TODD JONES CEMENTS HIMSELF AS AN AVERAGE PITCHER

Every season, it happens. There is one game, maybe even one moment.

Everything either goes very right or very wrong.

For the Tigers, that game was Friday.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Tigers leading by one, Jones delivered a meatball that Jermaine Dye sent over the right field fence.

The Tigers were within one out of closing the gap to 4.5 games with 2 more left in the series.

Instead, it seems that the loss will probably linger for awhile.

The loss was on Jones. When the going gets tough, don't EVER expect Jones to come through.

Yea, its easy to get three outs in May when you have a 3 run lead over the Mariners. It's quite another when you're in a division battle and you need to secure a one run lead.

And that folks is why Todd Jones is an average closer.

He's not good. Don't you dare even think that. There are a lot of pitchers in the major leagues who can come in and do what Jones does.

The closers who separate themselves as dominant do so when the heat is on. They do it when their team needs them too. They do it with one run leads.

Todd Jones does none of that.

I think its time the Tigers moved on from the Todd Jones experiment and handed the ball over to Zumaya.

Intimidate batters when they walk into the box. Let them know that your guy is going to do everything possible to not let you put the ball in play.

The season is probably a wash now so the Tigers now have nothing to lose.