Detroit Tigers: Things to improve, things to maintain for playoff push
By Matt Snyder
Maintain bullpen consistency
When talking about the 2017 Detroit Tigers maintaining bullpen consistency hasn’t been something we’ve been able to discuss. It’s been more like: find someone, anyone, who can get through the ninth inning without giving up the lead.
The Tigers still own the fifth-worst bullpen ERA in baseball (4.82), but much of that damage was done in April when the team’s 6.43 ERA in relief was the worst in the majors bay more than half a run. Things have settled down considerably in May where the 2.73 bullpen ERA for the month is third-best in the big leagues.
I wouldn’t necessarily bet on them being that good for the rest of the season, but they’ve found success with Justin Wilson in the ninth inning and Shane Greene and Alex Wilson in setup roles. Erstwhile closer Francisco Rodriguez has even settled down somewhat — he owns a 3.86 ERA since being removed from the ninth inning.
The May bullpen success story looks even better when we consider that five of the group’s 18 earned runs allowed came courtesy of Anibal Sanchez, which player has since been optioned to the minor leagues.
The aforementioned Wilson, Wilson, and Greene have combined to pitch 30.2 innings this month while giving up just three runs. That’s the sort of thing that will play nicely in the late innings.