Bless You Boys - Game 27: Chicago White Sox 5, Detroit Tigers 2A detailed list of nope about the Detroit Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47585/default.png2015-05-05T23:02:07-04:00http://www.blessyouboys.com/rss/stream/83214862015-05-05T23:02:07-04:002015-05-05T23:02:07-04:00Poll: Game 27 Player of the Game
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Who was tonight's Tigers player of the game in their 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> had a lackluster showing in tonight's game, dropping a 5-2 affair to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">Chicago White Sox</a>. After scoring in both of the first two innings, the Tigers' bats fell silent for the rest of the night, though they did have runners on base on multiple occasions against White Sox starter <span>Jeff Samardzija</span>.</p>
<p><span>Alex Wilson</span> helped save the bullpen, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings after coming on in relief of starter <span>Shane Greene</span>. Wilson needed just 38 pitches to record 10 outs, but he will likely be unavailable for duty the next couple days.</p>
<p><span>Blaine Hardy</span> worked a snappy 1-2-3 seventh inning and made a nice defensive play, coming off the mound to field a slow rolling bunt off the bat of <span>Micah Johnson</span>.</p>
<p><span>Angel Nesbitt</span> continued the strong relief work from the Tigers' bullpen, tossing a scoreless inning of his own in the bottom of the eighth. Nesbitt gets extra points for striking out slugger <span>Jose Abreu</span> to open the frame.</p>
<p><span>Alex Avila</span> was one of the lone bright spots for the Tigers offensively tonight. He homered in the top of the second, a play that was eerily similar to Ryan Raburn's "assisted home run" in 2011. Avila's fly ball looked as if it would have been a home run either way, but the ball glanced off of leftfielder Melky Cabrera's glove on its way out. It was Avila's second home run of the season, and both have been to the opposite field.</p>
<h5>Game 26 Player of the Game</h5>
<p>There was no Player of the Game poll for Sunday's 6-4 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>, but given what we saw from Shane Greene tonight, <span>Anibal Sanchez</span> gets the nod for working deep into the game and delivering a much-needed victory for the Tigers.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/5/5/8557959/detroit-tigers-chicago-white-sox-game-27-pollRob Rogacki2015-05-05T22:50:37-04:002015-05-05T22:50:37-04:00White Sox 5, Tigers 2: Greene falters again
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<figcaption>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Another poor outing from Shane Greene and a lack of offensive punch from the lineup doomed the Tigers tonight against the White Sox.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Tigers</a> looked poised to win their third consecutive game early in tonight's matchup against the <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago White Sox</a>, but that rosy outlook quickly turned sour. The White Sox rode a big third inning against Tigers starter <span>Shane Greene</span> (3-2) to a 5-2 victory tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.</p>
<p>The Tigers took one of their earliest leads of the season, scoring before most fans had found their seats. <span>Anthony Gose</span> lined the first pitch of the game into left field for a single, then stole second base on the very next pitch. Catcher Geovany Soto's throw got away from his infielders, and Gose advanced to third. Two pitches later, <span>Ian Kinsler</span> lined a single for a 1-0 lead. After the White Sox got a run back in the bottom of the inning, <span>Alex Avila</span> hit an opposite field solo home run that glanced off leftfielder Melky Cabrera's glove at the wall.</p>
<p>Greene had trouble in the first two innings, but the wheels came off in the bottom of the third. He was visibly struggling with his mechanics and command, and walked three consecutive White Sox batters, forcing in a run to tie the score at 2. <span>Avisail Garcia</span> bailed out Greene by grounding into a fielder's choice on a first-pitch fastball -- making the score 3-2 -- but Greene was unable to get through the rest of the inning. <span>Conor Gillaspie</span> ended Greene's night in the next at-bat, lining a bases clearing triple to right-center, giving the White Sox a 5-2 lead.</p>
<p>The Tigers threatened against Samardzija a couple of times, but were unable to cut into the deficit. They had two runners on base in both the fifth and seventh innings, but ended up stranding them on both occasions. Their best chance to score came in the seventh, when they had runners on first and second with one out. After Gose struck out, Kinsler hit a sharp liner off the backside of Samardzija, who was able to recoup and throw out Kinsler by a half-step at first base, ending the threat.</p>
<p>Chicago's new and improved bullpen worked like a charm tonight, as high-priced relievers <span>Zach Duke</span> and <span>David Robertson</span> retired six of the seven batters they faced -- the lone baserunner reached via error -- to close out the game.</p>
<h5>ROARS:</h5>
<p><b><span>Alex Wilson</span>:</b> Not only did Wilson escape a mini-jam with a runner on third base in the third inning, he also helped save the Tigers' bullpen with three additional innings. Wilson needed just 38 pitches to record 10 outs, working through the sixth inning.</p>
<p><b><span>Blaine Hardy</span> and <span>Angel Nesbitt</span>:</b> Both relievers recorded a snappy 1-2-3 inning, continuing Wilson's excellent work after Greene was removed from the game.</p>
<h5>HISSES:</h5>
<p><b>Shane Greene:</b> After three brilliant starts to begin the season, Greene has given the Tigers three consecutive duds. He had trouble finding the strike zone tonight, walking four batters, including three in a row in the bottom of the third. It took him 57 pitches to record just eight outs, and he gave up five runs before departing.</p>
<p><b>Clutch hitting:</b> The Tigers out-hit the White Sox on the night, but were unable to capitalize with runners on base. The middle of the order went hitless, including a big strikeout by <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> with two runners on in the fifth. The Tigers were 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position, and stranded six baserunners on the evening.</p>
<h5>STREAKS AND STATS:</h5>
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<li><span>White Sox starter <span>Jeff Samardzija</span> has allowed three runs in 15 innings against the Tigers this season. He has allowed 17 runs in 24 innings against everyone else.</span></li>
<li><span>The Tigers' 3-6 hitters were a combined 0 for 15 with one walk on the night. <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> reached base twice: on a walk and an error by White Sox second baseman <span>Micah Johnson</span>.</span></li>
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<h5>WIN PROBABILITY GRAPH:</h5>
<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=2015-05-05&team=White%20Sox&dh=0"></iframe><br><span>Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-05-05&team=White%20Sox&dh=0&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span></p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/5/5/8557753/detroit-tigers-chicago-white-sox-game-27-recapRob Rogacki2015-05-05T09:00:11-04:002015-05-05T09:00:11-04:00Game 27 Preview: Tigers at White Sox
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<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After giving up 15 runs in his last two starts, Shane Greene looks to right the ship tonight against the last place White Sox.</p> <h4>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> (17-9) at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">Chicago White Sox</a> (8-14)</h4>
<p><b>Time/Place:</b> 8:10 p.m., U.S. Cellular Field</p>
<p><b>SB Nation blog:</b> <a href="http://www.southsidesox.com/" target="_blank">South Side Sox</a></p>
<p><b>Media:</b> Fox Sports Detroit, <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?c_id=mlb&affiliateId=mlbMENU#date=5/5/2015" 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>Shane Greene</span> (3-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. RHP <span>Jeff Samardzija</span> (1-2, 4.78 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>
<tr>
<td>Greene</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>31.1</td>
<td>5.74</td>
<td>2.01</td>
<td>0.57</td>
<td>1.18</td>
<td>3.45</td>
<td>4.11</td>
<td>0.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Samardzija</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>32.0</td>
<td>6.19</td>
<td>1.69</td>
<td>1.13</td>
<td>1.38</td>
<td>4.13</td>
<td>4.20</td>
<td>0.4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>After a shaky start to the season, it appeared that Jeff Samardzija had gotten on track. He had allowed just one run in his last 19 innings pitched prior to his last start, including a stellar performance against the Tigers on April 17. Samardzija may have been shaken by his eerie surroundings -- this was the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2015/4/29/8517811/orioles-white-sox-empty-camden-yards">infamous empty stadium matchup</a> against the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Baltimore Orioles</a> -- but he was rocked for six runs in the first inning of an 8-2 loss. Seven of the first eight batters Samardzija faced reached base, and the Orioles collected five extra base hits in just five innings.</p>
<p>The loss marked the first of five straight for the Sox, who have dropped into last place, seven games behind the Tigers. More concerning than the early deficit, however, may be how pedestrian Samardzija and others have looked this season. Samardzija has just six walks in 32 innings this year, but is only striking out 15.6 percent of the batters he has faced, well below his career average. He has clamped down somewhat with runners on base, but is still allowing opponents to hit .290/.329/.473 overall.</p>
<p>Shane Greene has drawn comparisons to <span>Rick Porcello</span> already this season, and Greene's ERA-FIP ratio now matches that of Porcello's infamous discrepancy after a pair of rocky starts. Greene has given up 15 runs on 18 hits in his last 8 1/3 innings, a sharp drop-off from his outstanding three-start stretch to open the year. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to Greene's struggles, other than a lot of hard contact on pitches that previously went unpunished. The <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> whiffed on 13 of the 85 pitches he threw during their first matchup in early April, but just seven of 85 pitches last Thursday. This isn't a perfect estimate -- the White Sox whiffed just six times when Greene held them to one run in 7 1/3 innings on April 19 -- but it's clear that Greene's stuff hasn't been as sharp lately.</p>
<p><b>Hitter to fear:</b> <span>Jose Abreu</span> (.333/.333/1.167 in 6 plate appearances)<br><b>Hitter to fail:</b> <span>Avisail Garcia</span> .000/.167/.000 in 6 plate appearances)</p>
<p>Neither Greene nor Samardzija has seen much of their respective opponent, but the best hitters in either dugout have already separated themselves in limited plate appearances. Jose Abreu has tripled and homered off Greene in six at-bats, while <span>Melky Cabrera</span> has three hits of his own. For the Tigers, <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> is 2 for 4 off Samardzija and <span>Yoenis Cespedes</span> has a home run. <span>Anthony Gose</span> also collected a pair of hits in their meeting earlier this season.</p>
<h5>Outlook</h5>
<p>It's still early, but the Tigers could be facing a very desperate White Sox team this week. Already seven games behind the Tigers, the White Sox have <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-white-sox-looming-decision/">seen their already-slim playoff odds plummet</a> in just one month. The holes on their roster have been exposed -- the defense, in particular, has been awful -- and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.southsidesox.com/2015/5/4/8541987/robin-ventura-faces-biggest-crisis-of-managerial-career">manager Robin Ventura's seat is already white-hot</a>. A series win for the Tigers won't be a dagger in Chicago's season, but there's a good chance it could spell the end of Ventura's tenure. For the Tigers, this series is about getting Greene and <span>Alfredo Simon</span> back on track. Neither starter should be expected to lead the staff, but the Tigers need much better production than they received last week.</p>
<h5>Prediction</h5>
<p>The Tigers win their third in a row behind a bounce-back outing from Greene.</p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1">★★★</span></p>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2015/5/5/8549569/detroit-tigers-chicago-white-sox-game-27-preview-2015Rob Rogacki