OT: Tigers vs. Twins - win division with win or Cleveland loss

Submitted by Moleskyn on

Not sure what happened to the other open thread, but I didn't see anything in the mod action sticky.

Tigers up 1-0, bottom of the second. Scherzer on the mound for us.

Cleveland up 4-1 on the White Sox in the 5th.

 

The Geek

September 25th, 2013 at 9:22 PM ^

I'm not sure what is wrong with the team offensively* right now, but they don't look like a team getting ready for the playoffs.

Scherzer is balls-on tonight, though!

*edit [offensively]

MGoBender

September 25th, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^

Meh... Tigers are only 1 game worse on the road than both Boston and Oakland.  Tigers are 5 games above .500 on the road, A's and Sox are 7 games  above .500 on the road.

All three teams have had almost identical years, except 1-3 games going the bad way for the Tigers.  Unfortunately, that's enough to give the other two teams HFA when all teams are equally good at home.

As much as this last stretch has been annoying, I'm starting to feel good again about our chances.  We still have the best rotation in MLB and that can carry you.

MGoBender

September 26th, 2013 at 6:50 AM ^

Yeah, I definitely understood. I was just pointing out that, really, the Tigers are relatively at or near the top of the pack as far as away record goes.  Not really a mediocre away team as far as MLB goes.  But that, unfortunately, is a significant swing from home games.  Hopefully we get past Oakland. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

September 26th, 2013 at 8:51 AM ^

and it looks like Detroit will not be getting home field advantage. 

NSFMF.  We're only a game back of Oakland and we have three games against a quad-A ballclub that hates their owner.  Oakland is in Seattle, which isn't a great team either, but there is nothing safe about Oakland's lead at all.  I like our chances for at least some home cooking in the ALDS, and then of course anything can happen in the other series.

RJWolvie

September 25th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^

but they need to sit him down now. He's not even a shadow of himself right now, the opposite of helping them win in the moment, & they need him as healthy as they can get him for playoffs. I hate seeing his awesome season splutter to an end like this, but that's what it is now: spluttering. Sit him & hope for some recovery by start playoffs. "Lose his rhythm", you say: no rhythm right now to lose. Please: rest him

RioThaN

September 25th, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^

IDK about rythm, he's not that lost with that, I think his injury is still hampering him, he runs like he's dragging a piano around the bases and is having trouble adjusting to pitches inside, but I think that's due to his injury still nagging him and preventing him to make the quick adjust without pain, I still agree with you, they need to rest him if only to hope he'll recovery faster that way.

RJWolvie

September 25th, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^

that the current struggles are totally injury-induced. I wasn't saying that he lost his rhythm & that's why the slump. I was repeating the argument I hear about not wanting to bench him b/c he'll come back with rust to knock off if you do. That's least of our worries right now.

RJWolvie

September 25th, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^

We NEED him right, or it's a short playoff run most likely.



You know a funny thing: that -- that their chances drop so dramatically without him -- goes to prove he's MVP, except that the slump has probably instead killed his MVP chances!

Moleskyn

September 25th, 2013 at 10:35 PM ^

Nice. Wow, I'm surprised he stayed in for the whole inning, but good job. And I agree WMU, not often you see someone walk that many and not give up any runs. I'm guessing we'll see Smyly for the 8th? Veras has been shaky lately.

Edit: Actually, not as shaky as I thought. He had a rough outing his last time out, but it's mostly been one-batter outings for him lately, and seems like he's gotten the job done. That said, I still think we'll see Smyly.

Michigan4Life

September 26th, 2013 at 11:15 AM ^

took the Tigers to the World Series 3 different times.  The first time was in 2006 which is full of journeyman players and players who weren't good who played above their ability level.  The second time, he took a team that has 2 superstar plus one star and a roster that has holes everywhere like Delmon Young at LF who is a blackhole defensively.

This season is the first time that you can say the Tigers have the best roster in the league.  They played like one of the best team in the league.

Got to give Leyland credit for managing his team and playing up to if not above their ability level.  He's an old school manager but is definitely a player's manager.  You can tell by their interaction with Jim.  They loved playing for him and will run through the wall for him.