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Can The Tigers Beat the Teetering Tribe???

Rob Sanford

After Tampa Bay comes in to play a make up game with the Tigers....the Cleveland Indians come in for a 3 game series. The Tribe have now lost 9 of their last 11 and Detroit has a golden opportunity to put some distance between the two teams. You can't be terribly upset with the series with Seattle....they have a pretty good pitching staff and last year's Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez. So it can't be a huge surprise they split the series, although Hernandez looked beatable on Sunday. Back to the Indians for a second, their pitching staff has really tapered off after getting off to a great start, and since the Tigers played them last, Travis Hafner has been hurt, Grady Sizemore who is struggling from surgery last year has only 17 RBI's to this point, and Chin Soo Choo is hitting only .234. Choo who was recently arrested on DUI charges admits his off the field problems IS  affecting how he is playing on the field. In any case, the Tribe is having issues and it's up to the Tigers to grab hold and not let them get out of town without a few more losses.

Detroit's offense has really turned things around in the warmer weather. In the month of June, the Tigers are hitting .322 as a team, with 21 doubles, 4 triples, and 14 home runs. They have also scored 60 runs in just 11 games, and have a 7-4 record in the month so far. But it's not just at-bat were things have turned around...but also in the bullpen, where just a few weeks ago I gave them a "no-confidence" vote...they are now holding opposing batters to just .196 in the last 20 games.

Magglio Ordonez is now back with the club...and that will  mean some line up juggling for Jim Leyland. I don 't think he's going to have a lot of patience with Maggs because of how well the younger players like Andy Dirks and Casper Wells have been playing. Although, Ordonez has come on in the last few games in Toledo and wound up hitting over .280 with 2 home runs.

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