Next 13 Games likely to decide Tigers’ fate
The Gambler has to decide whether to hold ‘em or to fold ‘em
The baseball season is comprised of 162 games, but a mere 8% of the season’s total of games is going to go along way towards determining whether Detroit plays for the division title, the AL wildcard, or falls out of contention for a playoff spot. The Tigers are currently tied with Cleveland atop the AL Central and are slightly behind Seattle and New York for the wild card slot. Those 13 games against the Tribe and the Yankees represent 30% of the game left so far this season. So if the Tigers can turn it around and go on a tear they will be in great shape. If they play the way they’ve played since the All Star break they could lose contact with the leaders for the division and wild card.
There is some good news: Joel Zumaya is pitching again; Kenny Rogers seems willing to rejoin the rotation although he’s not 100%; and the Tigers have signed top draft pick Rick Porcello.
Joel Zumaya Kenny Rogers Rick Porcello Tigers1 Comment(s)
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[…] The Tigers aren’t headed for the meat wagon just yet… The Tigers took two of three from a White Sox team that has fallen on hard times this season. With the rare series win the Tigers are now 3 games behind the Yankees for the Wildcard berth in the playoffs. I thought the stretch from August 14-27 - when Detroit played 13 straight games against playoff contenders Cleveland and New York - would have a direct bearing on whether or not the team would make the playoffs. Those games fit in with most of the season since the All Star break, proving inconclusive [the Tigers went 6-7] but also providing plenty of reasons to doubt the team. The team has some key reinforcements back to help them in their three-game series against the Mariners in a battle for the Wildcard spot. Kenny Rogers looked good when he pitched on September 5th. Gary Sheffield returned to the lineup last night. And Timo Perez was the latest random Tiger to step up and make some key contributions. The Mariners aren’t exactly on fire right now so the Tigers have a decent shot at making some headway in the playoff race. That’s hard to believe given how poorly the team has played. Perhaps the combination of playing the White Sox and getting Rogers and Sheffield back were enough to kick start a team that looked like it was ready for the meat wagon. […]