Bobbing back from the trade deadline, mostly unscathed (positively and negatively), the Mariners take on the Tigers for a three-game, midweek set at home. Think of it as a buffer, a practice round, a get-right, momentum-builder before the Rays arrive.
The practice of declawing a cat has been deemed so cruel that in many countries it’s actually banned. Because cat’s claws develop from tissue in the bones of their toes, it’s not simply a removal of the claws themselves, but a surgical amputation of those
end bones. It’s an intensive procedure with a high rate of post-operation complications and, depending on studies, can lead to disruptive behavioral changes likely linked to the corresponding psychological damage of the surgery. I’m not a Tigers fan, so I cannot speak to the pain of the trade deadline, but this was a team looking to contend at the start of the season and they arrive in Seattle distinctly less dangerous than any would have hoped.
Thank goodness for Dillon Dingler, am I right, Detroit?? He and likely Rookie of the Year Kevin McGonigle are almost singlehandedly hoisting this offense into mediocrity. Riley Greene has been fighting his own sky-high K% in pursuit of adding additional value alongside Gleyber Torres who is somehow still not 30 years old, a fact that is actively making it difficult to move on to anything else.
But in my defense,there isn’t honestly much to move on to, when it comes to the Tigers’ offense. Am I still scared of Kerry Carpenter? Of course, some wounds take longer to heal than others. But is it logical? Decidedly not. Spencer Torkelson spent years hearing concerns about his strikeout rate and this season took a flying cannonball into the shallow end of a pool bellowing “Check THIS shit out!!”
Probable Pitchers
After racing through the Tigers farm system, Troy Melton burst onto the scene last year, serving as a spot starter and fireman reliever for them during their playoff run. Elbow inflammation delayed his start to this season but he’s been one of Detroit’s best pitchers since being activated off the IL in late May. He’s allowed more than two runs in a start just once this season, though his peripherals don’t exactly support such gaudy run prevention. With an excellent fastball, a tight gyro slider, and a diving splitter forming a solid foundation for his pitch mix, the development of his cutter has helped him take a big step forward. He’s throwing that pitch a few ticks harder and it has a bit more horizontal break as well. That gives him a fourth above average pitch to deepen his repertoire.
This was supposed to be Tarik Skubal’s spot in the Tigers rotation but he was traded to the Dodgers on Saturday. Instead, Ty Madden will step into the rotation to make his second start of the season. He’s been used as a bulk reliever behind an opener for 10 of his 11 appearances this year so it’s possible Detroit will go with that strategy on Wednesday too. Madden has a deep, six-pitch repertoire that makes up for a pretty mediocre fastball. His slider, cutter, and splitter are all solid secondary offerings, which often means he’s pitching backwards, driving his walk rate up as he works to avoid allowing too much hard contact.
From a previous series preview:
A familiar foe from his time in Houston, Framber Valdez signed a huge free agent contract with the Tigers this offseason. The idea was that he’d form a formidable one-two punch atop Detroit’s starting rotation with Skubal, though that hasn’t exactly played out as planned. Valdez has struggled a bit this year; his strikeout rate and his groundball rate are the lowest they’ve ever been. Those were his two calling cards during his time with the Astros. For whatever reason, he’s allowing a bunch more contact, and the majority of it is in the air.
The Big Picture:
Honestly, who the heck knows. They’re 2.5 games back of the division, 2 back of a Wild Card spot and the former is definitely where they should be concentrating their energy. The Astros are battling the Blue Jays, the Rangers are scrapping with the Giants and the Guardians (their primary competition for Wild Card #3) are preparing to steamroll over the smoking, hulking whale carcass of the Mets, which sits on the proverbial beach ready to explode at a moment’s notice.
