Tagged: Kansas City Royals

Has the window closed for the Detroit Tigers?

Baseball is one of the few major American sports where trades are a major factor for any team, both during the season and in the off season.

Dave Dombrowski seems to have an itch to overhaul his ball club every year, but given the fact that Mr. Illitch wants to win now, you can hardly blame him for drafting talent and shipping it off almost immediately. The number of prospects that the Tigers traded away in the past year alone to get big names (David Price, Joakim Soria) down the stretch is astounding.

Since the start of the 2014 season, the Tigers have received:
Joakim Soria
David Price
Anthony Gose
Shane Greene
Alfredo Simon
Yoenis Cespedes
Alex Wilson
Gabe Speier

They traded away:
Austin Jackson (starting CF)
Drew Smyly (only LF starter, showed a lot of promise)
Willy Adames (SS- was named Ray’s top prospect after trade)
Jake Thompson (RHP – Tigers 2012 2nd round pick)
Corey Knebel (RHP – Tigers 2013 1st round pick)
Devon Travis (2B –  Tigers 2012 13th round pick)
Robbie Ray (RHP – Received in exchange for Doug Fister in 2013)
Eugenio Suarez (SS – played half a season in majors in 2014)
Rick Porcello (RHP – staple in Tigers rotation for years)

Of the 9 players traded away in the past year, I would argue that 7 of them would be considered prospects. The scene that unfolded with Austin Jackson running off the field in mid-inning was bizarre and unusual, but it’s characteristic of how Dombrowski has run this team. He’s opportunistic and is not worried about taking a risk, but at what cost? The Tigers farm system is absolutely depleted, and the trades last year did not pay off now, which is what they were intended to do. Last season truly turned into win at all costs. The pitching staff is not young, and there are no big name arms waiting in line for their opportunity.

While Dombrowski has fleeced some teams in the past (Marlins for Cabrera, D-backs for Scherzer), you have to wonder how long you can go trading away the core of your farm system (and your future) before you run out of assets. Your major league club is not getting any younger. I am fearful that the Tigers have sacrificed far too much to win now and the damage the farm system has already been felt (last year, starting rotation and bullpen, anyone?)….

What are your thoughts? Has the window closed on the Tigers to win a World Series? Are all of these trades moves of desperation? As a fan of the game, I like what the Royals have done, and I think the White Sox will be strong contenders for the AL Central as soon as next season. However, I believe the Royals are the team that the Tigers will be chasing for years to come. They have positioned themselves to win for the foreseeable future by building a team the right way – through their farm system.

Royals drop Tigers in series finale

I said it wouldn’t surprise me if the Royals handed the Tigers a loss, even though on paper, the Tigers far outmatched their Royals counterpart.

Wacky weather and a fantastic outfield assist highlighted the 4-3 loss this afternoon. When the game started, temperatures were at 100 degrees. In the 6th inning, it looked as if a tornado was rolling through the stadium. And just when you thought the Tigers might be making a push to tie the game, Royals RF Jeff Francoeur made a highlight reel throw to catch Jhonny Peralta trying to go from first to third on a single by Alex Avila. It was a play that killed any momentum that the Tigers were building.

And it was just one of those moments that you knew it wasn’t the Tigers day.

Bruce Chen was good, not great, for the Royals, but good enough to keep the Tigers offense at bay before the storm came through. Max Scherzer was not as sharp as he had been in recent starts (first start since July 2nd that he had given up more than 2 runs in an outing) and was hit around a bit by a Royals team that did not have good career numbers against him. However, I mentioned in the series preview that the Royals came into the series playing very solid baseball, and they showed that this weekend, playing 3 one-run games against the division leading Tigers.

Avila continues to swing a hot stick, going 2 for 4 on the day. In his past 5 games, he has 8 hits (3 homers) and 6 RBI. He has raised his average from .281 to .288 during that span. Duane Below came in to relieve Scherzer after the rain delay, pitching  2 1/3 innings of perfect ball, striking out 4. That was pleasant to see and would be very a welcome sight over fellow lefty Phil Coke if he continues to pitch like he did this afternoon.

I’ll be posting my series preview of the huge upcoming matchup with the 2nd place Cleveland Indians later tonight or tomorrow. I am trying to get some school related issues worked out and job related work completed. This week will be kind of hectic, but I’ll do my best to get my word in when I can!

Game 114 – Detroit Tigers Lineup

The Tigers will be going for the sweep of the Kansas City Royals this afternoon, getting a great start to their road trip and continuing their dominance over KC this year. Here is this afternoon’s lineup:

1) Jackson (CF)
2) Boesch (LF)
3) Raburn (3B)
4) Cabrera (1B)
5) Ordonez (DH)
6) Guillen (2B)
7) Peralta (SS)
8) Avila (C)
9) Dirks (RF)

Scherzer is on the mound.

A few things to note. I am having a hard time understanding why Ryan Raburn is in the 3rd slot against Bruce Chen. He does not have impressive numbers batting in the 3rd spot in the order, nor does he have any spectacular stats against Chen himself. Magglio Ordonez is batting .364 in his career against the Royals lefty, so I just don’t quite understand this move. Austin Jackson is only 1 for 12 lifetime against Chen, but his defense (i.e last night) plays an important role in getting him in the lineup, even if he is struggling at the plate.

Also of note, Victor Martinez is not in the lineup. He left last night’s game with what they are calling a mild sprain of his knee, and Victor said that the tingling feeling he had when it happened started to go away as he was walking to the club house. Let’s hope that this is just a minor issue and won’t hinder his performance the rest of the way, because Martinez has been a huge catalyst for the Tigers offense this year.

Scherzer holds a 1.42 ERA over the Royals this seasons, and has a 2.73 ERA for his career. I like the matchup this afternoon and like the chances of Detroit walking out of town with a victory to complete the sweep.

Their next stop? Cleveland.

Verlander not perfect, but Tigers win again

So the threat of a no-hitter was gone early.

And the Royals, again, gave the Tigers a quick start to the game.

But in the end, Justin Verlander didn’t need much more help, as he gave up 3 runs in 7 innings while striking out 8 to lead the Tigers to a 4-3 victory over the Royals on Saturday night.

Congratulations to Jose Valverde for pitching another perfect 9th, tying the club record of 32 consecutive saves.

There was nothing outstanding in this game that shows up in the box score, but Austin Jackson made a phenomenal leaping catch to snag a homer away from the Royals’ Alex Gordon in the first at bat for Kansas City. The Tigers worked on Royals starter Danny Duffy, fouling off many pitches and getting him out of the game in the 5th. I really liked his stuff and think he could be a very solid pitcher for the Royals in the upcoming years.

Victor Martinez went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI before leaving the game with an apparent knee or leg injury. It was hard to tell what exactly happened on the replay, but Tigers fans can only hope that it is not something serious. Martinez leads the team in batting with a .323 average.

The Tigers go for the sweep tomorrow in the series finale, which is at 2:10 PM ET.  Max Scherzer is on the mound.

Game 113 – Detroit Tigers Lineup

After blowing the lead last night, the Tigers will look to avoid the same tonight when they send Justin Verlander out to the mound. Here is tonight’s lineup.

1) Jackson (CF)
2) Boesch (LF)
3) Ordonez (RF)
4) Cabrera (1B)
5) Martinez (DH)
6) Peralta (SS)
7) Guillen (2B)
8) Raburn (3B)
9) Avila (C)

Starting on the mound is Justin Verlander.

Interesting lineup this evening. Raburn will be playing 3B for the 2nd time this year. I’m having a difficult time understanding why Betemit isn’t playing more than what he is, other than the fact that he strikes out rather frequently. Brandon Inge played more and produced far less than what Betemit has since he has been here. I’ve been one of the strongest critics of Ryan Raburn and I think I have a legitimate gripe – he is not an every day player. I don’t mind seeing him out there as a role player because I honestly think he plays better and thinks less when he isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder at who might take his place the next day if he doesn’t hit a home run that day or commits an error.

Verlander will look to continue his dominance over the Royals. When I say dominant, I mean 1 man wrecking crew: 12-2, 2.31 ERA. 117 1/3 innings pitched, 110 K’s compared to 32 walks. Billy Butler has good numbers in his career against Verlander, but I’m not sure that matters much this year. Verlander is on a mission, and I have already sat both of the Royals I have on my fantasy team for this game.

I’ll sit back with a bowl of popcorn and watch the show.

 

Tigers blow lead, beat Royals in the 10th

I made mention in my series preview that the Kansas City Royals came into this series with the Detroit Tigers playing solid baseball.

And last night, after getting pounced on early in the 1st, they played up to the Tigers level.

But Brennan Boesch again came through in the clutch, driving home Andy Dirks on a single in the 10th, and closer Jose Valverde pitched a perfect bottom half, downing the Royals 4-3 in 10 innings. It was Valverde’s 31st save in as many chances, leaving him one away from tying the club record for most consecutive saves.

I missed the portion of the game where Coke and Pauley came in, but from what I watched in Porcello tonight, he had pretty solid command. Zero walks is huge, and I’m surprised that he was pulled in favor of Coke after only throwing 82 pitches. Leyland’s management of his bullpen and rotation is questionable at best and it’s probably one of my biggest peeves against him as this team’s manager.

It was nice to see Daniel Schlereth come out and throw two full innings and keep runners off the bases. I think Schlereth has potential to be a very important piece of that Tigers bullpen within the next year or two, but Coke is falling out of favor with me. He can’t seem to get an out to save his life. His last 5 outings: 4 2/3 innings pitched, 11 hits, 5 earned runs. That’s not going to get the job done and the Tigers have to do something about it. A name you should make note of for a potential September (or earlier) call up- Brendan Wise. Down in Toledo, he has given up only 10 runs in 48 1/3 innings  pitched (1.86 ERA) while holding opponents to a .250 average. Coke’s only positive going for him right now is that lefties are only batting .196 off of him, but righties are tearing him apart at .329.

Just something to keep an eye on.

Game 112 – Tigers Lineup

Here is tonight’s starting lineup:

1) Jackson (CF)
2) Boesch (LF)
3) Ordonez (RF)
4) Cabrera (1B)
5) Martinez (DH)
6) Peralta (SS)
7) Guillen (2B)
8) Avila (C)
9) Betemit (3B)

Porcello is starting on the mound this evening.

Game time is 8:10 PM.

I really like this lineup, and Porcello has been rock solid as of late. The Royal’s starter, Felipe Paulino, will be facing the Tigers for the first time this year after coming over in a trade with Colorado earlier in the year. He pitched six scoreless innings against Cleveland in his last start.

The key to tonight’s game will be Porcello’s ability to keep the ball low and induce groundballs while staying within the zone. When he starts to get the ball up or can’t spot his fastball is when he struggles the most. Hopefully his month of July was a sign of something to come, because it really looked like he was transforming into a more dominant pitcher, one that the Tigers could really use alongside Verlander down the stretch.

Tigers start 9 game road trip in Kansas City

Preview

The Tigers will be away from the friendly confines of Comerica Park for a critical 9 game road trip that could help distance themselves further in the AL Central or make things more interesting. They hold a 3 game lead over 2nd place Cleveland, and have distanced themselves from the struggling White Sox and Twins (6.5 and 8 games, respectively).

The trips starts Friday in sultry Kansas City. Having just taken 2 of 3 games from the AL West leading Texas Rangers, they will be looking for similar success against the cellar dwellers of the AL Central over the weekend. However, the Royals have won 5 of their past 7 contests and have averaged 7 runs per game during that span, so they come in playing some good baseball. The Tigers are 6-3 versus the Royals this year, including a 5-1 record in Kansas City.

The pitching matchups-Detroit TigersKansas City Royals
Tuesday: Porcello (11-6, 4.50 ERA) vs. Paulino (1-8, 4.20 ERA)
Wednesday: Verlander (15-5, 2.24 ERA) vs. Duffy (3-4, 5.05 ERA)
Thursday: Scherzer (11-6, 4.23 ERA) vs. Chen (5-5, 4.37 ERA)

Game times: Friday is at 8:10 PM, Saturday is at 7:10 PM, and Sunday is at 2:10 PM.

Analysis

Kansas City always seems to be a pesky opponent for the Tigers, even in their worst years. However, Detroit happens to be rolling into town with arguably their best 3 pitchers (I would make an argument for Fister being in the top 3). This series is hard to gauge because none of the Tigers have much experience against Paulino and Duffy. But, Porcello has not lost since June 28th and went 5-0 in July, pitching 32 1/3 innings and giving up 11 ER with 24 strikeouts to only 5 walks. And Verlander is a threat to throw a no-hitter every time he steps on the mound, so it’s hard to go against either of these two pitchers in this matchup. Tigers batters are currently hitting Bruce Chen at a crisp .302 average, with Miguel Cabrera doing some serious damage in his 16 official at bats against Chen: 8 hits, 3 homers, 7 RBI, and 7 walks. Scherzer has only given up 2 runs in 12 1/3 innings pitched against the Royals this year.

Prediction: Tigers sweep their way out of KC, winning all 3 games. I would not be surprised if they leave town having dropped a close game, however. But the pitching matchups are ideal for three victories this weekend.

How the Tigers are doing against the AL Central

Your divisional record at the end of the year is typically a good indicator of how successful or unsuccessful your season was.

So far, the Tigers hold a 23-13 record against their divisional opponents, a 63.9% winning percentage. That is good for 3rd best in all of baseball, behind Boston (at 70% in the AL East, a staggering number) and Philadelphia (at 64.4% in the NL East).

Here is a breakdown of past year’s AL Central records for the Tigers and their standings at the end of the year.

2011: 23-13 (63.9%) – 1st  (in progress)
2010: 38-34 (52.8%) – 3rd
2009: 39-34 (53.4%) – 2nd
2008:  27-45 (37.5%) – 5th
2007: 36-36 (50%) – 2nd
2006: 45-30 (60%) – 2nd
2005: 29-46 (38.7%) – 4th

Looking at this, you can see how winning percentage in the division tends to correlate well with the final standing in the division. The Tigers have only played half of their divisional schedule, but, if history holds up and the Tigers play the second half at the same pace as their first, they will finish atop the AL Central for the first time ever.

In case you were wondering, Detroit has 9 games remaining against Kansas City, 12 against Cleveland, 9 against Minnesota, and 6 against Chicago. There is a critical stretch between August 26th and September 14th. The Tigers play 19 games in that span, and all of them are against AL Central foes. That could be the time where we find out if the team has what it takes to really pull away from the rest of the field or if they are going to make it a battle down to the very last game against Cleveland on September 28th.

I would prefer to know before then.