Monday Morning Manager: My Weekly Take on the Detroit Tigers

My weekly take on the Tigers, also known simply and affectionately as “MMM.” Week of 6/22-28: 4-2 This week: 6/29-7/1: at Oak; 7/3-5: at Min   Goat of the Week It was a pretty good week for the Tigers, so it’s hard to find a true goat. But a couple things happened on Friday night in Houston that were troubling, because they flare up from time to time. First, the Tigers’ uneven offense was at full bloom. They jumped off to an early 4-0 lead, thanks largely to Placido Polanco’s three-run homer. They had Justin Verlander on the mound. Their seven-game winning streak looked good at being extended to eight. But the offense began stranding runners, exhibiting its ill-timed flare for not being able to move runners along. The 4-0 lead just sat there, as the Astros pecked away at it. The Astros got to within 4-3 going up against Verlander, and then the Tigers’ bullpen stepped into the fray. Then, the other season-long, nagging thing ... (link)