The Tigers have played 4 games (3 vs the Yankees, 1 against the O’s). They have won 1 and lost 3. Let’s break it down…
• They have been out scored 28 to 20.
• They have hit 5 home runs and given up 10.
• They have gotten 13 extra base hits (including HR) while giving up 18.
• They have committed 4 errors (vs 2 committed in their favor).
• They have struck out 32 times while striking out 27.
• They have walked 10 times while walking 14.
• The starters have an ERA of 9.74 and a WHIP of 1.92.
• The Bullpen has an ERA of 3.55 and a WHIP of .95
There are many questions still unanswered even ½ a week into the season:
• Who is the starting Left Fielder?
o Can Boesch continue to hit at this pace? If he does then where do you put Raburn, the official LF?
• Is Magglio’s ankle really healthy? He missed a game with tenderness and you have to be concerned with the impact his bat plays in the lineup.
• Will the starters settle in quickly? Through the first rotation the only one who was deadly was Verlander (6 IP with 3 ER on 4 BB and 8 Ks). Penny (4 1/3 IP with 8 ER on 4 BB and 3 Ks) and Scherzer (5 IP with 6 ER on 2 BB and 6 Ks) didn’t set my heart on fire. Porcello (5 IP with 5 ER on 1 BB and 4 Ks) rounded out a rough weekend for our guys.
o As a side note, the 5th starter was used out of the Pen this week. Coke allowed 2 ER in 2 1/3 IP on 0 BB and 0 Ks.
• Now that we have left New Yankee Stadium will the long ball be such a problem? 9 were allowed there (4 by Scherzer alone). Some were legit and some were just over the short wall in Right Field.
• How healthy are the Tigers right now? Aside from the injuries there are also rumors of illness, sickness, ague. People spied emptying themselves during games during the road trip. I haven’t heard much more than rumors, but this may have an impact on the…
• Defense! When will we see some real defense? There have been 4 errors in 4 games. There were other fielding issues that weren’t scored as errors as well. I can’t see the games, so I can’t judge, but defense has been a concern for this team and they are doing nothing to put those concerns to bed so far.
What can we take away from this?
There is 97% of the Season left to play. The Rotation will settle in to a solid performer. The Bullpen looks pretty good so far. The batters have struggled, but are still averaging 5 runs per game. Defense is still a concern (at least for me) and is a key (more on this in a later post). The Home Opener is Friday. It’s against the Royals. This should be good.
