MLB Pro’s Detroit Tigers (2014-Present) – Hear Us Roar

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MLB Pro is a unique online league as it simulates one day, every day which mirrors the real MLB since 2012. It is probably the most realistic and engaging simulation experience I’ve had in an OOTP online league.

We are currently using OOTP 15. With ratings set at 20/80.

You can find the link to the website on my signature.

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For two years (2012 and 2013), the Detroit Tigers were like an arbitrator – always in the middle – as they finished 3rd in the AL Central in consecutive seasons. We’ve seen Prince Fielder, Ian Kinsler, Max Scherzer, Josh Beckett, and Justin Verlander go.

Then, I stepped in as the General Manager (GM) in 2014. I moved Jesus Montero to a full-time DH role as his defensive efficiency at catcher is pretty low. I traded for catcher Brian McCann, 1B Bryan LaHair, 2B Kolten Wong, LF Matt Clark and CF Hideyori Kuwabara to field a competent lineup. On the mound, I’ve added SP Roy Halladay to complement SP Brandon Beachy.

We won 90 games that year, a 7-game improvement, and we also reached the playoffs for the first time. Our stint was cut short in the Divisional Series by the Seattle Mariners, the eventual World Series champions, in 4 games (3-1).

It was a learning experience for me as a GM. It allowed me to get to know my team better and it let me mold my team to my liking.

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To defend the division, normally, a GM would probably just fill holes and hope for the best. Unfortunately, I’m not your typical GM.

I did a major overhaul in our lineup and rotation in the off-season until the waiver trading deadline.

Below, please find the current active roster:

Detroit Tigers Active Roster
#	PITCHERS	POS	B/T	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
40	Stephen Strasburg	Starter	R	27	6'3"	215	$15,000,000
55	Josh Johnson	Starter	R	31	6'7"	250	$9,500,000
36	Ubaldo Jimenez	Starter	R	31	6'3"	195	$7,100,000
47	Sonny Gray	Starter	R	25	5'10"	210	$480,000
54	James McDonald	Starter	R	30	6'5"	195	$9,500,000
49	Rex Brothers	LHP Specialist	L	27	6'0"	205	$950,000
62	Al Albuquerque	RHP Specialist	R	29	6'0"	195	$880,000
52	Jose Arredondo	RHP Specialist	R	31	6'0"	180	$992,000
61	Felix Doubront	Long Relief	L	27	6'2"	165	$2,250,000
30	Paul Clemens	Middle Relief	R	27	6'3"	190	$480,000
53	Jose Mavare	Setup	R	25	6'0"	180	$480,000
13	Hector Santiago	Closer	L	27	6'0"	210	$1,900,000
#	CATCHERS	POS	B/T	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
32	Joe Mauer	C	L	32	6'5"	225	$23,000,000
#	INFIELDERS	POS	B/T	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
23	Paul Konerko	1B	R	39	6'3"	205	$5,000,000
31	Tyler Moore	1B	R	28	6'2"	185	$480,000
21	Cory Spangenberg	2B	L	24	6'0"	195	$480,000
18	Ryan Zimmerman	3B	R	30	6'3"	215	$14,000,000
1	Andrelton Simmons	SS	R	25	6'2"	180	$480,000
10	Christian Colon	SS	R	26	6'0"	185	$480,000
#	OUTFIELDERS	POS	B/T	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
29	Matt Diaz	LF	R	37	6'0"	195	$480,000
39	Avery Barnes	LF	L	28	6'0"	180	$480,000
25	Jiwan James	CF	S	26	6'3"	190	$480,000
22	Chih-Hsien Chiang	RF	L	27	6'2"	175	$480,000
57	Alex Rios	RF	R	34	6'5"	185	$1,500,000
#	DESIGNATED HITTER	POS	B/T	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
63	Jesus Montero	DH	R	25	6'3"	240	$2,600,000

[darkcloud4579]

Interesting sim concept for sure and kudos to you all for doing it continuously for years now.

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Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

Interesting sim concept for sure and kudos to you all for doing it continuously for years now.

Thanks.

Yes, it's definitely an interesting concept which got me hooked and it's the only online league I'm in so that I can focus on the day-to-day happenings.

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Position – Name (CON/GAP/POW/EYE/AV.K)

Catcher – Joe Mauer (65/60/45/60/65)

Mauer is one of the top 5 catchers in the league today. I acquired him via waiver trade with the rebuilding Washington Nationals this mid-August in exchange for Brian McCann, who’s making $10M less. Although Mauer is already 32 years old, he’s still efficient defensively. My scout rates him 70 in both catcher ability and catcher arm. His overall position rating at catcher is at 75.

First Baseman – Paul Konerko (60/50/60/55/50)

Konerko is a veteran leader in the clubhouse. We acquired him via trade with Chicago White Sox in a trade deadline deal in exchange for CF Hideyori Kuwabara. Even though he’s getting old (39 years old), he’s still hitting decently showing his contact, power and eye. We signed him to a 2-year contract extension for $15M, with the 2nd year being a vesting option (it will be guaranteed assuming he plays 120 games next season).

Second Baseman – Cory Spangenberg (60/65/35/35/50)

Spangenberg is a rookie whom we obtained from the San Diego Padres in a July deal for a pitching prospect, SP Jorge Fernandez. This 24-year old was immediately called up to the Majors after the trade. He spent his entire season in AAA before the deal. I like Spangenberg because he can hit for contact vs. RHP. He can also lay down a sacrifice bunt with ease and he can occasionally squeeze a bunt for hit.

Third Baseman – Ryan Zimmerman (50/45/50/50/45)

Zimmerman is another trade deadline deal. Before trading for Zimmerman, we had Brett Lawrie at 3B. But after dealing Lawrie, reigning AL Cy Young award winner, SP Brandon Beachy, and MR Michael Morrison to the Philadelphia Phillies for CF Jiwan James and SP Sonny Gray, we have little to no option at the hot corner. Hence, we made a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Zim came with MR Paul Clemens who will boost our bullpen. Many believed that it was a bad trade as we gave up a couple of good prospects for a salary dump and a reliever. Maybe it’s not worth it to take on his contract ($14M until 2018, $18M until 2020 with the last year being a team option) but if he doesn’t perform well, his defense will still be a valuable asset to the team. If not, we can always try to shop him around and bait some prospects to spice up the deal.

Shortstop – Christian Colon (65/55/40/45/70)

Colon was acquired in the 2014 off-season via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a good defensive middle infielder who can hit for average and can avoid strikeouts. He has a very high leadership quality. Hence, he’s like a coach on the field. On April 2015, we agreed to a 4-year contract extension with a total value of $8.5M. This will just buy out his arbitration years.

Left Fielder – Avery Barnes (55/65/45/65/50)

We traded for Barnes in the 2014 off-season with the Cincinnati Reds. In return, they received SP Roy Halladay. We also got SP prospect Miguel Pineda as well. Barnes is an extremely hard worker and it shows on the field. He hits well vs. RHP as compared to vs. LHP.

Center Fielder – Jiwan James (65/65/40/45/55)

As mentioned above, James was obtained via trade with the Phillies. He is one of the true center fielders left in the majors today. He is a natural defender (70 CF rating, 75 outfield range, 65 outfield error and 70 outfield arm), well above-average foot speed and base running. He’ll be our lead-off hitter for quite some time. He is loyal to his team and he has a lot of influence in the locker room.

Right Fielder – Chih-Hsien Chiang (60/60/60/45/55)

We got Chiang in April 2015 from the Minnesota Twins for 2B Kolten Wong, MR Chance Ruffin and CL prospect Enriquez Pacheco. Chiang has hit well early in the season that’s why we handed him an extension for 4 years, worth a total of $9.5M. Personality-wise, Chiang is very greedy and has a “me-first” attitude.

Designated Hitter – Jesus Montero (65/60/65/50/50)

In 2012, Montero was traded by the Seattle Mariners, together with SP Josh Beckett and Chone Figgins, for SP Justin Verlander and 3B Miguel Cabrera. By 2013, Montero was still playing catcher even though his defense was a liability. In 2014, we made sure Montero will be a full-time DH with the occasional starts at catcher whenever the starter is tired. We offered a contract extension in 2014 for 4 years with a total value of $16M. Montero is a decent guy and an above-average hitter.

Bench – Tyler Moore, Andrelton Simmons, Alex Rios, Matt Diaz

All of my bench guys fare well vs. LHP as they platoon with some of the starters. Down in AAA, we also have depth pieces in C Mike Napoli, 1B Dan Black, 1B Brian Dopirak, 2B Everth Cabrera, 3B Jhonny Peralta, CF Dexter Fowler and RF Trayce Thompson.

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I must admit that our bullpen could still use some improvement. It’s been our weakness all season long as we’ve experienced late inning meltdowns. We have a record of 15-20 in 1-run games and 6-6 in extra innings. Hopefully, our latest additions would help us in the crucial stretch of the game.

Closer - Hector Santiago (70/60/55)

Initially, my intention is to have Santiago pitch as a starter when we traded for him last January 2015 even though his stamina may be an issue (35 rating). In 10 starts this year, he won 2 games and took the loss 4 times. As a starter, his ERA is 7.24 and his WHIP is 1.74. For this reason, we moved him to the bullpen where he pitched better (1-1, 5 saves, 3.68 ERA, 1.45 WHIP).

Setup – Jose Mavare (75/60/40)

Mavare was acquired in the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals for an OF prospect. He is a groundball pitcher who throws up to 95 MPH. He has a better than average stuff but has some control issues.

Middle Relief – Paul Clemens (70/55/55)

We traded for Clemens last July 31 from the Atlanta Braves. He is a reliable bullpen arm who throws hard (96 MPH). For the eyes of some, he may not be worth the salary dump of Ryan Zimmerman’s large contract but we had to do what he had to improve our bullpen.

Long Relief – Felix Doubront (55/60/50)

Doubront is a very popular reliever as he never shows any lack of effort. He is our long relief pitcher and emergency SP. As a lefty, he holds runners fairly well.

Specialist vs. RHB – Al Albuquerque (75/65/40 vs. RHB)

Albuquerque was the closer for the Tigers in 2013. We moved him to setup role last year. This season, he bounces around in the pen although we have settled for him to be one of our specialist vs. RHB. He has three (3) effective pitches but he only has subpar command of his pitches.

Specialist vs. RHB – Jose Arredondo (70/60/55 vs. RHB)

We acquired Arredondo from the Seattle Mariners for a MR prospect before the trade deadline. He has three (3) pitches, can hold the runners and he is a good guy in the clubhouse.

Specialist vs. LHB – Rex Brothers (80/60/40 vs. LHB)

We claimed Brothers on waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals last February 2015. Since then, he has been our lefty specialist. He has tremendous stuff and sick slider although he still needs to work on his sense of the strike zone.

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Below, are our top prospects.

Our farm system is ranked 24th in the Majors thanks to the addition of OF Richard Davis (53rd ranked prospect).

We're slowly building up our minor league as we've given up most of our top prospects in the deal for Stephen Strasburg.

TOP PROSPECTS - BATTERS
#	Name    Age	Pos	Contact	Power	Eye/Discipline	Speed	Defense	Level	AVG	HR	RBI
1	Richard Davis	18	RF	60	60	60	35	45	S A	.143	1	4
6	Juan Jánchez	20	C	45	55	75	20	35	R	.303	3	20
7	Carson Blair	25	C	45	45	70	40	45	AA	.268	9	25
8	Nicholas Longmire	26	CF	45	55	50	65	55	AA	.278	18	74
9	Michael Sharp	22	SS	45	25	35	45	80	S A	.309	2	24
12	Norm Horn	23	C	50	50	55	20	55	A	.236	14	61
14	Philiberto Sapani	24	CF	50	45	40	60	75	A	.244	4	25
16	Albert Cordero	25	C	70	30	50	20	20	AAA	.301	4	40
19	Elevys Gonzalez	25	3B	50	40	50	50	50	AA	.252	7	40
20	Kelvin De Leon	24	RF	50	55	55	50	65	AA	.262	1	11

TOP PROSPECTS - PITCHERS
#	Name	Age	Role	Stuff	Control	Movement	Level	Rec	ERA	IP	HA	BB	K
2	Chris Hensley	21	P	55	65	55	S A	2-1	3.54	20.1	18	5	25
3	Zach Rivera	23	P	50	65	60	S A	1-3	5.40	25.0	40	9	28
4	Ed Walker	22	P	50	60	60	S A	3-1	1.69	32.0	22	16	33
5	Steven Upchurch	25	P	50	60	60	AA	12-8	4.10	177.2	185	42	149
10	John van Alle	19	P	65	55	55	S A	0-1	14.54	4.1	7	3	4
11	Stuart Kennedy	20	P	50	60	50	S A	5-5	2.94	79.2	50	36	89
13	Scott Alexander	26	P	55	55	60	A	5-14	5.59	149.2	180	60	145
15	Warren Slack	26	P	70	50	50	AA	8-2	4.52	65.2	53	28	73
17	Eric Green	22	P	50	45	60	S A	3-0	1.66	38.0	18	21	42
18	Donald Austin	20	P	65	60	60	R	1-1	1.93	23.1	15	14	25

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Owner – Mike Ilitch

His patience rating is lenient and his fiscal personality is generous. His expectation for the year is to have a winning record. Currently, his mood is good. He has given us a budget of $184M for the year.

Manager – Ozzie Guillen

Guillen is outstanding in handling veterans, excellent in handling players and good in handling rookies.

Bench Coach – Ron Washington

Washington is excellent in handling rookies and players, good in handling veterans and good in teaching fielding.

Hitting Coach – Travis Hafner

Hafner is outstanding in teaching hitting.

Pitching Coach – Tomomi Kato

Kato is outstanding in teaching pitching.

Trainer – Kevin Rand

Rand is excellent in healing back related injuries and he is good in healing arms, legs, other and fatigue recovery.

[pat]

Currently, below is the AL Central standings:

MLB Standings - Updated: Aug 26, 2015
AL CENTRAL	W	L	GB
Cleveland Indians	72	53	-
Detroit Tigers	67	59	5.5
Minnesota Twins	61	64	11
Chicago White Sox	60	65	12
Kansas City Royals	35	91	37.5

We are 5.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians. Our rival is playing well but has been hit by the injury bug recently. Four (4) of their starters were injured as of late (CF Brett Gardner, RF Bo Greenwell, SP James Shields and LF Josh Hamilton). We need to capitalize on it as they are short-handed especially now that we are about to face them seven (7) times in September.

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Below, please find the player stats as of yesterday:

Detroit Tigers Stats - Hitting
NAME	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG
Joe Mauer	359	43	97	26	0	8	38	44	51	0	1	.270	.350	.409
Paul Konerko	440	57	126	26	0	18	74	39	78	0	0	.286	.356	.468
Tyler Moore	246	32	57	10	2	11	42	13	75	1	1	.232	.271	.423
Cory Spangenberg	113	13	34	9	2	2	15	9	24	1	0	.301	.358	.469
Ryan Zimmerman	281	34	54	4	1	8	35	23	68	0	3	.192	.264	.299
Andrelton Simmons	106	14	23	4	0	0	9	3	25	3	0	.217	.243	.255
Christian Colon	452	58	131	22	1	7	35	25	56	17	4	.290	.331	.389
Matt Diaz	11	1	3	1	0	1	1	0	3	0	0	.273	.273	.636
Avery Barnes	370	52	106	17	3	10	60	57	89	11	2	.286	.395	.430
Jiwan James	483	75	146	36	5	9	56	37	82	20	14	.302	.354	.453
Chih-Hsien Chiang	417	61	111	20	1	13	51	32	72	2	5	.266	.319	.412
Alex Rios	88	12	29	8	1	2	14	5	16	1	1	.333	.372	.511
Jesus Montero	486	71	153	27	0	24	82	43	86	0	0	.315	.371	.519

Detroit Tigers Stats - Pitching
NAME	GP	GS	W	L	SV	QS	HLD	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	ERA
Stephen Strasburg	27	27	12	4	0	23	0	188.1	153	51	15	46	239	1.06	2.44
Josh Johnson	25	25	16	5	0	18	0	173.1	141	42	5	40	146	1.04	2.18
Ubaldo Jimenez	22	17	5	10	0	6	0	103	132	70	8	37	84	1.64	6.12
Sonny Gray	39	5	7	3	1	2	4	81.1	84	42	8	36	81	1.48	4.65
James McDonald	27	22	9	6	1	12	1	148	135	66	16	56	119	1.29	4.01
Al Albuquerque	53	0	2	2	2	0	12	62	62	28	4	30	61	1.48	4.06
Jose Arredondo	40	0	6	1	0	0	12	35.2	34	14	4	11	33	1.26	3.53
Rex Brothers	53	0	2	3	0	0	13	29	20	11	2	11	49	1.07	3.41
Paul Clemens	48	1	2	2	1	0	11	62.1	47	17	2	30	74	1.24	2.45
Felix Doubront	41	4	4	2	3	0	6	68.1	60	31	5	32	52	1.35	4.08
Jose Mavare	7	0	0	0	1	0	1	6	5	2	2	2	7	1.17	3.00
Hector Santiago	35	10	3	5	5	0	3	68	78	46	8	34	73	1.65	6.09

[pat]

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers
Aug 25, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles (85-40)	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	6	1
Detroit (67-59)	3	0	4	3	0	0	0	1	x	11	13	0
W: Stephen Strasburg (13-4) L: C.J. Wilson (16-5)

DETROIT – Jesus Montero and the Detroit Tigers opened the series with a win by beating the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 on Tuesday night.

Detroit came out of the gate fast as they led 3-0 in the first inning.

Stephen Strasburg (13-4) picked up the win despite allowing three solo home runs, two to Jing-bo Xun and one to Albert Pujols. Nevertheless, he almost pitched a complete game (8 2-3 innings), surrendered six hits, two walks and struck out eight.

C. J. Wilson (16-5) gave up seven runs on seven hits and three walks.

Coming into the game, the Angels are leading the majors with 85 wins. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 6 ½ games back in the AL Central and 6 games back in the second wild card spot, currently held by the Seattle Mariners.



In the first inning, Joe Mauer doubled, Jiwan James then singled and Jesus Montero reached via error on a dropped throw by Angels’ 3B Zack Cox, allowing Mauer to score for the first run. Moore then worked a free pass, then Matt Diaz hit a line drive single to bring James home. Montero scored on an Andrelton Simmons’ sacrifice fly, making it 3-0.

Xun leadoff the second inning with a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-1.

Detroit’s third inning started with Montero’s walk then Moore grounded into a fielder’s choice. Thereafter, Diaz hit a single and Simmons’ RBI single scored Moore. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a single of his own. With Alex Rios at the plate, Wilson threw a wild pitch for Diaz to score. Rios finished the at-bat getting a walk. Colon then hit a two-RBI single to right field for insurance runs, 7-1.

In the fourth inning, Xun smashed his second home run of the game to bring the Angels closer, 7-2.

On the next frame, James leadoff the inning with a walk. Montero then hit a two-run home run off reliever Dan Runzler. Tyler Moore followed with a solo shot to give the Tigers a 10-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Simmons made it 11-2 as he drew a free pass with the bases-loaded as Montero scored his third run of the night.

In the next half-inning, Pujols hit a solo home run off Strasburg to close the scoring at 11-3.

NEXT UP

Both teams will continue the three-game series with a couple of AL Cy Young contenders in Brandon Morrow (18-3, 2.09) facing Josh Johnson (16-5, 2.18). Morrow has allowed two earned run or fewer in his last five starts.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr.

[pat]

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers
Aug 26, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles (85-41)	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	7	1
Detroit (68-59)	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	3	x	7	9	0
W: Jose Mavare (1-0) L: Jason Motte (1-2) S: Hector Santiago (6)

DETROIT – Often times, the Detroit Tigers bullpen gets criticized. Tonight, they held on the tie, never allowing a hit or a walk, and watched Paul Konerko’s go-ahead home run in the 8th to seal the victory.

Paul Clemens pitched a perfect 7th inning while lefty specialist, Rex Brothers, struck out the only batter he faced. Setup man Jose Mavare (1-0) picked up the win pitching 2-3 of an inning. Closer Hector Santiago punched out two batters in the 9th for his 6th save of the season. The Tigers held off the Los Angeles Angels for a 7-4 win on Wednesday.

The Tigers’ bullpen went into the game with the 11th worst ERA in the American League.

It was supposed to be a pitching duel between two AL Cy Young contenders in Angels’ Brandon Morrow (18-3, 2.17 ERA) and Josh Johnson (16-5, 2.31 ERA). Both of the teams’ offense has other plans.

Mike Trout led off the 1st inning with a single. He stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Zack Cox.

In the 2nd inning, Kole Calhoun doubled and he was driven home by Howie Kendrick’s double. Trout singled to left-center to score Kendrick.

Kendrick hit a solo homerun in the 4th inning for a 4-0 lead by the Angels.

In the next frame, Joe Mauer reached on an error to start the inning. Avery Barnes then hit a single. Jesus Montero drew a walk to load the bases. Chih-Hsien Chiang singled home Mauer and Barnes. Konerko was issued a free pass for another bases-loaded opportunity. Christian Colon grounded into fielder’s choice at second base, allowing Montero to score. Ryan Zimmerman singled home Chiang to tie the game at 4-4.



Konerko hit a go-ahead solo home run off Jason Motte (1-2) in the 8th inning. Colon followed with a single. Cory Spangenberg also hit a single in the inning. With runners in the corners, Jiwan James hit a double to right-center for insurance runs, Tigers lead, 7-4.

All Detroit starters in the lineup got on base via a hit or a walk. The Tigers are still 5 ½ games behind the American League Central division leader, Cleveland Indians, while they are 5 games out in the second wild card spot (Seattle Mariners).

The Angels, who own the best record in the majors (85-41), have lost three straight games for the first time this season. Detroit is looking to complete a sweep tomorrow - a feat only the Colorado Rockies has done to Los Angeles this year (2-game sweep).

Morrow threw six-plus innings, allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, five walks and four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Johnson pitched six innings, surrendered four earned runs on seven hits (including one home run), three walks and two punch outs.

Angels’ Jean Segura may have cost his team the game with a fielding error and a base running mistake.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10, 6.12 ERA) is the scheduled starter as Detroit will try to finish a sweep tomorrow against the Angels, an achievement only one team has done this season.

Angels: RHP Julio Teheran (10-4, 3.58 ERA) will try to put an end on their three-game losing streak - their longest slide this year.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr.

[pat]

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers
Aug 27, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles (85-42)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	3	7	0
Detroit (69-59)	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	x	4	7	2
W: Hector Santiago (4-5) L: Julio Teheran (10-5)

DETROIT – Ubaldo Jimenez may not have gotten the decision for the Detroit Tigers but he helped his team hold off the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Thursday.

Jimenez pitched six-plus innings of four-hit ball, allowing one run and striking out 10 with one walk.



Detroit's bullpen let the Angels tie the game at 3 in the eighth inning but Tigers’ Christian Colon hit a tiebreaking solo shot in the bottom frame to put Detroit ahead 4-3, leading the Tigers to the win and a three-game series sweep.

Detroit’s closer Hector Santiago (4-5) got the last four outs as the Tigers improved to a season-high 10 games above .500 (69-59). He induced a double play to end the game.

It was Detroit’s fourth straight win overall and they finished 5-2 against the Angels this season.

Los Angeles’ Julio Teheran (10-5) gave up all four runs and seven hits in eight innings. He struck out four and walked none in his second loss in his last four starts.

Tigers scored the first run on a couple of unexpected plays. First, a poor runner, Jesus Montero, who was called upon for catching duties to let Joe Mauer rest, led off the bottom of the fifth inning with an infield hit. Paul Konerko, who is fairly slow as well, then hit a triple to center field, bringing Montero home.

Left fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang followed with a two-run home run to right-center which stretched Detroit’s lead to 3-0.

The Angels cut into the lead in the top of the seventh inning with consecutive doubles from Howie Kendrick and Jean Segura, 3-1 Tigers.

The Angels tied the game in the eighth inning. Zack Cox led off with a single. Detroit’s lefty specialist, Rex Brothers, then struck out Los Angeles’ left fielder Masutaro Ohayashi. Tigers then called another lefty Felix Doubront to pitch against Angels’ switch-hitting outfielder Jing-bo Xun, who hits better against righties. Xun then smashed a two-run home run in left-center to make it 3-all.

In the next frame, Colon hit a go-ahead solo home run over the left field wall to put Detroit on top, 4-3.

UP NEXT

RHP James McDonald (9-6, 4.01 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tigers in the series opener at Toronto.

MLB Standings - Updated: Aug 28, 2015
AL CENTRAL	W	L	GB
Cleveland Indians	73	53	-
Detroit Tigers	69	59	5
Minnesota Twins	62	65	11.5
Chicago White Sox	61	66	12.5
Kansas City Royals	36	92	38
AL WILD CARD RACE	W	L	GB
Texas Rangers	77	49	-
Seattle Mariners	74	54	-
Detroit Tigers	69	59	5
Toronto Blue Jays	67	60	6.5

Image courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr.

[pat]

Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays
Aug 28, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (69-60)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Toronto (68-60)	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	X	2	5	1
W: Carlos Zambrano (12-4) L: James McDonald (9-7) S: Kelvin Herrera (15)

TORONTO – Carlos Zambrano simply shut down the Detroit Tigers.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ right-hander allowed just three hits and Bryce Harper hit a homer as the Blue Jays beat the Tigers 2-0.



Zambrano (12-4) worked eight innings, walked two and struck out six.

Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth to earn 15th save in 26 opportunities.

The Blue Jays snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth with a Harper solo home run off Tigers starter James McDonald (9-7). In the following inning, Jays’ outfielder Jacob Julius hit an RBI single, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead. Both hits were 2-out RBIs.

McDonald scattered five hits over eight innings, struck out five. Before Friday, McDonald had not allowed a home run since August 8 – the same day he suffered his last loss.

Detroit, which finished with three hits, left four men on base. Tigers catcher Joe Mauer finished with a single but stranded three runners.

Toronto also struggled with runners on base as they strand six men.

UP NEXT

Tigers RHP Sonny Gray (7-3, 4.65 ERA) will try to avenge the loss for Detroit.

Image courtesy of Sailing Nomad on Flickr.

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Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays
Aug 29, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (70-60)	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	7	8	0
Toronto (68-61)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	11	0
W: Sonny Gray (8-3) L: Victor Mejia (0-1) S: Al Albuquerque (3)

TORONTO – Paul Konerko and the Detroit Tigers have both kept up their strong play.

Konerko had one hit, two runs and four walks as the 2nd in American League Central Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Saturday.

Konerko ties the AL regular season game record for bases on ball with four. In 23 games with Detroit after the trade with the Chicago White Sox, the 39-year old first baseman is hitting .326/.420/.593 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He has already surpassed his WAR total with the White Sox (1.1) as he has registered 1.2 WAR in limited time with the Tigers.



Detroit has won 16 of 25 to go to 10 games over .500 (70-60).

Tigers’ catcher Joe Mauer doubled off 21-year old Victor Mejia (0-1), who was called up from AA, in the first inning. He scored easily as Mejia threw a couple of wild pitches, making it 1-0 Detroit.

Mauer doubled again in the fifth to start the inning. After Avery Barnes grounded out, Jesus Montero and Konerko were issued a free pass. With the bases loaded, Chih-Hsien Chiang hit a single to drive home Mauer. Cory Spangenberg worked a bases-loaded walk for another run. Ryan Zimmerman then hit a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 4-0 Tigers.

In the next frame, Blue Jays’ Yadier Molina, Jacob Julius and Nick Franklin hit singles in succession off Sonny Gray (8-3), who allowed one run and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. Eric Hosmer then grounded into a double play which allowed Molina to score, 4-1 Tigers.

Toronto’s Bryce Harper cut into the lead with his solo home run off Paul Clemens in the bottom of the eighth inning and Ryan Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly to close the gap at 4-3.

In the top of the ninth inning, Detroit’s Avery Barnes was hit by the pitch to lead off the frame. Then after Jesus Montero’s fly out, Konerko got his fourth walk of the game. Next, Tyler Moore hit a pinch-hit inside-the-park 3-run home run to give the Tigers insurance runs, 7-3.

Al Albuquerque, the fifth Tigers reliever, got the last four outs for his third save.

Mejia gave up four runs, seven hits and seven walks in 4 2/3 innings. It’s his first game back in the MLB after a short stint in 2013 with the Kansas City Royals.

UP NEXT

Tigers RHP Stephen Strasburg (13-4) will go against Blue Jays RHP Joba Chamberlain (8-7) in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday.

MLB Standings - Updated: Aug 29, 2015
AL CENTRAL	W	L	GB
Cleveland Indians	73	55	-
Detroit Tigers	70	60	4
Minnesota Twins	64	65	9.5
Chicago White Sox	62	67	11.5
Kansas City Royals	37	93	37
AL WILD CARD RACE	W	L	GB
Texas Rangers	78	50	-
Seattle Mariners	75	55	-
Detroit Tigers	70	60	5
Toronto Blue Jays	68	61	6.5

Image courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr.

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Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays
Aug 30, 2015	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (71-60)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	9	0
Toronto (68-62)	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	0
W: Stephen Strasburg (14-4) L: Kelvin Herrera (3-8) S: Hector Santiago (7)

TORONTO – The Detroit Tigers have turned to Stephen Strasburg every time they needed a win.

Strasburg (14-4) pitched eight innings, allowed three runs on six hits and struck out six, as the Detroit Tigers rallied late to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Sunday.

The 27-year old flamethrower has compiled a record of 10-1 in 14 starts with Detroit after being acquired last June.



Tigers’ Jesus Montero hit a game-tying solo homerun in the eighth inning off Blue Jays’ closer Kelvin Herrera (3-8). In the ninth inning, Christian Colon singled, advanced to second on a ground out, and eventually scored on Alex Rios’ RBI single off Herrera.

Hector Santiago managed to get three outs for his seventh save of the season.

Bryce Harper homered for the third straight game for the Blue Jays. Dustin Pedroia had three hits, including a double.

UP NEXT

Tigers: After a rest day on Monday, Detroit will begin a three-game set at Kansas City. RHP Josh Johnson (16-5, 2.31 ERA) will start on Tuesday. RHP Gavin Floyd (7-6, 4.62 ERA) will pitch for the Royals.

MLB Standings - Updated: Aug 29, 2015
AL CENTRAL	W	L	GB
Cleveland Indians	74	55	-
Detroit Tigers	71	60	4
Minnesota Twins	65	65	9.5
Chicago White Sox	62	68	12.5
Kansas City Royals	38	93	37
AL WILD CARD RACE	W	L	GB
Texas Rangers	79	50	-
Seattle Mariners	76	55	-
Detroit Tigers	71	60	5
Toronto Blue Jays	68	62	7.5

Image courtesy of Arturo Pardavilla III on Flickr.

[pat]

Weekly Team Power Rankings:

Here are the current team power rankings:

Rank Last Week	Team	Points	Tendency	Record	PCT	AVG	ERA	Pyt.Rec	Diff
1st (1st)	Los Angeles	121	o	87-43	.669	.279	3.22	88-42	-1
2nd (2nd)	Chicago		113	o	76-55	.580	.251	3.47	68-63	8
3rd (3rd)	Texas		112	o	79-50	.612	.275	3.85	77-52	2
4th (4th)	St. Louis	109	o	77-53	.592	.252	3.50	68-62	9
5th (5th)	Seattle		106	o	76-55	.580	.266	3.54	82-49	-6
6th (6th)	Miami		106	o	75-56	.573	.264	3.16	81-50	-6
7th (7th)	San Francisco	105	o	73-57	.562	.274	3.81	71-59	2
8th (8th)	Milwaukee	105	o	72-58	.554	.252	3.60	72-58	0
9th (9th)	Cleveland	104	o	74-55	.574	.275	4.05	74-55	0
10th (10th)	Detroit		104	o	71-60	.542	.267	4.06	69-62	2
11th (11th)	New York	98	o	72-58	.554	.251	3.00	75-55	-3
12th (12th)	Minnesota	95	o	65-65	.500	.266	4.05	72-58	-7
13th (13th)	New York	95	o	70-59	.543	.262	4.49	65-64	5
14th (14th)	Philadelphia	94	o	65-66	.496	.252	3.46	65-66	0
15th (15th)	Pittsburgh	94	o	70-60	.538	.244	3.43	66-64	4
16th (16th)	Toronto		92	o	68-62	.523	.271	4.34	68-62	0
17th (17th)	San Diego	88	o	63-68	.481	.252	3.83	64-67	-1
18th (18th)	Atlanta		87	o	61-69	.469	.240	3.67	61-69	0
19th (19th)	Baltimore	86	o	62-68	.477	.273	4.71	60-70	2
20th (20th)	Arizona		83	o	57-74	.435	.240	4.12	55-76	2
21st (21st)	Boston		82	o	61-69	.469	.258	4.39	61-69	0
22nd (22nd)	Chicago		82	o	62-68	.477	.258	4.29	54-76	8
23rd (23rd)	Oakland		82	o	63-68	.481	.241	3.98	57-74	6
24th (24th)	Colorado	77	o	56-74	.431	.261	4.34	61-69	-5
25th (25th)	Washington	72	o	53-77	.408	.243	4.02	57-73	-4
26th (26th)	Cincinnati	68	o	53-77	.408	.254	4.14	54-76	-1
27th (27th)	Los Angeles	65	o	57-72	.442	.231	3.68	64-65	-7
28th (28th)	Houston		59	o	51-80	.389	.252	4.61	53-78	-2
29th (29th)	Tampa Bay	59	o	46-84	.354	.228	4.12	48-82	-2
30th (30th)	Kansas City	51	o	38-93	.290	.247	5.17	44-87	-6

MLB Standings & Leaderboards



AL Player of the Week

His hard work and hustle paid off this week. The hard-working and hard-playing Yoenis Cespedes was rewarded with the American League Player of the Week honors.

The scrappy Texas Rangers center fielder hit .458 while collecting 11 hits in 24 at-bats, 2 home runs and 5 RBIs.

Thus far this year Cespedes has hit .306 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs.

NL Player of the Week

Giancarlo Stanton demonstrated his potential to be a star in the game last week and today he took home the National League Player of the Week Award.

The St. Louis right fielder wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .424 average (14-33) with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.

During the current season Stanton is batting at a .268 clip with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs. He has played in 123 games and scored 60 times.

News & Notes

8/24/2015 – White Sox Kershaw Blanks Red Sox

8/25/2015 – Orioles’ Jankowski Bangs Out 5 Base Hits

8/27/2015 – League Suspends Miami 3B Harrison

8/28/2015 – Fujita Hurls Milwaukee to Shutout Win

8/28/2015 – Twins’ Tomlin Humbles Houston

8/29/2015 – Angels’ Copeland Baffles Cleveland

8/29/2015 – Red-Hot Bat: Twins’ Field Collects Cycle

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For the past week, we’ve finished 5-1 including a sweep of the best team in the Majors, Los Angeles Angels. We’ve lowered the division lead of our rival, Cleveland Indians, to four games.



Pitcher of the Week

Stephen Strasburg – 16.2 IP, 2 W, 3.24 ERA, 0.84 WHIP

Batter of the Week

Paul Konerko - .286/.500/.643 with 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 6 BB

News & Notes

On August 31, we claimed 25-year old SP Trevor Rosenthal on the waivers from the Kansas City Royals. We immediately put him in AAA.

My scout rates Rosenthal 55/50/45 but we like his high work ethic as he puts in long hours. We’re hoping he’ll still improve under our minor league system in a year or two.

[pat]

August 31, 2015

Day Off

September 1, 2015

We have signed free agent third baseman Alex Rodriguez (50/45/60/65/45) to a 1-month rental. He'll immediately be inserted in the starting lineup to replace defensive wizard Ryan Zimmerman.



Zimmerman will be relegated to a defensive sub role for now as we experiment on A-Rod hitting in the bottom part of the batting order. We're hoping he'll not be much of a defensive liability in the hot corner.

Also, we were given notice that starter Stephen Strasburg garners the AL #1 Pitcher Award in August. He compiled a 5-0 record in 6 starts with 2.36 ERA over 45.2 innings while striking out 57.

Further, we have called up some of our veteran bats down in AAA to provide depth this September, namely:

C Mike Napoli
1B Dan Black
2B Everth Cabrera
3B Jhonny Peralta
CF Dexter Fowler
RF Trayce Thompson

Later tonight, we'll face the Kansas City Royals on the road for a three-game series.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr.