3 Up and 3 Down for the Detroit Tigers in Week 3
Apr 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher David Price (14) stands on the mound and looks up at the snow during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Week three of the 2015 season was not a great one for the Detroit Tigers. In fact, we found those seemingly hidden holes that were not so great parts of this team. Two series, one against the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians started pretty bad but ended somewhat well.
3 downs
Things kind of fell apart
The whole series against the New York Yankees honestly looked terrible. The team either partied far too hard celebrating their great start or they are not that great in cold weather. I’d say it was the weather situation, because while one game ended in a 13-4 loss for the Tigers the others saw fairly low scoring games.
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The Yankees series was some of the worst baseball I’ve seen played by the Tigers this year and while I don’t think they will do it again anytime soon, it is a little worrisome just because now we know they can sink that far down the terrible playing scale. Again though, I don’t see them playing like that a lot anytime this season.
Joe Nathan is lost for the season
I have gone on record and stated many time that I am not a big Joe Nathan fan, in fact I never wanted him brought to the Detroit Tigers when he was first signed. However, he was a part of the team and so I supported him as much as I could because as a fan it is what you do. Hearing that he was out for the season was a downer, one because the injury seems like it is a very scary pitching injury, and two because we lose another arm that was supposed to be in out bullpen.
Detroit Tigers
Nathan is going to need his second Tommy John Surgery to fix his elbow. This means that he will be out for the rest of the season and it is up in the air at this moment if he can even finish his career after this season. After this season he will be 41 and the Tigers have an option on his contract if they want to bring him back. It is an unpleasant situation for all involved.
Lost their first series of season to Yankees
This one would hurt a little less if it wasn’t the New York Yankees. The Tigers lost their first series of the season against the Yankees who strolled into town with a .500 record. After winning the first game of the series the team lost three straight and for the first time in the 2015 season they also had their first losing streak. That losing streak didn’t break until game two in the Cleveland Indians series.
While many understood they weren’t going to win all of their series this season, losing the first one is always hard especially against a team like the Yankees who you want to beat purely because they are the New York freaking Yankees.
3 ups
Things are falling back into place
Well after the Yankees series thing went back up for the Detroit Tigers. After breaking their losing streak in-game two against the Cleveland Indians the team took off again and that made this week for them end well. While the team ended the week with a 2-4 record and a 13-6 record overall, they still finished off the week strong against Central League rivals which is always a plus.
Another good outing by Simon
Alfredo Simon is a guy I’m rooting for this season because I think he can be a pitcher the Tigers need. Again he continues to show me that my faith in him is well placed. Simon picked up two more wins this week, this only win against the Yankees and one in the Saturday contest against the Indians.
Both starts were what you look for in a pitcher. He went 8 strong innings against the Yankees and 6.2 innings against the Indians. While I still would want to see him go a strong 7 or more full innings on a constant, he has 4 wins and that is showing that when he takes the mound, he is doing what the team is paying him to do and so that is a for sure plus.
Verlander could throw again on this upcoming road trip (maybe)
Different sources have said there is a chance that Justin Verlander could throw again on this ten game road trip the Tigers are going on. Manager Brad Ausmus has said Verlander won’t throw again until he is completely pain-free.
Nothing new on Justin Verlander, Brad Ausmus said. He won’t pick up a baseball until he’s completely pain free with no fluid in tricep area.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) April 25, 2015
However, he is going with the team on their road trip and that is a good thing. It means while not a lot of news has come out about Verlander there is a chance that he could be a little closer to returning, however I think I said that two weeks ago and he still hasn’t returned. So you take what you want from that.
So this week the Detroit Tigers will be taking on the Minnesota Twins for 3 games before heading to Kansas City to take on the Royals for the first time this season. The series against the Royals would be my pick of the week to watch. We haven’t played them yet and it will be interesting to see who would come out on top. Hey, another full week of baseball for you to enjoy.