Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Detroit Tigers simply have too much talent to be only three games over .500. The team is littered with All-Stars, both in the field and on the mound. Yet Detroit is 37-34 on the season, which is good enough for third place in the American League Central Division. Detroit is five games behind the Kansas City Royals, pending the result of Kansas City’s game on Tuesday.
For the Tigers, hitting has not been the problem. Miguel Cabrera is having his typical stellar season. Jose Iglesias has been hitting well, as has Yoenis Cespedes. The Tigers are also getting good production from J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler.
Unfortunately for Detroit, the pitching staff has not been able to keep pace with the offense. Prior to Tuesday’s game, Detroit ranked 10th in the American League in ERA and batting average allowed, and the Tigers were 12th in strikeouts.
Seeing the names in the starting rotation, it’s hard to imagine these guys not pitching well. Yes, Justin Verlander is coming off of an injury, so his performance so far can be excused. David Price has pitched well, including Tuesday night when he allowed just one run in a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Alfredo Simon has been pretty good, with seven wins and an ERA of 3.29. But Anibal Sanchez has struggled. Despite winning six times on the season, Sanchez has an ERA of 4.59. And the fifth starter spot, which has been occupied by Shane Green, needs to be upgraded if the Tigers are to compete for a playoff spot.
The talent appears to be there for the Tigers. But they need to start playing better as the All-Star break approaches. Specifically, the pitching needs to get better in a hurry.
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
