Group Effort

What an interesting series in Baltimore! Blowout wins, Good-Starting-Pitching-And-Timely-Hitting wins, and the dreaded Almost win. We took 2 of 3 from Baltimore (should have been 3 of 3, but whatever) and we looked damn good doing it too.

Let's talk about Doug Fister for a moment. Poor, sweet Dougie, who's been shaky due to injury all year long, is going to get his swagger back in the second half. We just know it. He looked sharp and in command on Friday, buoyed by ample run support (hell-o, Miguel Cabrera Moonshot!) and dazzling defensive plays (suck it, Berry Haters!). Friday was good.

Then comes Saturday. After a not-so-sharp outing by Max Scherzer (but good enough to keep us in the game) the Tigers mounted an out-of-nowhere comeback to tie the Orioles in the bottom of the 9th. However, after blowing the save TWICE (thanks Valverde and Benoit!), we didn't escape with the win, which meant we came back only to extend the game two hours and lose anyway. Well, you know what we have to say to that? WHAT. EVER. Our boys showed more fight in that game then they had in the majority of games in the first half of the season. While we were frustrated with the outcome for sure, it wasn't a bad loss in the slightest.

And then Sunday, we rebounded. Justin "The Second Coming" Verlander shook off those awful, nasty Kate Upton rumors (not like he needed to shake them off, really--the whole thing is just bullshit) and threw 8 innings of 3-hit ball. Yes, two of those hits came from his arch-nemesis, Jim Thome, but it was a beautiful outing all the same. Clutch homers from Austin Jackson and Miggy (yep, that's number 20, folks) and some nice manufactured runs helped solidify the W, and our boys cruised home three games above .500.

And now we will be tested. The good-maybe-even-very-good Angels are coming into town tomorrow, and while we won't be facing Jered Weaver this time around, no one has forgotten last year. And of course after that we play the division leading Chicago White Sox, our hated rivals. It's going to be an exciting (if stressful) week of baseball. Bring on the drama!

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.