Are The Tigers Done?
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Doesn't it feel like this season for the Tigers is slipping farther and farther away? I realize that they are only 2 1/2 games back and there's still 34 games left, but my usual healthy dose of optimism is starting to fly away quicker than a Jason Grilli fastball. They just don't have it right now.
So what is it? A combination of a few things:
- Timely hitting: Not just runs per game and rarely getting shut out, but scoring a run when the game is tied in the late innings. It seems that when the Tigers have had a chance to win the game, that at-bat has ended in a lot of easy outs. In today's 3-1 loss, Ramon Santiago flew out and Curtis Granderson K'd with a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth. With the score 3-1 in the bottom of the 10th, Pudge Rodriguez had a chance to tie the game and he flew out. At this point, I expect Granderson to strike out against lefties and Brandon Inge to check swing on strike three twice a game. And just when you think they'll get the big rally to come back and win, they get your hopes up and then lose in the end. Last year the Tigers seemed to win these types of games. It doesn't seem to happen this year.
- Consistent starting pitching: It's never an easy thing to be consistent when injuries jumble your rotation all year long, but the Tigers really don't have one starter that the fans rely on to win every game they pitch. I thought Justin Verlander was headed in that direction, but his lack of velocity is starting to look awfully familiar to his late season slide in '06. Maybe Kenny Rogers and Andrew Miller come back and are lights out in September, but you're asking a lot out of a 42-year old coming back from injury and a 21-year old to show poise down the stretch.
- Holding a tight lead with the bullpen: This topic has already been beaten to death, but when Joel Zumaya is expected to be our bullpen savior immediately after injury it's not a great sign. Fernando Rodney has been ok and Tim Byrdak and Bobby Seay are starting to get lefties out, yet the Tigers continue to lose close games in late innings or completely implode when a starter gets pulled after getting roughed up. And don't get me started on Grilli.
- The little things: Last year it seemed that Jim Leyland could do no wrong. He pulled all the right strings and always seemed in control. Now it seems that Leyland and Dombrowski have been forced into desperation moves. Bringing up Cameron Maybin is exciting, but he's just getting his feet wet in this stretch drive. Ryan Raburn shows some nice pop, but if we have to bench Inge to win, aren't we in big trouble? From the entire team catching the flu, to costly injuries to Gary Sheffield, Kenny Rogers, Joel Zumaya, and Andrew Miller, I'm beyond worried about them making the playoffs.
Maybe last year was the perfect combination of a hot team riding the wave with perfect chemistry at the right time. Maybe we expected too much.
Forget that. This team has too much talent to roll over and die. We can't squander Magglio Ordonez's MVP season, can we? I'm not writing about the Tigers again until I have something good to say. The only way to go from here is up right? Aww, there it is. Optimism.
