Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Tigers lost another game on Wednesday that could have been avoided if it weren’t for the bullpen. The Minnesota Twins were looking to avoid a series sweep at Comerica Park, while the Tigers’ bullpen was apparently thinking they could help them out.
All was well as the Tigers faced a manageable 3-0 deficit heading into the bottom half of the sixth inning. A few hits and a couple of runs later, Detroit was looking at just a one-run deficit, 3-2.
Starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez left the game after pitching six quality innings of three-run ball with nine strikeouts, pushing his season ERA to a mere 1.83 — an impressive start for the newest pitcher on staff. With the kind of offense that the Tigers put out every day, a one-run game is nothing to overcome.
However, Wednesday was just like many other days this year for the stripe squad as their bullpen faltered in the late innings, allowing two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Sure, the Tigers didn’t score any runs, so you may think that it doesn’t matter what the score was after three more runs, but the difference between playing behind by one run is monumental compared to trying to come back from four runs.
Detroit’s pitching staff ranks eighth in the league in total ERA, posting an impressive 3.66 mark through 26 games, but that number tells little of the struggles that the bullpen has suffered.
No Tigers’ starter outside of Rick Porcello, whose job is in jeopardy at the moment, has an ERA of over 4.02. The only guy with an ERA over four is Max Scherzer, who is having some trouble with command but will come around because he is the second-best pitcher on the staff.
Sanchez and Justin Verlander own ERAs of 1.83 and 1.82, respectively, while Doug Fister has a 2.38 ERA and a 4-0 record.
The overall ERA numbers on this team would likely be tops in the league if it weren’t for the struggles of Brayan Villareal, Octavio Dotel, Bruce Rondon, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke, whom have all posted ERAs over 8.30 this season. Although Dotel and Coke are on the disabled list now and Rondon and Villareal were sent to the minors, the issue has not been fully taken care of.
It helps that the Tigers brought up young flamethrower Jose Ortega to the squad, but recalling shaky reliever Luke Putkonen from Triple-A was a major mistake.
The Tigers have bullpen problems, something only a free agent addition might fix.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
