Rain halts Michael Fulmer's quest for AL ERA title
Baseball and bad weather do not mix. Right now, no one knows that better than Detroit Tigers rookie Michael Fulmer. A long rain delay during the Tigers’ game against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday cost him the chance to qualify for the AL ERA title, which would have made him the first rookie to lead either league in ERA since 1976, when the Tigers’ own Mark Fidrych led the AL with a 2.34 ERA in 250.1 innings.
Before his start on Wednesday, Fulmer had a 2.95 ERA — lowest in the league — and had pitched 155.2 innings, leaving him just 6.1 innings short of the 162 innings he needs to qualify for the ERA title. He managed just 3.1 innings against the Indians, allowing one run through three innings before a 45-minute rain delay. He surprisingly came back to pitch the fourth inning, and it didn’t go well. He got a groundout but allowed two singles (both would come around to score) before manager Brad Ausmus pulled him from the game.
Spending nearly an hour on the bench couldn’t have been great for Fulmer’s arm. Plus, he’s had problems facing the Indians all season.
Tigers' rookie Michael Fulmer in 2016…
Vs. Indians: 6.98 ERA, 1.97 WHIP (19.1 IP)
Vs. Others: 2.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP (136.1 IP)— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 29, 2016
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]
Fulmer’s issues against the Indians didn’t hurt the Tigers in the long (or rain-shortened) run, since they won 6-3. And despite falling short of qualifying for the AL ERA title, Fulmer has a good attitude about it.
Fulmer on not getting 6.1 IP. "I'd rather get a chance to pitch in the playoffs than a personal accomplishment, to be honest."
— Matthew B. Mowery (@matthewbmowery) September 29, 2016
And there’s still a chance he could qualify! His 3.06 ERA is still lowest in the league, he needs just three more innings to get to 162, and the Tigers have four games left in the regular season. If Brad Asumus needs a relief pitcher, Michael Fulmer’s available!
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – –
Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher