Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 5-21-11
--RHP Brad Penny paid the price for not having good control. Penny walked five batters, was behind in the count too often and just gave Pittsburgh too many opportunities, with the Pirates finally cashing in. Penny threw 105 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. He could have had a better fate but for Detroit muffing a double play, allowing Pittsburgh to score five more times in a six-run sixth. Nearly half the pitches Penny threw were balls. "Too many walks," Penny said. "My command wasn't where I wanted."
--1B Miguel Cabrera got a pair of hits and may have broken out of a slump. Cabrera was 7-for-40 entering the game and hit the ball hard his first two times up, although both resulted in outs. He lined a single to right in the seventh and had a solid smash single to center leading off the ninth. He may have gotten into some bad habits trying to play with a sore back recently but it would appear he's feeling much better now.
--SS Ramon Santiago had a productive evening as the replacement for SS Jhonny Peralta. Santiago's solo home run to right in the sixth was Detroit's only run. Santiago added a single to center in the eighth. Peralta was merely getting a day off. Santiago might slide over to second to give slumping 2B Scott Sizemore a break off Saturday or Sunday.
--3B Don Kelly gave 3B Brandon Inge a game off as manager Jim Leyland took advantage of a bench expanded by one player because he could not use a DH this weekend at Pittsburgh. Kelly, who went to college in Pittsburgh (Point Park University), was robbed of a base hit when CF Andrew McCutchen caught his sinking liner with a man on and two out in the fifth but killed a rally by grounding into a double play with two men on and one out in the seventh. Kelly plays solid defense wherever he plays.
--RHP Joaquin Benoit, who has been working on his mechanics most of the week, worked a scoreless seventh inning. The Tigers believe Benoit's recent problems stem from an inability to put his fastball where he wants to, leading to a loss of confidence in the pitch. Benoit worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts, one on a fastball and the second with a changeup.
--C Victor Martinez is scheduled to play two of Detroit's three games in Pittsburgh. Detroit can't use a designated hitter in the National League city so manager Jim Leyland has to decide between Alex Avila and Martinez to use behind the plate. Martinez has another position -- first base -- but a guy named Miguel Cabrera occupies that one.
--RHP Brayan Villarreal continued a recent bad trend by Detroit relief pitchers -- walking the first batter he faced. The rookie then started throwing base hits, including a three-run home run, as he offered up too many fastballs up in the strike zone. He was charged with two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
--RHP Jose Valverde worked a tune-up inning -- and looked as though he needed it. Valverde doesn't normally pitch in games where Detroit is down, 7-1, but manager Jim Leyland wanted his closer sharp if he's needed during the rest of the weekend. Valverde got the first two batters out but then yielded a walk, a single and a three-run home run before finishing the inning. Many closers have problems when the game isn't on the line, for whatever reason.
--C Alex Avila is scheduled to start Saturday as the Tigers have to alternate him with C Victor Martinez. Only one can play in National League cities, where designated hitters are not allowed. Avila has been in a bit of a slump lately so giving him two days off this weekend was an easy call for manager Jim Leyland.
BY THE NUMBERS
12 -- Consecutive games with at least one base hit by CF Austin Jackson. His double in the sixth let him reach a career-best 12-game hitting streak.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're not getting that big hit when we've got someone in trouble. We just haven't been able to get one (run) in. When you get an opportunity against good pitchers, you better take advantage, because you're not going to get many." -- Manager Jim Leyland, whose team has now lost four straight due to a bad combination of not hitting and not getting good relief pitching.
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