Detroit Tigers: Week 5 Heroes and Zeroes

May 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Anthony Gose (12) and second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) celebrate Kindler bunts for a single scoring Gose in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#5 Hero: Anthony Gose 

We usually like to get the zeroes out of the way first, but this week since we’ve got four zeroes, let’s do the opposite. One of the few players to really give his all this week at the plate and on the bases was Anthony Gose.

Gose was able to raise his season average to .325 after a .412 week. He reached base nine times in 17 at-bats, notching seven hits and stealing two bases. He was key in one of the Detroit Tigers’ two victories last week and it happened quickly.

With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night, Gose laced the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a double off Yohan Pina. His speed was fully on display when one pitch later Ian Kinsler bunted between the Royals’ pitcher and third baseman. Gose was motoring around third base and when Pina threw the ball past the first baseman, he easily scored with the walk-off bunt/error.

Gose continues to get on base when not a lot of the players behind him can push him along. He distracts the pitcher because of his speed and elusiveness on the base pads.

Simply put, Gose is the type of player that 9 times out of 10, if he reaches first via a hit or walk, you can chalk it up as a double because he’s going and he’s probably going to be safe.

If only the rest of the Tigers’ lineup had his enthusiasm…

Next: In search of Anibal

May 9, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez (19) pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#4 Zero: Anibal Sanchez 

Dave and I talked this morning in the latest MCB Podcast about the Royals’ series and one of the most disappointing aspects of that disappointing series was that the Detroit Tigers could not muster up more of a fight in the middle game on Saturday afternoon.

The matchup favored the Tigers. An improving Anibal Sanchez was facing the Royals, a team he held largely in check a week earlier and they were facing Jeremy Guthrie who is struggling this year and on whom the Tigers’ like to tee off.

Betsided

But Sanchez was not up for the task, and this is troubling because he has not been up for the task much this year. With Shane Greene and Alfredo Simon struggling in their recent starts to that point, and David Price getting knocked around the night before, the Tigers really needed a solid outing from Sanchez.

After holding the ball in the park for three straight games, (I jinxed him in the game preview) which had been an unusual problem of Anibal’s early this season, he allowed a leadoff homer to Alcides Escobar and that set the tone early. By the time the Tigers batted in the bottom half of the second inning, they were down 4-0.

This is not a recipe of success for a punchless lineup.

Anibal Sanchez needs to be better. If he can’t find it, the Tigers are in a lot of trouble.

Next: I need a shot of J.ack D.aniels Martinez

May 9, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) slides in safe under the tag by Kansas City Royals third baseman Christian Colon (24) in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Zero: J.D. Martinez

For a second straight week, J.D. Martinez finds himself on the zero end of the scale here. It was not an easy choice to include Martinez here because he did have a much better second half of the week, was getting on base more, and seeing the ball a bit better, but when you look at his entire week, it was a disappointment.

J.D. hit just .118 with two hits in 17 at-bats although he surprisingly worked eight walks. His strikeout numbers are through the roof, however, striking out eight times in the last week, second only to Nick Castellanos.

Detroit Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus tinkered with his lineup in an effort to get Martinez jump-started, flip-flopping him and Yoenis Cespedes in the lineup. It didn’t work as both players still couldn’t hit.

As I said, J.D. looks like he is slowly emerging from his struggles and the sooner he comes back the better.

Next: Yo Bueno

Apr 26, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits a single in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Zero: Yoenis Cespedes 

Speaking of the guy J.D. Martinez was moved down in the lineup for, Yoenis Cespedes had probably his roughest week as a Detroit Tiger. His .125/.192/.316 slash line were among the lowest of any Tigers’ regular last week.

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He notched just three hits in 24 at-bats. Where his numbers are most down are runs scored. When Jose Iglesias and the bottom of the Tigers’ lineup was raking, Yoenis was scoring often. Last week he scored just once with a putrid bottom half of the lineup and Iglesias on the pine due to a groin injury.

Cespedes had a chance to turn it all around on Sunday night. With the bases loaded in the 10th inning and two outs (after a double-play with the bases loaded and no outs and a Victor Martinez walk set the scene), Yoenis had a terrible at-bat and struck out for the fifth time on the week.

When Cespedes is firing on all cylinders he is awfully fun to watch and really hard to get out, but when he is struggling, he REALLY struggles. The Tigers need this guy right for success this year.

Next: Why, Nick, Why?

May 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) slides in safe at home on Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Zero: Nick Castellanos

Oh Nick, I want to embrace you, I really do. I wrote about you extensively this offseason how I knew you would take a step up this season both offensively and defensively and drown out the haters, but I am still waiting to be right.

Nick Castellanos has struggled at the plate really all season long except for a 10-day stretch in mid- to late-April. He rarely looks comfortable at the plate and an average or bad pitcher can look like Nolan Ryan when facing Castellanos these days.

His slash line for the year dipped to .216/.270/.351 after a .174/.200/.261 week. More inexcusable than those numbers was striking out 9 times.

Nick will never be a fan favorite because he is not a great defender. Every good play he makes at third base is marginalized, every bad play magnified. With that said, he had a very, very bad week defensively, the most egregious case being when he airmailed a throw past Miguel Cabrera that helped Kansas City score their fourth run on Friday night. With an accurate throw, David Price would have been out of the inning after allowing three runs. Not great, but would have still had the lead. Instead it was 4-4 heading to middle innings because of Casty’s error.

Castellanos’ poor defense is really exposed when Jose Iglesias is out of the lineup. Such a special defender, Jose shortens the field for Nick, allowing him to relax and be okay over there. Without Iglesias, he has to be better–and he’s not.

I am hoping Castellanos suddenly finds it and its way to early to call someone a bust in the second month of year two, but something has got to give. Perhaps a stint in Toledo is needed to get him right. Remember when the reset button was hit on Max Scherzer’s career when he was sent to AAA in 2010? No one is exempt from a reality check.

The Detroit Tigers have invested way too much in Castellanos for him to be hitting near the Mendoza line this late in the season.

Next: MCB Podcast: Ausmus problem