Offense, Bullpen Blows it for Armando

Armando Galarraga announced his presence with authority last night. Unfortunately, so did Joel Zumaya.

With Detroit clinging to a 2-1 lead entering the eighth inning, Joel Zumaya was summoned to protect the game. After getting ahead of Miguel Olivo with two breaking balls, catcher Gerald Laird called back-to-back fastballs, the second of which was lined into the outfield for a single. Two batters later, following a walk to David DeJesus, Willie Bloomquist hammered a ball to deep right center, plating both base runners and giving the Royals the lead.

Zumaya's refusal to feature his very good breaking ball continues to baffle me. I know he throws 100mph, but his curveball is tremendous. I understand that he may be a bit gun shy after the homerun he gave up to Micah Hoffpauir on a change-up, but this is just silly. He needs to learn how and when to use his off-speed pitches if he's going to ever become a reliable reliever.

After the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, Fernando Rodney came on to do what he does in non-save situations, and promptly served up the game on a hanging change-up to Mike Jacobs.

Of course the offense scored just three runs in this game, again. With a bit more help, this is a game they could have won, and should have. While Gil Meche was struggling, walking five and allowing 10 baserunners in his 5.1 innings, Detroit consistently left men on base. The missed opportunities would come back to bite them, as is so often the case.

Galarraga threw the ball better than he has perhaps all season. He baffled the Royals hitters time and time again with excellent command of his fastball and his slider. Over his seven frames, he allowed only five hits and one walk, while fanning seven. The lone run he allowed was a solo homer to Bloomquist.

Galarraga has faced much scrutiny over the past two months. After beginning the season 3-0 with a minute 1.85 ERA over his first four starts, he fell flat on his face over the next two months, dropping seven straight decisions. During that span, he frequently yielded runs early in games, and was prone to the long ball.

Slowly the worm began to turn three starts ago against the Cubs. In that June 25 contest, Galarraga earned his first win since April by limiting the Cubs to four runs over six innings, so brilliant, but a good effort given his previous struggles.

Five days later, he won again. At Oakland, he yielded only two hits, but walked six, in his 6.1 innings. He allowed only one run to the A's.

Last night however, was the culmination of the work Galarraga and pitching coach Rick Knapp have put in. Last night he looked like one of the top pitchers in the league, just the same way he looked in April. If he can continue to pitch the way he did last night, Detroit will have one fewer hole to fill.

Conversely, if Zumaya continues his recent struggles, the Tigers will have to fill a hole they weren't planning to.

Changes Needed in Tigers' Rotation

I believe the honeymoon is officially over. I think it is now safe to proclaim that the back end of the Tigers' rotation is not very good. Actually, not very good would be an upgrade.

The combined efforts put forth by Armando Galarraga and Dontrelle Willis over the weekend was just plain awful. How does 5.2 innings, 14 hits, 10 earned runs, nine walks and just one stikeout grab you? That's the combined line of Willis and Galarraga at Pittsburgh over the past few days. These, folks, are not isolated incidents. The question now has to be what can be done about it?

It's true that Galarraga began the season 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA. It's also true that he was very good for a very bad team last year. And it appears that the pitcher that put up those numbers no longer exists. Galarraga has not won since his fourth start of the year, though prior to his performance on Saturday, he had turned in three straight "quality starts". Saturday was just plain bad. If this was a guy who had been pitching well all along, it could be forgiven. This is not just a blip on the radar, though, it has become a trend.

Dontrelle, meanwhile, has exactly one good start in seven tries. One. His effort against Texas on May 19 was very very good and inspired many, me included, to extol his virtues and proclaim him to be "back". It hasn't gone well since.

Following his sparkling effort versus the Rangers, Willis has spiraled backward. In five starts since May 19, he has posted an 0-4 record, with an ERA of 9.53. He has walked 24 hitters over 22.2 innings against just 12 strikeouts. He consistently pitches himself into jams. This simply cannot continue. Dontrelle, for his part, said the same when speaking to MLB.com's Jason Beck following the game Sunday. And while his accountabililty is nice, it doesn't put zeros on the board.

Much has been said by many a folk about what to do with Willis. No one will trade for him, I don't see any way that they will release him with the amount of money he is still owed. As J. Ellet Lambie wrote to me about him, "They'll have him working the concession stands before they cut him", and I agree. The Tigers chose to extend him prior to the 2007 season and now they are stuck with him. But they cannot continue to hand him the ball and hold their breath. It's just not fair to the team to continuously put everyone in a hole to try to dig out of. The only option for Willis is a spot in the bullpen, where he can hopefully be hidden and used only in blowout games.

Galarraga, on the other hand can be dealt with much more easily. Not only does he have a minor league option available to use, but his small price tag and the fact that he has shown good success in the major leagues could make him attractive in a trade. Either way, the Tigers cannot afford to basically forfeit two of every five games on the schedule. There are other arms that Jim Leyland can give the ball to. I think now is the time to do that.

Kurt has been on this for awhile, and now Billfer and Lee are on board, too. I guess you can begrudgingly add my name to the roll call now as well. Zach Miner should be given a rotation spot. I have never really been a fan of his, but it has been nice to have him on the team as a guy that could start, or could pitch two or three innings of relief.

Miner has shown a tendency to allow every inherited baserunner to immediately score, but seems to do fine when he enters the game to begin an inning. He has seen some success as a starter in the past, and while he's not going to ever win a Cy Young award, he can keep his team in the game more often than not. At this point, that's a whole lot more than Detroit has been getting from Willis or Galarraga.

Even if they add Miner to spell Galarraga, you would still like to have a lefthander in the rotation. I think everyone can see where this is going, and I'm sure there aren't too many who will agree, but... Nate Robertson. That's right. I can't believe I'm typing this out but Nate is really the only other viable option to start games. If we assume that Willis will stay on the team because of his salary, and I will assume that, then he has to be hidden in the bullpen. Nate Robertson is currently in hiding there and you can't hide all of them, so I will nominate him to start in lieu of Willis.

The Robertson story has been well documented. A mainstay on the 2006 AL Championship team, he pitched strictly as a starter for much of his career. Over the past two years, his velocity has slipped a bit, and he lost command of his patented slider. He lost out of the rotation competition this spring and was banished to the bullpen, where he has been used only sparingly.

Obviously, Leyland hasn't much confidence in Robertson, and his numbers this year wouldn't suggest he's earned any. That being said, he has to be a better option than Willis doesn't he? I mean, he can't possibly be worse.

Mike Feld recently called the Tigers the worst first-place team in baseball and he points out several other glaring holes. And while I agree that the offense needs an upgrade (might I suggest Eric Hinske?), you could field a team full of all-stars and not be able to win when you get the efforts that Willis and Galarraga have been giving.

The winds of change are blowing in Detroit. I can only hope that management catches up before the Twins do.

Bonderman, Willis Make Pitch for Starting Jobs

Armando Galarraga seemingly put to rest any thoughts that he was about to lose his spot in the Tigers' starting rotation yesterday. After a rough first inning, he settled in and pitched very well. He pitched into the seventh inning, and left with lead, as Detroit bested Chicago 5-4 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader, and the start of a five game series with the White Sox. He was very good after his 33 pitch first frame, allowing only a homerun to noted Tiger-killer Jermaine Dye thereafter.

In the nightcap, Jeremy Bonderman made his first start in the major leagues in over a year. His stuff was underwhelming, his location was poor, and the results were unimpressive. Granted, he was starting in Chicago against the Sox, so you had to figure that homeruns could be a problem for any pitcher in that spot, and I'm sure nerves were a factor. That being said, I was not at all encouraged by what I saw.

Bonderman no longer possesses the great fastball and power slider he used to, those have been replaced by versions 5-6 MPH slower. He did feature a changeup, but he lacked command with it and the differential between that pitch and his fastball was only about 5 MPH, which is not ideal.

All six of Chicago's runs last night were charged to Bonderman, I had the feeling that it could have been worse. Bonderman has a long history of first-inning struggles, but last night he wasn't unlucky in that frame, he was bad. From the first hitter of the game, it felt like he was in trouble. The outs he recorded were on hard hit balls, he wasn't fooling anybody. Things never really improved.

Dontrelle Willis will get another chance to keep his rotation spot tonight, as he tries to bounce back from a poor performance last week versus Boston. In that start, Willis managed to yield five earned runs without allowing a hit, or making it out of the third inning.

When I watched Bonderman last night, I tried to compare his outing to what I saw from Dontrelle in his first start against the Twins last month. The finals numbers aren't far apart, but the feeling I took from each drastically differed. Bonderman threw 4+ innings, allowing eight hits, three walks, and six runs, with one strikeout. He gave up three homeruns. Willis, on May 13, went 4.2 innings, allowing eight hits, two walks, and four runs. He allowed one homerun, and was without a strikeout. Four of Bonderman's eight hits allowed went for extra bases, while only two of Willis' did.

As I wrote at the time, Willis looked like a pitcher with a plan and a purpose to each pitch. His stuff was there, but his command within the zone was not. But I could see that the talent had not eroded, it just needed to be harnessed. Conversely, last night Bonderman looked like a pitcher who was trying to pitch like he still had the stuff to blow past hitters. His once electric arm is gone, at least for now, and he was unable to make the adjustments that were necessary.

By no means am I calling this race over. Willis has been inconsistent at best, but did show promise in one start. Perhaps Bonderman can build on his effort last night and pitch better going forward. But Willis is getting his chance to keep his job tonight. If he pitches well and shows results, the job is likely his to keep. Bonderman's effort last night has put Willis in the driver's seat.

Bonderman can now only watch, his work is done. He may get one more start, as perhaps the first can be chalked up to nerves. Maybe, he will move to the bullpen, or accept a minor league assignment. But the impression that I got is that Bonderman wasn't ready. And I am not confident he will be soon.

What to do with Jeremy Bonderman?

As Jeremy Bonderman continues his rehab stint with AAA Toledo this week, the Tigers appear to have a tough decision to make soon. Bonderman's rehab assignment runs out as of June 15, at which time the Tigers must recall the righthander. Bonderman has pitched well enough in the minors so far, but his velocity is still down as he tries to come back from surgery last year to alleviate a clotting problem in his right shoulder.

The loss of velocity has to be concerning to all involved, as Bondo has never been a finesse type pitcher. Prior to his injury, he routinely featured a mid-90's fastball and sharp, hard slider. Unfortunately, he has never been able to gain a feel for his changeup, and has been strictly a two pitch pitcher. If one of his pitches is not there, he could be rendered ineffective. If Bonderman can find his old form, he figures to join an already stacked rotation in Detroit. In order to add him, however, someone must get pushed out.

Obviously Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson aren't going anywhere. The successes that these two have enjoyed so far in 2009 are well documented. Both men are horses that pitch deep into games and have shown the consistent ability to shut down opposing hitters.

Dontrelle Willis has shown so far that he is once again capable of working in the strike zone and getting major league hitters out. Willis has made it back from his anxiety disorder and in his three starts this season has looked like a pitcher with a plan, and looked like a pitcher with the stuff to dominate, even if the results are still a bit inconsistent. The questions about whether or not he can help the Tigers should be put to rest. He can and he is. The Tigers entered this season sans a lefthanded starter, and Willis not only provides that, but he provides a track record of logging innings and getting lefty hitters out. Couple his success with his contract, and you can be sure that his rotation spot is safe for the immediate future.

Armando Galarraga's has been a tale of two pitchers. He began the season by winning three of his first four starts, with a 1.85 ERA. When the calendar turned to May however, Galarraga feel off quite a bit, going 0-4 with an ERA north of 9.00 in his next five starts. His effort last night versus Baltimore showed significant progress. He did allow 10 hits including two homeruns but was much better at limiting damage than he had recently been. It was a huge step in the right direction. His early season performance, coupled with his stellar year in 2008 keep him in the rotation for at least one more turn. If he continues to improve, I can't see the Tigers making a move with him. If not, he has minor league options left and could be send down to work out his problems in Toledo.

That just leaves us with the young Rick Porcello. I'm sure that when Porcello made the club out of spring training this year, the plan was for him to hold down the fort and get some experience until Bonderman and/or Willis were healthy enough to return. The plan was a good one, the kid gets a taste of the big leagues, a pat on the back, and a ticket to Toledo or Erie to get some more seasoning. But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. All Porcello has done with his opportunity is win his past five starts while sporting an ERA of 1.50 over that span. He had a rough start to his year, but has begun throwing his curveball much more frequently and found success. He works quickly, keeps his pitches and his pitch counts down, and has shown poise beyond his years. Porcello has been compared to Brandon Webb, Carlos Zambrano, and Roy Halladay, and has been putting up numbers like Dwight Gooden. The Tigers are trying to protect his arm and keep his workload down, but they are also trying to win, and shutting down a pitcher who is putting up the kind of numbers that Porcello has been would certainly be adverse to winning. Its a tough tightrope to walk, but the Tigers' brass and Jim Leyland have been doing well so far.

So where, exactly does Bonderman fit? Assuming Galarraga continues to improve, a demotion seems unlikely. Bonderman's lack of an off-speed pitch would suggest he is more suited for relief, but a mid to high-80's fastball doesn't usually miss many bats in the big leagues, unless you also feature good off-speed stuff. As it stands now, barring an injury to a starting pitcher, there is no room for Bonderman. If he cannot regain his old velocity, he becomes just another albatross contract and wasted roster spot, but at least Nate Robertson will have someone to talk to in the bullpen, as they wait for a call that doesn't come.

Usually these problems work themselves out, there could be an injury, or Galarraga could get sent down, or even traded. Maybe Bonderman finds his old form in his next couple starts and willingly works in relief. But time is running out, by June 15th we will have the answer.

Tigers Lack Offense in 5-1 Loss

Well, that was disgusting. Baltimore pitchers handed out seven walks, their defense made two errors, but Detroit managed just five hits, including one in 11 at bats with runners in scoring position, leading to a 5-1 Orioles' victory. Twice the Tigers failed to bring runners home when they had a man on third and less than two outs, popups by Placido Polanco and Curtis Granderson didn't get the job done. You just cannot fail to capitalize when the other team is handing out walks and consistantly putting runners on base and expect to win. Tonight, there was no Zach Greinke to blame, the offense just didn't get it done.

A few things I have noticed: Adam Jones is good, but real cocky. I would love to have him on my team. Baltimore has a very good lineup, which only figures to get better when Matt Wieters makes his debut tomorrow. Luke Scott is the left handed Joe Crede and therefore the anti-christ. He now has seven bombs versus Detroit since last season began.

On the bright side, Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and Armando Galarraga was much, much better tonight, going seven plus innings and allowing just three runs. He gave up ten hits including two home runs, but was able to limit the damage thanks to three double plays, including an absolute gem turned in by Brandon Inge in the sixth. Considering how poorly Galarraga has pitched this month, this outing was a major step in the right direction, even in the loss. His improvement also may allow the team to keep Jeremy Bonderman on his rehab stint just a bit longer to make sure he's ready to go when he gets back. But if Galarraga and the rest of the staff keep mowing down opposing offenses, Jim Leyland will have a difficult choice to make when Bondo does return. Galarraga certainly made strides toward keeping his rotation spot with his effort tonight.

Willis Key to Divisional Race

Dontrelle Willis left today's contest after 6.2 innings allowing 7 hits and 3 runs, he walked a season high four batters. Willis (1-1, 3.57ERA) was good enough today. He was good enough to be a major league pitcher, he was good enough to keep his spot in the rotation, and although he didn't match the outing he had versus Texas, he was good enough to beat the Rockies. Unfortunately for Willis, the offense managed just six hits and one run against Jason Hammel, and the Tigers fell 3-1. But today, Dontrelle Willis showed again that he is ready to resume a once-promising major league career. The addition of Willis to the Tigers' already formidable rotation should help secure Detroit's place as the favorite to win the AL Central. The division is littered with tough left handed hitters, Mike Jacobs and Alex Gordon in Kansas City, Jim Thome in Chicago, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel in Minnesota and Grady Sizemore in Cleveland. Willis provides the Tigers with a lefty starter they otherwise lack. His success could make the difference in what figures to be a season long race for the playoffs.

The rest of the rotation stacks up well versus the Central division contenders, and the impending return of Jeremy Bonderman figures to give them another boost. Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.99 ERA) leads the AL in strikeouts and has been dominant for most of the season. Even through his first few starts, when his ERA sat at 9.00, his stuff was there, and his outings were marred by one bad inning. Verlander has since eliminated the bad inning and has shown a return to the form that saw him win 35 games in his first two seasons. Verlander will oppose Gil Meche (2-4, 4.42 ERA) in tomorrow's series opener in Kansas City.

Edwin Jackson has finally fulfilled his vast potential. Jackson won 14 games for the surprise AL Champion Rays last season, but was left out of the post-season rotation. Tampa traded him to the Tigers in the off season for outfielder Matt Joyce. Jackson (4-2, 2.55 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched and has shown the will of an ace in his last two starts, returning after an hour long rain delay to throw three more innings against Oakland on May 15, followed by a 132 pitch effort against Texas on Thursday. He has been the staff's most consistent starter this season.

Rick Porcello has been an absolute revelation for the 2009 edition of the Tigers in much the same way that Verlander was to the '06 version. The 20 year old rookie had never pitched above A-ball when he made the big club out of spring training. The first few starts were bit rough, but he has settled in nicely, not having allowed a home run this month, after allowing six long balls in April. Porcello (5-3, 3.55 ERA) leads the team in wins and seemingly gets better with each start.

Armando Galarraga has struggled mightily in the month of May, after roaring to a 3-0 start to the season. The second year righthander had a slightly improved effort Saturday against Colorado, but may only get one more start before Bonderman returns from injury and pushes someone out of the rotation. Right now, the smart money is on a Galarraga (3-4, 5.74ERA) trip to AAA Toledo to try to work out his problems in the minor leagues. Galarraga was easily the best of the staff in 2008, finishing 13-7 as a rookie, but something as been amiss in his past several starts and he needs to get right if the Tigers are to use him in a major league role.

Despite consecutive losses to the Rockies over the weekend, the Detroit Tigers head into Memorial Day in first place in the AL Central, three games better than the Kansas City Royals. Detroit travels to Kansas City for a three game series starting tomorrow afternoon. The Tigers finished 2008 in last place in the division, one game worse than the perennial cellar-dwelling Royals. The main reason for the early season success for both teams has been the performance of their starting rotation. Kansas City, lead by Cy Young candidate Zach Grienke, leads the American League with a team ERA of 3.87, while Detroit ranks third with a 3.96. The Tigers, meanwhile rank second in the league in opponents batting average at .247, with the Royals on spot behind them at .256 (stats ESPN.com). The Tigers offense, currently ranked in the bottom half of the American League, will need continued strong performances from Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge, but will also need to see a return to form from Magglio Ordonez and injured DH Carlos Guillen to keep the pressure off the starting rotation, and to keep the pressure on the rest of the division, as the Tigers attempt to pull away.

The Curious Case of Armando Galarraga

Just when you would think the Tigers are about to be overflowing with starting pitchers, the floor falls out from under last year's most dependable starter. Armando Galarraga began the year in Cy Young form, blistering the AL to the tune of 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his first four starts. When Justin Verlander was allowing an earned run per inning to begin this year, it was Galarraga and Edwin Jackson that held the rotation together. Now that Verlander has gone all Bob Gibson on us, and with Jackson continuing to provide Ace-like efforts, Galarraga has proven himself as the current weakest link. Rick Porcello has been very good of late, with four consecutive quality starts, and the return of Dontrelle Willis has moved former weakest link Zach Miner back to the 'pen. This was to be the rotation that allowed Detroit to take their time bringing back Jeremy Bonderman from his rehab assignment. All of a sudden, with a string of increasingly poor starts, Galarraga is threatening to surrender his spot in that rotation. Kurt recently chronicled the woes of Galarraga, but came up with same questions that most of us have; What's wrong with him and how much longer does he have to figure it out?

Bonderman is on his way back to the big leagues, he pitched well in his first rehab start for West Michigan and will have at least one more with Toledo. Bonderman says that's all he will need and expects to be making his season debut within 10 days. That probably means one more start for Galarraga to right his ship. If he can't, what do the Tigers do then? Ian wonders the same thing (as do many others), is he headed for the bullpen? I have been unable to come up with any information about his minor league options, but I believe he is without any, meaning the team would have to place him on waivers (where he would almost certainly be claimed) to send him down. The only other course of action would be a trip to the disabled list, but with the recent national scrutiny over the Tigers use of the DL with Willis, I would wonder how closely MLB would monitor the teams use of the DL with another strange ailment, such as a "tired arm". This could potentially lead to either a logjam in the major league bullpen, or the loss of Galarraga to another organization very shortly.

All eyes are on you, Armando. Time to step it up.