The view from the top

The Tigers are tied for first place in the AL Central, at least for a few hours until Chicago plays tonight, after sweeping the Indians for the first time in Cleveland since 1990. Detroit’s pitchers shut down the AL’s best hitting lineup, holding the Indians to six runs in three games. The Tigers haven’t been in first place this late in a season since 1993. What a dry spell!

Detroit is 24-13 and is 16-7 on the road. The Tigers are doing it foremost with pitching, topping the AL with a 3.25 ERA, which is a half-run better than the second-place Yankees and more than a run better than No. 3 Chicago.

Maroth, Rogers, and Robertson rank among the top eight in individual ERA. All of Detroit’s starters, adding Bonderman and Verlander, rank in the top 19. Verlander has the worst ERA among them, at 3.77.

Offensively, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Detroit is eighth in the AL in runs. No Tiger ranks first in OPS at his position. Pudge (.776) is sixth among catchers, Shelton (1.041) is third among first basemen, Polanco (.591) is 12th and Infante (.698) is 10th at second, Guillen (.890) is third at shortstop, Inge (.856) is eighth at third, and Maggs (.922) leads the Tigers’ outfielders at 10th.