LOST WEEKEND
GREG BOWMAN
This weekend in Cleveland was the worst battle against the Indians since Custer. The Tigers couldn't hit with runners in scoring positions, couldn't pitch, couldn't field and couldn't beat a team with one of the worst records in baseball. Every team has its ups and downs, but there's no excuse for being swept by the Indians, a team made up mostly of prospects and suspects. But they are still major leaguers, and you can't beat any team when you give up more than 20 walks in four games. The Tigers top two pitchers, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, each walked five batters. And the Tigers dominant # 3, 4, and 5 hitters, Ordonez, Cabrera, and Boesch, were mostly quiet during the series. And when they don't hit, the Tigers don't win.
Fortunately, the Twins managed to beat up on the Sox over the weekend, so the Tigers didn't lose too much ground. But the Tigers have no hope of winning the American League Central if they can't win on the road and can't beat the teams in their own division. We know the Tigs have some exciting players and Miguel Cabrera is heading for an MVP and possible Triple Crown year. However, it seems to me that the Andy Oliver experiment is over. He's a promising young pitcher with some good stuff, but he's clearly not ready for prime time. The Tigs could benefit from adding a veteran pitcher, and hopefully can add one before the trade deadline at the end of the month. And it wouldn't hurt to have a veteran presence in the bullpen and a middle infielder with a little punch in his bat who could come off the bench and give us a pinch hitter who could hit a home run or two.
