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DETROIT ( SIMON )
TORONTO ( BUEHRLE ) |
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| 913 | DETROIT | +1.5,+110 | +1.5,-120 | | 914 | TORONTO | -1.5,-130 | -1.5,+100 |
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| All Games | 60-69 | -8.8 | 68-56 | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.326 | 0.429 | 0.755 | 4.9 | 0.269 | 0.327 | 0.442 | 0.769 | | Road Games | 30-34 | +1.8 | 36-26 | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.318 | 0.423 | 0.741 | 5.2 | 0.279 | 0.336 | 0.472 | 0.807 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 19-14 | +5.2 | 18-15 | 4.5 | 0.281 | 0.349 | 0.458 | 0.807 | 4.5 | 0.262 | 0.325 | 0.433 | 0.759 | | Past 7 Games | 1-6 | -5 | 3-4 | 3.3 | 0.229 | 0.283 | 0.390 | 0.673 | 6.6 | 0.283 | 0.372 | 0.522 | 0.894 | | Turf Games | 0-2 | -2 | 1-1 | 2.0 | 0.194 | 0.217 | 0.284 | 0.501 | 10.0 | 0.380 | 0.470 | 0.746 | 1.216 | | Day Games | 27-22 | +5.1 | 31-18 | 5.1 | 0.286 | 0.341 | 0.457 | 0.798 | 4.6 | 0.257 | 0.322 | 0.414 | 0.736 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.326 | 129 | 4485 | 1220 | 229 | 41 | 131 | 0.429 | 539 | 361 | 1003 | 71 | 883 | 146 | 67 | 125 | 56 | | Road Games | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.318 | 64 | 2265 | 601 | 108 | 14 | 74 | 0.423 | 271 | 175 | 553 | 35 | 423 | 71 | 30 | 59 | 25 | | Lefty Starters | 4.5 | 0.281 | 0.349 | 33 | 1127 | 317 | 60 | 14 | 37 | 0.458 | 141 | 118 | 256 | 21 | 243 | 37 | 15 | 33 | 22 |
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| All Games | 4.64 | 1.476 | 380 | 207 | 196 | 408 | 45 | 153 | 316 | 19-17 | 29 | 15 | 65.9% | | Road Games | 5.38 | 1.542 | 187.4 | 118 | 112 | 213 | 26 | 76 | 161 | 9-9 | 18 | 8 | 69.2% |
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| All Games | 73-56 | +7.9 | 61-60 | 5.5 | 0.265 | 0.333 | 0.449 | 0.782 | 4.1 | 0.249 | 0.302 | 0.400 | 0.701 | | Home Games | 42-23 | +10 | 25-38 | 5.6 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 0.482 | 0.830 | 3.6 | 0.228 | 0.279 | 0.373 | 0.651 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 53-42 | +7.6 | 43-44 | 5.4 | 0.261 | 0.329 | 0.441 | 0.771 | 4.0 | 0.245 | 0.300 | 0.388 | 0.687 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +4.8 | 5-2 | 9.4 | 0.353 | 0.438 | 0.605 | 1.042 | 3.6 | 0.273 | 0.308 | 0.403 | 0.711 | | Turf Games | 42-23 | +10 | 25-38 | 5.6 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 0.482 | 0.830 | 3.6 | 0.228 | 0.279 | 0.373 | 0.651 | | Day Games | 29-21 | +5.5 | 21-25 | 5.5 | 0.273 | 0.341 | 0.453 | 0.794 | 3.9 | 0.249 | 0.297 | 0.400 | 0.697 |
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| All Games | 5.5 | 0.265 | 0.333 | 129 | 4367 | 1157 | 243 | 11 | 180 | 0.449 | 674 | 443 | 904 | 65 | 808 | 132 | 71 | 115 | 53 | | Home Games | 5.6 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 65 | 2128 | 588 | 135 | 3 | 99 | 0.482 | 355 | 233 | 402 | 29 | 410 | 61 | 28 | 52 | 28 | | Righty Starters | 5.4 | 0.261 | 0.329 | 95 | 3217 | 839 | 171 | 7 | 132 | 0.441 | 485 | 328 | 681 | 48 | 604 | 87 | 53 | 88 | 41 |
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| All Games | 3.14 | 1.088 | 375 | 143 | 131 | 307 | 38 | 101 | 371 | 16-21 | 28 | 17 | 62.2% | | Home Games | 2.82 | 1.030 | 188.3 | 65 | 59 | 157 | 17 | 37 | 190 | 6-8 | 13 | 8 | 61.9% |
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| 8/16/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ HOUSTON | FIERS(R) | 5-6 | L | 160 | 7.5 ov | O | 9 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 2 | | 8/18/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | HAMMEL(R) | 10-8 | W | 150 | 8.5 ov | O | 19 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | NORRIS(L) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | LESTER(L) | 15-8 | W | 170 | 9 un | O | 21 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | SIMON(R) | TEXAS | PEREZ(L) | 4-0 | W | -105 | 9.5 un | U | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | | 8/21/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | 0-2 | L | -125 | 8.5 ov | U | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | | 8/22/2015 | WOLF(L) | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 3-5 | L | -105 | 9 un | U | 11 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | BOYD(L) | TEXAS | HAMELS(L) | 2-4 | L | +120 | 8.5 un | U | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | 8/24/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ CINCINNATI | SAMPSON(R) | 5-12 | L | 105 | 8.5 ov | O | 11 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 8/25/2015 | SIMON(R) | LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 7-8 | L | +110 | 9 ev | O | 12 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 | | 8/26/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 5-0 | W | -135 | 9 un | U | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | WOLF(L) | LA ANGELS | SHOEMAKER(R) | 0-2 | L | +105 | 9 ov | U | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | 3-5 | L | 180 | 9.5 un | U | 6 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | 1-15 | L | 225 | 9.5 ov | O | 7 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 0 | | 8/30/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ TORONTO | BUEHRLE(L) | | | 9/1/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | CUETO(R) | | | 9/2/2015 | WOLF(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | | | 9/3/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 9/4/2015 | FARMER(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | | | 9/5/2015 | SIMON(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 9/6/2015 | | CLEVELAND | | |
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| 8/16/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | NY YANKEES | SEVERINO(R) | 3-1 | W | -125 | 9 un | U | 7 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | | 8/18/2015 | DICKEY(R) | @ PHILADELPHIA | NOLA(R) | 8-5 | W | -160 | 8 un | O | 9 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 3 | | 8/19/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | @ PHILADELPHIA | MORGAN(L) | 4-7 | L | -240 | 9 un | O | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2 | | 8/21/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 9-2 | W | -175 | 7 ev | O | 11 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | | 8/22/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ LA ANGELS | HEANEY(L) | 15-3 | W | -120 | 8 ov | O | 20 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | | 8/23/2015 | DICKEY(R) | @ LA ANGELS | RICHARDS(R) | 12-5 | W | 100 | 8 ov | O | 17 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 2 | | 8/25/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | @ TEXAS | HOLLAND(L) | 6-5 | W | -130 | 9 un | O | 9 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 1 | | 8/26/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | 12-4 | W | -180 | 8.5 un | O | 10 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 1-4 | L | -115 | 9.5 un | U | 8 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | DICKEY(R) | DETROIT | BOYD(L) | 5-3 | W | -190 | 9.5 un | U | 9 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | DETROIT | FARMER(R) | 15-1 | W | -250 | 9.5 ov | O | 18 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 | | 8/30/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | DETROIT | SIMON(R) | | | 8/31/2015 | PRICE(L) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 9/1/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | CLEVELAND | ANDERSON(R) | | | 9/2/2015 | DICKEY(R) | CLEVELAND | BAUER(R) | | | 9/4/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | BALTIMORE | JIMENEZ(R) | | | 9/5/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | | | 9/6/2015 | | BALTIMORE | | |
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| |  | DETROIT: DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers had barely finished celebrating a fourth straight division title last year when they were dispatched from the playoffs by Baltimore in a Division Series sweep. Then Kansas City - the team the Tigers fought so hard to hold off in the AL Central - rolled to the AL pennant and came within a game of winning the World Series.
It was enough to turn the Tigers into October afterthoughts for the first time in a while, and now it's fair to wonder whether Detroit's best chance to claim baseball's ultimate prize with its current core of stars has already come and gone.
''I'm not worried about what people are saying about us. I'm more worried about how we perform,'' manager Brad Ausmus said. ''I feel like this team is a winning team. This is a team that has an opportunity to win a World Series.''
The Tigers edged Kansas City by one game in the division last year in Ausmus' first season as manager, and their 90-72 record was similar enough to their previous work during this run of postseason appearances, but a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles snapped Detroit's streak of three straight trips to the AL Championship Series.
Then the Tigers lost Max Scherzer in the offseason, and it remains to be seen how much longer Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez can keep this team's run of success going.
Cabrera and Martinez each missed a chunk of the exhibition schedule after offseason surgery. Verlander is coming off a down year and has been displaced as Detroit's opening-day starter by left-hander David Price.
Over the past three seasons, the Tigers have fought off challenges in the division from the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Kansas City - but those teams essentially made their bids for first place one at a time. Now all three appear poised to threaten Detroit's reign.
''I think quietly, I've said for the last two or three years, I've said we have the best division in baseball. Nobody really talked about it because there weren't sexy names besides the Tigers, who had won however many straight and been to a couple World Series and had a lot of star power,'' Verlander said. ''The Royals won the pennant last year so, obviously, what I was saying wasn't just hogwash. We see all the teams in the AL quite enough, and I know that these teams are good enough to make our division one of the best in baseball.''
Here are a few things to watch as the Tigers try to make it five division championships in a row:
ON THE MEND: Cabrera had offseason surgery on his right foot and Martinez had an operation to repair his left knee. Their health is crucial, but the Tigers also are hoping for big contributions from shortstop Jose Iglesias and reliever Bruce Rondon, both of whom missed all of 2014 with injuries.
NEW-LOOK ROTATION: Scherzer isn't the only player gone from last year's starting staff. Rick Porcello was traded in a deal that brought Yoenis Cespedes to Detroit, so the Tigers had two openings in their rotation. They filled them by acquiring Shane Greene from the New York Yankees and Alfredo Simon from Cincinnati.
BULLPEN BLUES: Closer Joe Nathan is back after a rocky first season in Detroit. If the Tigers run out of patience with Nathan, Joakim Soria also returns. He was acquired shortly before the trade deadline last year, but his impact was limited, in part because of injury.
EXTRA POWER: J.D. Martinez provided a surprisingly productive bat last year after joining the Tigers, and the trade for Cespedes also gave Detroit some additional pop to supplement Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
NEW ACE?: Price is slated to start on opening day, a sign of just how much the Tigers are leaning on him after Scherzer's departure. He was acquired at the trade deadline last year, and Detroit is hoping the trio of Price, Verlander and Anibal Sanchez will make for a pretty impressive anchor to the pitching staff. | | TORONTO: TORONTO (AP) - The upcoming season for the Toronto Blue Jays seems destined to be defined by the one young pitcher who'll miss it and the two even younger guys who'll try to replace him.
Toronto's plans for ending baseball's longest active playoff drought took a serious hit when Marcus Stroman suffered a season-ending knee injury in spring training.
The second-year right-hander tore a ligament when his knee buckled as he backed off a bunt during a pregame fielding drill. He's out for the year after undergoing surgery.
''It's tough,'' Stroman said. ''I just feel like I let my team down. I've worked harder than I ever had this offseason.''
The injury changed Toronto's thinking about 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who might have been closing games rather than starting them if Stroman was still healthy, and 21-year-old lefty Daniel Norris, the van-dwelling surfer dude.
The two pitchers now look likely to get their shot in Toronto's rotation, slotting in behind 200-inning workhorses R.A Dickey and Mark Buehrle, and 24-year-old right-hander Drew Hutchison.
How successful they are could well determine what happens to the Blue Jays, out of the postseason since winning their second straight World Series in 1993 and the only team that hasn't reached the playoffs this century.
''We may have to rely on a young guy who may not be proven,'' manager John Gibbons said. ''Stro was a baby, too, but a special guy.''
Sanchez has already shown signs that he could also be special. He excelled out of the bullpen in 24 games last season, posting three saves and a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings, striking out 27 while walking nine and holding opponents to a .128 average.
With the increased demands of a starting role lying ahead, the hard-throwing Sanchez has spent this spring refining his slider.
''With the way he throws, it could turn into a big strikeout pitch for him,'' Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays are also high on Norris, currently better known for spending his winters searching for prime surfing spots while living out of a 1978 Volkswagen camper van nicknamed ''Shaggy.''
''He's a different bird,'' Gibbons said. ''Anytime you live in a van, I wouldn't say that's normal.''
Norris had an abnormal 2014 season, rising from Class A to the majors after going 12-2 with a 2.53 ERA at three minor league stops. He underwent elbow surgery last October to remove bone spurs, and expects to be better this year than the pitcher who made five appearances for the Blue Jays in September.
''He's a student of the game,'' Gibbons said. ''He's a very smart kid and he's grounded. He's got the most important thing: He's got a great arm.''
After Jose Reyes and the Blue Jays went 83-79, here's what else to watch as they try to move up:
MIGHTY MIGUEL: Sanchez and Norris aren't the only impressive young arms expected to break camp with the Blue Jays. Right-hander Miguel Castro, 20, didn't allow a run in his first five spring appearances, striking out eight and walking none while allowing three hits over nine innings. A hard thrower who stands an imposing 6-foot-5, Castro has put himself in position to jump from Class A, where he went 8-3 with a 2.68 ERA last season, all the way to the majors. ''He looks like a seasoned vet out there, under control, very relaxed,'' Gibbons said.
NEW GUYS, NEW FOCUS: Toronto strengthened its lineup over the winter by signing free agent catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million contract and acquiring All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from Oakland. Slugger Jose Bautista has praised the newcomers for making a difference in the clubhouse with their winning pedigree and intense focus. ''We need something along those lines here every now and then,'' Bautista said. ''It's good to have guys to whom winning matters.''
BLOCKING THE PLATE: Adding Martin gave the Blue Jays a logjam at catcher, where incumbent Dioner Navarro is signed through 2015 and Josh Thole is Dickey's knuckleball specialist. Martin has worked hard this spring to prove he can handle Dickey's floater, which could mean Thole is ticketed for Triple-A. Or, Toronto may yet trade the switch-hitting Navarro to open room at DH for Edwin Encarnacion, who has been slowed this spring by a balky back and may not be able to handle regular duty at first base. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (DETROIT-TORONTO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Tigers-Blue Jays Preview* ==========================
By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer
Detroit (60-68) at Toronto (72-56), 1:07 p.m. EDT
Although it's highly unlikely that Edwin Encarnacion can top his latest performance during a lengthy hit streak, he'll at least try to keep the Toronto Blue Jays clicking at the plate in his encore.
While Encarnacion will attempt to extend his streak to 25 games Sunday, the Blue Jays look to finish off their first three-game home sweep of the Detroit Tigers in 12 years.
Encarnacion matched a franchise record with nine RBIs and homered three times in a 15-1 victory over the Tigers on Saturday. With six homers and 23 RBIs in his last seven games, he now has 10 longballs and 34 RBIs to go with a .400 average on his streak.
"He's some kind of locked in," manager John Gibbons said.
Encarnacion's career-best streak is the longest in the majors since Nolan Arenado's 28-gamer for Colorado last season and longest in the AL since Dustin Pedroia's 25-gamer with Boston in 2011. He is one shy of matching the fourth-longest for the Blue Jays - done by Scott Rolen in 2009 - and four away from tying Shawn Green's franchise best from 1999.
With Encarnacion's grand assistance, Toronto (73-56) is batting .345 with 75 runs and 18 homers while winning seven of eight. The AL East leaders are averaging 6.0 runs while taking 14 of 17 at home and have seven homers in the first two against Detroit (60-69).
Alfredo Simon (11-8, 4.89 ERA) is next up to try cooling Toronto's scorching offense and is 1-2 with a 6.48 ERA in four starts this month. That lone victory, though, was a one-hitter in a 4-0 win against Texas on Aug. 20.
Simon made his only two starts against the Blue Jays in 2011 while with Baltimore. In this one, he'll try to help the scuffling Tigers avoid their first three-game sweep in Toronto since Sept. 5-7, 2003.
The Blue Jays, who swept a three-game set in Detroit last year, are batting .309 with 39 runs and 11 homers while going 3-2 in this season's series.
Toronto will try to provide support for Mark Buehrle (13-6, 3.60) as he seeks his highest win total since going 15-12 for the Chicago White Sox in 2008. The left-hander is 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in his last two but is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his last seven at home.
In his first start against Detroit in a little more than a year, Buehrle will face a team batting .237 and averaging 2.9 runs in a 1-8 stretch. Victor Martinez has been one of the struggling Tigers hitters of late, going 4 for 32, and manager Brad Ausmus contends his DH hasn't recovered from offseason surgery on his left knee.
"You talk to people that have had knee surgeries, sometimes they say it takes a year (to feel right)," Ausmus told MLB's official website. "He's not hurting. He doesn't feel any pain, but ... I just don't think he's ever been right since the injury, and it might take an offseason to get him right."
Martinez is 28 for 78 (.359) lifetime against Buehrle, and only Michael Cuddyer (31) has gotten more hits off the left-hander. He's also had just four at-bats versus the Toronto starter in the past three seasons, collecting one single.
Miguel Cabrera, meanwhile, has nine hits in his last 13 at-bats against Buehrle but is 1 for 11 with six strikeouts in his last three games after hitting .489 in his first 12 back from a strained left calf. Cabrera, hitting .361, is back on top of the AL batting race after getting enough at-bats to qualify.
Encarnacion is 2 for 8 lifetime against Simon and will face him for the first time since 2011.
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| | Last Updated: 5/11/2024 10:44:15 PM EST. |
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