How Was The Game? (July 25, 2013)
Another rocky one for JV.
White Sox 7, Tigers 4
The Tigers couldn’t cash in on a sweep in Chicago today as Justin Verlander (22 GS, 137.2 IP, 3.99 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 3.0 WAR) struggled again, allowing 7 runs in 6 innings on 11 hits, 2 walks, and 4 K. Verlander again struggled to get both breaking balls working and couldn’t get enough sink on his fastball when he wanted to thanks to a problem with his release point that we chronicled yesterday. The Tigers didn’t go quietly, however, as they got runs on Hunter, Martinez, and Pena homeruns against Peavy but couldn’t complete the comeback despite getting the tying run to the plate in the 9th. The loss drops the Tigers to 56-45 as they head home to face the Phillies on Friday and will call on Doug Fister (20 GS, 127 IP, 3.90 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 2.6 WAR) to lead them to victory.
The Moment: Pena swats a homerun in the 8th and sprints around the bases.
How Was The Game? (July 24, 2013)
Another clean win.
Tigers 6, White Sox 2
The Tigers picked up their four consecutive win on Wednesday thanks in part to a solid outing from Anibal Sanchez (17 GS, 104 IP, 2.68 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 3.5 WAR ) who turned in 6 shutout innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 BB, and 5 K. The bats got going early as the Tigers got three homeruns – one from Prince, one from Jackson, and one from Hunter – to take an early and commanding 5-0 lead. Avila added an RBI single to give the Tigers their 6th run before Rondon allowed 1 back in his one inning of work. A 3 K 8th from Smyly and a cleanup job by Benoit in the 9th after Putkonen and Coke struggled took the Tigers the rest of the way and improved their record to 56-44.
They’ll carry their 3.5 game lead in the Central into Thursday’s matinee looking to sweep the set with the Sox. They’ll call on Justin Verlander (21 GS, 131.2 IP, 3.69 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 3.0 WAR) to get the job done. If you missed it yesterday, New English D broke down exactly what has been troubling Verlander this year.
The Moment: Prince puts the Tigers ahead early, and for good.
How Was The Game? (July 23, 2013)
The best case scenario.
Tigers 6, White Sox 2
For a team that was missing its biggest offensive threat, the Tigers didn’t show any signs of trouble. Rick Porcello (18 GS, 106.1 IP, 4.49 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 1.9 WAR) didn’t rack up strikeouts but he mowed down the Sox bats across 7 shutout innings in which he walked a season high 3, but also only allowed 4 hits – three of which didn’t make it out of the infield. Porcello trusted his sinker and got ground ball after ground ball and handed the game over to the pen for the final two. The offense didn’t miss Cabrera as they got 3 runs in the 4th and 3 in the 6th thanks to plenty of offensive from the bottom of the order. Peralta, Avila, Kelly, and Perez were all on base at least twice and once they broke through in the 4th, the game was never really in doubt. The win assures the Tigers of no worse than a split and they will try to take game three and the series Wednesday night behind Anibal Sanchez (16 GS, 98 IP, 2.85 ERA, 2.42 FIP, 3.3 WAR).
The Moment: Hernan Perez scores on his own swing – but only gets credit for a 3B and advancing on an error in the 6th.
How Was The Game? (July 22, 2013)
Smooth sailing.
Tigers 7, White Sox 3
Max Scherzer (14-1, 137.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 4.0 WAR) was Max Scherzer on Monday night, turning in a sparkling 8 innings in which he allowed just 4 hits, struck out 5 and allowed just two runs, both on solo homers. He was in command early, as he retired the first 12 he faced and guided the Tigers comfortably to the 9th inning. His offense backed him up with a run in the 3rd, 2 in the 5th, and 1 in the 7th courtesy of a Fielder single, VMart single, and Hunter longball and then three bonus runs in the 9th on some weird White Sox defense and the subsequent consequences thereof. The Tigers took care of business start to finish, but got a bit of a scare as Miguel Cabrera left the game with a sore hip flexor and will be reevaluated Tuesday. The team will send Rick Porcello (6-6, 99.1 IP, 4.80 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.8 WAR) to the mound for game two as he looks to build on his strong first half.
The Moment: Martinez cashes in two with a two out single in the 5th.
The Morning Edition (July 22, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Harvey dominates the Phils over 7 innings, allows 3 H and 10 K as Lee struggles
- Masterson flirts with a no-hitter in a 7-1 win over the Twins
- Giants waste a great start from Bumgarner
- Colon drops a CGSO on the Angels
- Wainwright’s 8 strong innings lead the Cards over the Padres
- Felix turns in 6 solid inning as the Mariners thrash the Astros
- Peralta and Alvarez throw gems, but it takes a Gindl walk off in the 13th to finalize the Crew and Fish
- Kershaw throws well, Zimmermann gets rocked in Dodgers win at Nats
- Bailey K’s 12 but the Reds fall to the Bucs
- Rays win…again
What I’m Watching Today:
- Darvish comes to Yankee Stadium (7p Eastern)
- Scherzer and Sale (8p Eastern)
- Garza showcase continues against Skaggs in AZ (930p Eastern)
- Lincecum returns to the mound for the first time since his no-hitter (10p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Should the Rays scare you?
The answer is yes under certain conditions. First, if you cheer for the Rays, no the Rays should not scare you. Also, if you’re team is wildly out of the race, then you should just enjoy baseball and not sweat the standings. But everyone else should be worried because the Rays are dangerous. They probably won’t sustain a 17-2 pace for the rest of the season but they are putting the East on notice. On May 7th, the Rays were 14-18 and looked like they weren’t going to be able to provide their usually excellent starting pitching. Since then, they are 44-23, which is a 106 win pace. This is a good team that just had their rough stretch early, which is often a nice way to lull your opponents into a false sense of security. I picked the Rays to win the East and haven’t wavered. They are baseball’s 3rd best offense and 11th best pitching staff and have one of baseball’s best managers and easily the best GM. This is a team that should scare you. They have one of the game’s best in Longoria, an excellent super utility guy in Zobrist, the underrated Jennings, the young Myers, and the lightning in a bottle Loney. Not to mention the pitching is back. They Rays are hot and are only going to cool off a little.
The Morning Edition (July 15, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Archer dominates the Astros with a CGSO, 0 BB, 8 K performance
- Iwakuma leads the M’s past the Angels
- Workman flirts with a no-no for the Red Sox but Donaldson walks off for the A’s
- Stop me if you’re heard this, Davis homers, O’s win
- The Phillies beat the White Sox in extras…again
- 3 runs in the 10th get the Nats past the Fish
- The Twins shell Sabathia
What I’m Watching Today:
- HR Derby (8pm Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Will Chris Davis carry his homerun streak into the derby?
I’m not a huge fan of the HR Derby. It’s a fine event, but I think ESPN makes it pretty boring to watch with their interviews with players from the Yankees and Red Sox and commentary about the first half from analysts I don’t really want to listen to. A lot of people have offered ways to freshen the competition, but I think freshening the coverage could be just as good. Instead of Chris Berman screaming “back, back, back…” I’d like to see more coverage focusing on player reactions. We could mic up 15 or 20 players and just bounce around as they talk to each other about the season and the big swings. I think that would be cool. Or we could just get Vin Scully. Either way, I’m pulling for Prince, but will take Davis to win.
The Morning Edition (July 14, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Greinke twirls a CGSO to beat the Rockies despite Chatwood’s CG, 1 ER gem.
- Davis homers again, but Orioles fall to the Jays
- Lincecum no hits the Padres, featuring 13 Ks. (Late out west, hence the lack of intense attention)
- The White Sox tops the Phillies with 2 in the 11th
- Hughes K’s 10, but gives up 4 as the Yanks fall to the Twins
- Haren and Fernandez pitch well, Marlins win in 10
What I’m Watching Today:
- Shields takes on the Indians (1p Eastern)
- Hamels tries to stay on a role (1p Eastern)
- Wainwright and Wood take the final stage before the break (8p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Who will replace the Sunday starters and injured players on the All-Star rosters?
Enjoy the last day before the break. It’s going to be a slow few days!
How Was The Game? (July 11, 2013)
Wild.
White Sox 6, Tigers 3
This game was quite something. The particulars are that the Tigers gave up an early run, came back with two homers to take a 3-1 lead, then allowed a grand slam and solo homerun to give back the lead. Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 92 IP, 2.93 ERA, 2.31 FIP, 3.3 WAR) in sum, was a bit uneven allowing 5 runs (4 earned) across 5.1 innings, but he did strikeout six. However, the story of this game was a bit more than the above information, which could easily be gleaned from the box score. Let’s take a look:
- Immediately following Cabrera’s homerun, Chris Sale threw a pitch up and in to Prince Fielder.
- Prince was upset, but not confrontational. Leyland yelled at the umpire from his seat in the dugout.
- No warnings were issued.
- After Sanchez gave up some runs in the 6th, Putkonen came in and threw behind Ramirez, the second batter he faced.
- Ramirez started coming to the mound, pointing and yelling.
- Putkonen was ejected.
- The benches cleared.
- Leyland was ejected.
- Everyone went back to their benches.
- Leyland kept arguing.
- The benches were warned.
- Leyland finally realized he was ejected.
- The fans booed Ramirez during the rest of the at bat.
- Ramirez hurt himself running to first base.
So while the 14 lines above can nicely summarize it for anyone who missed it, it’s also important to evaluate the situation. I think Sale’s pitch was intentional and I don’t advocate throwing at anyone or fighting in baseball. However, the umpires have a responsibility to warn the benches to prevent further issues. Also, Putkonen did a nice job making sure the pitch was behind Ramirez and down near his backside, assuring there would be no injury. If the umpires want to effectively police this stuff, which they should, you have to issue warnings earlier and you can’t eject someone for throwing behind a guy when you haven’t issued warnings. Basically, Sale shouldn’t have done that, the umpires handled it like idiots, Putkonen did a nice job not to make his pitch dangerous, and the players on both sides did a nice job by not resulting to punches and whatnot. All in all, the Tigers lost 2 of 3 to the Sox, but Chris Sale is a legitimate ace, so you can’t be too upset about this one. They’ll have 15 more chances to beat the Sox, but they’ll turn their attention to the Rangers, who will see Doug Fister (6-5, 115 IP, 4.07 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 2.6 WAR) Friday at Comerica Park.
The Moment: Jim Leyland gets his money’s worth arguing the umpire’s terrible game management.
The Morning Edition (July 11, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Wheeler great, Cain awful in a big Mets win
- Another great start for Turner in Miami
- The Angels unload on the Cubs, get a good start from Wilson
- Lee gives up four solo homeruns in a loss to the Nationals
- Toronto tops Cleveland after a wild 9th
- Nova and the Yanks handle the Royals easily
- Twins and Rays play deep into the night, Zobrist walks off
What I’m Watching Today:
- Sale and Sanchez in Detroit (1p Eastern)
- Zimmermann goes against the Phils (7p Eastern)
- Bumgarner (underrated) and Marquis (overrated) face off in Petco (10p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- How should we pick the ASG starter?
There’s been some debate, as there always is regarding ASG stuff, as to who should start for each side. Harvey is the frontrunner in the NL because he is having one of the best seasons and the game is at his home park. It’s not a lock that he should start on merit, but he’s in the conversation and the hometown thing probably pushes him over. I think it’s safe to say Harvey, Wainwright, and Kershaw are the contenders, but depending on what stats you like, you can make a case that any of them are the best starter so far. But should it be about the best starter so far this season? Should it be about the best starter for the last calendar year? The biggest star? The guy who we judge to be the best, because the game does count? It’s not a clear formula. For what it’s worth, Wainwright is schedule to pitch Sunday so he’s probably out. Kershaw and Harvey are both “stop what you’re doing and watch guys” who are having elite years and are top 10 guys since the last ASG. If you’re asking for six outs, they can both get them with the best of them. Is there really a way to separate who should get the start if we don’t have a fixed definition. If Kershaw was far and away having a better season, it might be different, but they’re pretty even, so it just makes sense to go with Harvey…I think. Kershaw’s about to get $200 million. Harvey could have that in his future, but he has more work to do. Let’s go with Harvey.
How Was The Game? (July 10, 2013)
A nice response.
Tigers 8, White Sox 5
After Tuesday’s disastrous final two innings, the Tigers put together a much better game on all fronts. They got a solid outing from Rick Porcello (6-6, 99.1 IP, 4.80 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 1.8 WAR) who allowed 3 runs in 6 innings while striking out six batters and walking none to make his season long transformation look even better by the numbers we’ve been tracking here at New English D. Here’s currently 7th among MLB starters in xFIP (learn about xFIP) and is joined only by Felix Hernandez and John Lackey as starters with more than 7 K/9, fewer than 2 BB/9 and a GB% higher than 50%.:
But it wasn’t just Porcello who carried the Tigers. They also got tons of production from the middle of the order as Jackson, Hunter, Cabrera, Fielder, and Martinez all had multi hit games that helped the Tigers score in 4 separate innings. It was an all-around solid attack save for an iffy inning from Rondon who somehow managed to produce an inning with a K, BB, 1B, 2B, HR, GO (2), and WP (2). That’s almost everything that can happen!
Rondon’s inning wouldn’t be too costly as he held the Sox to two runs and Drew Smyly came in for the 8th inning and made very quick work of the three batters he faced, giving way to Benoit who handled the 9th. It was a nice game all-around and gives the Tigers their 50th win and a shot to take the series behind Anibal Sanchez (7-5, 86.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 2.11 FIP, 3.4 WAR) on Thursday afternoon.
The Moment: Porcello freezes Gillaspie on a curveball for his final strikeout.
New English D 