DeTrOiT TiGeRs BaSeBaLL

Willie · May 3, 2014

FortheLulz said:

i see donnie left 4 guys on base. no matter, he delivered the W
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That he did. I believe his presence on the field alone instills fear in the opposition. It really becomes almost unfair of the Tigers to put him out there these days.

Willie · May 3, 2014

Saturday 5/3 7:10pm
Drew Smyly (L)
@ Royals - Danny Duffy (L)

FortheLulz · May 3, 2014

Willthethrill said:

FortheLulz said:

i see donnie left 4 guys on base. no matter, he delivered the W
Click to expand...

That he did. I believe his presence on the field alone instills fear in the opposition. It really becomes almost unfair of the Tigers to put him out there these days.
Click to expand...

*DING*

Willie · May 3, 2014

Willthethrill said:

Saturday 5/3 7:10pm
Drew Smyly (L)
@ Royals - Danny Duffy (L)
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1. Rajai Davis (R) LF
2. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH
5. Torii Hunter (R) RF
6. Austin Jackson (R) CF
7. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
8. Bryan Holaday (R) C
9. Danny Worth (R) SS

1. Nori Aoki (L) RF
2. Omar Infante (R) 2B
3. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B
4. Billy Butler (R) DH
5. Alex Gordon (L) LF
6. Danny Valencia (R) 3B
7. Alcides Escobar (R) SS
8. Justin Maxwell (R) CF
9. Brett Hayes (R) C

Willie · May 3, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Drew Smyly picked up where fellow Tigers starter Rick Porcello left off, tossing seven shutout innings and leading Detroit to a 9-2 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Porcello and the Tigers bullpen retired the final 18 hitters in an 8-2 victory the previous night, and Smyly (2-1) retired the first four he faced. After a issuing a walk to Alex Gordon, the former reliever then retired the next six in a dominant performance.

Smyly wound up allowing two hits and two walks before giving way to Joba Chamberlain, who threw a perfect eighth. Phil Coke allowed two runs in the ninth to lose the shutout.

Nick Castellanos drove in three runs the Tigers, the first off spot starter Danny Duffy (1-2) and two more off the Royals' bullpen. That was it until the ninth, when Detroit tacked on six more runs, the highlight a three-run shot by Torii Hunter.
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Smyly makes me smile. Man, he turned things around in a hurry. Good game for the Tigers, thats some kind of pitching that team has.

Willie · May 4, 2014

Sunday 5/4 2:10pm
Justin Verlander (R)
@ Royals - Jason Vargas (L)
1. Rajai Davis (R) LF
2. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH
5. Torii Hunter (R) RF
6. Austin Jackson (R) CF
7. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
8. Alex Avila (L) C
9. Andrew Romine (S) SS

1. Nori Aoki (L) RF
2. Omar Infante (R) 2B
3. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B
4. Billy Butler (R) DH
5. Alex Gordon (L) LF
6. Salvador Perez (R) C
7. Mike Moustakas (L) 3B
8. Alcides Escobar (R) SS
9. Jarrod Dyson (L) CF

Willie · May 4, 2014

Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and worked seven strong innings as the Detroit Tigers' toppled the Kansas City Royals, 9-4, to win their fifth straight game.
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Im impressed. Good things happening.

Willie · May 4, 2014

Central Division
Team W L Pct GB
Detroit 17 9 .654 -
Minnesota 14 15 .483 4.5
Chi White Sox 15 17 .469 5
Kansas City 14 16 .467 5
Cleveland 13 18 .419 6.5

Tigers getting a nice jump on the rest of the division. 5 game win streaks are a good thing.

Willie · May 5, 2014

Monday 5/5 7:08pm
Max Scherzer (R)
vs. Astros - Jarred Cosart (R)
1. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
2. Torii Hunter (R) RF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH
5. Austin Jackson (R) CF
6. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
7. Alex Avila (L) C
8. Andrew Romine (S) SS
9. Rajai Davis (R) LF

1. Jose Altuve (R) 2B
2. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
3. Jason Castro (L) C
4. Chris Carter (R) DH
5. Alex Presley (L) LF
6. George Springer (R) RF
7. Marc Krauss (L) 1B
8. Matt Dominguez (R) 3B
9. Jonathan Villar (S) SS

Willie · May 5, 2014

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer pitched three-hit ball and struck out nine over eight innings, leading the Detroit Tigers past the Houston Astros 2-0 on Monday night for their season-high sixth consecutive victory.

Rajai Davis broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh and Victor Martinez hit a solo home run in the eighth. Catcher Alex Avila threw out two runners in the late innings for the Tigers, who have the best record in the AL.
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Willie · May 6, 2014

Central Division
Team W L Pct GB
Detroit 18 9 .667 -
Minnesota 15 15 .500 4.5
Chi White Sox 16 17 .485 5
Kansas City 14 17 .452 6
Cleveland 13 19 .406 7.5

Tigers own the best record in the AL. Starting pitching to thank for that.

StlCrtn · May 6, 2014

Willthethrill said:

Tigers own the best record in the AL. Starting pitching to thank for that.
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And tied for the best record in the majors!

Willie · May 6, 2014

...in part from Chris Iott, mlive.

Ray will make his major-league debut Tuesday when he starts for the Tigers against the Houston Astros. He is expected to start again Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. Sanchez is eligible to return from the disabled list Monday.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus didn't blink when asked what about Ray made the biggest impression upon him during spring training.

"His fastball," Ausmus said. "Sneaky fastball. It plays up on the radar gun."

Ausmus said multiple times during spring training that Ray's fastball can sneak up on hitters, that it appears to be faster than it really is and that it is a swing-and-miss pitch that Ray can take advantage of. Ausmus also liked the way Ray went about his business.

"He seems calm on the mound," Ausmus said. "He doesn't seem overwhelmed. He might be churning inside. He doesn't show it."

Ray said he expects to be a bit nervous at first but hopes to shake that feeling off quickly.

"I mean, it is my major-league debut," Ray said, "and it?s been something I?ve been looking forward to, but I?m going to try to take a step back and take it all in."

Ray, 22, has pitched well for Toledo this season in his first taste of Triple-A ball. He did not pitch above the Double-A level prior to the trade that brought him to Detroit and sent Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals. Ray is 3-2 with a 1.53 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in six outings -- five starts -- for the Mud Hens. He pitched an inning in relief Friday in preparation for his start Tuesday for the Tigers.

Ray said the biggest step in his development thus far in 2014 doesn't have anything to do with the "sneaky fastball" that Ausmus spoke of.

"Probably just being able to command my off-speed, in the strike zone," Ray said. "I?ve always been able to throw it, but not necessarily when I needed to throw it for a strike. That was big for me this year."
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Its always fun to watch a rookie come up and have some fun. No one in the bigs has seen him pitch, so, he should have a sneaky everything. Hope he does well.

Willie · May 6, 2014

Tuesday 5/6 7:08pm
Robbie Ray (L)
vs. Astros - Brett Oberholtzer (L)
1. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
2. Torii Hunter (R) RF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH
5. J.D. Martinez (R) LF
6. Austin Jackson (R) CF
7. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
8. Alex Avila (L) C
9. Danny Worth (R) SS

1. Jose Altuve (R) 2B
2. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
3. Jason Castro (L) C
4. Chris Carter (R) DH
5. Jesus Guzman (R) 1B
6. George Springer (R) RF
7. Matt Dominguez (R) 3B
8. L.J. Hoes (R) LF
9. Jonathan Villar (S) SS

mlmeng16 · May 7, 2014

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_05_06_houmlb_detmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=det

Ray shows mettle in debut as Tigers rout Astros
Lefty cruises after early jam; Miggy's 4-for-5 night leads 18-hit attack

DETROIT -- Robbie Ray spent the last six months in the tall, lanky shadow of Doug Fister, the former Tigers starter whose much-scrutinized offseason trade brought Ray into the system. He heard the feedback, some directed at him, some just in general.

"You hear them talking -- not to your face, but your hear them talking," Ray said. "You just have to push it aside, and they have to wait and see."

Tuesday was the first chance to see Ray, in his Major League debut. He made it his time, and his performance in the Tigers' 11-4 win brought him fairer comparisons.

Ray's fastball was sneaky, looking harder than 92-93 mph, set up by a changeup that had very similar mechanics. His curveball came around just in time.

Most important, his nerves were tempered. Called up after just five Triple-A starts to fill in for Anibal Sanchez, Ray not only shut down the Houston Astros offense for five-plus innings before finally giving up a run, he looked quite comfortable doing so. He had a steady diet of Tigers runs -- and a season-high 18 hits -- behind, including a four-hit, four-RBI game from Miguel Cabrera, but he had the quick innings to keep sending his team back to the plate for more swings against Brett Oberholtzer.

And as Ray walked off the mound with one out in the sixth, having finally given up a run, he received a standing ovation. It wasn't about the Fister trade at that point. It was about Ray.

"I got the sense before today they didn't know who I was," Ray admitted. "I was glad to have their support tonight."

That ovation was when the emotions hit him. They knew now.

"It was a great feeling," he said. "I started tearing up a little bit. It was my Major League debut."

It was also the Tigers' seventh consecutive win, now the longest current streak in the Majors. It's the first time since its historic 35-5 start in 1984 that Detroit has won seven in a row within the first 28 games of the season.

Three of those victories have come from starting pitchers other than their front three of Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Ray wasn't even the Tigers' sixth starter or insurance man when the season began, taking the nod only when his early success vaulted him.

By the time he left, only an Ian Kinsler drop and a Dexter Fowler run kept the 22-year-old left-hander from becoming the first Tiger since Andy Van Hekken in 2002 to deliver five or more shutout innings in his Major League debut.

Van Hekken, a 23-year-old lefty at the time of his promotion, threw a shutout against Cleveland on Sept. 3, 2002, and didn't win another game in his big league career. The Tigers are hoping Ray eventually becomes a fixture in their rotation as soon as next season.

In an ideal scenario, they wouldn't need Ray this year, but they do. They got what they needed, and more. Considering where he stood two batters in, facing runners at the corners and the middle of the order up, Ray gave plenty more.

Part of it was tough luck with Jose Altuve's bloop double leading off the game, the other part self-inflicted with a bad route to first base on Fowler's ground ball. At least a little part, too, might have been the nerves.

Three batters in, Ray was looking for damage control. He got an escape.

"I was just telling myself to calm down, collect myself," he said. "That runner on third was probably going to score. Just get a ground ball, get a double play."

Instead, Ray got back-to-back strikeouts, both Jason Castro and Chris Carter swinging and missing at his fastball. It seemed odd for two veteran hitters against a young pitcher, but there was a reason.

"It's hard to pinpoint," catcher Alex Avila said of Ray's fastball, "and I'll be honest with you -- the first couple innings and in warmups, I had a tough time even following the ball to catch it. It's tough to pick up out of his hand."

Once Jesus Guzman grounded out, Ray could breathe a sigh of relief. The Astros, meanwhile, could groan. Three batters into the bottom half, Cabrera hit a drive to left-center for his third home run of the year, giving the Tigers the lead for good.

"I felt like that was a big inning, especially with a guy making his Major League debut," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "You feel like if you push a couple of runs across there, it's a different ballgame. To his credit, he made quality pitches and was able to get out of hit unscathed and went on to have a good performance."

Ray retired 15 out of 17 batters from his first out of the opening inning to his last out of the fifth, allowing only a George Springer infield single and an L.J. Hoes walk in between. He fanned Castro and Carter again his next turn through the order, this time changing speeds, in a string of 10 outs in a row.

Cabrera's first-inning drive to left-center came one pitch after Torii Hunter was caught stealing at third base. It was a lost run, but Detroit eventually made up for it as part of a long night for Oberholtzer (0-6).

Hunter, Danny Worth and J.D. Martinez padded Detroit's lead with sacrifice flies in the third, fourth and seventh innings. Cabrera's RBI single drove in Kinsler in the seventh before he slashed a double into the gap in left-center to plate two more as part of a five-run eighth.

Cabrera's 12th career four-hit, four-RBI game leads all active players and ranks fourth all time. The three ahead of him are all Hall of Famers: Lou Gehrig (20), Al Simmons and Tigers great Charlie Gehringer (15).

Perhaps, Cabrera will get more. Clearly, the Tigers hoping Ray gets more wins. The game ball he got -- the ball Castro swung and missed on for his first big league strikeout -- is one of a kind. Nothing can compare to it.

"I might give it to my dad," Ray said, "but for right now, I'm keeping it."
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Robbie Ray has definitely earned the chance to start again in place of the injured Anibal Sanchez.

Willie · May 7, 2014

Good stuff, no...great stuff. What a debut for Ray.

It was also the Tigers' seventh consecutive win, now the longest current streak in the Majors. It's the first time since its historic 35-5 start in 1984 that Detroit has won seven in a row within the first 28 games of the season.
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I really am impressed. I know I sound like a broken record, but this team has amazed me at the way they are playing ball right now. I cant think of a more dangerous starting rotation, they have been fantastic. Just wait till Sanchez starts to deal...their only going to be better.

Willie · May 7, 2014

Central Division
Team W L Pct GB
Detroit 19 9 .679 -
Chi White Sox 17 17 .500 5
Minnesota 15 16 .484 5.5
Kansas City 15 17 .469 6
Cleveland 14 19 .424 7.5

Willie · May 7, 2014

Tigers have outscored the competition 41-12 this month. That ought to get a few W's also.

Willie · May 7, 2014

Wednesday 5/7 7:08pm
Rick Porcello (R)
vs. Astros - Brad Peacock (R)
1. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
2. Torii Hunter (R) RF
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. Victor Martinez (S) DH
5. Don Kelly (L) CF
6. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
7. Alex Avila (L) C
8. Andrew Romine (S) SS
9. Rajai Davis (R) LF

FortheLulz · May 7, 2014

and the good news is - the tigers' bullpen is not the worst in the majors.

it's 29th

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