Probables: Friday — RHP Jonathan Cannon (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 3.18); Saturday — RHP Davis Martin (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Reese Olson (0-1, 7.71); Sunday — LHP Martin Perez (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Jackson Jobe (0-0, 6.75)
Cannon, White Sox: The Tigers beat him around a fair bit in three starts last season, scoring 17 runs (14 earned) in 10 innings with three homers. But the 6-foot-6 right-hander blanked the Angels over five innings in his season debut last week. He mixes firm cutters (90 mph) and sinkers (93.7 mph) to lefties, and cutters, sinkers, changeups, four-seamers and sweepers to right-handed hitters.
Flaherty, Tigers: Run it back. His first start with the Tigers last season was against the White Sox in Chicago and his first home start in his second Tigers stint is against the White Sox. He dominated them twice last season, allowing two runs in 11⅔ total innings with 15 strikeouts and two walks.
So…I completely understand why you’d have different lineups for facing RHP and LHP, but why do some teams (including us) have different lineups and different defensive combinations to face the same type of pitcher?
It seems like when you have as many injuries as we do right now, you’d actually want your backups to play in the same spot as much as possible to get them more reps? (I’m talking about 3B here…I know that Kreidler has been playing a ton in CF)
I think 3rd base is 'by committee" approach til Vierling is healthy again.
This also goes back to the multiple positions they train players for in the mionrs and ST. Kreidler is an IF more than a CF.
That explains what we’re doing, but I still don’t understand why we’re doing it?
I completely get why in the NFL you might want to do a “by committee” approach to a position, given the wear and tear a football game puts on your body.
I also get the concept of off days in baseball and why they’re important.
What I’m trying to ask is why don’t we choose someone and play them exclusively at 3B as much as possible…hoping the extra reps gets them better at the position, making our defense better than it would’ve otherwise been?
I think the answer to that is Hinch and the way he strategizes his lineup every game.
The lineup, positions manned, are not only based on the opponent’s starting pitcher but also looks at potential moves in the sixth inning and beyond. How can Hinch stress the opponents bullpen by later inning substitutions.
Series: Three games at Comerica Park, Detroit
