Yesterday brought a loss on the Twins as I was backing the wrong horse in the race, apparently.The normally reliable Joe Ryan looked awful and allowed a bunch of runs early.
I actually prefer to lose this way because I don't need to pay attention to it.It was the wrong read, and I can start looking at the next day of games.
That was a game between two AL Central teams; I'm going to try one with another from the division as the Tigers take on the Cubs.The Detroit Tigers are still below .500, but no one in the division has run away with the lead, so there is still a chance they can turn it around.You don't need to give them a big reminder about how August and September can change a division race.
They were massive favorites last year to win the division, and the Guardians had a phenomenal stretch to steal the division.The Tigers got the last laugh as they won in the playoffs.
Still, this team needs a jolt in one way or another, and all the talk surrounding them is about if Tarik Skubal will be traded or not.DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 05: Framber Valdez #59 of the Detroit Tigers throws a pitch in the third inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park on May 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.(Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) ((Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images))During the offseason, they knew they would have to come to a decision about Skubal, and they signed Framber Valdez, the best available starter, to kind of soften the blow of losing Skubal.
For the year, Valdez is 5-6 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.Those numbers aren't terrible, but they also aren't exactly top-of-the-rotation quality, either.
Valdez has done a pretty good job of keeping the ball down, overall.He has 178 ground balls as opposed to 158 fly balls, and that doesn't count his strikeouts.
Cubs hitters haven't done particularly well against Valdez, either, batting just 4-for-32 against him.The Chicago Cubs are basically in the same spot they were last season.They were solid...