This is shaping up to be a fantastic September run to the playoffs. With only one division decided (Angels in the West) there are eight teams that have a shot at the remaining three AL spots. Realistically the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Tigers are not going to make it but they are all a smoking hot run away from putting themselves right in the thick of it. The AL East got very interesting this past weekend when the leading Rays lost Longoria and Crawford to injury until at least early September. Even more than ever I think Boston will win the East now. The young Rays just weren't going to hold on in the pressure of September, the question now is can they hold off the Yankees and White Sox for the wild card? I say yes simply because the White Sox are done and the Yankees are too inconsistent.
Yes, I said the White Sox are done. They are 11-12 with a 5.66 ERA since the break. The just lost Contreras for the season and the bullpen has gone from the best in the league to very sketchy. The offense lives and dies by the home run and that is no way to win down the stretch. Minnesota is not going to let up. They finally brought back Liriano and he has been brilliant. The rabbits are incredibly tough to get out and that sets up Mauer and Morneau to clear the table. Yet again the Twins find a bunch of people you've never heard of and go out and win the division, amazing.
The State of the Tigers
I'm running on a bit of blind faith but I'm not ready to stick a fork in them. I had said earlier that if they could get through the tough 20-game stretch after the break they could set up well for August. They went 9-11 during that stretch and now sit eight games back of Minnesota. The offense is white hot scoring just over six runs per game after the break. However, the pitching has regressed after a promising June. The bullpen has been especially bad saving only 3 of 11 chances post-break. Who would have thought that Armando Galarraga and Zach Miner would be Detroit's best starters. Miner is 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA in four starts and Galarraga continued his strong play posting a 2.90 ERA in July and August. The rest of the staff has been bad enough to raise the team ERA to 4.92 post-break. If somehow, someway Rodney can stay in the strike zone, Zumaya can find his breaking ball and Farnsworth can pull his head out of his ass this team still has a chance, but it's getting pretty slim.
In Leyland we trust,
-Big Red
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The quityerbitchin section
Gary Sheffield, you need to shut your fucking mouth. For christ's sake you're hitting .219. I could train a monkey to do that. When you accepted the trade to come here you knew you were going to DH. You throw like a girl and can't stay healthy, what the fuck do you think you can accomplish in the outfield. Shut your hole and hit the ball, although I don't think you're capable of either one you sorry waste of space. It's has beens like you that drag this game down. Do us all a favor, retire.
Kyle Farnsworth, you want to cry about being traded from New York. Go fuck yourself. You should be crying about your shitty pitching and how it is painfully clear that you don't give a fuck about playing baseball. You just want get drunk and whine like a baby. You're not a ballplayer, you're a frat boy. Grow up and play hard or get the fuck out of Detroit.