Play-by-Play 6/24/12

Megan here!

So, after winning 4 series in a row, the Tigers lost two games in a row to Pittsburgh. The surprisingly second-best team in the NL central. Hopefully, we can avoid being swept by this team, so I don't weep into my computer while trying to finish this blog post.

This is going to be a looooong one, so follow me after the jump for the whole play by play!

Ball So Hard

You hear that?

You hear that, Cleveland Indians? Hear it, Chicago White Sox? That noise coming closer and closer? Yeah. That's the sound of the Detroit Tigers catching up to you. That's the sound of a change in the Baseball Tide. That is the sound of a team clicking for the first time since opening week.

We've won three series in a row and 6 of the past 9 games. Now it's time for our team to show their talents off to the St. Louis Cardinals--a good team, but certainly one we can beat, especially at home. With Octavio Dotel off the DL and Alex Avila back this weekend, our team is finally, finally, FINALLY coming back in full force.

For the first time since opening week we are optimistic and happy with how our team is playing. Of course, this could mean they will suddenly go on a 10-game slide, but we honestly don't think they will.   In that last series against the Rockies, our team looked good, and better yet, dangerous.

We also hear the ever-annoying sound of the bandwagon fans clamoring around, waiting for our Tigers to pounce into first place so they can clamor on board as usual, pretending like they never left. Whatever. We've had confidence in this bunch the entire time.

We're not saying that our boys are about to go on a 20-game winning streak and win the AL Central by August, but we are expecting that THIS is what it will take to finally turn the corner. So kick, back, relax, and watch the show. It's about to be an interesting series.

Agent Q

After watching the game tonight, and the many games that preceded it, we can conclude one thing: the Tigers are very average right now. We can also conclude something far more obvious: the Tigers' defense is a piece of shit. You KNOW your defense sucks when Miguel Cabrera is frequently the best infielder while playing third base. That shit cray. Example: Juh-honny Peralta made two consecutive errors tonight and allowed a run to score--two errors which cost us the game.  Excluding the fact that he might be injured (which considering the luck this team has had is very very possible), it didn't even look like he tried.

So while our defense struggles and our team scuffles, the three of us are trying this new thing called *POSITIVITY!!!!!!!* One very positive thing is that our main squeeze Austin Jackson ins back in the lineup and already making his extremely sexy presence felt, especially in Sunday's come-from-behind win against the Reds. He is becoming an even better table-setter than we expected and should HOPEFULLY give this offense a boost.

The other aforementioned bright side is something of a surprise. At 27 he is just getting his first taste of the majors, but he is already leaving a lasting impression on this Tigers fan base due to his acrobatic catches and consistent hitting. He's no Austin Jackson, but he's doing pretty well for himself. His name?

He's on a Mission

This, in case you've been hiding under a rock (and have every right to be given the Tigers' record right now) is Quintin Berry, he of the dubious spelling (what else is new), high speed, and good looks. Say what you must about his longevity or starting potential on our team, but this guy is always energized, always athletic and always fun to watch. The same cannot be said for some of his outfield counterparts--Brennan Boesch, for example, is rising higher and higher on our Shit List. But! This is about *POSITIVE!!!!!* thinking, so we're just going to ignore the nasty horrible defense that anyone not named Austin Jackson or Quintin Berry have been putting up.

Let's move on from this icky-poo game and hopefully win the series against one of the worst teams we've seen in a long time. Let's hope that something--anything--changes our Bush League defense into one of an actual Major League ballclub. And lets hope that Quintin Berry can get more and more chances to shine, even as our season grows darker and drearier.

Desperado

So is this up and down, roller coaster, we're-decent-oh-wait-now-we-suck-oh-shit-we've-hit-rock-bottom-oh-hey-walk off!! trend going to be a thing now? Because if so, we do not like it.


These Tigers, man. Just when you think they're on a roll, they fail miserably, and just when your ready to scream, "F*** that!" and abandon them forever, they pull off a win like they did tonight. Not too many things are clicking right now, if we're honest. That does not include Miguel Cabrera, who hit two absolute bombs tonight and continues to show why he's he best in the biz.

However, thanks to Jose Valverde, who looks so, so much worse this year, we almost lost Cabrera's gem. Prince continues to hit the ball well, though still no power, and although Austin Jackson isn't back yet (SOB!) Quintin Berry is playing like a BOSS. But it doesn't get much better after that. Ryan Raburn's horrific spring landed him in Toledo, and Doug Fister is again on the DL, not to mention the fact that Omir Santos is our only available catcher right now, what with Alex Avila and Gerald Laird day to day.

So what we're trying to say is, every thing is, for lack of a better word, pretty freaking lame right now. We are playing like a .500 team, at best, and are hopelessly riddled with injuries. This is not what we should be doing. And its understandably making the fans pretty pissed. Hopefully our fearless leaders Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland have something up their sleeve as far as a Mystery Spark to get the team going. Getting Jackson back will definitely help. But this season is now two months old, and our team is the most basic of bitches right now. Partially due to bad luck, but still.

Still, we never give up on them. Ever. The AL Central is still the Detroit Tigers' to lose, and our team should come around eventually. We think.

PS-look for a lot more material this month! Life + finals +the Tigers being boring = slow times at April in the D. Thanks for reading guys!