The stage is set, the lights are at their brightest, and the Tigers are . . . flat.
The batsmen from Detroit could not have picked a less convenient time to suddenly lose their juice and come out with the intensity of a rolling pin.
With the first round of the playoffs set up in a 3-of-5 scenario, there is no time to settle in and get your feet under you. You come out firing or it’s hibernation until March.
Monday afternoon at Comerica Park brought such a possibility to the doorstep of reality.
The Tigers again scored in just one of nine innings during Game 3, a startling statistic that is becoming a trend this post season. In 27 playoff innings, the Tigers have put up a crooked number in just two of them.
The best teams come October are the ones that pepper you with pressure. They always seem to be working the count. There are always men on base. Right now, the Tigers are exhibiting no such qualities.
A Human Bumblebee
The Athletics, on the other hand, have brought plenty of spunk to the series.
It all starts at the top. Coco Crisp is a human bumblebee, constantly hovering, threatening his potent sting at any moment. He patiently works the count, forcing the opposing pitcher to throw strikes or risk issuing a free pass to the veteran speedster. When he does put the ball in play, good things tend to happen. Crisp whacked three hits yesterday and has energized Oakland's attack throughout the series.
The leadoff man/center fielder from the Detroit side has been much less effective. After ripping a double to start the series, Austin Jackson has been a hitless and lifeless hole at the top of the batting order. In a series where each base runner is crucial and every run is critical, having a leadoff man collect seven strikeouts in three games is destructive to the overall cause.
Jackson’s Achilles heel throughout his career has been the “K.” We’re four years into the A-Jax era, and things don’t look to be changing anytime soon. It’s not to say that Jackson brings no value to a team; that’s not the case. He’s a fine gloveman with a developing power stroke. But perhaps it is time to slot him into the bottom third of the order beginning in 2014. Otis Nixon he is not.
The last batter of the Tigers nine, Jose Iglesias, has been similarly inept with a bat in his hands. Aside from an innocent infield single in Oakland, the nifty shortstop has been kept off the basepaths in the series. Perhaps with the Tigers offense struggling immensely and there being absolutely no more margin for error, it might be time for Jim Leyland to reinsert Jhonny Peralta at his old position.
Anything Worth a Try
This would let Andy Dirks slide into left field and possibly add a jolt, however minimal, to this starving set of Tiger hitters. It may or may not work, but with 25 zeros in 27 innings, a new look might refresh the club. At this stage of the series, there are no wrong answers.
Obviously, the Tigers offensive efforts were not this futile during the regular season. They were second only to Boston in runs scored, and much of that damage was done via the long ball. But the Bengal bashers have yet to knock one over the fence in the 2013 post season. The Athletics walloped three on Monday alone, the loudest coming off the bat of Brandon Moss to break a tie in the 5th.
The burly slugger seems to be holding some type of personal grudge against Tigers pitching this year. Let’s put it in numerical context:
- Moss at Comerica Park, 2013: 5 games, 23 times at bat, 5 home runs
- Moss in his home park, 2013: 73 games, 238 times at bat, 10 home runs
And Comerica Park is not exactly the Juice Box (Minute Maid Park) in Houston. It takes a good poke to get one out of the CoPa.
Maybe Doug Fister ought to just toss four wide ones to Moss today if there’s a base open. The guy’s done more damage to the city of Detroit than Charlie Villanueva and Charlie the Singing Hot Dog Guy combined. Enough is enough.
Put in Pena
So where to go from here? The Tigers’ backs are against the wall and they will play nine innings of elimination baseball today. Might as well pull out all the stops.
Why not find a start behind the plate for yearlong spark plug Brayan Pena? The rugged backstop hit close to .300 all summer, and Alex Avila just isn’t the same player he was two years ago.
Throw Peralta back to his old stomping grounds at short. Give Dirks another shot in left. Let Infante lead off. Give Cabrera cortisone shots in between innings.
Anything that could potentially provide a dose of energy or excitement will be welcomed with open arms at 2100 Woodward Avenue tonight.
The Tigers entered the year as World Series favorites. Now they are 27 outs from golf season.
Max Scherzer wants more than anything to straddle the mound in Oakland on Thursday night with a chance to decide the series.
His mates must pass him the baton first.
