The Tigers started off the month 2-5 as their pitching staff was destroyed. This stretch included a 4 game losing streak, and the infamous debacle in Texas in which the Tigers blew a 10 run lead in one inning. However, the next day Nate Robertson came out and turned things around for the hurlers as he picked up a 5-3 win.

The win by Robertson started a string of games in which the Tigers went 7-5, but managed to stay in each game. It included a three one-run losses to Oakland (one of which took 15 innings).

The Tigers then stumbled through the remaining few games by losing two of three to Kansas City and being swept by Baltimore before beating the Royals at home. The Kansas City series was memorable for a couple reasons. First, the Tigers lost on a controversial ending when Carlos Guillen was called for interference. The win was memorable because the Tigers banged out 27 hits and Carlos Pena went 6-6.

Comings, Goings, and Doctor Appointments
Nate Cornejo, who had been getting hammered admitted to a sore shoulder. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and Craig Dingman took his place on the roster, while Gary Knotts took his place in the rotation. Knotts doesn’t appear ready to relinquish his role and has pitched very well as a starter.

Fernando Vina, hobbled by a hamstring also was placed on the disabled list. Jason Smith was called up from Toledo to provide some middle infield depth. To make room on the 40 man roster, Lino Urdaneta was moved from the 15 day DL to the 60 day DL.

And the Tigers were able to end the month by activating Dmitri Young. Young had a two game rehab assignment at Toledo, which included a cycle in his first game. Chris Shelton took Young’s spot on the DL with Plantar Fascitis. I’m sure it won’t raise eyebrows around the league that the Tigers two Rule 5 picks are both on the disabled list.

By the Numbers
The offense actually hit better, but scored about a run less per game than they did in April. I want to attribute this mostly to a drop off on hitting with runners in scoring position. I don’t have the numbers for May, but in April the Tigers hit .321 with RISP. There average for the season is still a very solid .304, but there still had to be a significant drop off for the average to drop.

Similarly for the pitchings staff, opposing hitters weren’t as successful, but scored at pretty much the same rate. While I haven’t done an extensive look, at first glance it appears that the runs per game allowed may be attributable to defense. In April the Tigers only allowed 4 unearned runs as opposed to 13 in May. While errors and unearned runs aren’t the most effective way to measure a defense, a pile of unearned runs is never a good thing.

Who’s Hot
The three big guns: Carlos Guillen, Rondell White, and Pudge continue to impress. The three hit a combined .325/.410/.538 with 13 home runs.

Alex Sanchez has used the bunt to get himself a ton of hits. It’s not just the hits that he gets on bunts that are helping Sanchez, it’s the hits he gets because defenses shift around to stop the bunt. Sanchez hit .370 for the month, and actually even drew 4 walks, although he was caught stealing 8 times.

Omar Infante is making the most of his time at 2nd base and hit .294/.386/.559. He had three homers in May-all at Comerica Park.

Finally, Bobby Higginson led the team in OBA, getting on base at a .433 clip. He also showed a little more power and slugged .465.

On the mound, the guys from the Mark Redman trade, Gary Knotts and Nate Robertson had a very solid month. Both had ERA’s well under 4.00. Both had K/9 rates over 7. And, their WHIPS were 1.22 and 1.24 respectively.

Jamie Walker only allowed 2 earned runs for the month while striking out 12 in 15 innings of work.

Who’s Not
Eric Munson and Carlos Pena. Both are battling for their jobs at this point. Munson’s line: .196/.255/.451. The slugging pct. got a boost from yesterday’s two homer game. Hopefully Eric is turning things around.

Pena’s line for the month: .228/.303/.433. He’s striking out a prolific rate with 25 K’s in 87 plate apperances.

Brandon Inge has cooled down significantly since his hot April. His OPS for the month is .645.

Al Levine continues to be one of the worst relievers in the game, giving up 18 hits and 11 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings pitched.

Jason Johnson, despite a couple of really strong outings posted a 6.43 ERA for the month. While you expect inconsistency from younger guys like Maroth and Bonderman, you would hope that Johnson would bring a little more to the table. The most telling number for Johnson is that he allowed 7 home runs in 28 innings of work.

Lowlight of the Month
While the sweeps by Baltimore and Anaheim are decent candidates, it has to be the debacle in Texas. However, the Tigers could have let that loss stick with them, but instead they started a string of competitive games against tough competition. So while the loss was defnitely poor, the response was a positive.

Highlight of the Month
Again, this is an easy choice. Anytime you get 27 hits in a game (which for the Tigers happens once every 75 years or so) that has to be the highlight of the month.

Looking Ahead
The Tigers play 11 games against Central division foes with 6 against the Royals, 3 against the Twins, and 2 against the Indians. Those are scattered around 15 interleague games. The Tigers host Florida, Atlanta, and Arizona and visit Philly and the Mets.

You may have noticed that the Tigers haven’t played the White Sox yet. They won’t until game 96 on July 23, which means 19 of the Tigers final 67 games will be against Chicago.