WEBVTT 00:00:02.569 --> 00:00:05.509 You're listening to The Litterbox, a Detroit 00:00:05.509 --> 00:00:09.570 Tigers podcast with your hosts, Chet West and 00:00:09.570 --> 00:00:17.170 Bill Patterson. Litterbox listeners, welcome 00:00:17.170 --> 00:00:20.670 back to your favorite Detroit Tigers podcast. 00:00:20.809 --> 00:00:23.489 I'm your host, Billy P with my co -host Chet 00:00:23.489 --> 00:00:26.730 West. And we've had some highs basically the 00:00:26.730 --> 00:00:29.230 last two weeks up until the last three games, 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:32.439 which we're now experiencing lows. And of course, 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:35.200 of all places, it had to come in the middle of 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.659 the summer, end of the summer, I guess, but heat 00:00:37.659 --> 00:00:41.700 in a minor league park in Sacramento as the Tigers 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:45.679 lost three straight to the Athletics, who Shelvern 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:48.939 made nameless. Chet, I've, this is as frustrated 00:00:48.939 --> 00:00:51.539 as I've been all year. I think you share that. 00:00:51.859 --> 00:00:53.960 So why don't you give me some of your thoughts 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:57.520 on this? Because this was just an ugly series. 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:01.240 Everything looked like it was on cruise control. 00:01:01.399 --> 00:01:05.280 until the sixth inning of game one, and the wheels 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:09.319 completely came off and just turned into a circus 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.760 from there on out. First and foremost, we alluded 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:15.519 to the fact that going out west at this time 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:18.120 of year was going to be troublesome, and boy 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:20.959 was it ever. We got swept by a team that's about 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.560 10 games under 500. They have talent all over 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.439 this roster. They got some young guys, Jake Wilson, 00:01:26.579 --> 00:01:30.219 Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler. Brett Rooker, all 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.060 guys. Shane Langley has been absolutely on fire. 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:36.620 All guys that are great with the bat. The pitching 00:01:36.620 --> 00:01:38.840 has always been kind of the question mark, and 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:41.060 we sort of mocked that we were going up against 00:01:41.060 --> 00:01:44.780 some guy named JT Ginn. Well, JT held us to three 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.400 runs and caved us eight times. We hit him pretty 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:51.040 hard, but couldn't get more than that across 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.900 the plate. And Tarrick looked like your normal 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:58.159 garden variety Tarrick until the sixth inning. 00:01:58.730 --> 00:02:01.310 Gave up a run, came back out for the seventh, 00:02:01.430 --> 00:02:04.469 got lit up for five more. We had a 3 -0 lead 00:02:04.469 --> 00:02:06.230 going into the bottom of the sixth, and that, 00:02:06.510 --> 00:02:10.310 you have Tarek Scubal on the mound. That's usually 00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:14.990 a W. Bill, I don't like these series. Way out 00:02:14.990 --> 00:02:16.830 on the other side of the country, on the other 00:02:16.830 --> 00:02:20.629 coast, late in the season, in the dog days of 00:02:20.629 --> 00:02:22.750 summer, but also the dog days of the baseball 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:25.650 season. Your thoughts? It was a rough eight to 00:02:25.650 --> 00:02:30.020 three loss. Scoobal was good for six innings 00:02:30.020 --> 00:02:32.319 and then for two -thirds of an inning he was 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.159 uncharacteristically awful. The Tigers also started 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:39.259 a trend in this game where they committed two 00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:42.099 errors and we're talking very, I mean errors 00:02:42.099 --> 00:02:45.340 are routine mistakes, but these were really, 00:02:45.479 --> 00:02:48.500 really, really silly self -inflicted wounds. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:51.340 And essentially one of, you know, the really 00:02:51.340 --> 00:02:54.500 good A's players, Shane Langley has hit his second 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:57.889 career grand slam. And the Athletics won 8 -3 00:02:57.889 --> 00:03:01.469 and both teams had 10 hits. One just did a much 00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:03.189 better job with runners and scoring position. 00:03:03.389 --> 00:03:07.449 It's a game if the Tigers don't get a spot in 00:03:07.449 --> 00:03:10.650 terms of getting a first round by in the American 00:03:10.650 --> 00:03:14.469 League and do have to play a three game set against 00:03:14.469 --> 00:03:18.159 somebody. This is going to be one of the games 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:20.560 that will really come back to bite them and will 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:23.860 stand out to me. Game two was even more frustrating, 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:26.319 Chet. It went 10 innings and the Tigers lost 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.740 7 -6. It was there for the taking. And again, 00:03:29.900 --> 00:03:32.259 the Tigers seemed to be, I don't want to say 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:34.919 sleepwalking, but I can't think of a better term. 00:03:35.020 --> 00:03:36.680 It just seemed like they were jet -lagged. It 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.840 seemed like their body clocks weren't in the 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.699 right position. They committed two errors again. 00:03:41.819 --> 00:03:44.860 They allowed 10 hits again. Only had nine themselves. 00:03:45.210 --> 00:03:49.169 It just wasn't good. Uncle Charlie Morton wasn't 00:03:49.169 --> 00:03:51.610 really himself. Is this the game where Charlie 00:03:51.610 --> 00:03:53.449 Morton comes back to bite us? I mean, he gives 00:03:53.449 --> 00:03:56.810 up five runs in the first three. You can't do 00:03:56.810 --> 00:03:59.169 this. If you're a good team with good pitching, 00:03:59.849 --> 00:04:02.430 you cannot do this as often as we do. It seems 00:04:02.430 --> 00:04:05.229 like every series we spot a team five or six 00:04:05.229 --> 00:04:08.139 runs in the first two or three innings. Yeah, 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.699 except for the previous two weeks when we didn't. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.560 When we didn't and we won. And they looked really 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:16.120 good. I mean, if we have to give any kudos to 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:19.000 game two, it's got to be Troy Melton was awesome 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.240 for three innings. Struck out one only allowed 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:25.040 a hit. His ERA is down to 2 .60. Kyle Finnegan 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.819 struck out three in one inning of work. He's 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:31.199 still been a revelation. Concerning outside of 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.959 Uncle Charlie was that Will Vest only made it 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:37.740 a third of an inning and was terrible. One hit, 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:41.040 one run, and he walked three was the problem, 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.680 Chet. It'll be very unfortunate if Will Vest 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.579 chooses September to be his, like, bad month 00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:49.279 of the year. Yeah, that would be awful. That 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:52.259 would just be awful. Charlie Morton got hit pretty 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:54.660 darn hard in this game. He did. Shane Langleyers 00:04:54.660 --> 00:04:56.939 had three hard hit balls off and went three for 00:04:56.939 --> 00:04:59.399 five, did a ton of damage to us in this series. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:03.439 Don't forget guys like Tyler Soderstrom, you 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:06.660 know... Darryl Hernandez are not bad hitters 00:05:06.660 --> 00:05:08.720 by any stretch. Like these guys can do damage 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:12.519 too. So their lineup is accomplished. You can't 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:15.459 just roll Charlie Morton out there and expect 00:05:15.459 --> 00:05:19.600 results because they're a below 500 team. But 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.279 Osvaldo Bito was there for the taking and we 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:24.680 got three hits, four runs off him, but we struggled. 00:05:24.899 --> 00:05:27.860 The bullpen held us in check. And they didn't 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:30.339 allow that much damage, whereas we got Will Vest 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:32.660 giving up two runs late. That's troublesome. 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:34.740 Troy Melton, would you like to see him start? 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:38.360 Yes, I absolutely would. Is this a guy you'd 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:40.360 like to see get slotted into the rotation? I 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.879 mean, I think he's had one suspect outing so 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:47.000 far, and his first start was a little rocky, 00:05:47.060 --> 00:05:49.740 which is to be expected, his first career start. 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:52.579 Outside of that, he has been lights out. Yes, 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:55.259 because I do think he has a high ceiling and 00:05:55.259 --> 00:05:58.819 has shown us a lot. Part two of that is we know 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:01.740 who else is out there. And it's not looking too 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:06.300 good. I mean, if every if I had a dime for every 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:09.339 text message that my co -host sent me complaining 00:06:09.339 --> 00:06:12.120 about up here goes Chris Paddock again, or here 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.980 goes Uncle Charlie again. I wouldn't be a wealthy 00:06:15.980 --> 00:06:19.519 man, but I would have a few dimes. The Tigers 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.800 looked lifeless. Yesterday, a seven, nothing 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:31.540 loss, and it just. Felt like to me this team 00:06:31.540 --> 00:06:34.060 couldn't wait to get out of Sacramento quickly 00:06:34.060 --> 00:06:37.899 enough Any thoughts on that before I do a food 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:41.220 review of of of the ballpark. They're calling 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:46.399 it the ballpark Game three Casey Mize came on 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.660 and we'd gotten so used to Casey Mize giving 00:06:48.660 --> 00:06:50.839 us five and a third five and two -thirds and 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:54.839 three runs and This time he got lit up and spotted 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.180 the other team four runs in the first two innings. 00:06:57.240 --> 00:06:59.560 Ended up giving up seven hits, five runs, four 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.980 Ks. They hit him pretty hard. Same guys doing 00:07:02.980 --> 00:07:05.779 all the damage. As a matter of fact, Zach Gelof 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:08.279 got in on this one. He's not even a good hitter. 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:10.079 He's batting in the nine spot and he still went 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.180 two for four. So I don't think Casey had his 00:07:12.180 --> 00:07:14.579 stuff. Even if he did, we couldn't scratch a 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:17.980 run across against Luis Morales, who just absolutely 00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:21.379 threw us. Seven innings, two hits. two walks, 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:24.560 seven Ks. So we couldn't solve Luis from Morales. 00:07:24.620 --> 00:07:27.279 We hit him hard. We hit him plenty hard. Just 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:31.740 we couldn't get anything done. So again, a lot 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.240 of guys that maybe we aren't familiar with all 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:35.680 the way out on the West Coast, some of these 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.560 pitchers, maybe they're a little better. We could 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:39.920 look and dig into the stats. I don't care. We're 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.980 done with the Sacramento A's or whatever we're 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:45.379 calling them at this point. Playing in a minor 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:48.639 league ballpark. Weird series late in the season. 00:07:48.829 --> 00:07:51.889 I'm chalking it up to the time changes. I'm chalking 00:07:51.889 --> 00:07:54.149 it up to the travel. I'm chalking it up to the 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:57.569 dog days. I'm expecting them to come out a little 00:07:57.569 --> 00:08:01.209 hotter this this coming weekend. And we'll see 00:08:01.209 --> 00:08:03.569 if we can get get a couple scratch, a couple 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:07.430 of W's across against Casey. Yeah, I'm expecting 00:08:07.430 --> 00:08:10.410 an uptick and the Tigers to play much better 00:08:10.410 --> 00:08:12.689 against the Royals who they're very comfortable 00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:14.689 with the final three games against the Royals 00:08:14.689 --> 00:08:18.050 in Kauffman Stadium. And let's hope for retribution. 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.220 because this series was ugly. And it's just, 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:25.199 it reminded me earlier in the season when the 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:29.019 Tigers had to head to Tampa Bay. And you and 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:32.519 I both said, boy, the bullpen's overutilized. 00:08:32.580 --> 00:08:35.539 The injuries are mounting. This is a series that 00:08:35.539 --> 00:08:38.340 isn't going to go well. And you and I echoed 00:08:38.340 --> 00:08:41.279 that same thought process for this series. And 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.960 unfortunately, it came to fruition. Was that 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.179 the series where Scoobal was pitching in the 00:08:47.179 --> 00:08:50.659 rain? And he kinda threw a little bit of a, not 00:08:50.659 --> 00:08:53.159 a tantrum about it, but he got a little emotional 00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:55.220 about it and was kinda like, this is a downpour, 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:57.059 I'm out here throwing, it's tough to get the 00:08:57.059 --> 00:09:00.940 ball. I seem to remember some of this. And that 00:09:00.940 --> 00:09:03.080 series was, that seems like an eternity ago, 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:06.000 Bill. It does. We've done many an episode since 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.980 then. Yeah. Here's the parallel, though, between 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:12.879 those two series. It's the two times that the 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:15.669 Tigers had to play in a minor league park. And 00:09:15.669 --> 00:09:18.269 shame on Major League Baseball. For the Rays, 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:22.049 that was a God -given disaster. You know, weather 00:09:22.049 --> 00:09:24.570 that tore the roof off a Tropicana field. I'm 00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:27.230 not excusing the Rays for playing in a terrible 00:09:27.230 --> 00:09:30.769 ballpark, but you cannot blame Mother Nature 00:09:30.769 --> 00:09:34.809 for it. Good for the Yankees for lending Steinbrenner 00:09:34.809 --> 00:09:37.049 Field, and everybody did the best they could. 00:09:37.789 --> 00:09:40.889 What the Athletics are doing is just inexcusable. 00:09:40.990 --> 00:09:45.159 And as I... Segway into food. I'm on the A's 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:48.220 website and the top masthead and banner says 00:09:48.220 --> 00:09:52.879 Vegas is pitch -perfect Visit Vegas in the Oakland 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:56.139 Athletics or Vegas Athletics green You know how 00:09:56.139 --> 00:09:58.720 they have that really yeah classic green color 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:03.039 and it just it just rubs me the wrong way like 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:05.779 Oakland they supported that team through thick 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:10.240 and thin and a weird one in 1991 the Oakland 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.850 A's had the largest payroll in baseball. And 00:10:13.850 --> 00:10:16.490 since then, it's just been a steady dive off 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:19.450 a cliff. Different ownership then? I can't remember. 00:10:19.769 --> 00:10:21.789 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Much different ownership. 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:25.690 That's an interesting factoid though. That's 00:10:25.690 --> 00:10:28.049 two owners ago. It's not even Fisher or Steve 00:10:28.049 --> 00:10:30.289 Schott. It was the previous ownership group on 00:10:30.289 --> 00:10:33.190 that. And they had some big names then. Mark 00:10:33.190 --> 00:10:36.779 Maguire and... Jose consent go Ricky Henderson 00:10:36.779 --> 00:10:39.120 was probably doing one of his mini tours through 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.580 Oakland I try to do these you know I try to go 00:10:42.580 --> 00:10:44.440 around and I'm not trying to steal your thunder 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:46.899 on the food But I try to go around and figure 00:10:46.899 --> 00:10:49.059 out what people are talking about at the ballpark 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:52.299 and what they can eat and I stumbled across a 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.000 I think it was a Reddit thread from about a year 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.980 ago. So it was their last season in the Coliseum, 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:01.639 right? And this guy was like, hey, I'm a Mariners 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:04.500 fan. I'm going down to watch the AAs and Mariners 00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:06.700 play this weekend. What do you guys reckon? What 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:10.120 are the can't miss foods at the Coliseum? First 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:13.940 response, 80 % of the concession stands are closed. 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:16.720 The ones that are left have nothing outside of 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.889 traditional variety. Pick up food somewhere else 00:11:19.889 --> 00:11:23.049 and bring it in if you can. That's that's sort 00:11:23.049 --> 00:11:27.789 of the downfall of your baseball club right there. 00:11:27.970 --> 00:11:30.009 When somebody gives a review like that, that 00:11:30.009 --> 00:11:33.450 the stadium experience is so bad, it's like my 00:11:33.450 --> 00:11:36.909 grandmother taking candy into the movie theater 00:11:36.909 --> 00:11:39.190 from the outside because she can't get what she 00:11:39.190 --> 00:11:41.049 wants in there and it's way too expensive for 00:11:41.049 --> 00:11:44.509 the basic garbage. At any rate, I found that 00:11:44.509 --> 00:11:47.879 interesting and funny. We used to go to A's games 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:49.899 quite a bit when we lived out in the Bay Area, 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:52.159 and they were very competitive in that time, 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.659 you know, the Hayden Moneyball and Billy Dean, 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.350 and we would always bring our own food in. and 00:11:58.350 --> 00:12:01.009 everybody we knew would bring we'd bring burritos 00:12:01.009 --> 00:12:04.269 in, we'd bring deli sandwiches because the food 00:12:04.269 --> 00:12:07.009 was possibly the worst I've ever experienced 00:12:07.009 --> 00:12:10.009 in a ballpark. Ironically, the beer selection 00:12:10.009 --> 00:12:13.470 was light years ahead of its time. They had pyramid 00:12:13.470 --> 00:12:15.669 was like a craft brewery. I don't know what happened 00:12:15.669 --> 00:12:17.649 to it. I don't think they're around anymore, 00:12:17.649 --> 00:12:22.269 but they had. Two like flagship stations or stands 00:12:22.269 --> 00:12:25.830 there and then they had a host of other You know, 00:12:25.990 --> 00:12:28.149 Sierra Nevada anchor steam all sorts of good 00:12:28.149 --> 00:12:30.370 stuff So interesting that they couldn't get the 00:12:30.370 --> 00:12:31.850 food right, but they always got the alcohol, 00:12:31.850 --> 00:12:34.909 right? They needed to get their fans drunk so 00:12:34.909 --> 00:12:37.450 they didn't have to sit through the Hell that 00:12:37.450 --> 00:12:40.769 was their lineup these days. This comes from 00:12:40.769 --> 00:12:46.259 a friend and ex -co -worker of mine that lives 00:12:46.259 --> 00:12:49.559 in the Sacramento area. And so I texted him and 00:12:49.559 --> 00:12:53.220 he got back to me with what he has been eating 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:56.779 this season at The Ballpark. That's just what 00:12:56.779 --> 00:13:00.639 they call it. And I think you're gonna be pretty 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.759 intrigued with this. It's new for this year and 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:08.360 it is a bacon -wrapped hot dog featuring roasted 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:13.330 jalapenos, pinto beans, crema and pico de gallo 00:13:13.330 --> 00:13:17.129 on a martin's potato bun We got crema on a hot 00:13:17.129 --> 00:13:21.029 dog. Oh, yeah, so it's a little bit sonoran dog 00:13:21.029 --> 00:13:23.230 ish You know the bacon wrap part of it the pinto 00:13:23.230 --> 00:13:26.730 beans jalapenos Being roasted not fresh is a 00:13:26.730 --> 00:13:28.490 little different the crema and it's a little 00:13:28.490 --> 00:13:31.750 different and so is the pico de gallo But that's 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:33.509 where you want to go You want to go to the bridges 00:13:33.509 --> 00:13:36.309 grill at the ballpark and you want to order yourself? 00:13:36.769 --> 00:13:39.710 The bacon wrapped a's dog is what they're calling 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:43.620 it So, thanks. Interesting. That's fabulous. 00:13:43.779 --> 00:13:46.279 Thanks buddy Matt for sending that over. Outside 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:48.940 of that, he said it's pretty much like going 00:13:48.940 --> 00:13:51.320 to a game at the Coliseum. You can bring your 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:55.039 own food in and skip it. Seems to be the tip. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.139 Seems to be everybody's tip. Unfortunately, he 00:13:58.139 --> 00:14:01.259 said the craft beer selections and cocktail selections 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:04.179 didn't travel westward to Sacramento and he said 00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:06.340 it's pretty much a Bud and Bud Light facility 00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:10.039 now. On the website, the Bridges Grill, they 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:13.039 have all their mining options below for the A's, 00:14:13.259 --> 00:14:15.340 Eerie's here in the ballpark. Yeah. It says, 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:18.340 Bridges Grill, our specialty items include crispy 00:14:18.340 --> 00:14:21.700 chicken tenders and fries. No wonder people are 00:14:21.700 --> 00:14:24.279 bringing stuff in from the outside. Like, goodness 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:26.279 gracious. Anyhow. So let's flesh. What do you 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:28.759 want to bet those are boxed and just heat it 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:31.440 up in a microwave? Definitely. Well, they might 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.639 have a deep fryer there. Maybe. That's true. 00:14:33.740 --> 00:14:35.100 That's true. Maybe. We should give them a little 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:39.080 bit of credit. Yeah. Let's flash forward the 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:42.019 weekend series. I know you are gonna be glued 00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:44.779 to either your radio or television set because 00:14:44.779 --> 00:14:48.200 we've got a Chris Paddock sighting Friday evening 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:51.399 and he's going up against the Royals ace Seth 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:55.539 Lugo. I want to be enthused. I would love to 00:14:55.539 --> 00:14:58.659 be but I don't like that matchup whatsoever. 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.500 You know what would actually excite me a little 00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:03.940 bit is if Paddock could string another good start 00:15:03.940 --> 00:15:07.000 together here. If we could get two in a row and 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.039 we start seeing good paddock, I don't even know 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.620 what good paddock looks like. I don't know how 00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:12.480 long it's been since good paddock has been around, 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:14.820 but he wasn't bad in his last start. He was good. 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.860 So maybe we just use that as the benchmark for 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:21.519 good paddock. Seth Lugo, you know, his, his underlying 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:25.419 metrics here are not good at all. He has some 00:15:25.419 --> 00:15:27.379 of the worst. I mean, if you go on baseball salon 00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:30.159 and take a look at his MLB percentile rankings, 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:36.210 it's all blue, which is bad. Like Poor so there 00:15:36.210 --> 00:15:40.669 is nothing that tells me that he should be competing 00:15:40.669 --> 00:15:42.950 he has an eight and six record with about a four 00:15:42.950 --> 00:15:46.909 ERA, but I I got a feeling we should be able 00:15:46.909 --> 00:15:49.909 to To hit this guy pretty well. Let's hope so 00:15:49.909 --> 00:15:54.340 because Saturday's gonna be even I guess more 00:15:54.340 --> 00:15:56.419 crazy in the fact that we've got Jack Flaherty 00:15:56.419 --> 00:15:59.340 on the hill for us I'm still seeing to be determined 00:15:59.340 --> 00:16:01.539 for the Royals who knows do you think we get 00:16:01.539 --> 00:16:03.720 good Jack or bad Jack this time? Well, this is 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:06.019 just there's the question. I mean we it's been 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:08.340 so up and down with him I'm gonna I'm gonna go 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:10.919 good Jack for no reason other than to just go 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:14.120 the opposite direction You know he has some decent 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:17.360 metrics like he's got most many are bad people 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.519 are barreling him up pretty bad cuz he you know 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.169 when his breaking ball doesn't break That's when 00:16:22.169 --> 00:16:24.549 things go south for him. But he's got a good 00:16:24.549 --> 00:16:27.029 chase and whiff and K rate. So it's like that 00:16:27.029 --> 00:16:29.889 breaking ball is everything. He becomes very 00:16:29.889 --> 00:16:33.009 one dimensional. Yeah. Yeah, he becomes very 00:16:33.009 --> 00:16:34.789 one dimensional and he becomes very hittable 00:16:34.789 --> 00:16:37.190 at that point. And I'm assuming in that game, 00:16:37.190 --> 00:16:39.190 we're going to get somebody like Ryan Berger 00:16:39.190 --> 00:16:41.990 or something to go up against. Oh, that's a good 00:16:41.990 --> 00:16:44.230 name. Yeah, it's a good name. It's a good name. 00:16:44.309 --> 00:16:49.960 He's got Berger in the name. So, you know, Pitcher 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:52.720 that has a an edible an edible last name to a 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:57.580 degree I don't know that those two back -to -back 00:16:57.580 --> 00:17:00.059 Excite me a heck of a lot I mean that's a lot 00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:02.500 of inconsistency in our starting pitching staff 00:17:02.500 --> 00:17:05.140 going back -to -back this weekend and this goes 00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:09.599 full circle back to why Troy Melton is a better 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:13.299 option we are because set that up very well You 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:17.519 waited and you waited and you dove in with Troy 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.640 Melton Let's see it. We're gonna get Scubal on 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.079 Sunday to hopefully shut the door. Against Michael 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:27.920 Wacha. Yup. Who, his record, Wacha's that is, 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.660 is 8 and 10, but his ERA is not terrible. It's 00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:35.759 3 .39. I'm a little befuddled how this Royals 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:42.940 team is 69 and 65. They've won two straight. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:44.799 They're eight and a half back of the Tigers. 00:17:45.460 --> 00:17:48.519 I'm looking up and down this lineup and outside 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.940 of Bobby Witt Jr. I'm not seeing a lot of talent. 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:55.220 Are you? What am I missing here? I don't I don't 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:59.339 I mean you've got some okay pitching coupled 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:02.140 with some below average offense more than likely. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.920 I mean Bobby Witt is kind of it. I'd be curious 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.940 to see Bobby Witt is kind of it. That's good. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.279 We're rhyming. I would be curious to see what 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:13.279 would happen if Bobby Witt was not in the lineup. 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:16.220 I think they'd have a massive void there. Waka 00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:18.000 hasn't been hittable. That's the thing about 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.220 Waka and he absolutely flamuxed us the last time 00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:24.440 we went up against him. So I have a feeling he 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.740 may be challenging and Scubal might get another. 00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:30.920 Another duel on Sunday here. We'll see. But yeah, 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:33.099 I'm looking across their lineup. It's like Vinny 00:18:33.099 --> 00:18:36.559 Pasquettino. He's alright. He does okay. Yastrimsky 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.539 does okay. Mikel Garcia's had a pretty darn good 00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:42.359 season for himself. And then Bobby Witt. And 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:45.019 after that, it's like Sal Perez, old man Perez. 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:47.839 Jonathan India can do a little damage, but isn't 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:50.160 anybody to write home about? Well, hold on. Let's 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.660 pause on Jonathan India. What does he put in 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:55.980 those flowing blocks of his? Is that Crisco? 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:59.769 Baby? Oil is that gel? I mean, you know what 00:18:59.769 --> 00:19:02.369 one of a segment we could add to this whole thing 00:19:02.369 --> 00:19:06.130 is picking out a guy on the posing team with 00:19:06.130 --> 00:19:08.750 Wonderful luxurious hair. Okay going through 00:19:08.750 --> 00:19:11.029 what we think his prep routine is every day I 00:19:11.029 --> 00:19:12.750 think he's putting something like shaving cream 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:15.750 in there I think he's doing something like teen 00:19:15.750 --> 00:19:18.490 fifties ish to get that stuff like good and greased 00:19:18.490 --> 00:19:21.309 up Motor grease or something cuz it looks wet 00:19:21.309 --> 00:19:24.759 the entire game I think he does like a shaving 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.799 cream treatment with like some sort of a Shine 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:32.779 like a sheen of soul polish Maybe a polish of 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:34.720 some sort that he runs through it. No, I think 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.500 it's soul glow from coming to America soul glow 00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:40.579 I'm teasing I'm teasing but a song. Yeah. Yeah. 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:43.519 Yeah. So like let your soul glow. Yeah, let it 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:45.039 all shine through I thought you're gonna sing 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:46.799 it for a minute though. No, you are that was 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:49.500 gonna be artsy Yeah, all right. That's about 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:52.759 all I have on this tigers. We need you to win 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:55.339 a series for us here. Drop something in the comments 00:19:55.339 --> 00:19:58.299 if you guys know what Jonathan India is putting 00:19:58.299 --> 00:20:00.359 in his hair. If any of you long -haired people 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:03.960 understand the concept of slicking back that 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:05.579 much hair, I don't have enough to slick back. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:07.940 I'm not 100 % sure. Do you think we have that 00:20:07.940 --> 00:20:11.000 many male listeners with that long of hair? That's 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:14.609 an excellent question. I don't know. I believe 00:20:14.609 --> 00:20:16.990 most of our listener group is between the 45 00:20:16.990 --> 00:20:19.049 and 60 range So I don't know if they're letting 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:21.390 it grow out. I mean if they've got any hair at 00:20:21.390 --> 00:20:24.549 this point Yeah, maybe but let's see what we 00:20:24.549 --> 00:20:26.450 get back. Maybe we'll get some maybe we'll get 00:20:26.450 --> 00:20:28.329 some commentary back Maybe somebody knows what 00:20:28.329 --> 00:20:30.650 Jonathan India is putting in his hair But I'd 00:20:30.650 --> 00:20:33.210 love it, you know until then everybody enjoy 00:20:33.210 --> 00:20:35.230 the royal series and let's hope we get a couple 00:20:35.230 --> 00:20:37.230 games here We could use two out of three. I say 00:20:37.230 --> 00:20:40.069 two out of three two out of three. Here we go. 00:20:40.069 --> 00:20:46.940 Go Tigers. Go Tigers All right, that's gonna 00:20:46.940 --> 00:20:49.460 do it for this episode of the Litterbox, a Detroit 00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:52.180 Tigers podcast. Thanks for hanging out with us. 00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:54.440 We're Bill and Chet. We'll be back soon with 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:57.259 more Tigers Talk. If you're enjoying the show, 00:20:57.539 --> 00:21:00.519 be sure to follow or subscribe on Spotify, Apple 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.400 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.279 And hey, if you got a minute, leave us a quick 00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:09.460 review. Until next time, go Tigers.