It’s the first interleague game of the season for the Tigers. Normally this is where I make a sarcastic comment about the majesty of the double-switch. I’ll refrain though because I think it is cool that the Tigers are playing the Dodgers in LA.
The last time the Tigers went out there Ugueth Urbina got in a fight on the plane and was promptly traded. And then there was the time that Jason Johnson hit a homer and rounded the bases at a glacial pace. And Tony Giarratano hit his only home run. I have no idea why I remembered those things off the top of my head.
Tonight though will feature Dontrelle Willis and Chad Billingsley. Willis was pretty awful his last time out and it was attributed to rust. The rust should be sufficiently removed at this point so there are no excuses for bouts of wildness.
Billingsley’s numbers are impressive with nearly a strike out per inning and only 3 homers in 44.2 innings. The OPS splits for lefties versus righties are dramatic at 943 versus 618. Too bad Johnny Damon can’t play second base.
- Jackson, CF
- Santiago, SS
- Ordonez, RF
- Cabrera, 1B
- Boesch, LF
- Inge, 3B
- Avila, C
- Worth, 2B
- Willis, P
Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers – May 21, 2010 – MLB.com Gameday
Comments
49 responses to “Game 2010.042: Tigers at Dodgers”
How will the Tigers handle playing without using a DH?
Well Dontrelle is no joke with 8 homers and Porcello is a career .400 hitter. Our offense actually improves
Willis should be hitting fifth.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenro02.shtml
Check out who sponsors Rod Allen’s page at baseball reference.
Brilliant.
Inge can’t hit or play defense
Well the D-Train looks rustless
Dontrelle put a great swing on that pitch
Oh Willis, how you confound me. One start you look you should be released, next start it’s 2003. I think I’m just going to skip your starts an d go to the movies.
I don’t see Leland! Sneaking a smoke?
This has got to be the last inning for Willis.
We probably lead the league now in runs given up by hitting batters… No excuse for that.
He makes it a drama every time he pitches.
Willis makes me crazy again.
And, now, he’s up to bat!
That was ugly. First two batters out on three pitches and then…… kablooey.
Which means he pitches another inning.
The Tigers need to get some runs.
Hopefully that inning for Willis will be like Bondo’s start yesterday. An inning of suckiness wedged between great pitching.
Willis pitches very slow.
Maybe Willis is really a National League type player and we just don’t know it yet?
Wild Thing!
I thought that WP was pretty catchable.
the first one was really a passed ball, but they charged Willis with a wild pitch. That second wp was for real…..real wild.
why is Leyland so stupid? Anybody can see Willis has lost it. What’s taking so long to yank his butt? This is ridiculous……
Actually, he’s about to turn in a QS. I think you can make a strong argument that neither of those runs should have been earned.
His stat line looks about 10x better than his actual performance.
Well, the Tigers can still win it if they start hitting.
Please let this be Willis’ last game as a Tiger.
I 2nd that.
Mr. and Mrs. Boesch right there on national TV. Maybe their son can get a hit tonight and he does as I type this.
I know stephen is probably lurking and thinking bad thoughts about Inge.
I Stephen went to watch a movie…and he is still having bad thoughts about Inge, but they keep being interrupted by bad thoughts ’bout Willis…
Me, I’m just upset that we accidentally brought the cardboard bats tonight.
McClendon’s fault.
It really wasn’t that bad of a pitching performance…
He’s done worse. A lot worse.
I don’t care to watch worse.
finally Leyland sees the light. Now, can Bonine get us out of this with no damage?
Is it just me or does Bonine resemble Zach Miner?
Zach Miner looks like a rabbit
“The Mop” is in.
We have to score 4 runs in the next 2 inning to win. The Tigers have won games like this.
Here at the stadium its Star Wars night. The Tiger bats are in a different galaxy as was Willis part of the night
Chewbaca was there, too.
Well, you can’t win them all, and on a night when they left the bats back at the hotel it really didn’t cost the pitching staff much; 5-plus innings is a good day for Willis and the two mop-up guys finished off, so Leyland didn’t have to go to the better part of the bullpen.
On the other hand, without the help of the DH, the lineup goes from being the Mendoza Quadruplets (6-9) to being the Mendoza Quintuplets (6-9+2). I see the potential for some lean times ahead when the Tigers are the visitors vs NL teams. We need to get Guillen back soon.
Oh well, Stars Wars night, well that explains…something…
Current or past Tigers–who plays which Star Wars character? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Was at the game tonight, amazing how the first 3-2/3 innings took about 50 minutes and the following 1-1/3 innings took over 50 minutes with the D-Train coming off the tracks.
There were some positives in this game. Worth at 2nd base was terrific. Maggs made some great throws from the OF.
Worth could very well be the best defensive infielder on the team. I think Everett’s days as a Tiger should be numbered. Once Guillen is back, Everett should be gone, and Santiago should be the new SS, with Worth being the new back-up 2b/SS.
I have little doubt that Everett’s 2nd half slide of last season was no fluke, when he hit .207 with a .535 OPS.
Right now he’s hitting .188 with a .459 OPS. That’s the worst OPS for any SS in the majors with over 50 plate appearances. His plus defense just doesn’t make up for his extreme lack of hitting.