Tigers vs. royals Game Thread July 6

[kalinecountry]

Tigers lineup:
Jackson CF
Berry RF
Cabrera DH
Fielder 1B
Young LF
Raburn 2B
Peralta SS
Avila C
Santiago 3B
Smyly P

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_07_06_kcamlb_detmlb_1&mode=gameday&c_id=det
Gameday from mlb.com

http://www.baseball-reference.com/previews/2012/DET201207060.shtml
Tigers - royals Game Preview.
from Baseball Reference

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=320706106&teams=kansas-city-royals-vs-detroit-tigers
Tigers - royals Game Preview.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/31816/drew-smyly
Smyly vs. royals.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/batvspitch/_/id/28472/jonathan-sanchez
Tigers hitters vs. sanchez. over aggressive Tigers chase his slop.
from espn

http://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/7/6/3140368/game-84-preview-royals-at-tigers-7-05-pm
Tigers - royals Game Preview.
from blessyouboystigersblog

Tigers batting 6th this year have 106 PAs versus LHP and are hitting .129/.226/.140 with 2 RBIs and a solitary double as the only extra-base hit. and have a line of .207 .288 .315 .603 for the season overall.
Against RHP, the 6 spot is hitting .241 with a .707 OPS.

Remember how it was "inevitable" that Miguel Cabrera would be Tigers DH? Tonight is 83rd game. It will be his 3rd as DH. Cabrera has better range factor, and same number errors as David Wright.
to get Cabrera a day off at third, Tigers would've had to start either Raburn, Santiago or Kelly there — and they're facing a LHP again.

Santiago has played parts of 14 games in his career at third base, made one start (Aug. 13, 2008). Santiago had an E in that 1 start at 3B, along with a PO and an assist. Kenny Rogers started for Tigers vs. Toronto's David Purcey.

For the eighth time since May 15 (when the Tigers were last at .500, at 18-18) that the team will play a game in hopes of a win putting their record back at even.
Manager Jim Leyland said he was planning to get Miggy "off his feet" at DH sometime before the break. Facing a LHP (which eliminates LH Don Kelly) Friday, the options to replace him at third were switch-hitting Ramon Santiago and right-hander Ryan Raburn.
Leyland chose Santiago, a middle infielder who has played in parts of 15 previous games at third (including five last season), but hadn't started there since Aug. 13, 2008.
attempting getting Cabrera and Fielder "off their feet" a time or two is a consideration that the skipper takes seriously. Both have played in each and every one of the team's 83 games to date, and have missed only a combined 30 innings of a possible 733 1/3 defensive innings (12 for Fielder, 18 for Cabrera).
Cabrera has been the team's DH twice previously: June 17th, after a streak of 50 straight games in the field, and April 21, in the second game of a doubleheader. The next day, he switched over to first base late in an 11-inning affair, replacing that day's fill-in first baseman Kelly. That was the only day all season that Fielder did not start at first base. He's finished every game he's started but one — the second game of the season, when Kelly replaced him in the ninth inning of a 10-0 blowout.
from the OaklandPress

As Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com pointed out, so many people (including me before spring training) figured Miguel Cabrera would be a designated hitter by this point, and yet tonight will be just the third game at DH for Cabrera this year. He gets a day out of the field, with Delmon Young moving to left. Quintin Berry gets back into the lineup in right field against the lefty, with Ryan Raburn at second base. Ramon Santiago is the third baseman tonight in Cabrera’s place.
from Jason Beck

Detroit Tigers outfielder Quintin Berry returned to the lineup Friday after a two-game absence with back-to-back left-handers on the mound.
Another southpaw, Jonathan Sanchez, is slated to start for Kansas City tonight, but manager Jim Leyland has elected to pencil in the left-handed hitting Berry and shift Ryan Raburn to second base.
Raburn, who has hit second and started in left the past two games, will bat sixth with Berry, who made a pinch-hit appearance Thursday, returning to his accustomed No. 2 spot.
Left-hander Drew Smyly will make the start for the Tigers, who will try -- once again -- to reach .500for the first time since it was 18-18 on May 15.
Members of the media are set to meet with Leyland at 3:35 p.m. We'll have more to report about today's lineup decisions soon.
from Mlive

 

[biggunsbob]

I hope balls are hit right at guys tonight.. LOL glad to see Berry back in there.

 

[tomdalton22]

I hope balls are hit right at guys tonight.. LOL glad to see Berry back in there.

I hope that every night. I don't watch any other baseball but I would have to guess that the Tigers have are the worst defensive team in MLB. No range in the infield, 2 HORRIBLE corner OF (although Young hasn't been playing out there lately). Jackson is the only good defensive player on the team.....maybe Avila too?

 

[kalinecountry]

Phil Coke is back today, said yesterday "I felt like I'd been hit by a truck".
Coke took antibiotics, decongestants, is feeling a lot better.
Coke: "Verlander said the way I looked yesterday it looked like I needed a walker".

Dirks was able to ditch the walking boot yesterday. He can now ride the bike and walk but not much else.
Dirks: "It feels better. It's not as tender, it's not as sore. So it's getting better. Just a long process".
Dirks: "I can do some basic rehab therapy-type stuff, nothing too strenuous. I can ride a bike now 2 help my legs get back into shape".

 

[gotime909]

This has the makings of a comedy hour(actually 3) on d.

 

[biggunsbob]

I'm going to unleash the Bone Shredder,and the Swords of plowshare on my daughters boy friend. .. His new card's in MTG are killing me...Looks like i will need to adapt ....Hate being old!!!!!LOL...

 

[tigermud]

Has Ramon ever even played 3b before?

 

[jas5lf]

Time for a sweep heading into the break!

 

[kalinecountry]

Smyly k's gordon on a checkswing,

 

[manchild98]

I hope balls are hit right at guys tonight.. LOL glad to see Berry back in there.

I was in the car a few minutes ago and heard Leyland's interview. They asked him about the pitcher Sanchez and Jim said Sanchez tends to be wild and Boesch swings at bad pitches so we sat Boesch for Berry and hope that Berry can draw some walks and steal a base. I thought it was funny he just flat out said Boesch swings at bad pitches.

 

[kalinecountry]

second batter escobar k's,

Smyly averaging about 8 k's per 9 innings.

 

[jas5lf]

Sanchez blows but has pitched well against the Tigers this year. That had better change tonight.

 

[kalinecountry]

I was in the car a few minutes ago and heard Leyland's interview. They asked him about the pitcher Sanchez and Jim said Sanchez tends to be wild and Boesch swings at bad pitches so we sat Boesch for Berry and hope that Berry can draw some walks and steal a base. I thought it was funny he just flat out said Boesch swings at bad pitches.

similar to saying Raburn has to hit lefties, both are probably on short leashes through the rest of the month. Hope Young's leash is shorter.

Smyly with 15 pitches.

 

[kalinecountry]

Smyly has 5 k's in 2 innings with 31 pitches,


Young, Raburn, and Peralta, yawn....

 

[manchild98]

Smyly has 5 k's in 2 innings with 31 pitches,


Young, Raburn, and Peralta, yawn....

Including the yesterday's game, Tiger pitchers have struck out 12 of the last 15 batters.

 

[manchild98]

Tigers pitchers sit at 693 strike outs before the all star break. The record is 710 by the 2001 Yankees.

 

[kalinecountry]

46 pitches and 6 k's for Smyly,

time for Tigers to get to sanchez.

 

[kalinecountry]

Bob, ready with the popsicles, and rub the cat's ass on sanchez.

 

[kalinecountry]

they're showing this 'zaftig' shannon hogan and Avila is batting, missed the high and tight pitch,

 

[elrod817]

I didn't know you spelled Drew Smyly with a 'K.' The young man is looking goooood tonight.