04-07-12-DETROIT VS BOSTON--4:05 PM

**FloridaTigers** · 04-07-2012, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by Yoda

Code:

Central	        W	L	PCT	GB	L10	STRK	HOME	ROAD	LAST GAME	NEXT GAME
Detroit	        1	0	1.000	-	1-0	W1	1-0	0-0	4/5 vs BOS, W 3-2	4/7 vs BOS, 4:05 PM
Chi White Sox	0	1	.000	1.0	0-1	L1	0-0	0-1	4/6 @ TEX, L 2-3	4/7 @ TEX, 8:05 PM
Cleveland	0	1	.000	1.0	0-1	L1	0-1	0-0	4/5 vs TOR, L 4-7	4/7 vs TOR, 1:05 PM
Kansas City	0	1	.000	1.0	0-1	L1	0-0	0-1	4/6 @ LAA, L 0-5	4/7 @ LAA, 4:05 PM
Minnesota	0	1	.000	1.0	0-1	L1	0-0	0-1	4/6 @ BAL, L 2-4	4/7 @ BAL, 7:05 PM

Wire to wire, baby.

**drownwithyou** · 04-07-2012, 08:43 AM

First start for my AAT, I'm expecting big things out of him this year!

also:
DKnobler ‏ @DKnobler Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Word out of Japan is Brad Penny could already be heading to DL after just one start for Hawks.

**IdahoBert** · 04-07-2012, 09:17 AM

Take nothing for granted. Stay ANGAR my friends.

**Casimir** · 04-07-2012, 09:53 AM

If ANGAR means thirsty, I'm down.

**Oblong** · 04-07-2012, 09:56 AM

need this one.... Max is going tomorrow so that's not looking good.

**Casimir** · 04-07-2012, 10:03 AM

Sigh,.... 6 more hours. I should probably do something productive.

**Tim Mitchell** · 04-07-2012, 10:10 AM

We will hit Beckett.
Tomorrow on the other hand, well, Max baffles me.

**tiger337** · 04-07-2012, 10:15 AM

Why are people so down on Scherzer? I know he's erratic, but he pitches more really good games than bad games.

**Antrat** · 04-07-2012, 10:21 AM

I would not be surprised if Max pitched a complete game, 3 hit shutout...or got bombed for 8 runs in the first two innings.
But most times he's more toward the good side of that scale.

**Oblong** · 04-07-2012, 10:29 AM

I don't know why but Max is probably my least favorite starter. Seems like he's always at 100 pitches in the 5th inning. It's just one of those things.

**Gehringer_2** · 04-07-2012, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by tiger337

Why are people so down on Scherzer? I know he's erratic, but he pitches more really good games than bad games.

Not enough data to tell if there is a trend or not but his R/L OPS against split got worse last yr and it makes me wonder if it's because of an increasing reliance on the slider (he has thrown an increased % each of the last three years) maybe leaving him increasingly vulnerable against left handers. Sometimes what makes a pitcher appear erratic is just a bad L/R split that makes his success too dependent on whether the line up of the other team can stack a string of opposite handed batters against him before he can get three outs against the same sided guys. We saw this with Bonderman against heavy LH teams, and to an extent with Robinson when he no longer had the fast ball to get righthanders consistently.

Hope that's not going to turn out to be his long term future.

I know the great 12/6 curve like Verlander and Fister throw is a tougher pitch to master, but I always have reservations about slider guys.

**Mr.TaterSalad** · 04-07-2012, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Oblong

I don't know why but Max is probably my least favorite starter. Seems like he's always at 100 pitches in the 5th inning. It's just one of those things.

Jeremy Bonderman, but Max actually has a chance of coming out with the win.

First game of the season for me so I am excited for today!

**alwaysthrowheat** · 04-07-2012, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Gehringer_2

Not enough data to tell if there is a trend or not but his R/L OPS against split got worse last yr and it makes me wonder if it's because of an increasing reliance on the slider (he has thrown an increased % each of the last three years) maybe leaving him increasingly vulnerable against left handers. Sometimes what makes a pitcher appear erratic is just a bad L/R split that makes his success too dependent on whether the line up of the other team can stack a string of opposite handed batters against him before he can get three outs against the same sided guys. We saw this with Bonderman against heavy LH teams, and to an extent with Robinson when he no longer had the fast ball to get righthanders consistently.

Hope that's not going to turn out to be his long term future.

I know the great 12/6 curve like Verlander and Fister throw is a tougher pitch to master, but I always have reservations about slider guys.

He threw his slider a similar amount (18%) last year than he did the previous (15%). He shouldn't have such a problem against lefties, he throws his change 20% of the time, which is a neutralizing pitch. He also walked lefties (11.3%) much more often than righties (4%), which is interesting.

**MSUBrian11** · 04-07-2012, 12:21 PM

Jackson cf,
Boesch rf
Cabrera 3b
Fielder 1b
Young lf,
Avila c
Peralta ss
Dirks dh
Raburn 2b
Fister p

**IdahoBert** · 04-07-2012, 12:33 PM

I hate this regional coverage thing with Fox Saturday broadcasts. When the Tigers are playing a "real" team like the Red Sox, you'd think the coverage would be wider. But no, I get to watch the Angels and the Royals because Boise is 900 miles from Anaheim and I'm in their region. Woo hoo!

**tiger337** · 04-07-2012, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Gehringer_2

Not enough data to tell if there is a trend or not but his R/L OPS against split got worse last yr and it makes me wonder if it's because of an increasing reliance on the slider (he has thrown an increased % each of the last three years) maybe leaving him increasingly vulnerable against left handers. Sometimes what makes a pitcher appear erratic is just a bad L/R split that makes his success too dependent on whether the line up of the other team can stack a string of opposite handed batters against him before he can get three outs against the same sided guys. We saw this with Bonderman against heavy LH teams, and to an extent with Robinson when he no longer had the fast ball to get righthanders consistently.

If it's strictly a LH/RH thing, that seems better than random bad games. That way, they know what to fix and if they can't fix it they can plan around it better. It's like when people complain about batters having a big platoon split. That seems better to me than someone who just has random slumps.

I'm not sure it's a LH/RH thing though. If I recall correctly, he seems to have stretches where he'll be awesome for several games in a row and then struggle for a couple of games. I'd have to look at it game by game to know for sure.

**IdahoBert** · 04-07-2012, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by tiger337

Why are people so down on Scherzer? I know he's erratic, but he pitches more really good games than bad games.

I remember when Max was our"real ace" last season, as some contended, for a while. When Max is on he is incredible. But when he falls out of the groove it seems like he flies off a mountain road and crashes 200 feet down a canyon and bursts into flames. This is not a fair assessment because he is actually pretty good other times when he is not incredibly on, but people remember those crash and burns because they are such a dramatic contrast with his better performances.

**Casimir** · 04-07-2012, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by MSUBrian11

Jackson cf,
Boesch rf
Cabrera 3b
Fielder 1b
Young lf,
Avila c
Peralta ss
Dirks dh
Raburn 2b
Fister p

Terrible. People want to bang on Leyland for bringing in Valverde, but trotting out Young to LF while you are using defensively superior players as the DH in the same game is poor.

**Casimir** · 04-07-2012, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by IdahoBert

I remember when Max was our"real ace" last season, as some contended, for a while. When Max is on he is incredible. But when he falls out of the groove it seems like he flies off a mountain road and crashes 200 feet down a canyon and bursts into flames. This is not a fair assessment because he is actually pretty good other times when he is not incredibly on, but people remember those crash and burns because they are such a dramatic contrast with his better performances.

Scherzer's pitching and Raburn's LF defense are somewhat similar, I think.

**Antrat** · 04-07-2012, 01:20 PM

I love the games where Max gives up 5 runs in the first two innings and then no-hits them the next 5 innings.

**Gehringer_2** · 04-07-2012, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by tiger337

I'd have to look at it game by game to know for sure.

yup, that's the thing. More research than I care to do today either!

**Mr. Bigglesworth** · 04-07-2012, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Casimir

Terrible. People want to bang on Leyland for bringing in Valverde, but trotting out Young to LF while you are using defensively superior players as the DH in the same game is poor.

No argument.

**ToledoTigerFan** · 04-07-2012, 03:15 PM

Fister?? I've never even met 'er! Tight one today. Young goes yard. Get ready for another wild ride aboard the Valverde Express. Final score today...........

Tigers 6
Red Sox 5

**Lou Ferigno** · 04-07-2012, 03:35 PM

Young in LF while Dirks is DH is a travesty. Unbelievable.

**Lousluggage** · 04-07-2012, 03:56 PM

About to turn off the computer and curl up in front of the tv... life is good when I can watch the Tigers. :)

**waffel** · 04-07-2012, 04:05 PM

Stuck with STL, Mil game. Thanks MLB, sure glad I paid $124 for mlb.tv and on the 2nd day of the season I'm already getting bent over by blackout rules.