AL Central Update
By Tom Brew
Inspin.com
Contributing Writer
No one can really dispute that the two best teams in baseball right now are the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. We would have never thought that in April, or May, or June.
But as July ends, we’ve got to be impressed with both teams. And thrilled with the way they started a three-game series Friday night in the Metrodome. The Tigers won 3-2 in 10 innings, but the game had a playoff atmosphere to it. It was loud, it was sold out and the baseball was excellent. Two rookie pitchers – Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano and Detroit’s Zach Miner – put on a show that was fun to watch.
Miner had never heard anything like this before. The rookie right-hander said couldn't even make out his coach's words as he warmed up in the bullpen. "I've never experienced that," Miner said.
The 45,478 at the Metrodome were into it from the first pitch. It was the first sellout since Opening Day.
"A beautiful sight," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, praising the fans, the game, the opponent and, of course, his team. "Tremendous, tremendous baseball."
The Twins are on a 34-9 tear, have a major league-best 37-12 record at home and have worked their way back into the playoff race after a dismal start. During their amazing two-month hot streak, the Twins haven't played the Tigers, and they've gained only three games in the standings. During the time the Twins have gone 34-8, the Tigers are 31-11 -- second-best record in baseball over that span. The Twins have even surprised themselves. “I did not think it was realistic that we could turn it around like this," general manager Terry Ryan said Thursday. "It's a dream."
Minnesota has won 20 of its past 21 at home and Johan Santana, who starts Sunday, has won 11 straight decisions in the Metrodome over the past year. Dating to last August, the Twins have won the past 17 home games Santana has started. Even injuries aren't stopping the Twins. They put starting outfielders Torii Hunter and Shannon Stewart on the disabled list on the same day this month -- and have gone 10-1 since then.
The series means a lot to both teams. What the Twins have proven in the past two months is that it’s a long season. Many experts, and even more so-called experts, were giving the White Sox a pass into the playoffs, but all it takes is a bad couple of weeks to turn things around, and that’s what has happened.The Twins, even though they’ve had a hard time gaining on the Tigers, have picked up 11 games on the White Sox.
Saturday night’s game is pivotal for the Twins, since they’ve got their ace Santana waiting in the wings for Sunday’s game. Veteran Brad Radke (9-7, 4.74 ERA) starts for the Twins, and he has been a Tiger-killer through the years, with a career record of 19-6. But he’s 0-2 this year with a 9.72 ERA this year, getting rocked in both starts vs. the Tigers back in April and May. He’s been very good lately, going 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last nine starts, a stretch that continued Monday at Chicago in which he allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.
The Tigers will counter with Nate Robertson (9-6, 3.70), who is trying to become their fourth 10-game winner. Robertson stopped a personal three-game losing streak Sunday vs. Oakland, allowing four runs and five hits in seven innings. Saturday's Tigers-Twins WagerWeb.com odds: Twins -$110/Tigers +$100.
WHITE SOX STARTING TO PANIC: Here’s how you judge the Chicago White Sox in their last 15 games prior to beating Baltimore on Friday. In playing games against teams that matter, the White Sox accomplished little. Look at the numbers: 1-2 vs. Boston, 0-3 vs. New York, 1-2 vs. Detroit, 1-2 vs. Texas and 0-3 vs.Minnesota.
And here's more: The Sox were outscored 86-56, with Mark Buehrle losing four times, Jose Contreras three times and Javier Vazquez twice. They hadn't a save opportunity before Friday in more than two weeks.
That’s bad. Thankfully the schedule-makers have given them a break, playing Baltimore and Kansas City back-to-back, which might help them turn things around.
"We need to go on the road and start another streak," Jim Thome said.
The White Sox aren’t throwing in the towel. Not yet, anyway. They have too many veterans for that to happen.
"We just have to regroup," Paul Konerko said. "We're judging ourselves off what has happened in the last two weeks, and if you do that, you might want to jump off a building."
Last September, when the Sox were near the end of nearly blowing a 15-game lead, manager Ozzie Guillen acknowledged, "We stink." But that was when they were losing games to the awful Royals.
He isn't ready to go that far now against better competition, instead claiming "everything is not going our way now" and "I can't blame anybody, I blame everybody."
Buehrle would be an easy target for criticism, but the hitters also come in for their share, scoring three or fewer runs seven times in the last 16 games. Or could it just be the Sox have been facing playoff-caliber pitching?
This stretch of games has done nothing for the swagger of the World Series champions. Their confidence has turned into some self-doubt.
Guillen admits the losing is becoming burdensome, but insists "this team is
not down."
"We're losing because we're not performing, " Guillen said.
Even Twins manager Ron Gardenhire know the White Sox aren’t permanently in the rear-view mirror
"Don't worry; they'll be there," Gardenhire said. “Att the end of the year, those guys will have great numbers. We know where they're at. Trust me, they'll be there."
Saturday’s game with Baltimore gives the White Sox a good chance to win a second in a row. Jon Garland (10-3, 4.78) has been their best starter lately, going 6-0 in his last eight starts with a 2.45 ERA. Baltimore rookie Jim Johnson will be making his. first start. Regardless of the lofty WagerWeb.com number (Chicago -$167), load up on the White Sox.
.
By Tom Brew
Inspin.com
Contributing Writer
No one can really dispute that the two best teams in baseball right now are the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. We would have never thought that in April, or May, or June.
But as July ends, we’ve got to be impressed with both teams. And thrilled with the way they started a three-game series Friday night in the Metrodome. The Tigers won 3-2 in 10 innings, but the game had a playoff atmosphere to it. It was loud, it was sold out and the baseball was excellent. Two rookie pitchers – Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano and Detroit’s Zach Miner – put on a show that was fun to watch.
Miner had never heard anything like this before. The rookie right-hander said couldn't even make out his coach's words as he warmed up in the bullpen. "I've never experienced that," Miner said.
The 45,478 at the Metrodome were into it from the first pitch. It was the first sellout since Opening Day.
"A beautiful sight," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, praising the fans, the game, the opponent and, of course, his team. "Tremendous, tremendous baseball."
The Twins are on a 34-9 tear, have a major league-best 37-12 record at home and have worked their way back into the playoff race after a dismal start. During their amazing two-month hot streak, the Twins haven't played the Tigers, and they've gained only three games in the standings. During the time the Twins have gone 34-8, the Tigers are 31-11 -- second-best record in baseball over that span. The Twins have even surprised themselves. “I did not think it was realistic that we could turn it around like this," general manager Terry Ryan said Thursday. "It's a dream."
Minnesota has won 20 of its past 21 at home and Johan Santana, who starts Sunday, has won 11 straight decisions in the Metrodome over the past year. Dating to last August, the Twins have won the past 17 home games Santana has started. Even injuries aren't stopping the Twins. They put starting outfielders Torii Hunter and Shannon Stewart on the disabled list on the same day this month -- and have gone 10-1 since then.
The series means a lot to both teams. What the Twins have proven in the past two months is that it’s a long season. Many experts, and even more so-called experts, were giving the White Sox a pass into the playoffs, but all it takes is a bad couple of weeks to turn things around, and that’s what has happened.The Twins, even though they’ve had a hard time gaining on the Tigers, have picked up 11 games on the White Sox.
Saturday night’s game is pivotal for the Twins, since they’ve got their ace Santana waiting in the wings for Sunday’s game. Veteran Brad Radke (9-7, 4.74 ERA) starts for the Twins, and he has been a Tiger-killer through the years, with a career record of 19-6. But he’s 0-2 this year with a 9.72 ERA this year, getting rocked in both starts vs. the Tigers back in April and May. He’s been very good lately, going 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last nine starts, a stretch that continued Monday at Chicago in which he allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.
The Tigers will counter with Nate Robertson (9-6, 3.70), who is trying to become their fourth 10-game winner. Robertson stopped a personal three-game losing streak Sunday vs. Oakland, allowing four runs and five hits in seven innings. Saturday's Tigers-Twins WagerWeb.com odds: Twins -$110/Tigers +$100.
WHITE SOX STARTING TO PANIC: Here’s how you judge the Chicago White Sox in their last 15 games prior to beating Baltimore on Friday. In playing games against teams that matter, the White Sox accomplished little. Look at the numbers: 1-2 vs. Boston, 0-3 vs. New York, 1-2 vs. Detroit, 1-2 vs. Texas and 0-3 vs.Minnesota.
And here's more: The Sox were outscored 86-56, with Mark Buehrle losing four times, Jose Contreras three times and Javier Vazquez twice. They hadn't a save opportunity before Friday in more than two weeks.
That’s bad. Thankfully the schedule-makers have given them a break, playing Baltimore and Kansas City back-to-back, which might help them turn things around.
"We need to go on the road and start another streak," Jim Thome said.
The White Sox aren’t throwing in the towel. Not yet, anyway. They have too many veterans for that to happen.
"We just have to regroup," Paul Konerko said. "We're judging ourselves off what has happened in the last two weeks, and if you do that, you might want to jump off a building."
Last September, when the Sox were near the end of nearly blowing a 15-game lead, manager Ozzie Guillen acknowledged, "We stink." But that was when they were losing games to the awful Royals.
He isn't ready to go that far now against better competition, instead claiming "everything is not going our way now" and "I can't blame anybody, I blame everybody."
Buehrle would be an easy target for criticism, but the hitters also come in for their share, scoring three or fewer runs seven times in the last 16 games. Or could it just be the Sox have been facing playoff-caliber pitching?
This stretch of games has done nothing for the swagger of the World Series champions. Their confidence has turned into some self-doubt.
Guillen admits the losing is becoming burdensome, but insists "this team is
not down."
"We're losing because we're not performing, " Guillen said.
Even Twins manager Ron Gardenhire know the White Sox aren’t permanently in the rear-view mirror
"Don't worry; they'll be there," Gardenhire said. “Att the end of the year, those guys will have great numbers. We know where they're at. Trust me, they'll be there."
Saturday’s game with Baltimore gives the White Sox a good chance to win a second in a row. Jon Garland (10-3, 4.78) has been their best starter lately, going 6-0 in his last eight starts with a 2.45 ERA. Baltimore rookie Jim Johnson will be making his. first start. Regardless of the lofty WagerWeb.com number (Chicago -$167), load up on the White Sox.
.
