Closer Jose Valverde and starter Justin Verlander obviously anchor the pitching staff in Detroit. The former has forty save opportunities in the same amount of chances. The latter has garnered his twenty-first victory already with almost a month left. Valverde’s numbers are a little misleading because his whip is near one and a third. This would usually dictate a few blown saves, but he has been the master in working his way out of jams.
The team buried the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night after coming back from a seven run deficit.
Manager Jim Leyland should give congress a call and offer some insight. The country could use it to begin digging out of its fourteen trillion dollar hole. A loss like that may make Miami seem like a more attractive destination for Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen. He shouldn’t depart though because competing against the Phillies every year in an unbalanced schedule is a tall order.
The Tigers first series in the American League Divisional Series will be the best out of five games. This necessitates that the team utilize a four man rotation so Verlander could possibly pitch the first and last game. They will be underdogs no matter who they take on in that series.
A big reason for this is the starting rotation. There are some awfully high earned run averages in their staff. Specifically, Brad Penny and Rick Porcello’s are both over five. After Verlander and Scherzer, Leyland has some tough decisions to make.
The team should go in a different direction simply for morale’s sake. Lefthander Phil Coke should fill in one of the spots. He has already started over a dozen games this season and his earned run average is over a half run lower than the other two. He has lost nine games so far this year, but many of those came in hard luck circumstances.
The other option should come through a trade. Many of you are thinking that the deadline has already passed. This is true for traditional deals, but there are still options for those who have cleared waivers. There are some quality hurlers who are available as of the start of the month according to Mlbtraderumors.com. Chris Capuano of the Mets seems to be the best of the bunch. He is barely making seven figures and is still in the prime of his career.
Aaron Harang of the Padres is another viable option. This former Red is in good form with an earned run average under four. His strikeout to walk ratio is notable and he would benefit in the victory column with some more run support from a potent Tigers line-up. Trading in the weather in San Diego for the fall climate in Detroit is a tall order, but one many players would be willing to make in order to win.
Dontrelle Willis has shown signs of life for the Reds. The inconsistent play that has plagued him in the past has seemed to be on hold lately. The familiar scenery could provide the spark necessary for a couple of postseason wins.