Pat Caputo

The Tigers aren’t that impressive a lot of times. Too many, actually. But give them credit for repeatedly getting off the canvas and fighting back. That was a sweet win today, especially rallying from a 3-0 deficit.

That was an amazing performance by the Tigers pitching staff tonight. And they have the best in the game starting tomorrow night. Great, great win.

Caputo: Don't sell Tigers short vs. Mariners The Mariners started the Tigers’ epic slide just before the All-Star break. Yet, the Tigers, for reasons other than just “baseball is fickle,” have more than a fighting chance.

Tigers have a better shot vs. the Mariners than you might think. This why: my column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

If only the Tigers had added more genuine bullpen depth at the trade deadline…

Questions answered:

Lions don’t have pass rushing issues.

Middle of offensive line just fine.

They don’t miss departed coordinators.

Hutch, Jared Goff & Amon-Ra St. Brown remain clutch & Dan Campbell is still The Man.

Playoff & opener losses were aberrations, not a trend.

Tigers are 4 games behind Toronto for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

They lead Seattle by 2 games for getting wild card round bye.

Cleveland is making it too close for comfort in AL Central.

11 games left.

Yeah, tonight is a big game.

VERY, VERY BIG.

Caputo: The Lions' biggest issue Dan Campbell doesn’t get enough credit for it, but he has proven to be a smart coach. Regardless, though, his biggest asset is motivation.

Huge game today for the Lions on my levels, especially this one. My column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

Caputo: The Tigers' biggest asset There isn’t remotely a dominant team in the American League, including the Tigers. Even the top contenders are streaky, inconsistent and fallible.

Warts and all, the Tigers could take a deep playoff run. My column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

Growing up where I did, when I did, I viewed Al Fracassa as a God. When I got to know him as an adult, I discovered he was a human being, one of the best I’ve ever met. Great Man. World is much better for his life well lived.

Paul Sewald had a solid rehab appearance last night at West Michigan. He’s not a high velocity pitcher; more about unorthodox arm slot and big sweeper. He threw free and easy. Command good despite a walk. Fastball velocity OK, and sweeper looked really good. Promising for Tigers.

Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo Sports Podcast · Updated Daily · Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo will provide insight to all the drafts and prospects of the 4 major sports leagues concentrating on the Pistons, Lions, Tigers, and Red W...

Has change ruined college football? My latest podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Senior season at Jackson High near Massillon Ohio, Tigers catcher
Dillon Dingler ammased 1,053 yards receiving, 128 tackles, 14 touchdowns, threw for another, kicked a 38 yard FG and averaged 40.6 per punt. He is the definition of athletic, especially for a catcher.

The West Michigan Whitecaps, with an 82-35 mark, are on pace for the best record for a Tigers affiliated farm team since the 1922 Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League, which @baseball_ref ranks as the 17th greatest minor league team of all time.

Caputo: Michigan's reputation damaged beyond repair Long and justifiably admired for getting it right, Michigan is now the poster school for everything wrong with big-time college athletics.

Don’t kid yourself, Michigan is paying an incredible price for its deplorable misconduct. My column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

The Tigers are 7-17 in games started by Jack Flaherty.

From the fifth inning on, Flaherty has a 6.97 ERA.

The Tigers are scoring just 2.8 runs per game in his starts.

Not exactly a winning formula.

Tigers lose, Guardians win. Lead down to 5 1-2.
Bit too close for comfort.
Bullpen, again, brutal.

Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo Sports Podcast · Updated Daily · Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo will provide insight to all the drafts and prospects of the 4 major sports leagues concentrating on the Pistons, Lions, Tigers, and Red W...

Is MSU football still relevant? My podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

SportsWorks - 8-10-25 -- Woody talking Tigers, Lions & college football with pat Caputo & John Niyo Pat Caputo from 97.1 FM and John Niyo from The Detroit News join the roundtable this week. They dive into the Tigers weekend series win against the Angels. Then the focus shifts to the Lions where the...

Breaking it down on Sportsworks. www.fox2detroit.com/video/1689028

Caputo: Not a good look for MSU football The days of the Spartans beating Michigan eight of 12 seasons, shocking Ohio State in key games, winning the Rose Bowl, reaching the College Football Playoff and being widely admired are over.

It will take all of Jonathan Smith’s skills to return MSU football to respectability. My column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

Caputo: Tigers have been dreadful A week after a trade deadline in which the Tigers made a number of measured moves, but with little sizzle, red flags are flying all over the Motor City.

Who is to blame for the Tigers tailspin? Well, let’s name some names. My column. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

On July 6, Cleveland was 15.5 games behind the Tigers.
Today, a month later, the Guardians trail the Tigers by 6 games.
A 9.5 game swing in a month.

Kerry Carpenter is a genuine difference-maker. The Tigers are SO much more threatening when he is in the lineup.

If Kyle Finnegan keeps throwing like that, he’ll be the bargain of the trade deadline deals.
Javy Baez had been slumping. Not today. Huge, clutch hits.
Nice win for the Tigers.

Caputo: Tigers trade deadline strategy puzzling This was the first excursion into being a buyer at the trade deadline for Harris, and his actions suggest he tried to have his cake and eat it, too.

My thoughts on Tigers deadline moves. www.audacy.com/971theticket...

Rafael Montero has long been an enigma. Has power arm & excellent tech data except command often at bottom of MLB pitchers. Did have moment in sun when he harnessed pitches with the Astros in 2022, but that’s been an outlier. Jim Jarvis was never getting to Tigers 40-man roster.

Big win for the Tigers today, the type that can turn things around. Flaherty and Torres, their big free agent guys came through. Thought Holton and Hanifee holding it together a key. Get E-Rod tomorrow and he has terrible this year.

Double-edged sword cuts bad both ways when you lose 12 of 13.

If Cleveland wins Game 2 vs. KC tonight, Guardians would be just 7 games behind the Tigers. It was 15.5 on July 7.

But even if they lose, KC and Cleveland would be tied just 7.5 out. Royals were 14 behind on July 7.

Deadline Moves Obvious For Tigers Podcast Episode · Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo · 07/22/2025 · 30m

My podcast on the Tigers draft and the pressure point in regard to trading prospects at deadline. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

July 7, the Tigers led the Guardians by 15.5 games.
Two weeks later, and just 10 days of games because of the All Star break, that margin is down to 10.
Panic in Detroit?
Not necessarily.
But urgency is definitely the order of the day, don’t ya think?

Tigers' draft will reveal much about Scott Harris Podcast Episode · Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo · 07/08/2025 · 41m

My podcast on Sunday’s MLB Draft from the Tigers perspective and overall. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...