Writing a month in review column was something I started doing last year. Needless to say, this is the first month I’ve been able to do this when the Tigers have posted a winning record.
Comings, Goings, and Doctor Appointments
Prior to the season, the Tigers dealt Cody Ross to the Dodgers for Steve Colyer to bolster their bullpen. Mike DiFelice was also released, and then resigned to a minor league contract. The last semi significant transaction was that Andres Torres was DFA’d. He cleared waivers, but chose to sign a minor league deal with the White Sox instead of returning to Toledo.

The Tigers had their share of ailments, big and small. The biggest blow came in their 10th inning of the season when Dmitri Young broke his leg in Toronto. He’ll be on the shelf for at least another 2-3 weeks. The Tigers also lost Fernando Rodney for the year when he underwent Tommy John surgery. Aside from that the Tigers lost Alex Sanchez for a week due to a groin injury and the flu. They also lost Higginson for a couple days to the flu and a turned ankle.

By the Numbers

The Tiger offense was a dominant force, showing an ability to score piles of runs consistently. They scored 5 or more runs in 15 of their 23 April games. They finished just a shade behind Minnesota in runs scored per game for the month. The Tiger offense also ranked in the top half in on base average and batting average. The main reason for their success was their performance with runners in scoring position. With RISP the batting average jumped to .321 and the Tigers .907 OPS led the league. Remarkably, the Tigers have maintained this offensive output without Dmitri Young.

The pitching staff didn’t fare nearly as well. They rank in the bottom third in most categories. The starters and bullpen have been inconsistent. An interesting stat twist is that the Tigers pitchers have the highest ground ball to fly ball ratio, but have allowed the most home runs. The home run number is especially troubling given Comerica’s dimensions.

The good news for the pitching staff is that they ranked dead last in strike outs last year. This year they rank 5th. Also, there have been several strong bullpen performances that included 2 four inning saves.

Who’s hot
Newcomers Rondell White, Ivan Rodriguez, and Carlos Guillen have all exceeded expectations. The three are hitting a combined .324/.396/.490 and Rondell White led the AL in RBI’s.

But if you want to talk about really exceeding expectations look at Brandon Inge managed to do. His month included a 10 game hit streak from the 9 spot in the order. He hit .333/.410/.574 with 3 home runs (two of them Grand Slams). In addition to the offensive surge, he managed to play competently at centerfield, catcher, and third base.

Despite getting shelled in his last start, Nate Robertson was pretty darn good as the 5th starter. Mike Maroth went from losing 5 games in April last year to posting a 3-1 record on a 3.58 ERA while leading the staff in innings.

Who’s Not
I know Greg Norton hit a home run today, but he was miserable during April going 3 for 29 with 9 strike outs. Alex Sanchez hit .324 for the month, but he’s listed here because despite being a leadoff hitter, he failed to take a walk in 72 plate apperances.

The majority of the pitching staff falls under this category. They haven’t all been bad the whole month, and there have been some great performances by most of the staff. However, there have been a number of really poor performances as well. I think the overall staff numbers/rankings bear that out. Particularly bad was Gary Knotts. In 11 1/3 innings he surrendered 15 hits, 11 walks, and 3 home runs. Nate Cornejo also was knocked around consistently and posted an 8.44 ERA.

Lowlight of the Month
I think this would have to be Dmitri Young’s injury in game 2. Despite the fact the Tigers offense has continued to hum along, it has forced Trammell to play Rondell White and Pudge Rodriguez more than he’d probably like to.

Highlight of the Month
It’s nice to have some options for this topic for a change. I could choose White’s walk-off homer, the 11 run 6th inning against Cleveland, or the inspiring home opener win. However, I’m going with the opening day shut out of Toronto. Despite the fact that Toronto hasn’t played well this season, the Tigers went in an shut down what should be a good hitting club. What’s more is that they piled runs on a traditional nemesis in Roy Halladay. The way they won that game seemed to propel them off to this great start in April.

Looking Ahead
In May the Tigers play 20 games against AL West opponents and they make two trips to the west coast. They finish the month with 4 games against Baltimore and 4 games against struggling division rival Kansas City.