Thoughts For A Monday: In Comes Detroit And Other Thoughts

DETROIT COMES IN

I had this thought last night that we need to win this series to stay ahead of Detroit.  Then I realized that this was 1980s thinking, just to not be embarrased by being behind a team that is still in their rebuild. The key here is NOT to win this series so we stay ahead of Detroit, it is to win this series so we can either gain ground or stay in reach of Minnesota.  

During the season there are so many ebbs and flows for other teams that intersect our season based on when we play that team and how we are playing that it is hard to predict what will happen in any given series.  We are still not scoring runs (6 in 3 games against Minnesota, 14 in our last 6 games) so I will be looking more about what our offense can produce right now, about getting that offense going.  We are fortunate to be only 2.5 games out of first place in the AL Central right now.  We will just root for the boys and hope they can put up a great series against the Tigers.

Speaking of the boys, it will be interesting to see if David Fry plays tonight.  Detroit starts a left-hander but now our bench is Arias, Freeman, Fry and Brennan, 3 RH hitters and 1 LH hitter.  I could see us starting a lineup tonight that looks like:

Kwan LF

Straw CF

Ramrez 3B

Bell 1B

Rosario SS

Gimenez 2B

Freeman DH

Zunino C

Fry RF

DOUBLE PLAYS

So far this year we have hit into 21 double plays (0.61 per game while last year we hit into 119 DPs (0.73 per game).  Of course, our lack of baserunners this year, 301 OPS compared to .383 last season) could have a lot to do with the difference in % DPs this year. Our leaders so far are Rosario (5), Naylor (5) and, surprisingly, Kwan (4).  So far Josh Bell has not hit into a DP although you can see how his swing path and results so far could lead to be susceptible.  Still, as I said at the beginning of the season, maybe he wouldn't hit into as many with the outlawing of the shift.  Seems, so far, to be playing out that way.

Note that Tyler Freeman has a penchant for hitting into DPs in his career (35 in 366 minor league games, 2 in 84 ABs in the majors) and Fry and Arias are still rookies so there is that.  

MINORS REVIEW

Really not a lot to say about what is going on in the minors right now.  Only Rocchio and Bo Naylor stand out to me so far, a good thing because they are in AAA.  Noel and Jonathon Rodriguez look like they might be about to break out as the weather warms up as they are hitting and, generally, laying off those chase pitches down and away and, in fact, getting a good (for them) number of walks.  Aaron Bracho is becoming interesting with his sudden HR pop just about the time that Gabriel Rodriguez and Junior Sanquintin appear to be fading into organizational player territory.   

As far as pitching, no one besides Gavin Williams is standing out right now as far as prospects. Herrin, Plesac and, to some extent, Gaddis, are performing well after their demotions which is a good thing, depth-wise.  The guys I am looking for having breakout years, Webb, Nikhazy, Mace, are not doing it yet and some of our younger players like Fox, Tolentino, Tena, Angel Martinez and others are REALLY struggling.  

It is early but, right now, the minors is sort of blah to me.  There is plenty of time for this to turn around but we are starting to get enough games in to see trends.  Keeping my fingers crossed that these trends change soon.