Monday, June 15, 2009

The end of the line

Dontrelle Willis can no longer be part of the Detroit Tigers rotation. As much as everyone loves D-Train, he is a wreck at this point. Armando Galarraga is probably approaching the same. Zach Miner can return to the rotation, at least for now, to help.

Of the 21 best "game scores" by Detroit pitchers this year (65 points or better, which Bill James qualifies as "gems"), Justin Verlander has 8, Edwin Jackson has 7 and Rick Porcello has 3. The Tigers have 9 game scores between 55-64, with Porcello getting 4, Miner getting 2 and Jackson and Verlander picking up 1 apiece.

So that means Galarraga (3) and Willis (1) have combined for only 4 of Detroit's 30 game score starts of 55 or better. Also, Miner has made only 4 starts, so his 2 are more impressive.

This might not be Spahn and Sain and pray for rain, but it is clear that the Tigers are getting great performances on a regular basis from the top of the rotation and holding their breath on the rest.

Of course, this is only part of the trouble. The offense, which has been more prone to slump than bop, is a whole other story.

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