2025 MLB Season

[wadesworld]

Ride your horse.

[tower912]

Hit better.

[tower912]

Moot now.  Extra innings with unexpected pitchers and match ups.

[wadesworld]

Moot now.  Extra innings with unexpected pitchers and match ups.

Doesn't get to extras if you keep the best pitcher in baseball on the mound for the middle of the Mariner's order for the 7th.

[tower912]

I am OK dying on this mound.  Skubal nearly never goes beyond 100.  Twice this season.  Once in May.  Once 10 days ago.

[tower912]

1 hit combined in 11 innings from anybody not named Kerry Carpenter. 

[MUBBau]

Ball didn't lie

[tower912]

Tigers doing their Pedro Cerrano against a breaking ball imitation.

[GB Warrior]

I am stressed on behalf of everyone involved in this game.

[tower912]

More ticked about the continued poor hitting and even worse hitting with runners in scoring position.   If Detroit loses, that is far more to blame.

Bump.  4 hits in 15 innings from Carpenter, 4 hits for the entire rest of the team combined. 1-10 w/risp.  Don't hit, don't win.

Seattle was going to score eventually.   Congratulations.

Poop.

[Billy Hoyle]

2-5 hitters for the Tigers went 0/23 tonight. Hinch didn't pinch hit once. Kahnle was the worst choice to bring in. Didn't deserve to win.

[MU82]

15-inning win, just as I predicted!

I am literally exhausted. What a great game.

[Uncle Rico]

Toronto-Seattle is a great LCS.  Detroit-Toronto would have been good, too, but the AL will be represented by a team that hasn't played in a World Series this century.  I'm geeked for this series.

[tower912]

2-5 hitters for the Tigers went 0/23 tonight. Hinch didn't pinch hit once. Kahnle was the worst choice to bring in. Didn't deserve to win.

Detroit had to choose between Kahnle, Rafael Montero, Hurter, or Hanifee. There was no good choice.   

Who would you have pinch hit for, when, and with whom?   I might have had Jones pinch hit for Keith.  I might have started Jones over Keith.  Other than that...Sweeney?  Rogers? Perez?  Ibanez?  When?

[HutchwasClutch]

I lean toward Tower's argument about Skubal.  It's not nearly as simple as leave your elite pitcher in an elimination game, what are you saving him for?  He was 8 off his season high pitch count in the WC series.  He's under team control next season still. You have to consider beyond game 5 impact and injury risk to elite starter the longer he's out there. 

If I were Tigers manager, I probably would have let him start the 7th and see if he can have a quick inning.  But it's playing with fire letting him blow away his pitch count high, even in an elimination game.  You have 25 other guys who also get paid to win. 

[Uncle Rico]

I lean toward Tower's argument about Skubal.  It's not nearly as simple as leave your elite pitcher in an elimination game, what are you saving him for?  He was 8 off his season high pitch count in the WC series.  He's under team control next season still. You have to consider beyond game 5 impact and injury risk to elite starter the longer he's out there. 

If I were Tigers manager, I probably would have let him start the 7th and see if he can have a quick inning.  But it's playing with fire letting him blow away his pitch count high, even in an elimination game.  You have 25 other guys who also get paid to win. 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  If they let him work the 7th and he gives up something, then everyone questions throwing him back out there nearing his career pitch high. 

Tower is right.  They scored 2 runs in 15 innings. 

[tower912]

I listened to Hinch's post-game interview.  He and Skubal talked after the 5th and decided the 6th was his last inning and he would empty his tank.

The bullpen gave up two runs in 9 innings.    Hit the ball.

[MuggsyB]

I listened to Hinch's post-game interview.  He and Skubal talked after the 5th had decided the 6th was his last inning and he would empty his tank.

The bullpen gave up two runs in 9 innings.    Hit the ball.

It was the wrong decision.  Tigers win 2-1 if he pitches the 7th or through the 8th.  The whole pitch count thing is stupid, especially in the playoffs.  If a guy is mowing down dudes and throwing 101, you don't take him out. 

[HutchwasClutch]

I listened to Hinch's post-game interview.  He and Skubal talked after the 5th had decided the 6th was his last inning and he would empty his tank.

The bullpen gave up two runs in 9 innings.    Hit the ball.

Well... "decided", meaning Hinch said you're not going out after the 6th.  No way a player of Skubal's caliber doesn't want to stay out there. 

I'd be upset with Hinch if I were a Tigers fan not being a little flexible with your best player, but hitting is the reason their offseason starts today.  They had two thirds of an extra game to push across a third run.

[HutchwasClutch]

It was the wrong decision.  Tigers win 2-1 if he pitches the 7th or through the 8th.  The whole pitch count thing is stupid, especially in the playoffs.  If a guy is mowing down dudes and throwing 101, you don't take him out. 

I would have let him have the 7th too Muggs, but injuries happen and possibly devastating ones to tired arms. It's a real thing.  You don't just throw that out the window totally, even in postseason. Teammates are supposed to pick him up at some point. 

[tower912]

The hitting was the problem since the all star break.  Team wide and pervasive. 
Detroit did not go out and get a bat at the trade deadline because they were 59-38 at the all star break with Carpenter, Vierling, and Meadows all on the injured list.  Who needs a bat when those guys come back and start producing like they did in 2024?  Oops.

Ah, well.  Two straight seasons going out in the second round.  With a young team and a stacked farm system.

[MuggsyB]

I would have let him have the 7th too Muggs, but injuries happen to tired arms. It's a real thing.  You don't just throw that out the window totally, even in postseason. Teammates are supposed to pick him up at some point. 

I get it Hutch, but the Seattle pitching was solid as well.  I think the starter should have stayed in longer on their side.  But again, Skubal was locating at 101.  His stuff was unhitable in a one run game. It was before my time but I don't think Sandy Koufax was pulled because he threw 100 pitches. 

[tower912]

Skubal has already had Tommy John surgery (2016), and UCL tendon surgery (2022).  You can use all of the alternative facts and projections you want, but he is simply not a 120 pitch pitcher.  He never has been.

32 regular season starts.  195 innings.  Do the math.  He is a 6 inning starter.

[MuggsyB]

Seattle/Toronto should be an excellent series.  But again, it's vital the Brewers win today. 

[HutchwasClutch]

I get it Hutch, but the Seattle pitching was solid as well.  I think the starter should have stayed in longer on their side.  But again, Skubal was locating at 101.  His stuff was unhitable in a one run game. It was before my time but I don't think Sandy Koufax was pulled because he threw 100 pitches. 

Fair points and agree to disagree.  I stand by I would have let him start the 7th and see if he can retire the side by the time he's about 112. You're really playing with fire with an elite pitcher after that.