Two-and-a-half things to know about the Tigers
Posted on September 22nd, 2009 – 11:35 AMBy Joe Christensen
1) They open a three-game series tonight at Cleveland, which is 3-17 in its past 20 games. Sounds like an easy assignment until you remember the Royals were riding a 3-15 stretch into their first series against the Tigers this month. Detroit had won six straight but wound up getting swept.
2) Edwin Jackson, who is 2-2 with a 6.03 ERA in his past five starts, pitches for the Tigers tonight, opposite Cleveland’s Aaron Laffey (7-6, 4.09 ERA). Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp told the Detroit Free Press he believes Jackson has been tipping his pitches. Knapp, the former Twins minor-league pitching coordinator, describes other mechanical things they are working on with Jackson, but sometimes pitchers hit a wall, and Jackson has thrown a career-high 195 innings.
2.5) On Wednesday, it’s Rick Porcello (13-9, 4.22) vs. Cleveland’s Justin Masterson (4-8, 4.49). Thursday is another night game, and holy mismatch: Justin Verlander (16-9, 3.44) vs. Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 9.64). In this piece, Free Press beat writer John Lowe lists several reasons the Tigers can hold on to win the division.
52 Responses to "Two-and-a-half things to know about the Tigers"
Go Twins!
Not a lot of good info in the Detroit Free Press story.
Hopefully cleveland can get at least 1 win out of this series
The pitching matchups favor the Twins.
Laffey is CLE’s best, vs the struggling Jackson.
Porcello v Masterson - tossup, really. Porcello has looked good, but Masterson has a lot to prove.
Verlander is at his worst when he thinks he’s got it easy. Here’s goin’ CLE! Whattaya say, take 2 out of 3?
A comment from a Tiger’s fan on the Detroit Free Press article- “I am less worried about the Tigers as I am worried about the history and culture of the Never-say-die Twins.”
Damn straight.
Agreed. If the Tigers fall behind a couple early and the Twins can put a few early ones up, you know that will seek into the Tiger’s heads, looking out at the scoreboard.
Who’s gunna bat lead-off if Denardo Davinci can’t go? Punto? Gomez? Tolbert? Coming in last at 500,000:1 is Morales.
if the twins pitching can hold it together, we have a really good shot at taking the division. GO TWINS!!
Gotta love Bert and his Milton-moment last night, calling for a Twins DP with two down in the inning.
Heet: I’d vote Tolbert considering how many hits he’s been racking up.
Yeah, I think Punto and Tolbert are even based on most recent play, but I’d give Punto the edge just because it’s Gardy’s call.
Either way it is just nice to see them both helping out with some production late in the season after five months of barf-ball. In a way, the season will boil down to the piranahs producing or not producing. I think that is THE biggest factor the rest of the way.
heetcpa, you really think the odds are that good it will be Morales? I would add a few more zeroes.
“In a way, the season will boil down to the piranahs producing or not producing. I think that is THE biggest factor the rest of the way.”
it is great to see tolbert and punto doing relatively well of late. but i’d hafta say the biggest factor will be how the starting pitchers fare.
Yeah, I agree, mickey.
“heetcpa, you really think the odds are that good it will be Morales? I would add a few more zeroes.”
~I was saving room for Busher, followed by Redmond. )
Considering that Span has been a singles and stand there hitter during our recent hot streak, there wouldn’t be anything substantially wrong with playing Morales at lead off. His OBP has been good. Not as much his slugging. He’s not much of a speedster, but that hasn’t really been part of the game anyhow. The team seems to like hitting and running with OC. AJ probably couldn’t throw him out anyway.
I agree about the SP’s importance to the result - that’s always true in baseball, but I was referring more to the unpredictability of said result.
In fact, that makes for a fairly even debat IMO right there: Game to game for the rest of the way, who is more likely / unlikely to come through for the team?
I just think the pitcher’s performance is more reliable/predictable than what, if anything, the piranahs will produce each night.
(For example, last night, without the Piranahs, Blackburn is faced with another game 163 type pressure-cooker. With the piranahs contributions, he coasts to a less-strenuous shutout.)
Punto and or Tolbert can not handle batting lead off. They can barely handle playing in general, despite some very very mild success recently.
Gardy will do what Gardy does though and Punto will get the nod.
“(For example, last night, without the Piranahs, Blackburn is faced with another game 163 type pressure-cooker. With the piranahs contributions, he coasts to a less-strenuous shutout.)”
but two starts ago, against lowly oakland, blackburn gave up six earned runs in three innings …
i guess it’s all pretty important at this point. whatever works!
If there was ever an indicator that a contending team doesn’t belong in the playoffs, our reliance upon Jeff freaking Manship would be that indicator.
“If there was ever an indicator that a contending team doesn’t belong in the playoffs, our reliance upon Jeff freaking Manship would be that indicator.”
that’s like saying st. louis didn’t belong in the postseason in 2006 because they had to rely on jeff weaver.
jeff freaking weaver
If Jeff Manship was some 10 year vet with a 5 something ERA, I could understand and unequivocal statement like that. He does appear a bit raw but he’s got some pitches. He handled the Sox OK last time ’round.
Its also like saying the twins dont belong in the playoffs this year because of their reliance upon Brian Freaking Duensing…Somewhat related- who in their wildest dreams imagined that we would be counting our blessings to have Carl Freaking Pavano?
i appreciate your amendment, Mickey Freaking Mental.
not to mention 1987 and lester freaking straker (two world series starts, nine innings pitched, four earned runs — coulda been much freaking worse!).
If the Twins are left standing with the best record in the Central, then they belong in. The odds currently suggest this won’t happen. The biggest indicator that they do belong?
The odds haven’t phased them in the least.
1.5 at 11:30? I like the sound of that.
The current Twins infield (Cuddyer, Punto, Tolbert, Cabrera) continues to impress me. Very athletic. They have helped the pitchers. This infield is a winning combination.
its over, why do we even waste our time?
First of all, it makes no difference what the Twins do in the playoffs, because they day-in, day-out joy of watching this team over 162 games is reward enough for me.
BUT, line-ups aside, how worse is this Twins won-loss record than the ‘87 team?
Just get in.
Then pitch!!!
“This infield is a winning combination.”
~ Yeah, but the outfielders REALLY know how to keep their head in the game!
Yeah Bunting, Cuddy is a better first baseman than Konerko as of late.
Checking the matchups, I suggest today is a good day to give LNP a day off, so… I propose:
Tolbert 2b, OC, Mauer, Kubel, Cuddy, Harris 3b, DY, Morales, GoGo
That’s a sick joke. Don’t make a crack about the first baseman’s back.
What the hey, I’d roll the dice and let Gomez lead off.
Everything else going against the odds seems to be working for the Twins lately.
And the rest of the lineup would remain in place and keep clicking.
romer,
Cuddyer is a good athlete. He’s done a great job at first. He is more rangy and more agile than many first basemen. Don’t you agree?
i’m guessing that gardy will go with punto in the leadoff spot. not because he thinks it’s the best option, but because he knows it will get a lot of people’s goat on these strib blogs.
romer,
I think your plan will be Gardy’s plan. Let Gomez lead off and keep Punto and Tolbert where they are. Tolbert is hitting .440 since being called up. Punto is hitting .340 in September. Gardy won’t mess with success.
Lineup tonight?
1) Cabrara
2) Mauer
3) Cuddyer
4) Kubel
5) Young
6) Harris
7) Morales
Punto
9) Go Go Gomez
Looks like Ozzie told his team to lay down for the Twins…unfortunately, Ozzie hates the Tigers. Maybe the Royals will do our dirty work for us…
Checking Cabrera’s stats with the Twins, he’s hitting .250 with a .270 something OBP. Gomez and Cabrera at the top gives Gardy two guys who are never on base. I still think he will do it.
mickey,
I wonder who Voltaire would bat leadoff?
that’s easy, bunting: jonathan swift.
Of course!
prediction:
1) Gomez CF
2) Cabrera SS
3) Mauer C
4) Cuddyer 1B
5) Kubel RF
6) Harris DH
7) Young LF
8 Tolbert 3B
9) Punto 2B
I figure Gardy will stick Gomez and his microscopic OPS in the leadoff spot and leave Cabrera at 2. Mauer will DH and Redmond will catch leaving Morales and his hot bat on the bench to pinch hit for Gomez in the late innings. BTW - Kubel looks like he could use a night off!
cuddyer hit a fifth-inning no-out double in game 163 last year, too. risp be damned. stats don’t always tell the story.
Is there some reason that Brendan Harris has been DH over 2 of the past 3 games. His 0-for outings aren’t helping and it keeps a better bat on the bench in Morales.
Wait…here comes JC to bring the smack down on Morales being mentioned.
Anyway, I suppose since Gardy loves those lifetime averages, we’ll see redmond start against Buerhle tonight, just like he did a couple weeks ago at the Dome…and a fine day at the plate it was for Red Dog that day. The ol’ .400+ career BA against buerhle didn’t amount to anything other than another 0-for that day.
Could it be that lifetime BA’s against a pitcher don’t trump how one is currently swinging the lumber?
Free Morales. …and now I wait to get ripped.
Free Morales. …and now I wait to get ripped.
So you admit to trolling? Good to know.
Let’s be really honest here, the Twins are not even close in this race without the monster year that Nick Punto has had. Once the season is over-screw Mauer, but re-sign Punto to a lifetime contract. Go for it Twins! P.S. Twins win division on last game of the year and then get absolutely waxed by The Yankess!!!!! Go for it Twins!!
T -
No admission to trolling. I’m somewhat new to this. Whenever I mention Morales, one person in particular is always there, it seems to put down whatever opinion I share.
so, I should just ignore that kind of stuff?
Mattman, sounds to me that that “one person” is the troll.
Ignorance is bliss.
Re Harris, I didn’t want him last night either. He more or less killed a couple rallies. But he did almost crank one out.
Maybe he’s more ready to go now. Who knows. Gonna trust Gardy on this one.
But Harris did look frustrated. So…
FREE MORALES!
I should just ignore that kind of stuff?
Might I suggest you ignore T as well?
