Posts Tagged ‘delmon young’




Young keeps Tigers alive

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Delmon Young (Bing Images)

The home run component continued to be a major story in the postseason on Thursday.

In Detroit, the Tigers received two home runs from left fielder Delmon Young, and additional home runs from right fielder Ryan Raburn and catcher Alex Avila in a 7-5 victory over the Texas Rangers to remain alive in the American League Championship Series.

The Rangers still lead the series 3-2.

Young, who also recorded three runs batted in, has been a major contributor for the Tigers despite an injured oblique that forced him to miss game one of the ALCS. He only was added to the roster when outfielder Magglio Ordonez after breaking his ankle.

In the NLCS, the Milwaukee Brewers tied the series at two with a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It was their first postseason win on the road since 1982. Tied at two in the fifth, Ryan Braun recorded the game winning run batted in on a single that scored Nyjer Morgan. Starting pitcher Randy Wolf had a quality start, as he pitched seven innings, striking out six, with earned runs and a walk.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |

Rangers Cruz to ALCS victory

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Nelson Cruz (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The Texas Rangers are now up 2-0 in the American League Championship Series.

On Monday, Rangers’ outfielder Nelson Cruz made history as he became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit a walk off grand slam in a playoff game. The Rangers beat the Tigers 7-3.

Cruz’s grand slam was even more remarkable because he was hit by a pitch in the wrist in the ninth inning, and was in obvious pain and discomfort. But he lived up to the sport ethic and came through in the clutch when he was counted on the very most.

Game three of the series is tonight in Detroit.

In other ALCS news, the Detroit Tigers announced that outfielder Magglio Ordonez will be out of the playoffs after breaking his ankle in Game 1 of ALCS. He has been replaced in the lineup by Delmon Young’s whose oblique injury isn’t as bad as it was first thought.

In the NLCS, it was the Albert Pujols show in Milwaukee. The All-Star first baseman hit a two-run home run in the first inning and then collected back-to-back doubles that scored three more runs in a 12-3 St. Louis Cardinals’ trouncing over Milwaukee to tie the series at 1. Something must be wrong with Brewers’ starting pitcher Shawn Marcum, who has been hammered on the mound in his first two playoff starts.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |

ALCS Preview

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Josh Hamilton (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

If the Detroit Tigers are going to beat the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series they will have to do it without the services of outfielder Delmon Young.

He injured his oblique muscle in game five of the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees

The loss of Young (.316, 3 HR, 3 RBIs in ALDS) is huge for Detroit, who will now have to rely on theservices significantly more on first baseman Miguel Cabrera (.344, 30 HR, 105 RBIs in regular season), designated hitter Victor Martinez (.330, 12 HR, 103 RBIs) and veteran Magglio Ordonez who hit a sizzling .455 against the Yankees.

Texas, in my opinion, has the better nucleus of pitching and power. Justin Verlander is the Tigers’ ace, but they lack depth at the position afterwards. I really like what center fielder Josh Hamilton (.298, 25 HR, 94 RBIs), designated hitter Michael Young (.338, 11 HR, 106 RBIs) and third baseman Adrian Beltre (.296, 32 HR, 105 RBIs) bring to the table every night.

My pick is the Rangers in five.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |

Tigers advance to ALCS

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Don Kelly (Wikimedia Commons)

The Detroit Tigers are now travelling to Texas for the opening of the American League Championship Series.

On Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, the Tigers got first inning solo home runs from utility player Don Kelly and left fielder Delmon Young en route to a 3-2 victory in Game 5 and a 3-2 victory in the series.

The Tigers got a solid pitching performance from starter Doug Fister, who only gave up one earned run in five innings of work. Relievers Max Scherzer (who is normally a starter), Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde got the job done in relief.

The Yankees had many opportunities to win, but could not capitalize. In the fourth, they had the bases loaded and one out, but catcher Russell Martin and left fielder Brett Gardner both popped up. In the seventh inning, the Yankees had the bases loaded again, but Nick Swisher struck out. Then in the eighth, Derek Jeter hit a deep fly ball to right fielder, but Kelly was there to make an outstanding catch.

Game one of the ALCS goes Saturday.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |

Beltre blasts Rangers to ALCS

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Adrian Beltre (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The Texas Rangers are off to the American League Championship Series and have third baseman Adrian Beltre to thank.

On Tuesday afternoon, Beltre belted three home runs for the Rangers in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers scored all four of their runs on home runs as Ian Kinsler led off the game with a home run on a 0-and-1 count.

Beltre hit home runs in the second, fourth and seventh innings.

Texas will now await the winner of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers series. The Tigers lead the series 2-1. Last night Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander had 11 strikeouts as the Tigers defeated the Yankees 5-4. With the game tied at four in the seventh inning, left fielder Delmon Young hit a home run to give the Tigers a victory. Young was traded from the Minnesota Twins to the Detroit Tigers on August 15 for pitching prospect Cole Nelson and a  player to be named later.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |

Thome hits 600th Home Run

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Jim Thome (Rory Connell, Wikimedia Commons)

A significant milestone in Major League Baseball was achieved on Monday night.

Minnesota Twins’ designated hitter Jim Thome became the eighth player in Major League Baseball history to collect his 600th home run.

Thome actually hit two home runs in a 9-6 Minnesota win in Detroit. He hit his 599th career home run in the sixth inning off of Tigers’ starter Rich Porcello and then his 600th home run in the seventh inning off of reliever Daniel Schlereth. His home run in the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie and his three run home run in the seventh inning put the Twins up 9-5.

Thome also had five runs batted in during the game and raised his batting average to .254.

It is interesting that Thome’s home run milestone wasn’t given as much hype as Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit earlier in the season, even though Jeter became the 28th player to accomplish his offensive achievement, compared to Thome being the eighth. I have three explanations:

1) The New York Yankees simply get more press and are in a larger baseball market than the Minnesota Twins.

2) It was difficult to promote Thome’s milestone in the making because he wasn’t playing everyday, and at the age of 40, wasn’t getting as many at bats.

3) A significant amount of Jeter’s at bats are meaningful than Thome’s because the Yankees are in a playoff chase, while the Twins are not.

(more…)

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in MLB |