4/30 DH Game 1 3:40 Game 2 TBD Cardinals @ Tigers

[Tigeraholic1]

Comerica Park - Detroit, MI

Game Time Forecast: 71 Sunny

Listen: 97.1 The Ticket

Watch: Bally Sports Detroit

Starters Game 1:

RHP Kyle Gibson

RHP Jack Flaherty

Starters Game 2:

LHP Steven Matz

TBD

[chasfh]

Not sure how aware people here are of how much the national press has noticed Riley Greene, but here is yet another story I am seeing. he keeps this up and he will get MVP votes this year.

https://theathletic.com/5445695/2024/04/30/mlb-hitters-hot-starts-barrel-rate-improvement/

Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

We’re focusing on batted ball quality here, but this is truly a breakout in all regards for the 23-year-old outfielder in Detroit. Consider that, so far this season, he has:

• Reduced his whiff rate by a larger margin than all but 16 players in the bigs
• Reduced his strikeout rate by 2.4 percentage points
• Reduced his chase rate by a larger margin than all but 18 players in the bigs
• Increased his walk rate three-fold (the biggest improvement in the bigs)
• Reduced his ground-ball rate
• Increased his fly-ball rate by a larger margin than all but five players in the bigs
• Improved his range defensively

Often across-the-board improvement like this is due to a player settling into his approach, and that seems like the case here.

“It’s been a lot of nibbling to get me to chase,” he recently told the Detroit Free Press. “The more that I don’t chase, the more they’ll come back in the zone and hopefully try to challenge me.”

Players generally see more pitches, chase less and lift the ball better as they age, but this is a more aggressive version of that natural improvement. This is a player coming into his own. He may not be stealing bags like he did last season, but Greene seems likely to be able to hit .250-plus with 25 homers this year, with the type of defense and base running that could make him an All-Star.

[kdog]

 

[casimir]

Kyle Gibson's OPS against is .840 in Detroit as opposed to his career line of .748.  If that does anything for you on a nice warm day.

[gehringer_2]

Carson returns, no break for Dingler.

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

Carson returns, no break for Dingler.

Game hasn't started yet. Wasn't he in the starting lineup the other day before he was scratched?

[kdog]

I'm not sure they have a catcher to call up. Dingler has a .640 OPS.

[Motor City Sonics]

10 minutes ago, kdog said:

I'm not sure they have a catcher to call up. Dingler has a .640 OPS.

He's on the roster, it'd be for a day (or two).  

[Motor City Sonics]

I wish the Cardinals still had those blue road uniforms.  I loved those as a kid.      A lot of teams went with the light blue.  

 

Wonder what the City Connect uniforms will look like for the Tigers.   I have seen the hat. 

To me any Tiger home uni without the Olde English D is a fraud.    I get Los Tigres and Detroit Stars unforms,. but that's it !

[Sports_Freak]

Craig on the TV? Click...off go the speakers!!

[kdog]

live fastball against his former team.

[Sports_Freak]

I'm starting to like Jack. 😄

[Toddwert]

1 minute ago, Sports_Freak said:

I'm starting to like Jack. 😄

Morris, Bauer or sprat?

[chasfh]

Could have had a Fister today, but alas, only seven in a row. 

[chasfh]

I’ll take that strike three call on Nootbaar, but man, is Hunter Wendelstedt ever bad. 

[1776]

The offense is painful to non existent. If Flaherty’s start is wasted…

[1776]

Riley!!!!

[Tigermojo]

Flexing straight away center.

[Sports_Freak]

Did Craig say he was talking to greene in the batting cage yet? Craig is a Rod Allen wannabe.

[Tigermojo]

Jack Flaherty's mom is going to have to come to every game now. His velocity is up, strike outs left and right, shutting them down.

[chasfh]

Twelve strikeouts, five innings, 65 pitches.

Holy Mary, Mother of God. 

[chasfh]

So I look at Jack Flaherty sitting in the dugout and it’s the first time I’ve seen him without a cap on, and I see his hair, and I’m wondering, is he black? And sure enough, according to Wikipedia, he is biracial and identifies as black. Something I would never have guessed just seeing pictures of him in a ballcap. 

[1776]

Flaherty identifies as black.

[1776]

Flaherty at 78 pitches through six innings.

[chasfh]

Thirteen strikeouts, six innings, 78 pitches.

He’s definitely coming out for one more, and Grid willing, hopefully two.