It's a question Paul Mainieri hasn't been asked in a long time, but one his team answered definitively this weekend.
Can quality starts from a pitching staff elevate struggling bats at the plate?
"Yes," Mainieri responded after a long pause. "Absolutely."
Before we get to the explanation, let's look at the stats.
After AJ Labas gave the Tigers seven strong innings Sunday, the LSU starters combined for 20 innings this weekend, allowing just three earned runs, throwing strikes on 67 percent of their pitches, and posting a 1.35 ERA and a 0.