This Week In The AL Central Tigers Face Tough Stretch
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This Week in the AL Central: Tigers Face a Tough Stretch
Summary
The Detroit Tigers have emerged as the heartwarming story of the 2006 baseball season. Yet, as with any team stepping back into the spotlight after years, questions linger about their sustainability.
Article
The Detroit Tigers have been the standout story of the 2006 baseball season, but some critical questions still remain. Are they genuinely contenders? Can they maintain this momentum throughout the entire 162-game season? We’re about to find out.
The Tigers are entering a crucial phase, facing 13 games against top contenders like the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, and Blue Jays?"teams likely in the hunt for division titles or wild card spots alongside them.
As this key stretch begins, the Tigers have hit a slump. The Yankees’ Randy Johnson shut them out 4-0 on Monday, following a similar shutout in Cleveland on Sunday. Despite this downturn, Manager Jim Leyland remains calm.
“Every time you don’t score doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong,” Leyland remarked. “Sometimes, you have to credit the other team. It’s typically a mix of just missing a few pitches and expecting something from the pitcher but getting something else. We’ll be fine.”
The Tigers heated up after Leyland’s fiery critique on April 17, where he called out his squad, including himself, for lackluster play. They rebounded from a 7-7 start, winning 28 of 35 games to boast baseball’s best record before Sunday’s shutout.
Though the Tigers still top the standings, the White Sox are nipping at their heels, just 1.5 games behind. Outfielder Curtis Granderson remains confident.
“Our fans want a team that plays hard every day, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Granderson stated. “There’s a lot of baseball still ahead, so we need to focus on us and not worry about all the outside noise.”
Meanwhile, the White Sox have been dominant at Jacobs Field, trouncing the Indians 11-0 on Monday. Chicago has now claimed 11 wins in their last 13 games there. The Indians, despite being preseason favorites, trail by 10.5 games and aren’t showing much fight.
Outside of C.C. Sabathia?"who will face Mark Buehrle tonight?"the Indians’ pitching has been inconsistent. The White Sox, however, made crucial offseason moves. General Manager Kenny Williams traded for Jim Thome and Javier Vazquez. Thome has already hit 10 homers in April and another 10 in May, while Vazquez added depth to the rotation, allowing just two hits in six innings on Monday.
While it might be early for scoreboard watching, the White Sox are certainly keen to see how the Tigers navigate this challenging period.
Elsewhere, the Twins had won six of eight before losing to the Angels on Monday. Improved starting pitching is helping, with Johan Santana back in form and rookie Boof Bonser impressing in his initial outings. The odds are against the Twins with their deficit, but they’re not out of the race yet.
As for the Royals, they’re effectively out. With previous 11-game and 13-game losing streaks, their 12-37 record threatens to rival the infamous 1962 Mets. Yet, credit where it’s due?"they’ve won two of their first four games on their current 10-game road trip, a significant feat for a team that started the season 2-19 away from home.
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