The Tigers are rolling along, doing exactly what I suggested that needed to be done to get back in this thing, and they an incredible five games back of the White Sox for 1st in the Central.
This great stretch of 12 wins in their last 15 games has also pulled them within eight games of the Wild Card leading Tampa Bay Rays. And while most of baseball is waiting for the Rays to collapse, they have been able to continue to find a way to win and keep the pace with the Red Sox in a battle for top spot in the East.
THE RAYS HAVE REALLY HAD A LOT TO CELEBRATE THIS SEASON!
While still being back that many games from the White Sox, the Tigers have to realize how much of a hill this is going to be to climb. In digging the hole early in the year they have to put together a string of series wins, and have gotten a boost that started by sweeping the Sox at home, and then playing some of the weaker NL teams in Interleague play.
HERE COME THE CHARGING TIGERS (i know that it’s only actually one tiger…but you get the hint!)
Facing sub-par teams like the Dodgers, Giants and the struggling Padres meant that the Tigers couldn’t afford to hand over too many victories, and not capitalize on a weak schedule. Consider that done, after winning their fifth series in a row taking two of three in both series against the Pads’ and the Giants, after sweeping the Sox and Dodgers.
The bats have been cooking, and the pitching solid. Even the defense seems to be falling in line, after starting the season with many question marks. Credit the likes of the ‘AAA’ squad that have been great in their peek-a-boos in the big clubs line-up.
Over the last month, the line for the Tigers bats is impressive: .274 BA, 142 R (avg. of 5.26/gm), 29 HR’s, .342 OB% (BB/K ratio of nearly 2:1) and a solid .434 SLG%, the bats are obviously enjoying the Interleague play.
With that being said, it appears that the starting pitching has been doing their job as well, with their own impressive line: 14-5, 3.47 ERA (subtract Willis’ horrific start, along with Eddy Bonine’s MLB debut and the ERA is a nearly half a run less at 2.90) 62 BB’s and 99 K’s. The staff is getting it done!
AFTER A ROUGH DEBUT, BONINE PITCHED DECENT AGAINST THE PADS’.
The key to the success of the rotation of late, is their ability to go deeper into games than what they had been doing. Keeping a bullpen fresh is extremely important in doing well in the big leagues. The best teams are able to keep their arms loose and ready when necessary.
Having a strong set-up guy, along with a quality closer could be the difference in a block of games over the course of a season. While both Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya have struggled in their first showings this season, the two of them being back in the mix hopefully indicates that the ‘pen will only become better.
WELCOME BACK BOYS! HOPEFULLY YOU’VE STILL GOT YOUR STUFF
This will hopefully be a surge of confidence to a team that at times has shown the ability to blow a lead late, or from a ‘pen that can’t get the big out, and continues to allow inherited baserunners cross the plate. Rodney imparticular has been really shaky, but needs to be slowly guided in there. He is a guy that doesn’t seem to handle pressure situations well when his confidence isn’t there.
Zumaya seems to eat up the pressure situations, and is confident enough in his stuff that he can get it done. That’s the difference between the two there. Many including myself feel that Rodney shouldn’t have been placed in that situation (4-3 with 2 men on in bottom the 8th inning of his first game back after a long re-hab of a shoulder injury) and I think that Leyland probably personally apologized to him for the err in judgment. However, he put him in another tough spot, and Rodney couldn’t even get an out in his second showing.
All of that aside (pending they don’t send him down to A-Ball to find his stuff…OUCH) I’m sure that Rodney will learn from these tough goes (as will Leyland) and hopefully brush it off as a couple of rough outings and return to the form that this team needs. A solid back end of the ‘pen would be a God-send.
Everyone is curious to find how Zumaya will do back on the hill. He has shed about 30 pounds from his frame, but still maintains three-digit speed, hitting the 100+ mph mark on several occasions on route back to the Tigers. (with flame-tattoos on his lower arms, he better still be able to cook it up!)
Personally, I don’t expect him to have the immediate impact, but he will give the presence of a strong anchoring ‘pen that will at least give the opposition a bit of intimidation when digging in at the box. One way or another, these returns have only strengthened this team (even at the time, if only on paper) and given a boost of confidence. At a time when this club needs everything “right” to happen, things seem to be falling into place.
The road is definitely going to be rocky on this climb; but get ready Tigers fans, as the dog days of summer are fast approaching and so is the Tigers battle back to respectability.
