Detroit Tigers Deliver Solid Week 12 With First Big Comeback Of Season
(To read Week 11’s issue, click here.)
Week 12 for the Detroit Tigers was a lot better after the disappointment that was Week 11. The offense looked much better all week and the pitching covered for them.
The best part about the week is that they took care of business on the road and at home against division opponents. The Tigers both finished the week with 2-1 records against the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.
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Now for the season, the Tigers are 9-3 against the Indians and 7-5 against the White Sox. Getting it done against your division rivals is the quickest and easiest route to winning the division and getting into the postseason. While both their opponents this week aren’t contenders, it still helps to consistently beat the teams that they face the most often.
The offense has also been picking it up recently. They scored five or more runs in five of their six contests this week.
While the pitching wasn’t overly dominant this week they did just enough to keep the Tigers in the game and ultimately win it. Along with their first big comeback of the season on last Sunday, the offense has just looked good.
The addition of a key player (to be named later) has really helped to rejuvenate this once stagnant offense. This week showed just how.
And now, a look back at week 12 for your 2015 Detroit Tigers.
Record: 4-2
@ CLE: 2-1
vs CWS: 2-1 (6/27 PPD to 9/21)
Game of the Week: Sunday, June 28th vs Chicago White Sox 5-4 W
There’s nothing denying Sunday’s game the Game of the Week for Week 12. It featured a crazy comeback in the eight inning to a walk-off by the ninth inning.
The game was even coupled by an odd moment when the Tigers couldn’t find David Price to pitch the seventh inning. It ended with Alex Wilson having to come out to start the seventh.
But all in all this game was the adventure for the Tigers and their fans. The offense couldn’t muster up anything against the White Sox’ Jeff Samrardzija. Then the eight inning happened and the wheels just fell off for him.
After a Ian Kinsler hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and a Miguel Cabrera strikeout, recent Tigers addition Victor Martinez would tie it up on a huge bases-clearing double. Joakim Soria would then go on to have a clean 1-2-3 inning in the ninth, which bodes well for the Tigers closer in the future.
After all the festivities of the game though, it would be James McCann that would send everyone home packing on his walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth.
All in all it was an absolutely crazy game for the Tigers on their first big comeback win of the season. It helped that they were able to muster up enough to win the game.
It was their first win of the season after trailing in the seventh inning and beyond. Games like this are what they need to build momentum into a hot stretch, just like their 11-2 start to the season.
Tigers Pitching Performance of the Week:
David Price vs Cleveland Indians 6/23/15
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Motor City Bengals
Line: 6.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 K, 9 H, 0 BB, 114 pitches, 80 strikes
While David Price’s line against the Indians may not seem too flashy, there weren’t really any great pitching performance that stood out this week for the Tigers.
The pitching wasn’t at its most dominant either as Price didn’t fair too well against the White Sox later that week (6 IP, 4 ER). The offense picked up most of the slack for the Tigers on their way to a winning record.
It’s not as if Price pitched all that bad though. He was a bit inefficient but that happens from time to time. Considering how he started the game, the fact that he went 6.2 IP is actually pretty impressive.
Price was also bailed out by Al Alburquerque when he induced a line-out of Francisco Lindor to end the seventh. If both the runners that Alburquerque inherited were allowed to score, Price’s line would not have looked nearly as impressive.
But all in all, Price pitched a solid game for the Tigers. It’s just more that there wasn’t any outstanding pitching performances for the Tigers.
Biggest Takeaways from Week 12
Easily the biggest takeaway from Week 12 has been the impact of both Victor Martinez and Bruce Rondon, who both recently came back from injury.
Martinez has been absolutely huge for this Tigers team. In the nine games he’s been back, he’s bumped his average from .216 to .243 going 12-37 (0.324) and racking up 10 RBI’s in the process.
The offense just looks a lot better with Martinez in the middle of it. He’s another imposing force the Tigers can rely on in the middle of the lineup, no less. Hopefully now Cabrera won’t be intentionally walked so often now.
There’s also a clubhouse aspect that Martinez brings to the clubhouse. He’s a grizzled veteran of the game and should also have a tranquilizing effect on the clubhouse.
Martinez also brings another aspect to the Tigers offense. Multiple bats have struggled recently and the Tigers could have used a veteran like him. Both Nick Castellanos and Ian Kinsler haven’t been hitting well recently, to name a few.
The Tigers till have top-tier talent like Yoenis Cespedes and J.D. Martinez but they too, can slump just like any other Major League hitter. But Martinez is a guy that really brings some stability to this lineup. When he struggled earlier this year, it would bring the offense to a screeching halt at times.
Now that the Tigers can rely on a healthy Martinez to legitimize this lineup, it’ll go a long way. It already looks like he’s had an effect as the Tigers offense has picked it up recently.
On a lesser scale, Rondon can be absolutely crucial to the Tigers’ bullpen this year. He’s looked impressive so far, reaching triple digits on his fastball many times.
He’s been showing signs of why the Tigers relied on him in the past when he has command of all his pitches. If he can be consistent and stay healthy, that’ll be huge for the bullpen.
Joba Chamberlain has looked shaky all year and severely inconsistent. If Rondon can move on into the eight inning role after showing more consistency, he’ll compliment Soria very well.
While the Tigers bullpen hasn’t been as terrible as last year, it’s still extremely flawed. Any help they can get would be amazing. And with the trade deadline quickly approaching, General Manager Dave Dombrowski might be looking to upgrade the bullpen (and starting staff).
But with the emergence of Rondon, he might not need to. While it’s hard to say if he’ll stay healthy and be consistently effective. If he can, that would be a huge boost to an area of need just like Martinez does to this team.
Upcoming Schedule 6/29-7/5
vs PIT 6/30-7/2
Game Times: 6/30: 7:08 PM, 7/1: 7:08 PM, 7/2: 1:08 PM
vs TOR 7/3-7/5
Game Times: 7/3: 7:08 PM, 7/4: 1:08 PM, 7/5: 1:08 PM
The Tigers for Week 13 stay at home all week to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. The Pirates come over to town in the annual inter-league showdown.
While they’re not even in the same division these games are going to be a tough challenge for the Tigers. They face the same starters they faced in their first away series of 2015. They’re scheduled to face the trio of Gerrit Cole, A.J. Burnett, and Francisco Liriano.
The tough Pirates pitchers should be a solid test for this new look Tigers offense. While they struggled against Jeff Samrardzija for seven innings, they still roughed him up in the eighth. The match-up against these starters will be a hard one.
Afterwards they face the high-powered Toronto offense at home. They’re a formidable foe and one of four teams vying for the AL East division title.
If the Pirates starters are going to test this Tigers offense, then the Toronto offense will test the Tigers pitching. If both the starters and bullpen are successful against Toronto, it’ll bode well as the All-Star break creeps forward.
All in all the Tigers really need to build off this solid week. With the All-Star break right around the corner it’ll be huge for them if they can go into the break with some momentum. There’s still a ton of games to be played to turn this season around.
Next: David Price Projected To Be Second Most Expensive Free Agent