In addition to the rains of New York and Texas setting back the Detroit’s pennant chase, the injury bug also has landed. The Tigers quest for a 2011 championship took another turn down the wrong road as Magglio Ordonez re-broke the ankle he broke in 2010, and the hot-hitting Delmon Young, with three postseason dingers already, tweaked an oblique and is out of the lineup, too. The badly needed left-handed bats against some strong Texas pitching are now lost.
The rains have also cooled down All-Star catcher Alex Avila‘s and shortstop Jhonny Peralta‘s hitting, as both are struggling in the playoffs so far. The Tigers already are without youngster Brandon Boesch, who tore a thumb ligament in September, and now the team has too make even more adjustments for the rest of the playoffs. If that was not enough, staff ace Justin Verlander had not one, but two, of his postseason starts delayed and eventually shut down by rain.
So, there is Mags, Boesch, Young and Carlos Guillen on the injury list. A young outfield will have to step in. Some power has been lost from the lineup, so manager Jim Leyland has a tougher road ahead; but this team has fought through adversity all season and made it this far.
Heck, this town is hungary for a championship, and all of our local teams are looking good, so far. The Lions are 4-0, the Red Wings are 2-0 and our beloved Tigers are still in the ALCS. No worries. Well, at least not yet.