The Detroit Tigers may be the most disappointing team in baseball at this point in the season. They haven’t been terrible like the Cubs, mind you, but given that they were easily the most frequent division-winning pick before the season started, their struggles have caught everyone by surprise. A trip to Wrigley Field might be just what they need.
By way of reminder, the Series Preview hooks you up with what you need to know about every series this year – streaks, broadcast information, pitchers, expected lineups, etc. That way, if you want to check only one place to get a sense about an upcoming series, or to plan ahead, you’ve got it. Oh, and there are pictures of beautiful women, too.
We’re Going Streaking
The Cubs have won one game in a row. The end.
The Tigers are four games under .500, and five games out in the AL Central. They just took two of three from the Reds after dropping three series in a row to the Red Sox, Yankees, and Indians.
Game Times and Broadcasts
- Tuesday, June 12 at 7:05 CT on CSN.
- Wednesday, June 13 at 7:05 CT on WCIU.
- Thursday, June 14 at 1:20 CT on CSN.
Expected Starters and Lineups
These lineups are likely to be pretty close to what actually gets fielded, but you’ll want to check each day’s Pre-Gamin’ post for the actual lineup.
Cubs
Starters: Paul Maholm (4-5, 5.10), Matt Garza (2-4, 3.99), Travis Wood (0-2, 4.71)
Lineup:
- Tony Campana, CF
- Starlin Castro, SS
- David DeJesus, RF
- Alfonso Soriano, LF
- Bryan LaHair, 1B
- Steve Clevenger, C
- Darwin Barney, 2B
- Ian Stewart, 3B
- Pitcher
Tigers
Starters: Max Scherzer (5-4, 5.88), Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.03), Justin Verlander (5-4, 2.69)
Lineup:
- Austin Jackson, CF
- Quintn Berry/Brennan Boesch, RF
- Miguel Cabrera, 3B
- Prince Fielder, 1B
- Delmon Young, LF
- Ramon Santiago, SS
- Gerald Laird, C
- Danny Worth, 2B
- Pitcher
Hot or Not and Whom to Watch
Alfonso Soriano is absurdly, ridiculously hot. You know this. He’s gone .298/.361/.649 since the start of May. Yowsa.
David DeJesus has not taken too kindly to the three-hole. He’s hitting just .143/.296/.190 in his last seven games.
Matt Garza is coming off a solid start, and the more of those he strings together, the better it is for the Cubs (whether they decide to deal him, or decide to put together an extension (his success will give them more confidence).
The offensive story for the Tigers is, duh, all about Miguel Cabrera (.317/.372/.547) and Prince Fielder (.316/.386/.509).
I am really looking forward to seeing Justin Verlander taking on the Cubs, which may be the most masochistic thing I’ve ever said about the Cubs.
Series She-View
The Series She-View is one beautiful woman representing the Cubs taking on another (usually) beautiful woman representing the opponent. The Cubs’ representative will change as the team’s needs change – in other words, if the Cubs are winning, the rep will stay the same. But if the Cubs’ performance calls for a change, someone new will step in. The opponent’s representative will change from series to series, at my whim. But at least she’ll probably be wearing the opponent’s colors or have some connection to the team or something like that. It is immature, and the connection to baseball is tenuous at best. These things, I know.
It’s the Cubs’ fault, really. We haven’t been able to have a legitimately repeating representative for a month. So we just have to keep try, try, trying again. How about ‘Prometheus’ star Charlize Theron? I want to see that flick, but I keep hearing mixed reviews.
As for the Tigers, it’s gotta be the beautiful Kristen Bell, who hails from Detroit. And she kinda looks like a tiger in this picture. What a lovely matchup.
Versus
Justin Verlander might easily get another no-hitter on his belt facing this line up
Prometheus is badass. An excellent prequel to the ‘Alien’ franchise, that will have sequels of its own. I watched the 1st ‘Alien’ movies the weekend before last as a refresher & ‘Prometheus’ didn’t dissapoint and finished with me hoping for a sequel (because of the way it ends…)
You must see it in IMAX 3D also
I love Charlize Theron. Monster is one of my Top 10 favorite movies.
Charlize Theron definitely beats Kristin Bell. Cubs sweep the ailing Tigers.
2 days in a row of not losing. Let’s make it 3.
Hoping for a sweep were we score 10 runs off their starters and Garza pitches a CG SO, if only Demp was going against them and we could get back-to-back CG SO and waive buh-bye to both of them.
Here is an interesting article with trade destinations for Demp. ESPN predicts the Tigers will land him.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/25504/crystal-ball-dempster-lands-in-detroit
That guy really, really wants to shove Castro to third base.
Lol yeah I was thinking the same thing.
Ha! I came back to this post to complain about the article because the guy wouldn’t shut up about prospects that would “allow” the Cubs to move Starlin to 3B. What an idiot.
Ha same here!
Let’s be realistic…Castro’s range is going to really start to shrink as he approaches 23. Might as well move him now before he’s an 24 year year old statue out there.
I was more upset about him saying Brett Jackson “may be more future left fielder or future fourth outfielder than future center fielder.”
I always assumed he’d end up in LF, but fourth outfielder? Seems like a bit of an overreaction to a couple disappointing months at AAA.
Well now he’s being moved over to LF because of the Soler signing and possibly the Almora. But if and until they make they get the call I expect BJax to play center.
Jackson’s ceiling has always been a .270/.350/.425 guy who will give you 20/20 potential, he may make a run at a few all-star games in his career but by no means a super-star. If not everything pans out as hoped then 4th outfielder would be his floor right now, I would say.
I dont see him slugging that low, especially as a ceiling. I’m starting to buy into the Mark Reynolds a little less power and a lot better defense comparison.
Hes still young, I’d give him a .260/.350/.480 ceiling. Who knows if he will ever hit with that much power in the Bigs, but I think he could if he starts to make better contact.
That seems about right as a ceiling.
The problem is that it’s going to need to click fairly soon. Like in the next year.
Reynolds strikes out 33.1% of the time in the majors, but at age 23 he struck out just 20.7% of the time in AA (he skipped AAA). He never topped 25% in a minor league season.
If Brett Jackson is striking out 30.5% of the time at AAA at age 23, then that makes it look like he’s going to strike out 35-40% of the time in the majors. And not even his skill set can support that.
They have a third baseman, we need a third baseman. We have a pitcher, the need a pitcher. I say we get this thing done.
So, if the Cubs do trade Dempster to the Tigers, which of the three pitchers would best fit the Cubs long-term plans?
Read the comments on that article. There are a ton of stupid people, its kinda funny
Travis Wood Vs. Justin Verlander. Bloodbath.
Good pick! …For the Tigers. She’s mega hot- I was just talking about her after seeing her in Couples Retreat (no, it’s not that good).
That Cubs line up…that, that’s really awful.
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Can I get the photo of Kristen Bell blown up for my cube at work? I don’t think the wife will mind….
Prometheus is really cool. Just don’t be expecting a sci-fi/horror throughout, ala Alien (as I did). It has its moments, but the majority of the movie comes across as more of a philosophical exercise analyzing the relationship of creators and creations: god(s) and mankind; evolution and mankind; mankind and science; woman and child; et al…
And, yes, I too certainly foresee a sequel – pending the studio’s approval…
[...] The Series Preview for this series lives here. [...]