gehringer_2

who knows what the effect will be of Ukraine showing these increased capabilities where the Russian public can't help but see them so many months into a war Vladdie has been promising them is going swimmingly. I'd guess more shirtless horseback pics should be released soon.

there have always been balks, which also create a 'result' where no pitch is thrown (in play) so it's a concept already present in the game.

Maybe, maybe not, but that's what you pay a GM to decide. And maybe it's just a matter of working a little harder - how much does it really 'cost' to make sure your bad OBP hitters learn to bunt for example? That's always the tyranny of sport - those willing to work harder often end up winning.

yup - you can try to be 'half-way' in, but it it's usually a failure. If you are going to go after the King, you have to keep going after him until you win or take yourself to exile. Speaking of the Senate - Platner sat for the NYT interview with L. Garcia-Navarro. He was a little evasive about the deletion of his Reddit profile - think there is still a raw nerve on that one, but in general he had no problem owning his past. He reminds me a bit of Buttigieg in his rhetorical skills. Understands/is clear in his own thinking, is willing to answer the question asked, and is able to make a direct argument in straightforward language without hedging. Curious to see if he will be able to handle the added pressure of a debate type setting when the time comes.

OPS of 5 Tigers hitters today: 308, 457, 464, 510, 588

but speaking of stats and ghost runner rule, I don't get how it can make any sense to charge any pitcher with that run. OK - so it is unearned, it's still a run he might not have allowed if that runner weren't put there. Since 'nobody' is charged with the runner appearing there, 'nobody' should be charged when he scores. But of course then they would have to add a column to a team's RA labeled 'ghost runners' otherwise runs charged to pitchers wouldn't total all runs. They are both bad solutions but I'd rather see the extra column in the stats because that is the way it should be done to maintain statistical consistency for the pitchers who pitch in extras.

The last Keith AB was a disappointment. You want more than that from the guy hitting 320 when a single is exactly what you need.

True. Of course what would be even better for the game would be to solve the risk factors for pitchers, then some other stuff could follow.

I don't have any sympathy. Teams know the rules. If they don't want to invest in the skills to be better at getting a runner around from second base in 3 outs they are going to lose some close games to teams that do. Seems fair to me. On aesthetic grounds I don't like the rule either, but unless the game somehow changes to reduce the demands on pitchers, I don't see it going back. Compared to other sports, it's a better tie breaking system than football OT, way better than a hockey 'shoot-out' (but not the 3 on 3) and not as good as basketball where you can just add 5 min to the clock.

I suppose to a degree fans use 'inconsistent' as sloppy semantics when they really just mean they don't score enough. They are 23rd of 30 teams in runs/game. Granted a lot of teams cluster pretty close, but their total run scoring is on the wrong side average especially playing in a ball park that is generally positive for run scoring. We knew going in the team needed to pitch and defend better than average, but overall, they are only 0.07 runs allowed better than average while being 0.27 runs scored worse. The latter stands out a lot more because of the former.

I think that is the reason given publicly, but I think as big a reason is that teams don't want to risk destroying a bullpen for a week in a 16 inning game. Such a large proportion of relievers in the league now are only one inning guys, and on any given night you may have already used 5 pitchers each of the two nights before, you don't want to risk hurting guys by over extending them when they are not acclimated to it. With 'pitching chaos' the Tigers probably have more guys than most to help you get through a long game, but if there is one thing true in US national sports, they don't make rules for Detroit teams.

just hit 80 here

We need to tell him not to try to make any plays on defense. Don't come off the mound for a pop-up, let the other guys manage getting a ball to 1st. Just pitch and then stand still.

really irritating when they waste good pitching like this.

He's not down too much on average FB but his peak fastball is down 2-3 mph. Sometimes that's why a guy tries to stay away from the plate more.

the breakers aren't breaking enough and the fast ones aren't fast enough.

Now comes bullpen roulette

terrible swing on 0-1, and we go to extras

all we need is a base hit and that's been Colt's calling card so far.

dumb play, runner at 2nd means nothing, but he got away with it

Well, he kept the line moving.

3rd pitch was it and Tork didn't barrel it.

of Tork goes to right Riley probably not going to score from 1st. unless he can split the OFs again

McGonigle playing Irish instead of Italian. No past'a'

with two outs and the way the team is hitting, it's as good a chance as getting two singles in a row to score a run.