gehringer_2

Purges may cut down on the graft -though if Putin just replaces the guys going out with more of his BFFs the new guys won't be any more honest, but graft aside, purges won't make them better, they will just freeze the org as everyone works harder to keep their head down and make sure they can't be blamed for anything. A low initiative org will asymtoptically approach a zero initiate one.

I had to break away from this game about midway, but if Marquez's K zone stayed the way it was in the early innings, that's a big piece of explaining this game. His K zone was a complete outlier on the tight side compared to what we've been seeing recently. It probably didn't affect mize all that much because he was missing badly with his offspeed stuff, but for the rest of the pitchers acclimated to getting an additional 6" on the wide side it must have been quite the shock.

only for one team?

Well, no real question is was time to go get Mize, what we get from Wentz remains in doubt.

Mize finally throws a slider for a strike - givesup a hit anyway.

Tigers can't get complacent though - if Marquez's strike zone stays like this Mize will give some up also.

shouldn't be true but with most umps you get more close calls when you miss badly less. Marquez not giving Kikuchi much outside either. Small zone - maybe a high scoring game before were done.

Casey ineffectively wild. EDIT: he's not going to last long today if he can't land a breaking ball....

I love Dirks.

My MIL developed it late and the progress was rapid. At then end the choice became upping dosages to where the body was able to maintain but the person was no longer there or have the person and know that the body was going to shut down sooner.

And don't forget Miller to the IL. Foley is a good a pitcher, but it's not the profile to bring into an existing high leverage situation - he should start innings clean. That's where you miss Lange - who was that guy when he could throw strikes. Vest and Faedo don't have the K rate, Wentz flashes a good K rate but is inconsistent overall and the fastball may or may not be there outing to outing. You don't want Chafin facing too many RHH. Holton is probably going it have it fall to him by default like today more often. The fireballing 10+K/9 artist is the unfilled resume in this season's bullpen. Doesn't seem to be a candidate in the org close either.

Something you don't see in a box score very often: Lakeland has 12 BB in their game today. Every player in the starting lineup has at least one.

Max Clark walked, was singled to 2nd and then stole 3rd against a RHP, came home on another single to score Lakeland's first run in the 1st inning.

In what I have heard, Monroe's analysis tends to be better on the radio, no doubt in part because Dickerson keep things more focused on the game than Benotti does but probably also because he probably feels freer to be honest. Radio clips don't end up viral on twitter very often.....

He can get a little silly and drive something into the ground that would be better let go, but the guy that I have the most trouble listening to is Petry. Great guy and fine in small doses but when he gets wound up it's like he won't even take time to come up for air - coming at you rapid fire and then with the stutters to boot - just too fatiguing to listen to sometimes.

totally off the wall suggestion would be to bat him lead-off to force him to think OBP, except the result would be painful if he didn't respond.

the whole psychology and habit around closing is just that, psychology and habit. Jim Leyland showed us in '06 that using your best reliever when the leverage was highest should be the way to go, but the habits formed in baseball culture, which includes the fans, the press, management and even the players, all pressure teams to have closers. It make very little actual sense statistically or tactically. Even the argument that the 9th is somehow harder to pitch is only true because players have come to believe it.

I also wonder if any other guys in the clubhouse got subcllnical cases of the bug that felled Maeda.

If they get off the blow out win, one run loss merrygoround those numbers will be more satisfying. If you just stop expecting Baez to exceed a 220 BA, then what we're waiting for is Greene, Torkelson, and CF - either for Perez to keep it up or for Parker to come back better. A 3 hitter swing is really all it take to move a line-up from futile to productive.

Right, but he might well have have been there with the advantage of already moving toward 3b. Riley almost has to overrun that ball and then come back or maybe circle it alittle to be in decent position to throw.

Perez hitting the wall a little - down to 220 over his last 7 games. Next week or two critical for him to adjust. Canha picking it up a little. Urshella and Jake contributed. Kelly has been OK the last few games. Still need Green and Torkelson the get their acts together.

Riely can't throw when he's hitting either. I wonder if Parker were out there if he takes that, and having the better throwing angle holds the runner. Parker's arm isn't great but it's better than Rileys..... But it didn't matter in the end.

The flip side is he has Foley in better shape for tomorrow. Strategies always look better after the fact when they work. 🙄

would have been nice to have an arm in LF that could have held that runner.

Riley not seeing anything well. Was a mile from the 1st pitch breaking ball, froze on the strike out breaking ball.