OT- Tigers vs Jays (BREAK THE CURSE)
Tigers bats are silent against a soft tossing lefty again, color me surprised. Miguel left the game in the 2nd with what's being called a, "sore ankle" and he is now day-to-day, get healthy soon big man.
JV has been strong but gave up back to back hits in the 4th with the latter being a 2 run HR. Here's to hoping the open thread has some sort of curse lifted and the Tigers can pull this one out before the halos come in tomorrow.
EDIT: Tigers win 3-2
August 23rd, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^
As a jays fan I will say there is no better team to face when you're in a slump than the jays. Damn they are painful to watch. Ever since the damn strike shortened season when they were in first place after winning successive WS championships that team has not been the same. It's painful being a fan of the teams I root for. Other than UM and ManU (other than Monday) I don't think a team I root for is any damn good.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:02 PM ^
Dude, your team is winning right now.
August 24th, 2012 at 7:53 AM ^
They're so bad I can't even watch anymore, so I couldn't possibly know that they are winning. Plus, I just found out they ended up losing, giving further validation to my sadness...
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:14 PM ^
C'mon now, those teams with Shawn Green, Roberto Alomar, Carlos Delgado, Junior Felix and John Olerud, were loads of fun and excitement.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^
The back of that lineup is just pathetic. Dombrowski really shows how not to put together a team. I know we made it to the playoffs last year, but half that team had lucky/career years. Peralta, Avila, Boesch, will never have seasons like that again. I like Avila, however, we have no talent to bring up, we traded away our best prospect for garbage. Hopefully as I type this we get some runs and I can look like an idiot.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
Our best prospect is actually still in our system and a prospect is garbage until they do something in the MLB in which case they are no longer prospects. Give me a proven pro over a prospect any day. Dombrowski also brought us to the WS two seasons after we were one of the worst teams in the modern era. So, like, sit this next one out, Champ.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:42 PM ^
Excuse me broseph,
He has failed to develop a farm system. I agree our best prospect is Castellanos, but Turner could be very good. The Tigers do not have a very good farm system, which is why we continue to break the bank on players like Prince Fielder. If I'm trading a prospect, I'm not trading for a pitcher with 3.99 era in the NL, might as well be an era of 5.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:09 PM ^
Infante is batting .289 since coming over and is locked up for next year.
Why any thinks that Sanchez was the major piece of that deal is beyond me. Maybe because people think Infante is the same 2B he was during his first stay with Detroit. He's not. He's a top 10 MLB second baseman and, again, he's locked up for next year.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:10 PM ^
WHO THE CRAP IS J.A. HAPP???
I'm kidding. I know who he is. But why is shutting us out? Fielder: Y U NO PUT BALL OVER FENCE IN EVERY AT BAT?
Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. All in all, it hasn't been a terrible homestand. Even if we lose today, we'll be at .500, heading into a series against a team we swept a month ago. All is not lost.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:16 PM ^
I'm not sure I agree with this not being a terrible homestand, going into this series I almost expected a sweep considering the way the Jays lineup is now a days, they are the walking dead with really only 1 bat to avoid (Encarnacion).
The O's series was quite disappointing as well getting wrecked by Zach Britton? Giving up a 5-0 lead with Fister on the mound (although we did find out he was pitching with a groin injury), it really hasn't been a good home stand. The last 2 nights have been pretty absymal offensively, and the defense again had lapses last night.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:26 PM ^
Yeah, I hear ya. But I'm learning more to be ok with the outcome, rather than what happened to get there. Plus, tt this point in the season, the team is what it is and I'll take a win anyway it comes.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:16 PM ^
2 on in the bottom of the 8th. Sure would be nice to rally here and get JV a W.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^
This strike zone has changed all day, while JV has been good it seems a bit ridiculous that over half of his k's have come on the taken 3rd variety.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
Seeing eye single puts the TIgers on the board, come on Prince!
Edit: WILD PITCH!! 2-2 with Brennan on 2nd and Prince still at the plate.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:24 PM ^
I think the Tigers best prospect is universally considered to be Castellanos. Turner was definitely a top 3 prospect, but not the best overall prospect in the Tigers system. I would also argue that Rondon is currently a better "shovel-ready" pitching prospect than Turner....I know, I know, different pitching roles. Turner may make me eat my words by morphing into a serviceable starter next year...time will tell.
Also, Infante has not been complete garbage. He's done well. If Sanchez reverts back to his struggling ways, then I'll agree that getting one contributor (Infante) for Turner and other decent prospects is a great deal for Florida/Miami/Boca Raton. But, hell, they deserve to fleece us for the Cabrera trade.
Anyway, I'm completely nitpicking and agree that the Tigers' back-end batting lineup has not struck fear into opposing pitchers. I really thought Boesch would be good for .275/25/85 this year hitting amidst Fielder and Cabrera.
EDIT: Meant to be a response above re: Infante/Sanchez Turner/Brantly/Flynn trade.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
That trade is going to take a year or two to analyze who won, but the Tigers finally solved the 2B problem for more than just a year and they also got a supplemental 1st round draft pick from the Marlins in that deal.
Turner looked pretty solid yesterday but his stuff doesn't scream anything but a #4-5 starter in the show, and Brantly was obviously blocked by our current 25 year old catcher (yes people forget Alex is only 25) My first thought when we made the trade was, "Well they finally forgave us for the Cabrera deal I see."
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
WOOOO! Tie game!
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
Now let's get JV this W!
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:24 PM ^
Come on Prince!
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
Colby Rasmus is cool with his hair and shades. Oscar Gamble, Coco Crisp cool. Looks like he'll burn one with you behind the dugout.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^
JV has pitched 9 inning, with only 115 pitches. If it goes to a tenth inning, will Leyland put his possibly-robotic-super-ace in for another inning?
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^
This whole thing turned around when this thread got created. Kudos, OP.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^
Rod Allen just took the words out of my mouth AJ diving for the first time ever to save a run, thats how good he is defensively. Wow
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:10 PM ^
uh oh...just turned on the game and see that Coke is in...opponents are batting .330 vs. his stellar pitching btw
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 PM ^
but since I'm watching Gametracker, can someone who's actually watching tell me why Coke was pulled after getting his first batter out? (Other than our nervousness whenever he's put in.)
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^
Will the sabermetrics folk tell me how much better, defensively, Trout is than Jackson. All I know is that Jackson has 0 errors on the season.
Do the nerd stats say anything interesting?
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:19 PM ^
We might as well color Jackson's glove golden after that catch. Jackson > Trout defensively, nerd stats be damned. #Donottrustnerdstats
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^
Defensive metrics suck so much, so much more room for interpretation. Jackson won't win a GG again this year because of Trout, but maybe the Fielding Bible will recognize him again. I'll check his peripherals and get back to you in a few moments.
Austin Jackson: Fielding % 1.000/ Range Factor 2.55/ UZR 3.2
Mike Trout: Fielding % .983/Range Factor 2.39 (not specifically CF) / UZR 5.2 (as an overall OF, so it's a bit skewed towards Trout)
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
Nerd stats say Trout is a little better, but it's close enough and a stat like UZR really only gets enough sample size over multiple seasons. The Angels also have an even better defender in Bourjos, so on some days Trout is actually in left.
Errors for an outfielder are largely pointless. Terrible outfielders also usually don't commit a whole lot of errors.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^
August 23rd, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:19 PM ^
The Jays' classic uniforms are so much better than those teal/black monstrosities they wore for far too long.
The 1990s will not be well-remembered as far as pro sports uniforms go.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 PM ^
Dirks...arghhh. Was so excited to have him batting with 2 runners on, 1 out. Argggh.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
Clutch. Big win.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
TIGERS WIN! Nice job to get a pinch runner in by smokes, and an even better job by Q stealing second. Avila with a bloop to right for the winning single.
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
Tigers Win! Avila with the walk off single!
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^
You cannot "walk" a single or it wouldn't be a single! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!
August 23rd, 2012 at 9:44 PM ^
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^
The curse is broken! We can have game threads again!
August 23rd, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^
Victory!