Detroit Tigers 2013 Season

[RandyTiger]

Tigers 8, Yankees 4. [Boxscore]

Summary: Cabrera leads charge as Tigers roll past Yankees.

Pitching: Max Scherzer went 5 innings (5th Tiger starter in a row to do so), surrendering 4 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and a hit batter, striking out 7 in the process.

The bullpen performed significantly better: Alburquerque, Downs, and Benoit only permitted 1 hit and 3 walks over the remaining 4 frames while notching 3 K's. This is what we like to see, folks!

Offense: Every Tiger but Santiago (playing 2B) got a hit (17 total!), and Miggy lead the team with a fantastic 4-4 day (3 singles and a double). Nary a HR was seen from this bunch, but as long as they keep hitting and scoring, I don't think anyone will complain too much.

Next game: Sunday, Yanks @ Tigers, 1:08 Eastern. TV: FS-D, TBS. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket

[RandyTiger]

Yankees 7, Tigers 0. [Boxscore]

Summary: New York routs toothless Tigers.

Pitching; Verlander went 7.1 innings, surrendering 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while notching 4 more K's on his glove. Coke and Dotel had no better luck as they coughed up the remaining 4 runs on 6 hits and a walk. Bad day for the staff.

Offense: The Cats managed 8 hits and 3 walks, but despite that, they were unable to get anyone home as they were 0-5 with RISP. Bad day for the players.

Bad day for everyone, period. I was just glad to see the game OVER.

Next game: Tuesday, Blue Jays @ Tigers, 1:08 PM. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket.

[RandyTiger]

Injury news:

Victor Martinez is day-to-day after receiving a cut on his right thumb that required 8 stitches.

Talk about job dangers -- he cut it on the bat rack!

[RandyTiger]

Tigers 7, Blue Jays 3. [Boxscore]

Summary: Tigers roar past Jays thanks to Miggy's Big Day and Sanchez's wizardly pitching.

Pitching: Sanchez showed why the Tigers signed him to that big contract in the off-season, going 7 innings while allowing 2 runs on just 5 hits and a walk, sending 8 batters back to the bench on strikes.

Smyly and Alburquerque combined in the 8th to allow just a hit, and Benoit closed out the final frame by giving up 1 run (HR) on 2 hits and collecting a K.

Offensive: Cabrera was the star of the day as he went 4-5 with 4 ribbies, notching his first HR of the season in the 4th, an opposite-field 3-run tater (also his 100th in Comerica Park!) Avila had a solo shot in the 2nd.

Interestingly, the Tigers only struck out once, by Peralta (who had a very forgettable day of going 0-4), and walked 4 times.

Defensive: I don't normally post defensive stuff, but this one is a gem: The donkelly earned his pay today by robbing the Jays' Arencibia of a HR in the 2nd. Worth a watch!

Next game: Blue Jays @ Tigers, 1:08 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket. Starting pitcher: Porcello.

[cephasjames]

That donkelly grab was fantastic! It's a good thing that chain fence was so forgiving when he crashed into it; he hit it hard.

[RandyTiger]

It was a great catch, alright. I still can't believe he did it despite seeing it on TV and again on video replay.

Can you imagine what kind of injuries he could have had if he ran into something a little less forgiving, such as the Green Monster or the brick walls of Wrigley? Yee-ouch...

[RandyTiger]

Major rain delay for the game - first pitch expected to be at 3:35 Eastern, so the boxscore and summary will be later.

I expected this to happen sometime this week, since we're practically experiencing monsoon season this week with all the water we're getting. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. We need it, and this cool weather sure beats last year's early heat.

[RandyTiger]

Blue Jays 8, Tigers 6. [Boxscore]

Summary: Bullpen blows lead in ugly loss.

Pitching: The Cats seemed to be cruising along nicely until Porcello ran into pitch count issues (92). He started the 6th, but after giving up 2 singles and a double, allowing his second run, Downs took over, and things went from bad to worse.

He promptly gave up a double, and two more runs scored. By that point, the score was 6-4 in favor of the Tigers. The bullpen could hold the Jays... couldn't they?

They couldn't. When Downs gave up a single at the top of the 7th, Villarreal took over. Disaster. Without recording a single out, Villarreal walked three batters and a run scored. 6-5 Tigers.

Dotel took over, gave up two hits and walk, allowing three more runs in. 8-6 Jays. Coke pitched the final frame, getting 2 K's without allowing a single runner.

Villarreal has done a horrible job so far this season. Mark my words, he's headed to Toledo. Hell, none of the bullpen has exactly distinguished itself so far.

Time for the Tigers to start looking for a few upgrades, particularly with Villarreal's spot.

Offense: Well, the Big Cats did well enough to win. Peralta went 3-4 (shocker, I know!), and Miggy 2-5 (2 doubles) as they collected 11 hits and 4 walks. They were 3-8 in RISP, decent enough.

It was an ugly, wet game.

Next game: Toronto @ Detroit, 1:08 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket.

Note: The weather forecast looks even worse than it did for today, seems probable there will either be a long delay or a postponed game.

[CONN CHRIS]

I see bus rides in Mr. Villereal's near future.

I know that the season is young but you just can't ever have an ERA north of 50.

[Sven Draconian]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I see bus rides in Mr. Villereal's near future.

I know that the season is young but you just can't ever have an ERA north of 50.

Is it Marte that was the last cut? I imagine those two will be swapped by the time the Jays leave town.

[RandyTiger]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I see bus rides in Mr. Villereal's near future.

I know that the season is young but you just can't ever have an ERA north of 50.

Here are the team's YTD pitching stats, by player:

Detroit Tigers Pitching Stats.

Villarreal: 0-1, 54.00 ERA, 7.50 WHIP in 1.1 IP/3 games.

He just might hang around a another week to see how he shakes out. Dombrowski and Leyland are known for their extreme patience. Give it another week, but based on what I've seen on TV, he's good as gone. He can't find the strike zone, period.

Hopefully, Jeff Jones (pitching coach) can figure out whatever is ailing him and fix it fast.

Originally Posted by Sven Draconian

Is it Marte that was the last cut? I imagine those two will be swapped by the time the Jays leave town.

Marte was one of the last cuts (not the last; Danny Worth was). He's due up from Toledo at some point this season, just like Rondon.

[RandyTiger]

Tigers 11, Blue Jays 1. [Boxscore]

Summary: Tigers roar, Jays faint.

Pitching: Doug Fister (Win) was absolutely masterful, going a full 8 innings and surrendering just 1 run on 8 hits and a walk, sending 5 Jays packing to the bench on strikes. What a performance he put on.

Alburquerque pitched the final frame, yielding a hit and walk, but collecting a strikeout to end the game.

Offense: Geez. Where to start? Every starter but Dirks had at least one hit, with Jackson and Peralta both collecting 3, Hunter, Fielder, Avila, and Infante with 2 a piece. Fielder picked up his third double of the young season, and Miggy his first triple. Would you believe Miggy even stole a base?

They did all of this on 11 hits (9 singles, a double and triple), and 6 walks. They only struck out 5 times. This Tiger team is definitely more patient than I can ever recall, with more walks and less strikeouts. Makes for a very nice refreshing change!


Next game: Tigers @ A's, 10:05 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket.

[Sven Draconian]

I was just thinking about how many hitters have great approaches at the plate yesterday,

Jackson's is pretty good.
Torii is great
Miggy is great
Prince is good
Victor's is fantastic
Dirks is blah
Peralta is bad
Avila is pretty good
Omar's is solid

The only guy on the roster that I would really classify as a free swinger is Peralta. As compared to years past with Delmon, Boesch, Raburn, Inge plus Peralta all swinging away.

There are going to be quite a few games where the starter is at 50 pitches in the second inning.

[RandyTiger]

Oakland 4, Detroit 3 (12). [Boxscore]

Summary: Tigers fall in extra innings.

Pitching: Scherzer pitched a great game for the Cats, going 6 and surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk. He collected 11 strikeouts in the process [Video]. Not many pitchers have been able to stop this torrid Oakland team, but he managed it!

Smyly went 2.1, giving up 1 run on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 2. Dotel and Downs pitched near flawless innings (3 innings, 1 walk (Downs).

Unfortunately, the scapegoat this time, again, was Villarreal. That boy is simply having a BAD start to the season. He got out out, a strikeout, then surrendered a solo shot to Donaldson, and that's all she wrote. Villarreal's record stands at 0-2, 48.60 ERA, 6.60 WHIP in 1.2 IP over 4 appearances. Oi. If he doesn't turn things around soon...

Offense: Well, there was one bright spot to the lackluster offense: Prince Fielder! What a monster night, 4-5 with a double and a 3-run blast to CF [Video]. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the rest of the team had an off-night.

Next game: Detroit @ Oakland, 4:05 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket.

[RandyTiger]

Interesting: Jim Bowden of ESPN reports [Twitter] that Dave Dombrowski talked to another GM about a closer "this week".

Doesn't surprise me, given the bullpen's meltdown on several occasions so far this season. Whether he actually finds one... good luck.

Obviously, he isn't counting on Valverde returning to form any time soon.

[CONN CHRIS]

Villarreal is making the potato look like like a reasonable option.

When you have a pitcher come in, get one out, serve up a game ending dinger and his ERA DROPS - it's time to put that boy on the first train heading out of town with a one way ticket.

[Sven Draconian]

The bullpen, sans Villareal, has actually been pretty solid. I'm really like Smyly's role, Dotel, Benoit and Al Al are good. Coke is shaky, we already knew that, and Villareal has been a train wreck. Down has been a nice surprise.

[RandyTiger]

Tigers 7, A's 3. [Boxscore]

Summary: Tigers put on HR-happy show to power past A's.

Pitching: Verlander was his usual self, going 6 innings and yielding 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6 to improve his record to 2-1. What would be a good day for normal pitchers is usual for Verlander.

The bullpen performed reasonably well: Coke and Benoit combined for 2 innings of work, giving up a hit apiece, and striking out 5 total in the bargain. Alburquerque struggled in his 2/3 of an inning, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out 2.

Offense: Fielder (solo, 4th of season), Peralta (3-spot jack, 1st of season), and Hunter (solo, 1st of season) all had homers, and Pena (1), Jackson (2) had doubles.

Next game: Tigers @ A's, 4:05 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket.

[RandyTiger]

Tigers 10, A's 1. [Boxscore]

Summary: Tigers maul A's in an offensive explosion.

Pitching: Sanchez continued to show his quality as he threw 7, surrendering just 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 8. Porcello finished the green-and-gold boys off with 2 perfect innings.

(No, Rick isn't going to the bullpen - the Tigers have some off-days coming up, so they decided to skip him in the rotation and get him some work via the bullpen. Wise choice, this keeps the starters on schedule.)

Offense: Boy, what a display of slugging: 10 hits (6 of them for extra bases) and 5 walks. These guys have been absolutely fearsome for the most part this year, and if they stay this hot for a while... wow. Let's see, where do I start, because every starter except Infante had at least a hit, and the offense only whiffed 3 times. Amazing.

Jackson led off the hit parade with 4 hits, including a 2-run HR (1) [Video] and 3 ribbies. Hunter chipped in with an impressive game, garnering 2 doubles (5), a triple (1), and and a ribbie. Peralta went 2-4 with a double (2), and the red-hot Fielder added his 5th 2-bagger of the season.

Next game: Tuesday, Detroit @ Seattle, 10:10 Eastern. TV: FS-D. Radio: 97.1 The Ticket. Fister is the projected starter.

[cephasjames]

I don't like off days.