As John Lowe notes in the Detroit Free Press today, the Tigers would need to go 35-16 the rest of the way to reach 90 wins, which would be a .686 clip.
The Twins need to go 28-22 (.560) to get to 90 wins, and the White Sox need to go 29-23 (.558).
(No team has won the AL Central with fewer than 90 wins since Cleveland?s 89-73 got it done in 1998. The Twins won the division at 90-72 in 2003.)
The White Sox begin a three-game series with the Tigers tonight with real concerns about their pitching staff, as Joe Cowley notes in today?s Chicago Sun-Times. Over the past 19 games, Sox starters are 6-8 with a 6.58 ERA and the bullpen is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA. Mark Buehrle said:
?It?s one of those things where, if we come out of it, it was a bump in the road. If we can?t come out of it, well, then the first couple months, we were obviously pitching over our heads.?
Jose Contreras will return from the DL and replace Clayton Richard, who looked nasty at times but overmatched at others. Chicago?s bullpen misses Scott Linebrink who could be two weeks away with his right shoulder injury.
Tonight, it?s Tigers lefty Nate Robertson (6-8, 6.06 ERA) against Gavin Floyd (11-6, 3.43) at the Cell. Meanwhile, the Twins will look to turn the page from Monday?s debacle in Seattle, with Scott Baker (7-3, 3.53) pitching opposite knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (3-6, 4.41), whom the Twins lost in December?s Rule 5 draft.
The Twins have come to trust Baker. It?s notable that in their upcoming rotation juggle ? to split lefties Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins ? Baker will be kept on regular rest, pitching tonight and then Sunday at Kansas City.
Baker has given up three earned runs or less in 23 of his past 26 starts, but he has a 5.72 ERA in his last two outings. He has given up at least one home run in eight of his past nine starts. Monday?s hero, Raul Ibanez, is 5-for-10 with one career homer off Baker, so keep an eye on that.
The Twins need to go 28-22 (.560) to get to 90 wins, and the White Sox need to go 29-23 (.558).
(No team has won the AL Central with fewer than 90 wins since Cleveland?s 89-73 got it done in 1998. The Twins won the division at 90-72 in 2003.)
The White Sox begin a three-game series with the Tigers tonight with real concerns about their pitching staff, as Joe Cowley notes in today?s Chicago Sun-Times. Over the past 19 games, Sox starters are 6-8 with a 6.58 ERA and the bullpen is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA. Mark Buehrle said:
?It?s one of those things where, if we come out of it, it was a bump in the road. If we can?t come out of it, well, then the first couple months, we were obviously pitching over our heads.?
Jose Contreras will return from the DL and replace Clayton Richard, who looked nasty at times but overmatched at others. Chicago?s bullpen misses Scott Linebrink who could be two weeks away with his right shoulder injury.
Tonight, it?s Tigers lefty Nate Robertson (6-8, 6.06 ERA) against Gavin Floyd (11-6, 3.43) at the Cell. Meanwhile, the Twins will look to turn the page from Monday?s debacle in Seattle, with Scott Baker (7-3, 3.53) pitching opposite knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (3-6, 4.41), whom the Twins lost in December?s Rule 5 draft.
The Twins have come to trust Baker. It?s notable that in their upcoming rotation juggle ? to split lefties Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins ? Baker will be kept on regular rest, pitching tonight and then Sunday at Kansas City.
Baker has given up three earned runs or less in 23 of his past 26 starts, but he has a 5.72 ERA in his last two outings. He has given up at least one home run in eight of his past nine starts. Monday?s hero, Raul Ibanez, is 5-for-10 with one career homer off Baker, so keep an eye on that.
