2024 DETROIT TIGERS REGULAR SEASON THREAD

[lordstanley]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

Baltimore plays a day game today. It wouldn't upset me if they go 15 innings and use up ALL their pitchers...

I’m definitely scoreboard watching them today. While a sweep is a stretch and I’d be more than happy with 2 of this 3 weekend, if the Tigers were to win all 3 against the Birds they’d go into the final week with a realistic shot at hosting a playoff series as the top seeded wildcard team. 

[Sports_Freak]

23 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Hinch keeps emphasizing how they get these young players to “buy into the system“ at all levels. What we are seeing is that when they get to this level and it actually works, they have become devotees of a system that is working and it’s a part of their collective muscle memory. Our club appears to be developing a sort of Tigers Way.

Many of these kids all played together at the minor league level. That really does seem to make a difference. But these no-name BP arms that are lights out? I think Fetter uses voodoo or something, it's really quite amazing.

[Sports_Freak]

2 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

I’m definitely scoreboard watching them today. While a sweep is a stretch and I’d be more than happy with 2 of this 3 weekend, if the Tigers were to win all 3 against the Birds they’d go into the final week with a realistic shot at hosting a playoff series as the top seeded wildcard team. 

Yeah, a sweep. But just winning 2 of 3 would still leave us 3 games back with 6 games remaining. It would take a 1987 Toronto like collapse. Possible but improbable.

[oblong]

14 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

I’m definitely scoreboard watching them today. While a sweep is a stretch and I’d be more than happy with 2 of this 3 weekend, if the Tigers were to win all 3 against the Birds they’d go into the final week with a realistic shot at hosting a playoff series as the top seeded wildcard team. 

The problem with chasing Baltimore is that they play Minnesota for the final 3 games.  So you need to build up a decent enough lead over MN, in just the next 6 games,  to soften the cushion to balance out their wins against Baltimore.  You'd need to not only win and have them lose but the right combination of those wins/losses... or else MN gets that spot and not us.  

 

 

[Tenacious D]

21 minutes ago, chasfh said:

The problem I had with Mario Impemba was his inability to provide any actual baseball insights during the broadcast.

I don’t see Benneti improving upon this.  And he spends too much time fixated on ballpark activity unrelated to the actual game. I’d rather he leave that to Johnny Kane, which seems to be his role.

I also think you might have unrealistic expectations for a lay person who didn’t play—I’m OK with the “color” guy providing the insights—they are more credible as they actually played.  Both Dirks and Gibby excel in this area.

[oblong]

Mario was fine.  Jason is unique and I think it's a love it or leave it guy.  They're different types of workers.  Mario was a professional who could step into any other team's booth or sport's booth and not skip a beat.

[chasfh]

4 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

I don’t see Benneti improving upon this.  And he spends too much time fixated on ballpark activity unrelated to the actual game. I’d rather he leave that to Johnny Kane, which seems to be his role.

I also think you might have unrealistic expectations for a lay person who didn’t play—I’m OK with the “color” guy providing the insights—they are more credible as they actually played.  Both Dirks and Gibby excel in this area.

I don't disagree about Benetti's attention to non-game-related topics, such as ballpark activity, music tastes, long sidebars on pop culture only millennials really understand, things along those lines. I do find that somewhat annoying at times—not always, but sometimes—as it leads to his too-cute-by-half bon mots that I think are rather polarizing (since some fans love love love those).

What Benetti is far better than Mario at is talking about the actual game in progress and providing insights on it. Despite his penchant for ghosting his daytime job to go call football games, Benetti is a real baseball guy and he does know the game well. Mario could not provide insights on games to save his job, which is probably why he doesn't have a job right now, and in fact hasn't had one since the Red Sox let him go after the 2019 season. If Mario were actually good at calling baseball games, he'd be doing that for a living right now.

[IdahoBert]

Cleveland got a lead off homer so it’s 1–0 over Minnesota right now. 

[holygoat]

I toyed with starting a game thread for this, but I doubt many are watching it live.

 

GO GRIBE!

[holygoat]

Rocchio boots chopper and the Twins have the leadoff guy on first in the 3rd.

[holygoat]

A double play erases the threat!

[IdahoBert]

6 minutes ago, holygoat said:

I toyed with starting a game thread for this, but I doubt many are watching it live.

 

GO GRIBE!

I thought about it too, but this will probably be OK. 

[holygoat]

Correa Ks and we're on to the bottom of the 3rd.

[IdahoBert]

It looks like they have a really decent daytime crowd there. 

[holygoat]

3 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

It looks like they have a really decent daytime crowd there. 

Yup. It's a beautiful day for a baseball game.

[holygoat]

Twins turn a nifty DP to get out of the 3rd.

[IdahoBert]

3 minutes ago, holygoat said:

Twins turn a nifty DP to get out of the 3rd.

Looks like it was an acceptable “neighborhood play” at Second. 

[holygoat]

Cantillo briefly loses sight of the strike zone, but finds it in time to retire the top of the 4th.

[holygoat]

Giminez stretches a single into a double, and the Gribe are threatening with 2 down in the 4th.

[holygoat]

Noel flies out and the threat is neutralized.

[IdahoBert]

Sadly, the inning ends without an extra Guardian run, and this is probably the only time in my life I will ever say this. 

[IdahoBert]

Top of the fifth still 1-0 Cleveland leading Minnesota. 
 

[holygoat]

Farmer strokes a double to the gap to open the 5th.

[holygoat]

Cantillo with more control issues, and Castro draws a walk. Twins with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out.

[IdahoBert]

Minnesota scores two