Graded: Pick No. 12. The split fired the wrong way on the first try
The call, committed before first pitch: Tigers win. Confidence Low.
The result: Royals 5, Tigers 2. gamePk 824072, Final on the id.
Record: 7-5.
Both halves of the argument inverted inside 6 innings
Friday's entry had 2 legs. Cameron is a different pitcher at home, and Melton is the best arm in the series. Here is what each of them did:
| What the pick said | Friday night | |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron at Kauffman | 62.2 IP, 5.17, opponents at .287 | 5 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 20 batters |
| Melton anywhere | 84.1 IP, 1.49, 1 start over 2 earned all year | 5.2 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned |
Cameron's home ERA is 4.79 now, and the gap that made him interesting has gone from 1.84 runs to 1.46 in a single start. Melton's season ERA went from 1.49 to 1.60. The entry called the split a tiebreaker rather than a thesis, and said so in print, which is the only part of it that survived the night.
The way Kansas City scored is the part worth keeping
They scored in the 4th, the 5th, the 6th, the 7th and the 8th. One run each time. 5 innings, 5 runs, and not once did they put 2 on the board in the same frame.
Detroit's 2 came together in the 7th, off John Schreiber, and by then it was 4-0. Tyler Holton and Ty Madden each gave one back in the innings on either side of it.
That is the shape of a lot of these. A team that never has a big inning against you is a team you have to beat with your own bullpen holding, and Detroit's has been converting 26 of 54 all season.
Kansas City took all 3
Saturday was 3-1, with Michael Wacha going 7 on 3 hits and 1 run. Sunday was 11-7 after the Royals hung 5 on the board in the 2nd. Detroit left Kauffman on a 5-game losing streak at 61-69. Kansas City is 58-74 and 11 games back in the division, and they have won 8 straight.
Tampa Bay is at Comerica tonight.
Not betting advice.
Got a Detroit number you want looked at? Email projectunmuted@proton.me and it gets looked at properly. A stat somebody quoted that smells wrong, a thing you have always assumed about one of these 4 teams and have never seen checked. Every question that arrives is listed with its answer, including the ones where the answer is no.