Thrilling route to .500

Saturday night's come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Rockies showed why the Tigers are both vulnerable and dangerous. They're vulnerable because a much as Todd Jones is a great guy, good teammate and fan friendly to the core, he's a 40-something castoff who is closing because he can. He can handle the pressure. He can handle the criticism. He can handle the booing. But, can he handle the Yankees or Red Sox or White Sox in a one-run game in the playoffs? Will he be able to get the save? The answer is NO, emphatically.
On the other hand, the Tigers have so much punch. Miguel Cabrera's winning hit was a rocket. The offensive players, although they did not get many clutch hits Saturday night, continue to have better at-bats. Even Guillen's out in the 9th was a solid at-bat. Ryan Raburn's at-bat in the 9th was good, too. He walked and scored the winning run on Cabrera's two-base hit.
Offensively, the Tigers are going to really get going; I think it's as sure as the sun coming up in the morning. But their closer, well, that's a serious issue.
Don't bet on Jim Leyland changing anyone's role, either. That's not his style.
At any rate, the Tigers are .500, 40-40. That's almost as incredible as the Lions winning the Super Bowl. OK, so nothing's further from the truth. But the Tigers are .500 before the Fourth of July break, well, that is something.