AL Central Preview, Part 4: Shaky Pitching Could Be Tigers’ Demise

If Joe Nathan can’t return to form, it might be a very long season for Detroit. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

The Detroit Tigers offense is quite formidable, especially with the addition of Yoenis Cespedes as part of a three-team trade this winter. In order to acquire him, however, they had to relinquish 26-year-old starting pitcher Rick Porcello, who was sent to the Boston Red Sox coming off a 15-win season. This move, bringing in a bat and giving up an arm, illustrates where the Tigers’ emphasis is entering the 2015 season. They wanted to make their offense, and adding Cespedes to a lineup that already includes former MVP Miguel Cabrera and the immensely productive Victor Martinez. And yet, while improving one area, they suffered a decline in another. Losing Porcello right after he had improved his ERA by nearly a run from 2013 to 2014 (4.32 to 3.43) created a whole in the middle of the rotation, with question marks ensuing to fill his place. And as it turns out, with the regular season right around the corner, the lack of dependable arms at the rotation’s back end is just one of their worries.

Alfredo Simon and Shane Green are expected to be the 4th and 5th starters this season, but at the moment are bumped up a rung because ace Justin Verlander is on the DL for the first time in his tumultuous career and will remain there for a few weeks.

Simon has a nice resume, albeit a short one as a starter. Last season with the Cincinnati Reds, Simon was very effective, winning 15 games and nearly mirroring Porcello in other statistical categories, but that performance over 196 innings was his first full year as a starter. Porcello is used to throwing a lot of innings; he just happened to have everything come together in 2014 and reap the benefits. Who knows if Simon can go deep into games, let alone match or improve upon last season’s production. He’s 33 years old, and up until last season had only made 19 starts over six seasons. And this spring, his output has been less than pleasing, allowing 14 runs in 22 2/3 innings to equate to a ghastly 5.56 ERA.

Greene, a 26-year-old righty formerly of the New York Yankees, has even less experience as a starter. Last year, his rookie season, he posted a respectable 3.78 ERA in 14 starts, but despite those numbers, herein lies the same problem that surrounds Simon: can he hold up over the course of the season? Putting two pitchers in a rotation who combine to have two years starting experience at the major league level and expecting them to produce and help Detroit contend isn’t exactly an intelligent approach. Of course, this gamble would be a bit more tolerable if the Tigers bullpen wasn’t in disarray.

For Boston, A Five-Out Save, Now Needing Five More Wins

Koji Uehara is picked up by David Ortiz following another dominating performance by the Red Sox closer. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

What happened to Andrew Bailey was unfortunate, but what has taken place since his removal from the closer’s role following a June 20th implosion against Detroit is not. After this his third blown save in his last five appearances, first-year Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell made the switch to 38-year-old Koji Uehara. And all the veteran Japanese right-hander has done is dominate in extraordinary fashion. Just ask the Tigers, who, during the latter stages of Thursday night’s Game 5, were trying to do something against Uehara few opponents have this season: push across a run.

Uehara, who began his MLB adventure as a starter in 2009 with the Baltimore Orioles, put up statistics this year that are mind-boggling. He was brilliant in relief prior to being made closer, but even more so after. He relinquished only 14 hits in 41 1/3 innings as the bullpen’s back end. It gets better: he allowed just three runs, one homer, two walks and struck out 59. At one point, he retired 37 straight batters, four shy of the all-time record. Combining his time as closer and middle reliever, he struck out 101–equating to 38 percent of the batters he faced.

What do all of these statistics add up to? He was more difficult to reach base against than any other pitcher in major league history. Yes, that’s right. Uehara’s 0.565 WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched) during the 2013 regular season was the best mark by anyone ever with a minimum of 50 innings pitched. To put this in perspective, Pedro Martinez’s remarkable 2000 season in which he went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA, 128 hits allowed and just 25 walks equated to a 0.737 WHIP, placing him 12th all-time.

Big Papi The Hero Once More In Remarkable Game 2 Comeback

Boston celebrates after Jared Saltalamacchia’s rbi single capped off a stunning comeback orchestrated by none other than David Ortiz. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bases loaded, two out, eighth inning, down four, with the distinct possibility of falling into an 0-2 ALCS deficit, Boston Red Sox fans filling Fenway Park watched David Ortiz stride to the plate, cheering profusely hoping Señor Octubre could deliver as he has so many times before. Detroit Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit stood on the mound, looked in for the sign from catcher Alex Avila–who hit a 2-run homer in the sixth for the current 5-1 score–and tried to fool Ortiz by twirling in a changeup. The Red Sox slugger was sitting on the offering and laced it to right, crushing a frozen rope just high enough to avoid a leaping attempt by outfielder Torii Hunter and fall over the wall and into the bullpen catcher’s mitt. Grand slam. Tie game. A team that was no-hit for the first 8 1/3 innings of Game 1 and 5 2/3 of Game 2 had woken up.

Hunter missed Ortiz’s blast and fell over the wall as fans and the police officer celebrated.

In 2004, Big Papi came up clutch repeatedly in helping his Red Sox end its 86-year World Series drought. Ten falls later, he delivered again.

“I would’ve been like a little schoolgirl running…the bases if I had done that,” said catcher David Ross. “He was just trotting like it was nothing, came out and tipped his cap. Another story for him. I was just glad to be able to be in there personally watching.”

That’s because he’s done this before. As incredible as his blast was, though, the comeback wasn’t complete. Boston still needed a run to avoid trailing 0-2 in demoralizing fashion with one of the Tigers many star pitchers, Justin Verlander, looming as the Game 3 starter.