For the past several seasons Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander has carried the team’s starting rotation. Verlander is a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star who won pitching’s Triple Crown in 2011 as he led the American League in wins (24), earned run average (2.40), and strikeouts (250). Verlander has helped the Tigers reach the World Series in 2006 and 2012 only to fall short of the ultimate goal as they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants respectively. For the most part Verlander hasn’t had protection in the starting rotation, but that has changed now as the help has come in the form of Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer.
Scherzer was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft. After posting a 9-15 record in two seasons with the Diamondbacks, Scherzer was traded to the Tigers in 2010. Every year since Scherzer has been with the Tigers his win total has improved, but he is on pace this season to blow his 16-win total from a year ago out of the water.
After last night’s 6-inning, 10 strikeout performance against the Baltimore Orioles, Scherzer ran his record to 10-0 as the Tigers prevailed 5-1. It also marked the fifth time this season that Scherzer has struck out at least 10 batters in a start. In Scherzer’s 14 starts this season the Tigers record is now 11-3.
Scherzer is beginning to step out of Verlander’s shadow as his 10 victories are tops in the AL while his 116 strikeouts are second. Scherzer has a 3.08 earned run average and as we are closing in on the midway point of the MLB season, Scherzer has put himself in consideration for the American League Cy Young Award.
Scherzer’s pitching this season has to be comforting to Tigers manager Jim Leyland. When Verlander pitches Leyland can relax as he knows that things are under control. Now that same notion can be added to Scherzer as his outings equate to another night off for the Tigers bullpen.
Source:Baseball-reference.com
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