Sunday thoughts: Detroit's easy road ahead

Detroit just swept Cleveland, and after a four-game series in St. Petersburg, their schedule is incredibly easy the rest of the way.

A five-game deficit with 46 games remaining is already a tall order for the White Sox. But a quick glance at the teams Detroit will face over those last 46 games is pretty disheartening.

Detroit's last real test -- outside of the White Sox and/or Indians, if you consider either team a test -- will be in this week's four-game set with the Rays at Tropicana Field.

After that, he's Detroit schedule: @Twins (3), vs. Royals (4), vs. White Sox (3), @Indians (3), vs. Twins (3), @White Sox (3), @Athletics (4), @Royals (2), vs. Orioles (4), vs. Indians (3).

An easier breakdown:

• Minnesota (6): Detroit is 9-3 against the Twins, who have a .437 winning percentage
• Kansas City (6): 8-4 vs. Royals, .406 WP
• Chicago (6): 7-5 vs. White Sox, .500 WP
• Cleveland (6): 6-6 vs. Indians, .504 WP
• Oakland (4): 3-3 vs. A's, .449 WP
• Baltimore (4): 3-3 vs. Orioles, .379 WP

Cleveland is fading fast -- being swept when Justin Verlander doesn't pitch is pretty rough -- Minnesota and Kansas City are fairly defenseless, the A's and Orioles are differing levels of bad...so that leaves the White Sox as the stiffest challenge left for Detroit.

Luckily for the White Sox, their schedule lines up nothing but division teams until the final series of the year, a three-gamer against Toronto in Chicago. As long as the Sox's ineptitude against AL Central teams doesn't return, Detroit's soft slate could be negated down the stretch.

Adam Dunn against righties: .202/.325/.375, 11 HR, 46 BB, 113 K. That's still below average -- a 93 wRC+ -- but it's not crippling (ignoring Dunn's salary, obviously). So, naturally, Dunn better not face another lefty this season. As soon as a lefty reliever enters a game to face Dunn, he should be taken out. Brent Lillibridge and Alejandro De Aza should take those at-bats, or after Sept. 1, Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers should be viewed as options as well.

Comments

[Mike]

I can't imagine a world in which Ozzie Guillen pinch hits for Adam Dunn (especially with guys like Lillibridge and De Aza), but you're right it'd be the correct move.

How crazy is it that Lillibridge has the same number of homeruns as Dunn... in 200 less at bats?!

[JJ -- White Sox Beerleaguer]

I mean, it's nuts that Lilli has as many dingers as Dunn...in theory, that should mean Lillibridge has like 30 homers by now.