Detroit Tigers: Week 8 Heroes and Zeroes

May 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) is hit by a pitch in the third inning allowing a run to to score against the Los Angeles Angels in at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Often times in the long baseball season, one moment can make or break a season. You don’t know it at the time, but you look back during the first chill of autumn without Detroit Tigers’ baseball and see the turning point of the season may have arrived way back on the last day of May.

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For the Tigers, that moment may have come in the top of the seventh inning when they had a chance to salvage a little bit of redemption and failed. We will discuss this when we get to Yoenis Cespedes entry on the heroes and zeroes list in a little bit.

After a week off due to Memorial Day, we’re back with Detroit Tigers heroes and zeroes. Following a 2-5 week (and 13-16 month of May), you can imagine the zeroes greatly outweigh the heroes, but we remarkably sifted through the slime of the Tigers’ previous week to pull out two heroes.

We could have actually had three players on the heroes list if the Tigers weren’t so painfully bad last week. Despite limited playing time Tyler Collins was a bright spot, but didn’t make the cut.

The zeroes list was a cast of thousands. Those that could have rightfully made the list for their awful week, from May 24 to 31, include James McCann, Anibal Sanchez and Hernan Perez.

McCann misses the cut because he wasn’t as terrible as some of the others, Sanchez had only one (horrendous) start to save him infamy, and Perez had limited playing time but should make this list every week until the Tigers FINALLY get rid of him.

So without further fanfare, let’s get to the list–heroes first since we only have two.

Next: Yes Way, Jose

May 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Alex Wilson (30) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

#4 Hero: Alex Wilson

Should Yoenis Cespedes hit the road after this season, the Detroit Tigers may still “win the trade” because of the throw-in pieces.

The Tigers balked at trading Cespedes straight up for Rick Porcello, but when the Boston Red Sox threw in Alex Wilson and Gabe Speier they could not make the trade quicker.

Playing in low-A ball, Speier is still a long way from the big leagues, but he’s doing all he needs to do in West Michigan, posting a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings with a 1.100 WHIP.

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Meanwhile Wilson has been a life-saver this season, giving the Tigers a lift in long relief when their starters get shelled. He, of course, was the starter in the “bullpen game” on Wednesday, going three strong, scoreless innings in Detroit’s most recent victory to date.

A few days later, when Shane Greene was blown apart, Wilson calmly stepped in and went 3.2 innings, holding the Angels scoreless and hitless as the Tigers tried to mount a failed comeback.

In three appearances last week, spanning 7.2 innings, Wilson allowed just one base runner via a walk. He has allowed runs in only three of 14 outings this year and held the opponents scoreless in 10 of his last 11 games.

Wilson is symbolic of the bullpen in general. Aside from Joba Chamberlain‘s WHIP (despite a misleading solid ERA), the bullpen has unbelievably been a bright spot both throughout last week and the season thus far for Detroit.

Next: It's Not Easy Being Greene

May 25, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Shane Greene (61) prepares to deliver a pitch against the Oakland Athletics in the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Zero: Shane Greene

With Kyle Lobstein injured and Justin Verlander still another rehab start or two away from making a contribution for the Detroit Tigers, the team really needed Shane Greene to step up last week.

He did just the opposite.

In a week in which the Tigers had a “bullpen” start and a Buck Farmer start because of Alfredo Simon being away on bereavement leave, Greene allowing 11 earned runs in two outings is just inexcusable. On Saturday he could not even make his way out of the second inning and was charged with seven earned runs in the 8-6 loss.

This followed another uneven start in which Shane allowed four runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings of a 4-0 loss to Oakland.

It is particularly disappointing because Greene had seemingly turned a corner. After allowing 20 runs in three starts from April 24 to May 5, he allowed just three runs over 19.1 innings until this latest rough patch.

Next: Haven't Seen a Hit in Ians

May 16, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) hits for a RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Zero: Ian Kinsler

The Great Ian Kinsler slump of 2015 shows no signs of letting up. The previous week was so bad for Kinsler that Detroit Tigers’ manager Brad Ausmus finally gave him his first day off of the year.

The day off did not help as Kinsler knocked just three hits in 22 at-bats last week and is still waiting on his first home run of the season.

Betsided

The troubles did not stop at the plate. His usually potent defense took a step back with an error in the Angels’ series. He also was picked off first base, erasing a valuable base runner on Sunday.

Ian’s troubles have to be scary for the Tigers because of how poor his second half was a season ago. His second half swoon did not begin until after the All-Star Break in 2014, but it appears to be setting in earlier this year.

As we mentioned before, perhaps the Tigers should consider flip-flopping Kinsler and Jose Iglesias in the lineup. Iggy continues to hit which could lift the fortunes of the top of the lineup, while perhaps Kinsler might do better and may ease some pressure from the stress of hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera and needing to get on base for him.

Next: Yo Knows Disappointment

May 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) rounds the bases on a three run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Zero: Yoenis Cespedes

Also a topic on this morning’s podcast, Dave and I discussed Yoenis Cespedes. While he is having a normal Cespedes-like season, he has not been able to step up in big situations. He did have three homers last week, two in one game, but they are just failing to come when it is needed most.

The moment we talked about in the introduction came on Sunday with the bases loaded and two out in the seventh inning. The Angels did not give Miguel Cabrera much to hit and he walked bringing up Yoenis. He worked the count a bit before flying softly to the right fielder, ending the threat.

The score was tied at two. Had Cespedes got a base hit, at least two runs would  have scored to give the Tigers the lead. David Price would probably have been removed, and the late innings Tigers’ bullpen, which has been so effective this year would have kicked in.

Instead the score remained 2-2 and, one inning later, the Angels took advantage of a tired Price to mount an eighth inning rally and Joba Chamberlain came in to allow the two runs Los Angeles needed to win the game.

This was a moment that could have changed the fortunes of the team in an instant. The Detroit Tigers would have still experienced a subpar week, but a 3-4 California trip is not too bad for an Eastern Time Zone team.

Perhaps it is unfair to point to that specific at-bat by Cespedes as the turning point in that game, especially with so many bats in the lineup struggling, but it was by far the biggest threat for the Tigers on Sunday night, and because time after time Cespesdes cannot step up in big situations, that one ended harmlessly for the Angels.

In a contract year, in the clean-up spot, with no Victor Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes simply has to be better.

Next: MCB TigerTalk Podcast: Disaster in Anaheim