Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes
--RHP Rick Porcello turned in his second consecutive decent start, allowing four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings Wednesday. Porcello, who walked one and struck out six, got 10 ground ball outs after getting eight in his previous start. "His secondary stuff was better," manager Jim Leyland said. "That keeps 'em off the fastball. He pitched well and he got some ground balls, too. That was good to see." An excellent changeup helped Porcello retire the first seven batters he faced. Then, after a wobble in the third when he allowed a run and after giving up two singles to open the fourth, he retired 10 straight.
--1B Miguel Cabrera had three solid at-bats and played a key role in two of Detroit's three runs Wednesday. Cabrera delivered an RBI single in the third when Seattle passed on an opportunity to walk him with first base open and two out. The Mariners walked him in the fifth with first base occupied and one out, only to see LF Brennan Boesch come through with a two-out RBI single. Cabrera lined out to right twice, both times on borderline pitches.
--LF Brennan Boesch delivered a key RBI single, going down to yank a 1-and-2 curveball into right field for an RBI single in the fifth. Boesch is looking at nearly four pitches per at-bat so far this season, up from last year, and isn't getting fooled on off-speed stuff nearly as much. He hasn't hit a home run since the opening game of the season, but had reached double digits in RBI.
--2B/LF Ryan Raburn started at second base on Wednesday for the second time on the just-completed trip and the second time this season. The slumping Raburn, who had struck out 16 times in eight games, hit a home run to center field as the second batter of the firtst inning. He also walked on a 3-and-2 pitch in the fifth and came around to score Detroit's third run. Manager Jim Leyland had Raburn at second against a left-handed pitcher in place of the slumping 2B Will Rhymes (.208). "I'm trying to get some thunder in the lineup," Leyland said. "It also enables me to get (Brennan) Boesch in there and get Magglio (Ordonez) playing. I'm searching for some thunder. We've got to try to do something. If Rhymes was hitting right now, we'd look a lot different."
--RHP Jose Valverde allowed a leadoff home run and a one out double in the ninth, but struck out the last two batters to close out the game and earn his fourth save. Valverde struck out PH Milton Bradley on four fastballs for the second out. He had struck Bradley out Monday and got a stare-down from the Seattle outfielder all the way back to the bench because the pitcher had done a fist-pump after the strikeout. Valverde didn't repeat the fist pump after fanning Bradley on Wednesday. 1B Adam Kennedy led off the ninth with his first home run of the season on a high fastball. "The guy hit a home run," Valverde said. "That's baseball."
--RHP Joaquin Benoit worked a 1-2-3 eighth, continuing to reward Detroit for giving him a three-year deal worth more than $15 million this winter. Benoit has been scored upon only once this season. He got a strikeout on a changeup to end the inning.
--RHP Ryan Perry was activated from the disabled list and pitched to one batter for Detroit, which out-righted RHP Enrique Gonzalez to Triple-A Toledo to create a roster spot for the reliever. Perry had pitched in only two games before being placed on the disabled list April 5 because of an eye infection. He joined Detroit in Seattle for the final game of the trip and struck out 2B Jack Wilson to end the seventh inning. "That's what Ryan Perry's here for," manager Jim Leyland said. "That's what he's got to do, and he did it." Gonzalez left Detroit with an 11.81 ERA in 5 1/3 innings, having walked three batters in his last appearance.
--C Omir Santos made his first start Wednesday for Detroit after being brought up from the minors a day earlier to replace injured DH/C Victor Martinez. Manager Jim Leyland, knowing he was going to start Santos against LHP Eric Bedard, let his new catcher pinch-hit in the ninth inning Tuesday night and Santos singled to center. He went 0-for-4 in his first start, but did a good job guiding RHP Rick Porcello through his first victory of the season. Santos, 29, signed a minor league contract with Detroit to give it experienced backup but fouled a ball off his left big toe and broke it in the first exhibition game of spring training. "At first, I was upset," Santos said. "But then I did everything I could. I went to the bullpen and was watching a lot. I watched the starters and relievers."
--DH Magglio Ordonez will play as often as his right ankle permits, but Manager Jim Leyland isn't sure whether right field or designated hitter will be best for him. Ordonez played two of the three games in Seattle as Leyland had planned. "We'll see how that plays out," Leyland said. "To be honest with you, I don't know exactly what's best for Magglio. The average guy will think it should open up more DH time for him, but I'm not sure if that's the best thing for him. The best thing for Magglio (and his recurring ankle tightness) could be to be out in the outfield, moving around and keeping it loose, as opposed to sitting and waiting for another at-bat. What I want to do is get to a point where later on, Magglio can play 5-6 games a week for sure. That would be my hope, and that's my plan. He's a big key to our team. But sometimes your plans don't work."
BY THE NUMBERS
1 -- Winning road trips by Detroit in the two it has had this season after beating Seattle, 3-2, to go 4-3 on a swing through Oakland and Seattle. That equaled the number of winning road trips the Tigers had last season, when they only won 29 road games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm trying to get some thunder in the lineup. It also enables me to get (Brennan) Boesch in there and get Magglio (Ordonez) playing. I'm searching for some thunder. We've got to try to do something. If Rhymes was hitting right now, we'd look a lot different." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on why he had .228 hitting Ryan Raburn playing second rather than Will Rhymes, hitting .208. It was the second time Leyland has had Raburn, a right-handed hitter, at second in place of the left-handed hitting Rhymes.
Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
