Joe Nathan had another bad day at work this afternoon, blowing his seventh save of the season when he allowed a run in the ninth inning in an eventual 10-inning, 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Nathan now has a a 5.36 ERA, even after going on a run of seven consecutive appearances without allowing a run.
James Schmehl of MLive.com reports that Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is sticking with Nathan as the club’s closer. Joakim Soria would have been next in line for the job, but he left with an injury during today’s game and will be reevaluated tomorrow.
The Tigers, now 63-51, have seen their first-place lead in the AL Central slip from five games last Sunday to two games after today’s loss, and it can shrink further to 1.5 games if the Royals defeat starter Tim Hudson and the Giants tonight. The Tigers’ bullpen has proven to be their undoing frequently throughout the season and may wind up being the culprit if they lose their seat atop the division.