RED SOX V TIGERS
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017; 1:10 P.M. AT COMERICA PARK
TV: NESN, MLBN, FS-D
BOSTON, 2-0...................................................DETROIT, 1-1
BOSTON:
STEVEN WRIGHT, RHP, 0-0, -.-ERA
The knuckleballer is off to a breakthrough season which led to him becoming an
All Star for the first time. Wright held opponents to a .235 average last season.
Wright was brilliant on the road last season, notching a 2.09 ERA in 11 starts.
DETROIT:
MICHAEL, FULMER, RHP, 0-0, -.-ERA
Fulmer's reward following his AL Rookie of the year campaign is the Tiger's
Home Opener to begin his sophomore season, though manager Brad Ausmus said
it was more about giving him more time to stretch out his arm in camp.
Fulmer opens Tigers' home slate vs. Red Sox
Jason Beck
Michael Fulmer got in his last warmup session with a hoodie and a winter cap on Thursday morning to brace him for the chilly wind swirling around Guaranteed Rate Field. He won't have the luxury of being that bundled up for his start Friday against the Red Sox.
The Tigers' home opener, the unofficial start of spring in Michigan, is going to have a parting gift from Old Man Winter, from blustery winds to the chance of snow on the ground.
Fulmer is bracing for it as best as he can, but for the reigning American League Rookie of the Year Award winner who pitched over his experience level so many times last year, it'll be a new challenge.
"Zero experience," Fulmer said. "It's going to be cold. Obviously throwing a [bullpen session] up here a couple days ago was a little different, a little challenging, but their guy has to do it. You can't really make any excuses about it. Just find a way to get it done."
Knuckleballer Steven Wright gets the start for the Red Sox, trying to replicate the first-half form that nearly made him an All-Star last season.
To some degree, Fulner's home-opener assignment is a reward for that success last year, manager Brad Ausmus acknowledged. He also knows the atmosphere around the opener, having been through plenty of them as a former Tigers catcher and current Tigers manager.
"Home opener in Detroit is a big deal," Ausmus said. "You want to feel good about your chances of winning, and he's the guy who won the Rookie of the Year Award. He's earned it."
The list of pregame festivities reflects the importance. Hall of Fame electee Ivan Rodriguez, a Tigers catcher from 2004-08, is scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch. The Wayne State University Quartet will perform the national anthem, and four A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" aircraft from the 107th Fighter Squadron and Selfridge Air National Guard Base are scheduled to do a flyover.
Once the real first pitch takes place, however, it's Fulmer's show. He feels better at this point physically than he did a year ago. As he begins his sophomore season, he believes he's a better pitcher.
"I feel like I'm more prepared," he said. "I feel like all the advice I've received over the past year has been a huge help. Just mentally, I'm a lot more prepared to come into a start now. I've refined my routine. I know exactly what needs to be done, what time it needs to be done at, how long I need to do it, this and that. That's the biggest part."
THINGS TO WATCH FOR THIS GAME
• All fans attending Friday's game will receive a "Mr. I" button in remembrance of late Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, who passed away in February. The Tigers are wearing "Mr. I" patches on their jerseys this season.
• Wright posted the second-lowest average velocity on his four-seam fastball last year (83.6 mph) among starters behind R.A. Dickey (min. 300 four-seamers). In spite of that, Wright allowed an average exit velocity of just 87.4 mph in 2016, ranking 10th-lowest among starters who induced at least 300 batted ball events.
Some of the other names on that top-10 lowest exit velo list: Corey Kluber, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright
• The Tigers won five of seven against the Red Sox last season, but Boston split the four-game series in Detroit in August, including a win over Fulmer, who allowed six runs over five innings.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170406222512710/fulmer-opens-tigers-home-slate-vs-red-sox/?game_pk=490149
GAME #3, RED SOX V TIGERS
RED SOX LINEUP:
HOLT, DH
PEDROIA, 2B
BENENTENDI, LF
MORELAND, 1B
YOUNG, RF
BRADLEY, CF
LEON, C
SANDOVAL, 3B
HERNANDEZ,SS
WRIGHT, RHP
The flu has struck our beloved players.
In addition, Bogaerts and Barnes are on bereavement list.
Betts and Ramirez are out with the flu.
TWITTER
Looking forward to seeing Stevie Write..... Hope he doesn't have to run the bases !!!
Chance of that happening to say is ZERO.
Watching this game down 1-0 in bottom5 with this lineup which resembles something like an ST lineup.
1 out with the flu and 2 out with bereavement time a W would be pretty damn good considering.
Yeah, pretty much a patchwork lineup. Although Moreland blew a good chance with bases loaded. Expect Moreland to K a lot with RISPs. It's going to happen.
Pablo on 2nd with 1 out and stays there. Can`t up with the huge hit with runners in scoring position.
Wright out for 7th with only 86 pitches.
After a single McCann with a 2 run bomb.Still IMO no problem with Wright coming out for the 7th with only 86 pitches. 4-0 Tigers.
Tigers win in 7 inns. A formality to play the last 2.
Pablo with a big bomb to LCF and the Sox are up 5-4. The thin man comes up BIG.
Four walks in the eighth, the red Sox bullpen sucks!!!
Losing on a walkoff walk after coming back the previous inning. How gut wrenching. Hope we don't see too many of those this season. thumb_d thumb_d sigh
Quote from: elktonnick on April 07, 2017, 03:43:49 PM
Four walks in the eighth, the red Sox bullpen sucks!!!
Problem for sure.
Quote from: markj on April 07, 2017, 04:18:09 PM
Losing on a walkoff walk after coming back the previous inning. How gut wrenching. Hope we don't see too many of those this season. thumb_d thumb_d sigh
What bothered me wad how GOOD Hemnree looked with the 1st 2 batters then totally lost it with the next 2.
Pen needs Thornburg back ASAP.
Quote from: Rob from Mass on April 07, 2017, 04:39:37 PM
Quote from: markj on April 07, 2017, 04:18:09 PM
Losing on a walkoff walk after coming back the previous inning. How gut wrenching. Hope we don't see too many of those this season. thumb_d thumb_d sigh
What bothered me wad how GOOD Hemnree looked with the 1st 2 batters then totally lost it with the next 2.
Pen needs Thornburg back ASAP.
Rob---Hembree has never to my memory ever pitched two good relief appearances for us in a row. He and meatball Barnes remind me so much of that miserable bastard Delcarmen we had to endure for almost six seasons that I get sick just thinking of it. And why did Farrell come in with him when he had Joe Kelly who has proven he can pitch in the eighth inning and is supposed to be our temporary eighth inning man until one of those two maimed butts finally get well and return. To me Farrell's decision cost us this game, and for God's sake innoculate the team. We need no more people laid up because of the flu. Games lost in April are just as important as those lose in September, but before I blow a gasket I will sign off for the day.
"Free Walks Day" at Comerica Park in Detroit courtesy of the Sox bullpen.
And 1 freakin' out from getting out of the inning with the lead or tied......
Hembree is actually one of the bullpen characters who has a slightly respectable career BB/9 (3.0). What makes me seriously question the "wisdom" of DD is allowing Koji to leave and even Tazawa, but especially Koji. Uehara just didn't walk that many (1.4 BB/9 - career) and bring in Thornburg (career 3.7 BB/9). The rest of the staff is a walk magnet and in 2016 were 14th in the AL in BB/9 and that was with Koji and Tazawa lowering that number. This is a poorly constructed bullpen since guys can't toss strikes consistently.
Ric, I think you are right about questioning the wisdom of letting Koji go.
Quote from: elktonnick on April 08, 2017, 07:51:57 AM
Ric, I think you are right about questioning the wisdom of letting Koji go.
I just checked his numbers again. Koji was really good....maybe even great? His Boston WHIP was 0.81 and for his career 0.862. He just doesn't walk many. His career ERA (2.50) and career FIP (2.75) are virtually identical. Cubs get him for 6M. The knock is his injury history. Misses games. Based on that I wonder how Carson Smith and Tyler Thormburg are working out? Even Kmbrel is a nightmare with his walks.
We still haven't really seen Carson Smith but I and others have our doubts about how well he will bounce back.
Quote from: Rob from Mass on April 07, 2017, 04:39:37 PM
Quote from: markj on April 07, 2017, 04:18:09 PM
Losing on a walkoff walk after coming back the previous inning. How gut wrenching. Hope we don't see too many of those this season. thumb_d thumb_d sigh
What bothered me wad how GOOD Hemnree looked with the 1st 2 batters then totally lost it with the next 2.
Pen needs Thornburg back ASAP.
Again, J F left him in too long....Heck we had a 6-5 advantage and it looked like J F wanted Hembree to "eat innings" instead of bringing a fresh arm.... It was clear that Hembree ws not the same after the 2nd out !!! J F cost us that game !!!!!
Quote from: Bill-806 on April 08, 2017, 12:13:49 PM
Quote from: Rob from Mass on April 07, 2017, 04:39:37 PM
Quote from: markj on April 07, 2017, 04:18:09 PM
Losing on a walkoff walk after coming back the previous inning. How gut wrenching. Hope we don't see too many of those this season. thumb_d thumb_d sigh
What bothered me wad how GOOD Hemnree looked with the 1st 2 batters then totally lost it with the next 2.
Pen needs Thornburg back ASAP.
Again, J F left him in too long....Heck we had a 6-5 advantage and it looked like J F wanted Hembree to "eat innings" instead of bringing a fresh arm.... It was clear that Hembree ws not the same after the 2nd out !!! J F cost us that game !!!!!
Farrell is going to cost us many games. Either Dombrowski isn't as smart as some believe he is or he is flunkying for Prune Face's insistence that Farrell be brought back as manager after he left in 2015 to right his illness. He never should have been brought back and last year's division win which he had nothing to do with will most likely come back to haunt us with this miserable excuse for a manager costing us enough games to sink us this season. Lovullo should never have been allowed to get away and we will pay for this decision until Farrell's dead ass is finally out of Boston.