Bless You Boys - Game 2: Detroit Tigers 11, Minnesota Twins 0A detailed list of nope about the Detroit Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47585/default.png2015-04-08T18:32:54-04:00http://www.blessyouboys.com/rss/stream/81349122015-04-08T18:32:54-04:002015-04-08T18:32:54-04:00Poll: Game 2 Player of the Game
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<figcaption>Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Who was the Tigers' player of the game in today's 11-0 blowout win over the Twins?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a>' strong pitching kept rolling this afternoon, shutting out the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> for the second game in a row. The Tigers' offense came alive in the middle innings, and they cruised to an easy 11-0 victory, improving their record to 2-0 on the season.</p>
<p><span>Anibal Sanchez</span> wasn't as efficient as <span>David Price</span> on Monday, but the 31-year-old righthander cruised through 6 2/3 shutout innings. He struck out six while allowing just five baserunners. Also like Price, Sanchez was kept to a strict pitch count. Manager Brad Ausmus lifted him after 101 pitches.</p>
<p><span>Jose Iglesias</span> had one of the best offensive games of his career, tallying four hits (including a double), three runs, and a walk. He has six hits in seven at-bats so far this season.</p>
<p><span>Anthony Gose</span> got off to a slow start, flying out in his first two at-bats. He was red hot afterward, collecting three consecutive hits. He finished with three hits in six at-bats, three RBI, and was a home run shy of the cycle. Not bad for his Tigers debut.</p>
<p><span>Ian Kinsler</span> led the Tigers with four RBI today, and scored a pair of runs himself. His RBI single in the third inning opened the scoring for the Tigers, and he added to his tally with an RBI double in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.</p>
<h5><a href="http://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/4/6/8357381/detroit-tigers-minnesota-twins-david-price-poll" target="_blank">Game 1 Player of the Game</a></h5>
<p>David Price won Player of the Game honors for his 8 2/3 inning effort against the Twins on Monday. Price was one out away from his third career shutout, but still got the win. He earned 80 percent of the BYB vote for his efforts.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/4/8/8373185/detroit-tigers-minnesota-twins-game-two-pollRob Rogacki2015-04-08T17:23:49-04:002015-04-08T17:23:49-04:00Tigers' closer Nathan lands on 15-day DL
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Joe Nathan has a right elbow flexor strain and is headed to the disabled list. Joakim Soria will close with Nathan out of commission.</p> <p>DETROIT -- <span>Joe Nathan</span> is the latest of three Detroit Tigers to land on the disabled list. The right-handed closer has been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Tuesday. Prior to Thursday's game <span>Blaine Hardy</span> will be officially recalled from Triple-A Toledo to fill in, and <span>Joakim Soria</span> will be closing while Nathan is on the disabled list.</p>
<p>The injury is being classified as a right elbow flexor strain and has been bothering Nathan since the end of the last week of spring training. Nathan pitched against one batter during Monday's Opening Day, when he faced former Tiger Torii Hunter. <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tigers</a> president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said that elbow was bothering him then, as well.</p>
<p>"It really hadn't cleared up for him and today it was still bothering him, and so he got checked," Dombrowski said. "We don't expect Joe (Nathan) to be out of action for more than a couple of weeks."</p>
<p>Asked if the visit to the disabled list would take care of the strain, the Tigers' GM said they are "hopeful."</p>
<p>Headed to Cleveland after the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a> series, the Tigers needed a left-handed pitcher due to the structure of the <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indians</a>' lineup. Hardy had been close to making the team during spring, and that coupled with how he performed in 2014 was why the Tigers went with him.</p>
<p>Once Nathan returns to the Tigers, Soria will resume his role as the setup man, and the closer job will be Nathan's once again. The Tigers haven't yet defined who will be the setup man while Soria closes, but Tigers manager <span>Brad Ausmus</span> mentioned <span>Joba Chamberlain</span> as a possibility as he had the job last year. Ian Krol, who pitched an inning in Wednesday's blowout of the Twins, is also in the conversation.</p>
<p>"It had bothered (Nathan) a little bit toward the end of spring training," Ausmus said. "And I talked to him Monday, he said he was good. He had gone out and thrown, he said he was good. He said actually on the very last pitch he threw, he kind of felt it grab on Monday. Then he came in today, played catch, and from what he said, and how his face looked, you could tell it was bothering him quite a bit.</p>
<p>"Joe, in the time I've known him, he's never said I can't throw. Today he kind of, not in so many words, said I probably shouldn't throw today, which tells me it was really bothering him. So that's why we got the MRI."</p>
<p>Ausmus said that the injury is not located in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), and that head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said the strain is "very common." The team opted to get the MRI in the afternoon when Nathan said he wasn't able to throw.</p>
<p>Nathan's trip to the disabled list marks the third Tigers player to be officially sidelined in three days time. Right-handed starter Justin Verlander and flame-throwing right-handed reliever <span>Bruce Rondon</span> also recently went on the disabled list. The Tigers are hopeful they'll get both Verlander and Rondon back in the near future.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/4/8/8372445/detroit-tigers-joe-nathan-15-day-disabled-listCatherine Slonksnis2015-04-08T16:25:57-04:002015-04-08T16:25:57-04:00Tigers 11, Twins 0: 2 games, 2 shutouts
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<figcaption>Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Meanwhile the bottom and top of the lineup combined for 13 hits, including a 4-for-4 game by Jose Iglesias.</p> <p>The Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 11-0 in the second game of the season, with strong offense to back a strong start by Anibal Sanchez. It's the first time in franchise history the team opened the season with back-to-back shutouts (according to <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/585899100425555968">ESPN Stats and Info</a>).</p>
<p>Sanchez silenced the Twins by twirling a gem into the seventh inning, allowing just three hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking two. He kept hitters off balance and induced weak contact throughout the game. His one hard-hit ball was a leadoff double in the sixth inning that never went anywhere.</p>
<p>The Tigers' offense batted around in the third, sent eight men to the plate in the fourth, and seven in the fifth. They scored nine runs during those three innings and one later in the seventh. Alex Avila and Jose Iglesias set the table for those runs in every occasion, scoring seven-of-eight times and drawing a combined four walks.</p>
<p>Jose Iglesias went 4-for-4 with a walk, improving his batting average to .857 and on-base percentage to .875. Anthony Gose finished 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBI, Ian Kinsler and went 2-for-4 with a combined six RBI (including a sacrifice fly), and Victor Martinez was intentionally walked twice. Nick Castellanos was the only Tigers batter to go hitless and also not work a walk.</p>
<p>The Tigers' bullpen, comprised of Angel Nesbitt, Ian Krol, Al Alburquerque, and Joakim Soria, combined to close out the game in shutout fashion.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DetroitTigersPR/status/585898458864680961">EliasSports noted</a> the Tigers became the 14th team since 1900 to open a season with back-to-back shutouts and the first since the Nationals in 2013.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>ROARS:</strong></p>
<p><b>Anibal Sanchez: </b>Where Nolasco threw 39 pitches in the third, Sanchez had 39 pitches after one out in the fourth inning. He dominated the Twins' offense, allowing just two singles, a double, and two walks in 6 2/3 innings of work. He did not walk a batter until the seventh inning, when Sanchez issued back-to-back walks with one out. He then struck out Oswaldo Arcia swinging to close a strong outing.</p>
<p><b>Alex Avila/Jose Iglesias: </b>Avila started the third, fourth, and fifth innings by drawing a walk, setting the table for the offense. Never underestimate the power of leadoff walks sparking offense. Iglesias hit a double, an infield single, and a single to right field in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, following both of Avila's walks. His and Avila's actions directly led to the nine runs scored, and in all three occasions, both Avila and Iglesias came around to score.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><b>Third through fifth innings: </b>Combined, the Tigers had four hits, including two doubles, and two walks in the third, forcing Twins starter Ricky Nolasco to throw 39 pitches in that inning alone. Kinsler knocked a two-RBI single, which Cabrera then followed with an RBI single. In the fourth Gose had a triple, Kinsler got an RBI single (an ended up on third on an error), and a run scored on a wild pitch. In the fifth, A sacrifice fly by Kinsler and an RBI single by Cabrera plated two more runs in the fifth, making it 9-0.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>HISSES:</strong></p>
<p><b>Nick Castellanos: </b>Went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. He also ended the third inning on a bases-loaded strikeout.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>STREAKS AND STATS:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span>Ian Kinsler finished with 55 multi-hit games in 2014, which was tied for fifth in the AL. Kinsler has recorded multiple hits in each of his first two games in 2015.</span></li>
<li><span>The bottom two hitters in the order have combined for 10-for-12 with four walks to open the year.</span></li>
<li><span>Hitters eight through three were a combined 13-for-20 with eight runs, four walks, a triple, and two doubles Wednesday.</span></li>
<li><span>Angel Nesbitt made his MLB debut and induced a 6-3 groundout to end the seventh inning, stranding two runners.</span></li>
<li><span>Jose Iglesias finished 4-for-4 with a double, giving him a career-first four-hit game.</span></li>
<li><span>Alex Avila is the first Tigers catcher to score four times in a game since manager Brad Ausmus did it in 2000 as a player with the team.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>WIN PROBABILITY GRAPH:</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><iframe style="border:1px solid black;" width="450" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2015-04-08&team=Tigers&dh=0"></iframe><br><span>Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-04-08&team=Tigers&dh=0&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span></p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/4/8/8360399/detroit-tigers-minnesota-twins-game-two-recapCatherine Slonksnis2015-04-08T09:01:02-04:002015-04-08T09:01:02-04:00Game 2 Preview: Twins at Tigers
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<figcaption>Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Anibal Sanchez makes his first start of the season today against Ricky Nolasco and the Minnesota Twins.</p> <h4>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> (0-1) at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> (1-0)</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=4/8/2015" 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>Ricky Nolasco</span> (6-12, 5.38 ERA in 2014) vs. RHP Anibal Sanchez (8-5, 3.43 ERA in 2014)</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>
<tr>
<td>Nolasco</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>159.0</td>
<td>6.51</td>
<td>2.15</td>
<td>1.25</td>
<td>1.52</td>
<td>4.30</td>
<td>4.06</td>
<td>0.8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sanchez</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>126.0</td>
<td>7.29</td>
<td>2.14</td>
<td>0.29</td>
<td>1.10</td>
<td>2.71</td>
<td>3.64</td>
<td>3.1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Ricky Nolasco was a major disappointment for the Twins last season after signing the richest free agent contract in franchise history (four years, $49 million) the offseason prior. Nolasco allowed a 5.38 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 159 innings, both of which were the highest in the American League (minimum 150 innings). His home run rate jumped significantly, though not to the point where we should be expecting a big improvement in his overall numbers. His 4.30 FIP was over a full run better than his ERA, but this has been Nolasco's M.O. throughout his career. His 3.03 strikeout-to-walk ratio was better than half of the starters in the AL, but was his second-lowest ratio of his career. His career 3.82 FIP, which relies heavily upon a pitcher's strikeout-to-walk ratio, is over half a run lower than his 4.48 ERA. In short, when opposing hitters put the ball in play against Nolasco, they're making solid contact.</p>
<p>This high "contact-to-damage ratio" is supported by Nolasco's career .312 BABIP, roughly 15-20 points higher than the average pitcher over the last seven years. His BABIP in 2014 was .351, the highest of his career. He allowed a 22.3 percent line drive rate, but that slight deviation from a 21.6 percent career rate doesn't explain the big spike. The Twins' defense can, however*. Nolasco allowed a .310 BABIP on ground balls last season, well above the league average of .251. His .159 BABIP on fly balls was nearly double the league average of .085. The Twins as a team were above the league average in both categories, an unsurprising fact given their league-worst .685 defensive efficiency rating in 2014. With <span>Torii Hunter</span> in right field and <span>Aaron Hicks</span> currently sitting in the minors, the Twins' outfield is actually worse than it was in 2014, putting Nolasco and his 35.9 percent fly ball rate at risk for further regression.</p>
<p>Since we're talking about BABIP, <span>Anibal Sanchez's</span> splits from 2014 help illustrate the difference between the Tigers' infield and outfield defense. Sanchez had a .224 BABIP on ground balls, well below the aforementioned .251 league average. His BABIP on fly balls was .119, 44 points above the league average. Sanchez hasn't been as reliant on fly ball outs as <span>Max Scherzer</span> or <span>Justin Verlander</span> are, but the shoddy defense the Tigers put behind him in 2014 still had a negative impact on his numbers.</p>
<p>Sanchez's overall numbers took a downturn in 2014 after his amazing 2013 season, but this was to be expected. Sanchez struck out 27.1 percent of batters last season, by far the highest rate of his career. In 2014, that figured dropped to 19.8 percent, just below his career average. He actually induced more swings at pitches outside of the strike zone than in 2013, but opposing batters made contact with those pitches far more often. A drop in whiff rate may be concerning to some, but the weak contact that Sanchez induced helped fuel his low BABIP on ground balls. If he can continue to get hitters to fish low and out of the strike zone, he could be both more effective and more efficient in 2015.</p>
<p><i>*Full credit goes to Paul Sporer for unearthing this Nolasco BABIP nugget in his 2015 Starting Pitching Guide, an awesome publication you should <a target="_blank" href="http://paulsporer.com/2014/12/01/2015-starting-pitching-guide-pre-order-sale/">go buy here</a>.</i></p>
<p><b>Hitter to fear:</b> <span>Joe Mauer</span> (.294/.368/.294 in 19 plate appearances)<br><b>Hitter to fail:</b> <span>Jordan Schafer</span> (.083/.154/.083 in 13 plate appearances)</p>
<p>Sanchez has been very effective against the Twins throughout his career, holding them to a 2.60 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in nine starts. However, he has also landed on the disabled list twice in the past two seasons immediately following starts against the Twins. He <a href="http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/4/26/5656418/anibal-sanchez-leaves-game-blister-injury" target="_blank">suffered a finger blister</a> last season, and <a href="http://www.blessyouboys.com/2013/6/15/4434034/twins-6-tigers-3-anibal-sanchez-injured-shoulder-stiffness-minnesota-detroit-mlb" target="_blank">injured his shoulder</a> in 2013. Provided he can stay healthy, he has held the Twins to batting just .223/.294/.290 against him in 215 career plate appearances. <span>Trevor Plouffe</span> is the only Twin to ever homer off Sanchez, while Plouffe and Joe Mauer are the only players with more than two hits. Jordan Schafer might want to take the day off, as he has struck out eight times in 12 at-bats against Sanchez.</p>
<h5>Outlook</h5>
<p>For all of the bad Nolasco provided the Twins in 2014, he was actually quite effective against the Tigers. He allowed a 2.33 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, striking out 16 while walking five. His heavy diet of breaking balls helped, especially on the first pitch of an at-bat. Nolasco threw first-pitch fastballs just 50 percent of the time last season, one of the lower rates among MLB starters. The Tigers, on the other hand, were one of baseball's most aggressive offenses, averaging just 3.78 pitches per plate appearance. If Nolasco can spot his offspeed pitches like he was able to last September -- two of his three starts against the Tigers came in the final two weeks of the season -- then he could cause some problems for the Tigers' offense.</p>
<h5>Prediction</h5>
<p>Sanchez and the offense shine enough to overcome a shaky outing from the bullpen, improving the Tigers' record to 2-0.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span>★★★</span></p>
<h5>Tigers lineup:</h5>
<ol>
<li><span><span>Anthony Gose</span>, CF</span></li>
<li><span><span>Ian Kinsler</span>, 2B</span></li>
<li><span><span>Miguel Cabrera</span>, 1B</span></li>
<li><span><span>Victor Martinez</span>, DH</span></li>
<li><span><span>J.D. Martinez</span>, RF</span></li>
<li><span><span>Yoenis Cespedes</span>, LF</span></li>
<li><span><span>Nick Castellanos</span>, 3B</span></li>
<li><span><span>Alex Avila</span>, C</span></li>
<li><span><span>Jose Iglesias</span>, SS</span></li>
</ol>
<h5>Twins lineup:</h5>
<ol>
<li><span><span>Danny Santana</span>, SS</span></li>
<li><span><span>Brian Dozier</span>, 2B</span></li>
<li><span>Joe Mauer, C</span></li>
<li><span>Torii Hunter, RF</span></li>
<li><span><span>Kennys Vargas</span>, DH</span></li>
<li><span>Trevor Plouffe, 3B</span></li>
<li><span><span>Oswaldo Arcia</span>, LF</span></li>
<li><span><span>Kurt Suzuki</span>, C</span></li>
<li><span>Jordan Schafer, CF</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span>★★★</span></p>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/4/8/8367943/detroit-tigers-minnesota-twins-game-2-preview-2015Rob Rogacki