Bless You Boys - Game 33: Twins at TigersA detailed list of nope about the Detroit Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47585/default.png2014-05-11T17:57:55-04:00http://www.blessyouboys.com/rss/stream/54708132014-05-11T17:57:55-04:002014-05-11T17:57:55-04:00Twins 4, Tigers 3: Twins undo Ray's dominant start
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Robbie Ray finished his day with six innings of shutout ball. But the bullpen and defensive blunders in the outfield cost the Tigers the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">DETROIT--It was not the Mother's Day that fans in attendance would have wished for. Despite getting off to a good start offensively coupled with a strong start by <span>Robbie Ray</span>, off days for the bullpen and key errors made by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> outfielders cost them a game that should have been a win for the Tigers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"You come into this game looking to take the series and you have a lead going into the final third part of the game today," Ausmus said. "So in that sense it's a little disappointing, but still winning the homestand. Baseball is a little fickle like that. Overall, pleased that we go on the road with a winning homestand. We probably would have been in a little better mood if we had gone 5-2. It happens."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ray used the fastball heavily and interchanged it with his changeup which gave him a strong second outing. Ray cruised through six innings, working his way through the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> lineup with ease. The first seven batters were retired in order before he issued his first walk of the day.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ray quickly eliminated the threat when he induced a 1-3-6 pickoff to catch <span>Aaron Hicks</span> when he was trying to steal second base. A short-lived double by <span>Eduardo Escobar</span> was the only thing to prolong the inning as <span>Brian Dozier</span> struck out swinging to end the third inning. During the sixth inning Ray allowed back-to-back singles with one out, but he fielded his position nicely for the third time and a deflection induced a 1-6-4-3 inning-ending double play.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After six shutout innings and four 1-2-3 innings, Ray's second major league appearance was complete. He allowed only four hits and one walk while striking out two. Ray threw 93 pitches and 58 percent were for strikes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Robbie (Ray) pitched well. His curveball was a little more consistent today, he mixed his fastball and changeup very well," Ausmus said. "He clearly pitched well enough to win the game, it just didn't work out today."</p>
<p dir="ltr">The ball may not have left the park, but Miguel Cabrera's power is returning with every at-bat. In his first plate appearance of the game Cabrera hit a bullet off an 0-1 pitch that initially looked like it was going to carry out of the field. But a strong wind blowing in from center field knocked the ball down and what could have been a home run became a sacrifice fly. But it did the job and Kinsler easily scored to put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the first inning.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The fourth inning was interesting. Cabrera got two consecutive pitches that were too close for comfort and repaid Twins pitcher <span>Samuel Deduno</span> with a single to left field. <span>Victor Martinez</span> singled to put two on and <span>Austin Jackson</span> followed with a line drive single to center field which scored Cabrera. With two on and one out, a passed ball by <span>Josmil Pinto</span> advanced Jackson and Martinez to second and third base accordingly.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The best part of the fourth inning, however, came when <span>Andrew Romine</span> hit an 0-1 pitch which should have been an inning-ending double play. But the ball hit Jackson in the process which resulted in an out, and Romine was credited with a base hit.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Twins manager Ron Gardenhire came out to dispute the call, and after a heated argument, was ejected from the game by third base umpire Joe West. It was Gardenhire's first ejection of the season and his 68th of his career; it was the first ejection at Comerica Park for the 2014 season.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Cabrera smoked a leadoff line drive single to right field to start the eighth inning, and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Twins right fielder. Martinez then ripped a line drive which would have been an RBI single had the ball not been driven straight into the arm and back portion of Twins pitcher Casey Fien. Fien was able to get the ball to first for the out but left the game immediately following. Cabrera advanced to third, but a flyout by Castellanos, who replaced <span>Don Kelly</span>, ended the inning.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Al Alburquerque</span> pitched two thirds of a seventh inning and retired two but he allowed a single and was replaced with Ian Krol. Krol then allowed a single by Chris Parmalee and an RBI single by <span>Danny Santana</span> which put the Twins on the board. The run was credited to Alburquerque and Krol finished the inning with a swinging strikeout.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Torii Hunter</span> threw to Romine instead of home like he should have, and it cost the Tigers a run. The Twins third base coach had the stop sign up but when Hunter threw to short instead of home, Josmil Pinto picked up on an opportunity and six innings of shutout work were erased.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"We were hoping he (Krol) could get Parmelee and get out of the inning right there, but they finally got the hit and the RBI," Ausmus said. "But the damage was contained and we still had the lead and we felt good handing the ball to Joba."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Chamberlain came out for the eighth inning and hit the first batter he faced and walked the next. He caught <span>Trevor Plouffe</span> looking and got <span>Chris Colabello</span> to strike out swinging. But with two out and two on base and a 3-2 count, Pinto hit a line drive single to left field that <span>Rajai Davis</span> failed to field properly. Two runs scored with Pinto at second on an error credited to Davis. A single by Nunez scored Pinto and the Tigers fell behind 4-3 but Nunez tried to reach second base and was out to end the inning.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"He's pitched so well for us ... the bullpen's been good. Joba's (Chamberlain) been outstanding, it was just an off day," Ausmus said. "You're not going to be perfect, nobody's perfect."</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Evan Reed</span> pitched a decent ninth inning, striking out the first two batters he faced. Escobar then singled a line drive to center field but a quick delivery by Reed to Avila enabled Avila to get a strong throw to Kinsler. Escobar was caught stealing and Reed finished the inning without allowing a run.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Tigers were only down by one run going into the bottom of the ninth. Jackson and Avila both flew out to left and center field accordingly with <span>J.D. Martinez</span> in to bat for Romine. Colabello was unable to get an accurate read on the ball in foul territory and it fell harmlessly behind him to keep the inning, and hope, alive briefly. But he flew out to right field and ended the game for a final score of Twins 4, Tigers 3.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Tigers wrap up their seven-game home stand with a 4-3 record and are currently 21-12 for the year, which is still enough to hold on to the major league lead. Jackson now has a nine-game hitting streak following the RBI single in the fourth inning. Kinsler now has 15 multi-hit games with his double in the first inning and the solo home run in the fifth inning, which puts him at third in the American League.</p>
<p>Ray will be going on the road with the Tigers and next up is a three-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Baltimore Orioles</a>. Following that series they travel to Boston to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> for a three-game series and wrap up their 10-game trip on the road with a three-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a>. The Tigers will return home on May 22 to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> for a three-game series before going on the road yet again for another 10 games.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/5/11/5707608/twins-4-tigers-3-six-shutout-innings-undone-by-twins-eighth-inningCatherine Slonksnis2014-05-11T12:44:44-04:002014-05-11T12:44:44-04:00Gamethread 33
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<figcaption>Leon Halip</figcaption>
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<p>Happy Mother's Day to all of the motherly types.</p> <p></p>
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix"> <br><h3>Today's Lineups</h3> <br><div class="lineup"> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><table cellspacing="0" class="zebra"> <thead> <tr> <th align="left">MINNESOTA TWINS</th> <th align="left">DETROIT TIGERS</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Brian Dozier</span> - 2B</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Ian Kinsler</span> - 2B</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Joe Mauer</span> - DH</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Torii Hunter</span> - RF</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Trevor Plouffe</span> - 3B</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Miguel Cabrera</span> - 1B</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Chris Colabello</span> - 1B</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Victor Martinez</span> - DH</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Josmil Pinto</span> - C</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Don Kelly</span> - 3B</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Eduardo Nunez</span> - LF</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Austin Jackson</span> - CF</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Chris Parmelee</span> - RF</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Alex Avila</span> - C</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Aaron Hicks</span> - CF</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Andrew Romine</span> - SS</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Eduardo Escobar</span> - SS</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Rajai Davis</span> - LF</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"></td> <td class="td-first td-name"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="td-last td-name"> <br><span>Samuel Deduno</span> - RHP</td> <td class="td-first td-name"> <br><span>Robbie Ray</span> - LHP</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> </div> <br> </div>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/5/11/5707144/gamethread-33-twins-at-tigersKurt Mensching2014-05-11T10:23:13-04:002014-05-11T10:23:13-04:00Game 33 Preview: Twins at Tigers
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<figcaption>David Richard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Robbie Ray makes his second career start this afternoon against the Minnesota Twins.</p> <h4>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> (16-19) at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> (21-11)</h4>
<p><b>Time/Place:</b> 1:08 p.m., Comerica Park</p>
<p><b>SB Nation blog:</b> <a href="http://www.twinkietown.com" target="_blank">Twinkie Town</a></p>
<p><b>Media:</b> Fox Sports Detroit, <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?c_id=mlb&affiliateId=mlbMENU#date=5/11/2014" target="_blank">MLB.TV</a>, <a href="http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/schedule/radioaffiliates.jsp" target="_blank">Tigers Radio Network</a></p>
<p><b>Pitching Matchup:</b> RHP <span>Samuel Deduno</span> (0-2, 3.42 ERA) vs. LHP <span>Robbie Ray</span> (1-0, 1.69 ERA)</p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Pitcher</td>
<td>GS</td>
<td>IP</td>
<td>K/9</td>
<td>BB/9</td>
<td>HR/9</td>
<td>WHIP</td>
<td>FIP</td>
<td>SIERA</td>
<td>fWAR</td>
</tr>
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<td>Deduno</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>23.2</td>
<td>7.61</td>
<td>4.18</td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>1.56</td>
<td>2.93</td>
<td>3.73</td>
<td>0.4</td>
</tr>
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<td>Ray</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>5.1</td>
<td>8.44</td>
<td>1.69</td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>1.13</td>
<td>1.79</td>
<td>3.38</td>
<td>0.2</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>Samuel Deduno's walk rate is in the wrong organization. He has allowed 105 walks in 210 2/3 innings with the Twins, one reason why they have been hesitant to put him in their rotation despite better numbers than many other pitchers on their club. He started the 2013 season in the minors despite dominating in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-baseball-classic">World Baseball Classic</a>, and began this season in the bullpen before making his first start on May 6th. He allowed a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts last season, the best number by any Twin with over 100 innings pitched.</p>
<p>The one thing stopping Deduno from being a solid mid-rotation starter (if not more) is that he does not miss enough bats. For instance, in 12 starts where Deduno has struck out five batters or more, he has a 2.94 ERA. He struck out 17 batters in 13 innings in the 2013 World Baseball Classic while allowing just one run. When opposing hitters put the ball in play, it's usually on the ground. Deduno has induced groundballs at a 58.2% rate in his career, resulting in a .215 average. He also does a good job of limiting home runs, in large part because he keeps the ball down in the strike zone. Few pitches get elevated, resulting in a low fly ball rate. He still has yet to allow a home run this season.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4437537/Deduno_pitch_location.png"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4437537/Deduno_pitch_location.png" class="photo" alt="Deduno_pitch_location_medium"></a><br><i>via <a href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/plot_profile.php?gFilt=&pFilt=FA%7CSI%7CFC%7CCH%7CFS%7CSB%7CCU%7CSL%7CCS%7CKN&player=465679&startDate=01%2F01%2F2012&endDate=05%2F11%2F2014&var=count&b_hand=-1">www.brooksbaseball.net</a></i></p>
<p>I broke down <a href="http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/5/7/5689706/pitchfx-breakdown-robbie-ray-major-league-debut" target="_blank">Robbie Ray's first start</a> in depth last week, illustrating that he did a good job of commanding his fastball against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Houston Astros</a>. He will need to do a lot of the same today against the Twins, who lead the majors in walk rate and swing at just 24.7% of pitches outside the strike zone, the third-lowest rate in baseball. If Ray keeps the ball in the strike zone, the numbers are on his side. The Twins swing at the lowest percentage of pitches within the zone of any team in baseball, and they are below average at making contact when they do swing at those pitches. The real key is strike one: after an 0-1 count, the Twins are hitting just .201/.266/.284, well below the league average .605 OPS in such situations.</p>
<p><b>Tigers hitter to fear:</b> <span>Don Kelly</span> (.500/.500/1.167 in 6 plate appearances)<br><b>Tigers hitter to fail:</b> <span>Alex Avila</span> (.100/.182/.100 in 11 plate appearances)</p>
<p>The Twins have obviously never faced Ray, so let's talk about Deduno's numbers against the Tigers. Don Kelly and <span>Austin Jackson</span> have had the most success against Deduno and are the only two Tigers to have homered off him. Kelly has also doubled off Deduno, and only needs a triple today to complete the career cycle. Other than that, things have not gone well against the Dominican right-hander. <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> is 2-for-10, Alex Avila is 1-for-10 with four strikeouts, and <span>Victor Martinez</span> is 0-for-6.</p>
<h5>Outlook</h5>
<p>Something is going to have to give today when the Tigers are at the plate. As a team, they are hitting just .221/.280/.315 against groundball specialists and .268/.321/.413 against right-handed starters. They also have the third-lowest walk rate in the American League. However, Deduno has allowed 18 earned runs and an .887 OPS in 21 2/3 career innings against the Tigers. Meanwhile, the Twins are hitting just .233/.321/.340 against left-handed pitching this season, but Ray is still a 22 year old making his second career start. If his command problems return, things could get ugly.</p>
<h5>Prediction</h5>
<p>Ray gets a no-decision today but the Tigers win their fourth consecutive season.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/5/11/5696810/2014-game-33-preview-minnesota-twins-at-detroit-tigersRob Rogacki