The first week of the 2008 season is over and the Tigers are winless while the Royals and Orioles are in first place. Don't expect this to continue though as the season progresses.
Why are the Tigers winless? There are many reasons for their 0-6 start. They can't get any clutch hits and their pitching has been shaky. The Tigers never did anything to bolster their pathetic bullpen in the offseason. Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney are still both injured. You will lose more games than win when you send Jason Grilli, Bobby Seay, and Zach Miner to the mound in a close game.
Curtis Granderson has not played at all and Gary Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera have both missed games due to injuries.
The clutch hits have not been there all season. They have faced tough pitchers in Mark Buehrle, Gil Meche, and Zack Greinke. Their ace, Justin Verlander, has no wins and a 6.17 ERA.
Now they have to head out to Boston for a six game road trip. Maybe playing on the road will help the Tigers out because Comerica Park has been nothing but a house of horrors so far.
The Tigers offense will have to lead the way because that is the strength of the team. No lead is safe when you have bad relievers so the Tigers must score many runs every single night. A team with hitters like Sheffield, Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, and Placido Polanco can put a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers.
There is no need to panic yet because this team is still built to make the playoffs. Expect the big bats on this team to contribute soon and for the Tigers to outscore teams on their way to contending for the playoffs.
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