I got into my car to drive home from work just in time to hear the end of the 7th, so yes there might be residual anger from the bullpen asploding yet again. But, let's face it, the 2008 Tigers are not making the playoffs.
Right now they sit 8 games back of Chicago. Yes it's still only June and 103 games are left; but to make up any ground the Tigers are going to have to win a series or two. The have only won 5 so far this season. 3 were against the other last place teams in the AL East and West. 8 Games is not insurmountable for a team capable of stringing together wins, something the Tigers just can't do. I'd be willing to change my tune if the Tigers go out and win 10 out of the next 13, but who really thinks that's going to happen?
For some reason this team cannot score runs consistently. Sure they can run up absurd numbers on terrible pitchers. But then they'll turn around a disappear for upwards of 10 innings at a time. Case in point last night's debacle: 12 free base runners, only 4 scored. I've been waiting for the offense to break out since spring training. One month's an anomaly, two months is a trend, three is fact. The bats aren't as good as we thought they were.
As for the pitching, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney coming back are like a band-aid on a bullet wound. When back up, they should be used sparingly, lest we have another injury on our hands. This team just gave up 18 runs on 23 hits to Oakland. A team that features Bobby Crosby hitting a whopping .263 as a leader in batting average. In a slump? Tiger Pitching is your cure.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still watch. If 2003 didn't make me stop, nothing will. But let's stop kidding ourselves, this team just isn't going to win that much. And unless Dave Dombrowski can find a GM dumb enough to unload some people on (looking at you Bill Bavasi and J.P. Riccardi) we're stuck with them all year. Here's hoping to a Wings victory tonight, so it can take the sting off the rest of this summer
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