banishment treatment, but he has been good lately, with a 1.01 WHIP over the last 30 days, and a 2-hit complete game win last time out.

I was pretty off with my prediction for a good Upton game last night. The Upster whiffed 3 times and left 5 guys on base. I’ll try again tonight and predict good things from the Bottom of the Order Boys: Erick Aybar is 6-for-16 with a HR against Jimenez, and Iglesias is 4-for-7 with a triple.

Today’s Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Maybin, CF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Saltalamacchia, C
8. Aybar, 3B
9. Iglesias, SS

The Tigers may have let a chance at the division slip away by losing what should have been a very winnable series against Chicago. Now the Wild Card is on the line with three at home against the Orioles. A playoff team would take this series. Let’s see what happens.

Gausman has been pitching lights out the last month—1.82 ERA, 10.9 K’s per 9 innings. Let’s home Fulmer can last longer than 5 or 6, considering the shenanigans the bullpen has been up to lately.

Today’s Wild Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Maybin, CF
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. McCann, C
8. Aybar, 3B
9. Iglesias, SS

Victor has been slumping, and is 1-for-12 off of Gausman. Maybe the day off will help, otherwise look for a hole in the middle of the lineup. Mr. September Justin Upton continues to be hot; he has faced Gausman twice, and is 2-ror-2.

Well, I’ll do a little pinch-hit post here, and hopefully move the runner along. I like our chances with Verlander on the mound, and the Tigers have never seemed to be particularly intimidated by a legit Cy Young pitcher, Chris “All Jerseys Half Off” Sale.

Today’s Laborious Lineup:

1. Maybin, CF
2. Iglesias, SS
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Jones, 3B
8. McCann, C
9. Romine, 2B

“Squander” is yesterday’s word of the day, as the Tigers left 12 on base, including 6 by Justin Upton, who picked an inopportune time to finally cool off.

Cleveland stayed hot, however, and now it’s 5 1/2. Norris pulls his van up to the mound for a big rubber game.

Today’s Let’s Try This Again Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Iglesias, SS
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Collins CF
8. McCann, C
9. Romine, 3B

Same lineup as last night, that hasn’t happened much lately.

That’s was quite a game on any day, much less a high-stakes September playoff run game. With the Royals seemingly stealing the game from the Tigers in the bottom of the 8th, only to have the Tigers take it back in the top of the 9th.  Francisco Rodriguez looked unhittable in the 9th to get the win, after looking like a disaster and blowing the save in the 8th. It was like two different pitchers.

The real story of the game though was Miguel Cabrera, who had one of those Cabrera days we had gotten spoiled by in the past, knocking in 4. Upton continues to roll as well with two hits and another home run. My pick for today’s big bat though is JD Martinez, who is 7-for-16 against Ventura (.438). Let’s hope the Tigers come through unscathed: Ventura drilled both Collins and Kinsler when the two teams faced each other.

The Tigers have brought up side-arming lefty Joe Mantiply (who will be certain autocorrect bait) from AA Erie to add to the bullpen.

Today’s Lettuce Win Another Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Iglesias, SS
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Collins CF
8. McCann, C
9. Romine, 3B

This is the sweep or get swept, and the season is changed series. Which is the real Anibal, the one last out or the one the two starts before?

Upton continues to play with a vengeance. If this continues, it defies my many decades of watching baseball. You can’t slump for literally months, then beat the cover off the ball the rest of the season. Pitchers are afraid to pitch to him now. Did not see that coming.

And JaCoby is replacing the spark that Oops Hurt Again Maybin provided. He should be back soon. The Tigers are close to full strength. If Kinsler re-ignites, these guys could score a few runs; he is the only one not really riding the new wave here.

Some great baseball minds were pondering why the Tigers can’t beat lefties. One big reason: Nick Castellanos. Nick inexplicably hit .207, .656 OPS against lefties. Oh wait, he’s out today! OK, Saltalamacchia has been even worse, .173, .574 OPS agains lefties (why even switch hit at that point?). Oh wait, Brad actually went against the Righty/Lefty thing and went with McCann tonight.

Today’s Let the Real Season Begin Lineup:

1. Kinsler, 2B
2. Iglesias, SS
3. Cabrera, 1B
4. V Martinez, DH
5. JD Martinez, RF
6. Upton, LF
7. Jones, CF
8. McCann, C
9. Aybar, 3B

Castellanos and Maybin out, but the Tigers seem to be fielding a major league lineup every day now. I like Aybar at 3rd tonight. I predict a bunt single and a key RBI.