Verlander leads the majors in innings pitched this year (besides being 19-5, even before the end of August). He alone is the difference between the Tigers being five games up in their division and being a losing ballclub.
Its been a regular old slugfest in the central division this year.
Thanks CH. The rest of the pitching staff is competent, but overall not a winning record, so, yeah, that was spot on. :’) Jim Leyland’s been the butt of a lot of stupid frustrated jocks around here (including some local sportscasters, I’ve stopped listening, as in, I don’t turn on their radio shows any longer), because he’s actually a professional manager, and rests players who he thinks need the rest, nursing what had been a razor-thin division lead, and simultaneously getting the bench in better shape, more prepared, more experienced for the stretch and postseason; five out of six Tiger seasons over .500; the first Tigers AL pennant since, hmm, ‘84 just three years after the 119-loss season...