How Was The Game? (April 6, 2014)
A crisp one with the wrong outcome.
Orioles 3, Tigers 1
Justin Verlander (2 GS, 14 IP, 2.57 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 0.4 fWAR) did his part across 8 innings, but after four straight victories the Tigers bats couldn’t offer enough support to complete the sweep of the Orioles. Hunter homered in the 4th to give the Tigers the lead, but the Orioles grabbed single runs in the 6th and 8th off Verlander to go up 2-1 and the bullpen didn’t do much to keep it close in the 9th as Alburquerque allowed an extra run to push the deficit to two. The heart of the order came around in the 9th, but they were unable to capture their third walk off win of the young season. After taking Monday off, the Tigers will take on the Dodgers Tuesday night behind Max Scherzer (1 GS, 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.81 FIP, 0.3 fWAR).
The Moment: Hunter hits his third homer in as many games.
How Was The Game? (April 5, 2014)
Everything for which one could hope, if you turned the game off after 8.
Tigers 7, Orioles 6
Rick Porcello (1 GS, 6 ⅔ IP, 1.35 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 0.1 fWAR) allowed a run in the 1st, but after allowing the first two runners to reach in the 2nd, he took over the game and made the Orioles wish they hadn’t gotten out of bed. He allowed a lone walk the rest of the way, finish with 6 ⅔ strong innings in his opening start of the year. He didn’t have to worry about run support in this one thanks in large part to Torii Hunter who cleared the bases with a double in the 3rd and launched a 2-run HR in the 5th to put it out of reach. Don Kelly tripled in a run in the 6th and scored on a sac fly and it would prove to be a massive one as the bullpen melted down in the 9th inning, allowing five runs in Valverdesque fashion. Justin Verlander (1 GS, 6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 0.1 fWAR) will get the ball on Sunday looking for the sweep an a 5-0 homestand to start the year.
The Moment: Hunter clears the bases with a double to left in the 3rd.
How Was The Game? (April 4, 2014)
All backwards!
Tigers 10, Orioles 4
Things went well today for the Tigers, but things went a little bit strangely too. The game started a tad late due to some morning showers and Anibal Sanchez (1 GS, 4 IP, 4.50 ERA, 3.87 ERA, 0.1 fWA8) stumbled his way through a two run 1st inning. After that, he settled in, but would get chased by rain just an hour and a half later to continue his string of weather impacted starts. The bats woke up in the second inning as they cashed in three runs courtesy of a Jackson double, Avila walk, Castellanos double, Davis HBP, Kinsler single, and a wild pitch. When the rain arrived in the 4th, Castellanos and Romine were on base and Rajai Davis got the game under way after the delay with a three run bomb. Hunter followed two batters later to make it 7-2. Also included in this one were a Victor Martinez stolen base, a bad call at second base that Ausmus challenged, but somehow didn’t win, a heck of a throw by Andrew Romine, and then a Cabrera bomb that doubled as his 2,000th hit. All in all, it wasn’t a typical baseball game but the Tigers won it easily thanks to a tandem effort by Sanchez and Smyly and quality hitting. They won with power and made outs on the bases, so this is basically the exact opposite of the team they were supposed to be, but you tend not to complain about such things. They’ll try to grab their second series of the year Saturday afternoon behind the talented Rick Porcello (1st starter of 2014).
The Moment: Davis homers to put this one out of reach.
How Was The Game? (April 2, 2014)
More nice introductions.
Tigers 2, Royals 1 (10 innings)
Max Scherzer (1 GS, 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.95 FIP, 0.3 fWAR) looked a little uneasy in the first inning but settled in nicely, giving the Tigers 8 strong innings and a 1-0 lead heading into the 9th courtesy of Ian Kinsler, who got the Tigers on the board with a solo shot in the 4th. Ausmus also had a chance to issued his first challenge in the 6th on a Tyler Collins ground out and the called was overturned in the run up to the late inning theatrics. In his first save chance, Joe Nathan allowed a hit, two walks, and a sac fly to blow the lead and send the game into extras. In the bottom of the 10th, walks by Jackson and Avila set up an Ian Kinsler walk off single up the gap to give the Tigers their second win in as many games in their final at bat. The Tigers will give the ball to should-have-been-Cy-Young-winner Anibal Sanchez (1st start of 2014) on Thursday to try and lock down a sweep.
The Moment: Kinsler walks off in the 10th.
How Was The Game? (October 19, 2013)
The end of the line.
Red Sox 5, Tigers 2 (Sox win the series 4-2)
Most of the time, I love endings. I like getting to the end of books, movies, TV shows, parts of life, etc, but the end of a baseball season never come easy. The Tigers played their final game tonight, on the road at Fenway Park. They trailed 1-0 after 5, but grabbed a pair of runs in the 6th to back Max Scherzer, but faltered in their attempt to pile on thanks to a baserunning miscue by Fielder. They led 2-1 entering the 7th inning – nine defensive outs away from forcing Game 7. The gates opened in a variety of ways in that inning in part thanks to a call. In part thanks to a bobble by the best defender we’ve got. In part thanks to a terrible 0-2 pitch from the reliever we acquired to settle our pen. There wasn’t one thing that did the Tigers in on Saturday night. It was a lot of things. There’s no shame in the overall result – losing to the Sox in the ALCS – given that the Tigers best player was a shell of himself for the entire postseason, but this particular one stings. It’s always going to sting. That’s how this works. We pour our hearts into the season and baseball crushes us. It’s designed to crush us. It’s impossible to know how things would have been different if any one of the mistakes had gone differently and you shouldn’t bother trying. The Sox and the Tigers were the two best teams in the AL and the Tigers lost in 6 games with their best player held together with duct tape and superglue. The result doesn’t bother me, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck. They’ll go back to the drawing board this winter and fine tune the roster that’s come 6 or fewer wins from the World Series in each of the last three seasons and will likely send Justin Verlander to the mound against the Royals on the final day of March, five long months from now.
The Moment: Martinez drives in a pair to take the lead in the 6th.
How Was The Game? (October 17, 2013)
A missed opportunity.
Red Sox 4, Tigers 3 (Sox lead series 3-2)
Anibal Sanchez (3 GS, 16.1 IP, 4.41 ERA, 5.07 FIP) had a bad inning. That’s about the size of it. He gave his team 6 innings, but he allowed 3 runs in the second and one more in the third to leave the Tigers trailing 4-0 early. They clawed back thanks to some amazing defense by Iglesias some timely hits that pushed across single runs in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, but the key moment was Cabrera grounding into a double play with two on and no out in the 7th inning to quell the rally and keep the Tigers from completing the comeback. The Tigers certainly had their chances in this one, but a few key mistakes pushed them to the brink of elimination, requiring two victories in Boston to claim their second straight pennant. Game 6 will be Saturday with Max Scherzer (16 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.92 FIP) on the hill thinking about getting it to Verlander on Sunday.
The Moment: Jose Iglesias makes the most preposterous play in baseball since his last most ridiculous play.
How Was The Game? (October 16, 2013)
Business as usual for the pitchers, business like August for the offense.
Tigers 7, Red Sox 3 (Series Tied 2-2)
A day after falling to the Sox 1-0 and three days after losing in soul-crushing fashion, the Tigers turned to Doug Fister (2 GS, 12 IP, 3.00 ERA, 3.05 FIP) to keep them from the brink of elimination. Fister did his job, holding the Sox to a single run across 6 innings courtesy of 7 K and 1 walk, but for a change of pace the offense carried the load. Jim Leyland made a much publicized lineup change and Jake Peavy’s three walk inning collided with a misplay from Pedroia and a couple of Tigers hits to generate a runaway inning in which the Tigers jumped ahead for good. Jackson also reached base four times in his new spot and Cabrera stole a base because that’s apparently what you do if you hit second. All in all, the Tigers handled their business and turned the series into a best of three with Anibal Sanchez (2 GS, 10 IP, 4.35 ERA, 5.66 FIP), Scherzer, and Verlander lined up to go in Games 5, 6, and 7.
The Moment: Hunter doubles in a pair in the 2nd.
How Was The Game? (October 15, 2013)
An outage.
Red Sox 1, Tigers 0 (Sox lead series 2-1)
Justin Verlander (3 GS, 23 IP, 0.39 ERA, 0.75 FIP) entered this one on fire and didn’t slow down, giving the Tigers 8 innings of 1 run baseball featuring 10 strikeouts and very little trouble. The only run he allowed came on a solo homerun but unfortunately his offense couldn’t provide the equalizer despite a couple of late chances. They had two on in the 8th with one out but Cabrera and Fielder went down on strikes and their leadoff runner was erased in the 9th on a double play ball that came a pitch after a very low strike was called on Jhonny Peralta. The Tigers pitchers did the job on Tuesday but the bats didn’t come through and handed homefield advantage back to the Red Sox. We were treated to a pitchers’ duel and a brief power outage in Game 3, but hopefully Doug Fister (1 GS, 6 IP, 4.50 ERA, 5.38 FIP) will make sure the only thing lacking power on Wednesday are the Red Sox bats.
The Moment: Verlander dominates again.
Photo courtesy of @stoofner
How Was The Game? (October 13, 2013)
A nearly finishing blow.
Red Sox 6, Tigers 5 (Series tied 1-1)
Max Scherzer (16 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.93 FIP) was given the task of following a near no-hitter and shutout in Game 2 and he did not disappoint. Scherzer rolled over the Red Sox taking a no-hitter into the six, while finishing 7 innings of 1 run ball with 13 strikeouts. He was as filthy as ever, perhaps even more so. He had all of his pitches working and had the Red Sox swinging and missing and also watching helplessly. For a second straight night, the Tigers starter made one of the best offenses in baseball look like a high school lineup. Avila knocked in a run early during an early threat in the 2nd inning that ended with an Infante double play. But the Tigers finished the job they started in the 6th inning when they chased Buchholz with a homerun by Miguel Cabrera and then a majestic two run dagger from Alex Avila to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead. The bullpen, well the bullpen, didn’t exactly do the job. In the eighth, Veras, Smyly, and Alburquerque loaded the bases and David Ortiz came up to face Benoit with two outs. It did not go well. Ortiz sent one flying into the bullpen and we went to the 9th tied at 5. Gomes reached on an infield hit and advanced to second on an Iglesias error that definitely belongs to Fielder. Gomes moved up to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a single and the Sox completed the comeback. The Tigers pack up their Fenway lockers tied 1-1 in the ALCS and they’ll take Monday off knowing three wins at home this week will send them to their second straight Fall Classic. Justin Verlander (2 GS, 15 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.65 FIP) will take the ball on Tuesday having yet to allow a run in the postseason.
The Moment: Alex Avila turns on one and launches a 2-run homer to put this one out of reach in the 6th.
How Was The Game? (October 12, 2013)
Strange, nearly historic, but ultimately successful.
Tigers 1, Red Sox 0 (Tigers Lead Series 1-0)
Anibal Sanchez (2 GS, 10.1 IP, 4.36 ERA, 5.66 FIP) stole the show on Saturday night in a pretty strange way, even for October. Sanchez had nasty stuff, but imperfect control and leveraged that into 12 strikeouts across 6 innings to go along with 6 walks. He managed to keep the Sox off the board in two separate columns, runs and hits. That’s right, Sanchez had a no-hitter intact when he came out of the game after six, but a six walk no-hitter is a no-hitter in name only and he was already over 110 pitches. In the postseason, you don’t bat an eye. You yank him. The Tigers grabbed their run on a Peralta RBI single in the 6th inning against the otherwise stingy Lester. The bullpens pitched to a draw over the final innings and the Tigers stole back home-field advantage with a win in Game 1 after allowing the first hit of the game in the 9th. They’ll turn things over to Max Scherzer (9 IP, 3.00 ERA, 2.94 FIP) Sunday night with a chance to go up 2-0 and put the Sox on life support.
The Moment: Sanchez K’s Stephen Drew to end the 6th with the bases loaded.
New English D 