Three games washed out today, in Cleveland, Chicago (Cubs-GI Ants) and Comerica. When you're playing well, like the Tigers are (9-1 over last 10), you don't want to lose a game to rain.
Forty games should be enough to know what you have. The Tigers are exactly there, at 22-18.
The team ERA of 4.09 is 20th among the 30 teams, but you don't win nine out of your last ten without good starting pitching. JV and Scherzer are among baseball's best 1-2 starters. Brad Penny pitched well on Friday, and Porcello shows flashes of his excellent rookie season. In the bullpen, Al Alburquerque is the out of nowhere surprise, having struck out 23 in 13 innings.
They're 21st in fielding. That needs work, but we knew on opening day that it would. Of the 26 errors, eight belong to Brandon Inge and Ryan Steelglove.
Standing out like a boulder in your living room is the lack of offense from four positions where it was expected: outfield and third base. Of the full-time outfielders, only Brennan Boesch is hitting (.290). Austin ... Jackson has picked it up, but needs to keep going. Magglio can't run and had to go on the DL after one RBI in six weeks. Brandon INGE is at .198 and, with his five errors, very close to acquiring an uncomplimentary nickname in this blog.
The out of nowhere surprise among the non-pitchers is Jhonny Peralta (.307, five homers).
There's just enough offense, and barely enough defense, that will allow the pitching to keep them close to the .500 mark. With universal mediocrity the standard now, all you need to be considered a contender is a won-loss record within a half-dozen games of break-even.
They'll trade for a bat, closer to July 31 when the post-season picture has taken better shape and form (16 teams within four games of .500 and thus still in the hunt); exchange a pitching prospect or two, and Steelglove, for someone from the National League a step or two down the other side of the hill, wish they'd held onto Placido Polanco, and pray.
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