40-42, 3rd place, 4.5 games behind CWS.
JV turned in just the performance that the Tigers needed last night, tossing a complete game 4 hitter in the 5-1 win. Incredibly, he only needed 78 pitches to get through 7 innings, and only because of a few long ABs in the 8th did his pc escalate to 115. JV was efficient early on and pitched to contact, before logging more Ks later in the game. For the first time in a while, JV never hit 100 on the gun.
The Tigers get sophomore sensation Scott Diamond today, as Diamond looks for his 3rd straight win, and 8th of the season. Diamond is a soft tossing lefty with tremendous command, having only walked 11 in 72 IPs this year. Curiously, his lefty/righty splits are inverted, as he’s held righties to a .255 average with a 2.08 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, but lefties hit .324 off of him for a 4.60 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. Which means that Quentin Berry should be starting.
Porcello looks to continue his hot streak, where he’s allowed only 3 ER in this last 20 IPs. Porcello has seen his ERA drop from 5.18 to 4.35 during that streak, and a win today would be his third straight, and make him 4-1 over his last 5.
A few notes:
- JV is Verducci’s pick for mid-season Cy Young.
- Scutaro at 2B? Let’s do it.
Today’s Why Is Raburn Even Playing Much Less Batting 2nd Lineup:
1. Jackson, CF
2. Raburn, LF (11-38 w/5 xBH since his recall)
3. Cabrera, 3B
4. Fielder, 1B
5. Young, DH
6. Peralta, SS
7. Boesch, RF
8. Laird, C
9. Santiago, 2B
Original Story:
|
July 05, 2012
