Don't Pinch Me
The baseball season is almost at the half-way point, and as a Tiger fan, I'm living the dream. The Tiges have gone on a gaudy 18-3 streak, beating up on the National League Central during interleague play. Problem--the White Sox have been almost equally as hot, and the Twins are lurking in the shadows.
But the team from the Motor City still has the best record in baseball, at 54-25. The main reason is starting pitching--the three losses by the Tigers in this skein are all by relievers, which is their Achilles Heel (when Todd Jones comes in from the bullpen, nothing is sure). They have also got timely hitting and heroics from almost everyone in the lineup. Saturday's night game against the Cards, when Marcus Thames hit a two-run homer in the ninth to tie, and then Placido Polanco plated the winning run with a double in the tenth, may just be an indication of how magic this season is going to be.
Of course, there's still half a season to go, and the Tigers will have to win some key games against the White Sox down the stretch. Just don't wake me until the dream is over.
The team is winning the right way, by playing good solid baseball. I don't think that a swoon is inevitable. And what a division! I think the AL central is definitely the toughest in baseball.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Reds? They're in the hunt, but I don't think they have the staying power...they have to stake their bullpen 4 or 5 runs to be sure of a win.