I knew this offense was in trouble against the Mariners. For all their faults, the Mariners can pitch. I thought the Tigers could too. Yet, in Game 1, Phil Coke got blistered for 7 runs in 4 innings. The next game, Seattle's Erik Bedard took his 7+ ERA and held the Tigers to just 1 run over 7 innings, while Tigers' ace Justin Verlander surrendered 4 runs over 6. In perhaps the most disturbing trend, Joaquin Benoit gave up 2 runs late. Perhaps he just wasn't used to pitching in a wasted effort. Yesterday, Brad Penny gave up 4 runs in 7 innings, followed by Ryan Perry getting blasted for 3 runs in his relief effort. All of Perry's 3 earned runs came on a home run by .206 hitter Luis Rodriguez.
The Mariners just destroyed Tiger pitching all week. In fact, 41% of the Mariners entire offensive output this season occurred solely against Detroit.
The Tigers do not have much margin for error. With a lineup of middling bats like Austin Jackson, Will Rhymes, Ramon Santiago, Brandon Inge, and Ryan Raburn, the Tiger pitchers must keep the team in shouting distance. That didn't happen this week. Seattle outscored them 24-6. It was the exact opposite of the White Sox series. For the foreseeable future, I don't see much changing with regard to the offense. Yesterday, five of the Tigers starting nine were hitting .200 or lower. How can a major league team be so inept? This isn't just a team slump... this is Panic Time!
One of those slumping players is Magglio Ordonez. He's in a funk, batting .172. I'm not worried about him. As a career .300 hitter, Magglio will fight his way out of it. It's the rest of the offense that's troubling. Yesterday, Will Rhymes had the look of a player who knows his days in the Majors are numbered:
Unfortunately, the slump runs so deep with this offense that a few personnel moves is not going to resolve it. The 2011 Tigers will be Miguel Cabrera and 8 fill-ins. It's possible the Tigers may get lucky and have a dude like Brennan Boesch break out. Or perhaps Magglio and Victor Martinez may pick up some slack. I certainly hope they do. But the fact of the matter is that the team simply can't pin their hopes on offense. They desperately need the pitching to carry them.
All five starters have shown moments of doing just that. And they've also shown moments of extreme vulnerability. My guess is that Phil Coke and Brad Penny will continue to follow the good with the bad. The real pressure is on the other three. Porcello, Verlander, and Scherzer need to pitch each game like they've got just a one run cushion -- because that might often be all they get from the offense.
Tonight, Scherzer faces off against first place Cleveland. Let's see how the Tigers rebound after a sweep.
Super Bowl Friday
Yesterday was the Super Bowl for Detroiters - NFL Draft Day! Whoo-hoo! The day that Lion fans can feel like winners without having to play an opponent.
If the Lions had a strength on their team last year, it was defensive tackle. With so many glaring holes in their lineup, common logic dictated the Lions would draft a cornerback, defensive end, or offensive lineman with their 13th pick. Instead, they picked a defensive tackle. Some fans are perplexed. Others are thrilled. I, for one, understand the pick. Yes, they have decent depth already, but these are the Lions. A good player on the Lions may be another team's castoff. Other than Ndamokung Suh's spot, every other position on defense should be up for grabs. The Lions took a potential premiere player in DT Nick Fairley. The team needs talent, and I think they got it. Next, I'm guessing the Lions draft a LB. Only one LB went in the first round.
For the record, NFL commish Roger Goodell was greeted with a chorus of boos last night. Perhaps now he understands the anger fans have toward him and ownership. Thanks to Roger Goodell, the NFL draft is now spread out over three days too. Last night, they wrapped up the first round in a robust 3 hours 30 minutes. Nothing like milking a barren cow, eh?
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