At least they're hitting when they get no pitching...
The Tigers have scored ten runs in two games so far this season. They have won both games, but in those games, they have given up nine and seven runs. The rest have them struggling to get on base.
It was nice to see Brandon Inge get a few hits and a couple of home runs in the series. Going into yesterday's game, he had to be the hottest .139 hitter in all of baseball. Sheffield keeps getting on base without hitting, but it isn't enough, and the Tigers had another couple of shoulda-coulda-wouldas.
This team's pitching is looking better than it did last year. That seemed impossible. Save for Fernando Rodney blowing a couple late and Jose Mesa looking like he should be pitching in the now-defunct senior leagues of the late 1980s (or was it early 90s?), this team is looking better on the hill than it looked last year.
There are some similarities, though. Nate Robertson continues to get no run support. How many times can he battle with runners in scoring position with two outs for his team, and have them not get a runner across for him? If this keeps up, he may lose focus and intensity. It has to be hard to keep your team in so many games and come away with a loss or a no decison.
Chad Durbin is a bust. Well, maybe not a bust, but he is definitely a fifth starter at best. He hasn't totally blown a game yet, but he hasn't gotten through five innings without giving up six runs yet either. One or two more of these, and we may be looking at Zach Miner or Wilfredo Ledezma (who has been great) taking on the role.
But the Tigers, somehow, split the series only really hitting in one game. I've said it before, if they win all the odd series and split all the even series, they will win 99 games. 99 wins will put them in the playoffs. Eventually, Verlander will give up an earned run (likely tonight, as scoreless streaks cannot go on forever), and if the team doesn't hit, the Tigers are looking like a team that can lose a lot of games 2-1 like they did last night, or 1-0 even.
With Sheffield, Ordonez and Guillen batting 3-4-5, this shouldn't happen often. It shouldn't have happened ten of twelve times. Let's hope this is an anomaly and hopefully, the Tiger bats will wake up for a week or two and fire on all cylinders, and they win ten of eleven or twelve. A two game cushion in first place means a lot even this early in the season.
Verlander vs. Grienke tonight. Grienke is 6-1 against the Tigers in his young career. Don't look for the offensive explosion tonight...
