I have to hand it to Bless You Boys voters. They have been remarkably consistent in their voting these past three weeks despite the trials and tribulations of the Tigers during interleague play. While the team struggles -- and fails -- against the senior circuit, voters see the bigger picture, the first-place standings and hold pretty steady.
Voting improved slighly, coming in at a 73.9 average after hanging around 72.5 for the past two weeks. During the past 14 games, the team has gone 6-8.
I thought I'd look at who performed well in the past week as a change of pace. So here's a couple of players who would have given you confidence in the past seven games:
In the lineup:
Andy Dirks, Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta each have two home runs in the past seven games. Dirks slugged 1.143. Cabrera batted .500. Peralta batted .483.
On the mound:
Justin Verlander (as always), Joaquin Benoit and Don Kelly. Verlander tossed an eight inning shutout with 14 strikeouts. Benoit allowed a hit and no walks in 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Utility-man Don Kelly got the final out of the ninth inning on Wednesday and we're not about to let that moment slip by without more lauding.