2009 Detroit Tigers

[Flanders]

Great Scott!!

Tigers lose 5-1 via the longball @ Camden Yards last night, in the first of a four game series. Galahomerraga gave up two solos, one to Luke Scott and Perry gave up another to Scott, a three run dinger in the bottom of the 8th. Armando leads the team's SPs with 11, giving up a homer about once every five innings. Although he kept the Tigers in the game, being taken out with a very surmountable 2-1 deficit, he gave up 10 mostly hard hits, and was bailed out by Inge who helped turn 3 double plays.

Tigers offense was a tease, leaving RISP stranded over half of the game.

Armando still appears to be the most vulnerable to being taken out of the rotation, and perhaps sent to Toledo or the BP, barring a trade [[unlikely) of Nate "Robberson", once Bondo returns, but with his fastball currently clocked @ 87 mph, Jeremy ain't ready to pitch @ the ML level yet, IMO.

[d.mcc]

Armando still appears to be the most vulnerable to being taken out of the rotation, and perhaps sent to Toledo or the BP, barring a trade [[unlikely) of Nate "Robberson", once Bondo returns, but with his fastball currently clocked @ 87 mph, Jeremy ain't ready to pitch @ the ML level yet, IMO.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Bonderman's fastball has never been his money pitch. It only helps him establish an at bat and a count before ultimately unleashing that NASTY slider...

[Flanders]

Correct me if I am wrong, but Bonderman's fastball has never been his money pitch. It only helps him establish an at bat and a count before ultimately unleashing that NASTY slider...

No, you're correct, Bondo uses his fastball to set up batters for his slider, but he needs to get the velocity of his 2 and 4 seamer fastballs into the lower 90s for his slider to be effective, else the batters will sit on and hit his "fastball' and the umps are more likely to call his slider as a ball if there is little appreciable difference in speed between them, IMO:

http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2...with-pitch-fx/

[Flanders]

Tigers' rather pedestrian team offense [[7th in RS and 9th in BA in the AL) has virtually disappeared vs the Orioles Cy Hernandez who made his first start of the season and Cy Bergeson, mustering a total of 3 runs on 12 hits in two games @ the Camden Yards bandbox.. Luke [[Babe) Scott has turned into another Tiger killer ala Joe Crede, hitting two homers in each game, including a grand slam on Willis. Scott has accounted for 9 of the total 12 runs scored by the Orioles. One would think that Leyland might consider IW Luke whenever possible during the remaining two games of the series.

Tigers are extremely fortunate that their pitching and defense has so far helped keep the team above .500, and in first along with the inabilty of any of their competition in the CD to win enough games recently to overcome their losses. But it is of course very unlikely that will continue for an entire season..

[Flanders]

Tigers finally win a game at Baltimore 6-3, despite Luke Scott hitting his FIFTH homer of the series in just three games, this one with a man on that tied the game @ 3-3. Scott has now accounted for 11 of the15 runs scored by the Orioles in this four game series. Why could this guy not catch the Swine Flu virus or something earlier this week?? Verlander did not pitch as well as he has for most of his starts in the month of May, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits and striking out 5 in 6 IP..

Clete Thomas was theTigers' POTG, IMO, hitting two solo homers, the last that broke the tie and was the winning run.

Polanco continued his mild season-long struggle at the plate, going 0 fer 5, and now has a .255 BA, and he is also striking out a bit more often, which at his current pace he will K about 45-50 times this season.

[Lowell]

Flipping to the game during breaks in the Wings game, an ardent friend-fan got so frustrated with Luke Scott that he made an old school recommendation. Knock him down. He is simply too comforable at the plate. I don't actually agree with hitting him, but but setting him back on his heels a few times wouldn't hurt.

[rjk]

I don't see any point in hitting him. They'll just hit a Tigers batter and someone might end up on the disabled list from the brawl that would ensue.

If they were a lousy team and going nowhere I'd be all in favor of giving him a nice purpose pitch thigh bruise.

Absolutely they need to give him some high and inside pitches, but nothing in the strike zone.

[Flanders]

I don't see any point in hitting him. They'll just hit a Tigers batter and someone might end up on the disabled list from the brawl that would ensue.

If they were a lousy team and going nowhere I'd be all in favor of giving him a nice purpose pitch thigh bruise.

Absolutely they need to give him some high and inside pitches, but nothing in the strike zone.

As I read this, the Orioles' SP Berken in this afternoon's game, just hit Inge with a pitch, who had singled in his previous AB, and had hit him after Granderson hit a solo homer, and Larish singled, apparently the Orioles pitchers aren't averse to hitting Tigers' batters.

Daniel Cabrera, who was a SP with the Orioles, nailed Gary Sheffield square in the back with a pitch in '07, @ Camden Yards...Sheffield of course had words wiith Cabrera and nearly went after him while walking to first base, but at 6' 9" Cabrera made quite an imposing figure to tackle on the mound. He has recently been DFAed by his new team, the Nationals, but if the Tigers wanted to acquire a SP who will gladly hit batters w/o provocation as needed, Cabrera is the man to get. He received a six game suspension as the SP who beaned .the Red Sox' Pedroia after committing a balk late in the season in '07 and led MLB with 18 batters HBP last season.

[cheddar bob]

Inge was grazed on the jersey with two strikes. Clearly not intentional.

I have been saying to just walk Scott, but knocking him down never crossed my mind. Not a bad idea.

[Flanders]

Jackson wins his 5th game of the season, 3-0 pitching a two hit gem, with Rodney earning his 10th save in 10 opportunities. It was the Tigers league-leading 7th shutout of the season as well, while being shutout only once themselves. Quite a difference from last season when the team ironically was shutout for the 8th time exactly one year ago.

[Lowell]

Hit him no but a little "chin music" to wipe that big smile off him is good baseball. Follow that with a big slidr that starts at his head then dives in for a strike. He is way too comfortable.

[cheddar bob]

I've always been more inclined to the bean ball. I've often remarked, "Why intentionally walk someone, when you could just hit them?".

[Ravine]

The "chin music" sans hitting a guy is not a viable plan. You want to believe that any pitcher can control their pitches that tightly?
And, damn sure, I wish we had a guy who could throw a slider that would start out aimed at a guy's face and then gracefully drop right through the strike zone.
WTF.

[smogboy]

I'll keep it brief...

Verlander = gem of a game!

[rjk]

Get out the brooms, that's 7 wins in a row and they now have the 3rd best record in baseball.

Go Tigers.

[jackie5275]

Get out the brooms, that's 7 wins in a row and they now have the 3rd best record in baseball.

Go Tigers.

And just in time before the storms hit.

[thnk2mch]

Wanna buy Maglio's hair?

http://shop.ebay.com/items/__magglio...sc=hair&_rdc=1

[reddog289]

If MJ was alive He just might.

[d.mcc]

if mj was alive he just might.

zing!!!!!!

[rjk]

Zumaya craps the bed again. He pitches two thirds of an inning and gives up two runs on one hit and three walks. He hit 105 mph on what had to be an inflated gun. I think the speed gun might be the worst thing for Zumaya in that he gets intoxicated with how fast he can throw instead of just throwing strikes. If I'm on the opposing team I'd have the radar gun jacked up even more when he enters the game.

What the hell is up with that little hill that the Astros have in center field? Is this baseball or wacky putt-putt golf?http://waiversharks.com/files/2009/0...-tals-hill.jpg

[ggores]

Zoom Zoom hasn't been the same since he lifted that Hot Wheel and threw out his shoulder. He is definitely a risky venture for the Tigers, but I'd still rather have him pitchin for us, than against us.

[zitro]

Zumaya craps the bed again. He pitches two thirds of an inning and gives up two runs on one hit and three walks. He hit 105 mph on what had to be an inflated gun. I think the speed gun might be the worst thing for Zumaya in that he gets intoxicated with how fast he can throw instead of just throwing strikes. If I'm on the opposing team I'd have the radar gun jacked up even more when he enters the game.

What the hell is up with that little hill that the Astros have in center field? Is this baseball or wacky putt-putt golf?http://waiversharks.com/files/2009/0...-tals-hill.jpg

The center field at Minute Maid Park was designed to mimic the rise at Cincinnati's Crosley Field.

[rjk]

Verlander, Granderson and Jackson make the all-star team.
It's nice to see Jackson make it since he's been pitching great but doesn't have the record to show for it because he's not getting much run support.
He gets traded from Tampa Bay because they felt confident with the pitchers they had and now EJ makes the all-star team and none of the TB pitchers didn't make the team. Nice.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009070...don+on+AL+team

[carman]

This clearly is a third place team in the Central Division at best.

[Mackinaw]

This was the most annoying loss of the season. A chance to steal one in the Bronx and Z actually pitches to the best hitter in the AL.

Where's the playoff mindset? Why is Leyland so cavalier with Zumaya...this is not the 2006 iteration...he's a guy that can make average hitters look bad and therefore he has some solid value in the AL central, but he's no longer go-to. He was so close to throwing ball four up there...honestly that could have saved the game, especially if Seay or Lyon were used appropriately after that.

This has last year's sick feeling to it. Thank God the aces are answering the bell the next two days.