The Tigers

The Tigers Will Hang On For Playoffs
By T.O. Whenham

The Detroit Tigers, easily the most surprising story of the season so far, are slipping. They still have the best record in the league (though the red-hot Mets are about to catch up to them), but they have lost eight of their last 12 games and 14 of the last 21. The saving grace for this team is that neither of the squads chasing them in the division - the White Sox or the Twins - are playing particularly well, either, and the Tigers have managed to only turn a 10 game lead into a still-secure five game edge despite their freefall.

A month ago it seemed inevitable that the Tigers would cruise to the playoffs. Now that isn't such a sure thing. It's not time to panic yet, however. With 29 games left they have 83 wins, putting 100 wins -- a pinnacle that would have seemed impossible at the beginning of the year -- within relatively easy reach.

There are lots of reasons that you could be negative about the fate of the Tigers - the surly Kenny Rogers is the only consistently solid starter of late, the offense is looking tired at times and they aren't getting many breaks - but I feel confident that they will win their division. I'd bet on it, in fact. Here are eight reasons why:

The young pitchers will be fine - Justin Verlander is being held up as an example of the problems the team is facing. Despite being 15-7 and having an ERA in the top five in the league, the 23-year-old has lost three of his last four and some are saying he is hitting a rookie wall. I don't buy it. Take his last start, an ugly showing against Cleveland. He gave up 10 hits and 8 runs in 5 innings. The thing is, however, that he had good stuff. He struck out Travis Hafner on four 98 mph fastballs followed by a killer at 100 mph. The radar gun read 102 mph in the first inning. He struck out two guys looking with his nasty breaking pitch. In other words, his arm isn't getting tired. He's just not getting his breaks. That's what happens in a major league season. He'll be fine. And so will the pitching staff.