GDT: 5/22/10 - DET (24-18) AT LAD (24-18) - 7:10 p.m. ET
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Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles DodgersSaturday, May 22, 2010Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Game Time - 7:10 p.m. EDT______________________________________
Young righties aim to impress Tigers, DodgersBy Doug Miller / MLB.com
Armando Galarraga and John Ely are pitching well enough to be in the Major Leagues. They'd like it to stay that way.
When the Detroit Tigers visit Los Angeles for the second game of a three-game Interleague series, two right-handers with eyes on keeping their roles in the starting rotation will take the hill against each other. The result could go a long way toward determining who continues on the path to Major League success.
For Galarraga, who was one of Tigers manager Jim Leyland's first cuts out of Spring Training, his last outing was supposed to be a spot start, but it turned into a two-start audition that continues Saturday. Galarraga was good, holding the powerful Boston lineup to a run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings and retiring 10 Red Sox in a row at one point.
Galarraga struck out five and showed the aggressiveness that he seemed to lack for much of last year, partly due to a forearm injury.
"Today, I got the win," Galarraga said after Sunday's 5-1 victory over the Red Sox, "but I don't feel super happy, because I know I can be a lot better."
Leyland, on the other hand, was duly impressed, saying, "If he pitches like that, he can pitch in the big leagues."
Meanwhile, Ely has been one of the reasons the Dodgers have been hot of late.
The rookie right-hander has only made four Major League starts, but his last one was another dandy. He went seven innings and allowed one run on five hits while striking out a career-high eight batters in a win over Houston.
The key? Throwing strikes.
Ely didn't walk a batter and has now faced a Major League-best 84 consecutive hitters without allowing a free pass. For the season, he's struck out 25 and walked three in 25 2/3 innings.
"The second you go out there and think, 'OK, I got to pitch good because my job's on the line,' you put doubt in your head that doesn't need to be there," Ely said. "If you just go out thinking, 'OK, well, I'm going to do what I do every single time,' it seems to work out a little bit better. You can't doubt yourself or try to put too much pressure on."
Tigers: Damon a go for SaturdayLeyland said outfielder Johnny Damon will be in the starting lineup Saturday, which will mean a day on the bench for either Brennan Boesch or Magglio Ordonez. ... Leyland also said right-hander Max Scherzer will make at least one more start for Triple-A Toledo. ... Galarraga is 4-2 with a 4.61 ERA in Interleague Play over the past two seasons, including seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers two years ago at Comerica Park.
Dodgers: Martin can extend streakCatcher Russell Martin took Friday off but will be back in the lineup Saturday with a chance to extend his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. He's batted .305 (18-for-59) during the 15-game span, which is the longest active streak in baseball and the longest for a Dodgers player since Orlando Hudson hit safely in 17 straight from May 9-27 last year. Martin is tied with Damon for the second-longest hitting streak in the Majors this season, two shy of Jorge Cantu's Major League-best 17-game hitting streak. ... The Dodgers' win Friday night was their 100th all-time in Interleague Play. They're now 100-110 overall. They went 9-9 vs. the American League last year.
Worth notingTigers infielder Carlos Guillen is expected to start his rehab assignment for Toledo on Saturday. Guillen has taken ground balls at second base during infield practice the past three days.
... Dodgers outfielder Garret Anderson is tied for 16th all-time with 37 homers, ranks fourth with 244 hits and is eighth with 132 RBIs in 199 career Interleague games with the Angels and Braves. He also ranks fourth with 69 multi-hit games in Interleague Play.
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Pitching matchupTigers: RHP Armando Galarraga (1-0, 1.59 ERA)What was initially thought to be a spot start for Galarraga last Sunday against the Red Sox became a two-start audition once the Tigers sent down the struggling Max Scherzer. The Tigers' series opener at Dodger Stadium is the latter half of that stint, but another solid outing would make it all but impossible to pull Galarraga from the rotation. He held Boston to a run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, retiring 10 Red Sox in a row at one point, striking out five for the day and showing the aggressiveness that he seemed to lack for much of last year, partly due to a forearm injury. He's 4-2 with a 4.61 ERA in Interleague Play over the past two seasons, including seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers two years ago at Comerica Park.
Dodgers: RHP John Ely (2-1, 3.51 ERA)Ely is a strike-throwing machine, not having issued a walk to any of the last 84 batters he's faced. He's one of the rare players who actually has pitched better in the Major Leagues than he did in the Minor Leagues prior to his promotion. His manager likes the way Ely competes, and he surely is not intimidated by the opposition at the Major League level. He doesn't throw hard, but never has and has refined the more subtle skills of pitching, like command and composure to win a spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation.
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From MLB Tigers Press PassRECENT RESULTS: The Tigers suffered a 4-1 loss to the Dodgers last night at Dodger Stadium. Dontrelle Willis (1-2) took the loss for Detroit after allowing four runs in 5.1 innings of work. Austin Jackson led the Tigers with two hits, while Magglio Ordonez added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. The Tigers continue a seven-game road trip with the second game of a three-game series at Los Angeles this afternoon. Following an off day on Monday, the trip concludes with a two-game series at Seattle beginning on Tuesday night.
RABURN RECALLED, WELLS OPTIONED TO TOLEDO: The Tigers today recalled the contract of outfielder Ryan Raburn from Triple A Toledo. Raburn hit .444 (12x27) with six doubles and two RBI in seven games with the Mud Hens. To create room on the club’s 25-man roster, the Tigers optioned the contract of outfielder Casper Wells to Toledo following last night’s game at Los Angeles.
INTERLEAGUE HAPPENINGS: Today’s contest against the Dodgers is Detroit’s second game of interleague play in 2010. Since interleague play started in 1997, the Tigers have compiled a 123-107 record. The Tigers are 57-33 in interleague games at Comerica Park. Detroit is 0-1 in interleague games during the 2010 season.
AMONG THE BEST SINCE 2006: The Tigers have compiled a 52-21 record, a .712 winning percentage, during interleague play since the start of the 2006 season. The .712 winning percentage during interleague action is second-best among major league clubs during that stretch. The Minnesota Twins are 54-19, a .740 winning percentage, during interleague action over that stretch.
MAGGLIO MASHES DURING INTERLEAGUE ACTION: Magglio Ordonez enters today’s game at Los Angeles hitting .332 (206x621) with 40 doubles, three triples, 33 home runs and 137 RBI in 168 games during interleague action in his career. He is fourth among all active major league players with a .332 batting average during interleague action, while he is eighth with a .565 slugging percentage.
CABRERA’S A ROAD WARRIOR: Migue Cabrera enters today’s game at Los Angeles hitting .386 (34x88) with eight doubles, eight home runs and 30 RBI in 22 games on the road this season. He is tops among all American League players with a .386 batting average and 30 RBI on the road this season, while he is second with eight home runs and a .750 slugging percentage.
ACTION JACKSON TAKES HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD: Austin Jackson has hit safely in 21 of his 22 games on the road this season, batting .357 (35x98) with seven doubles, three triples, a home run and six RBI. He is tied for fifth among all American League players with a .357 batting average on the road this season.
PAPA GRANDE POWERS THE PEN: Jose Valverde has not allowed a run in his last 18 outings for the Tigers, tossing 17.2 scoreless innings. He is tops among all American League relievers with a .117 batting average against, while he is second with a 0.48 ERA and tied for third with 11 saves.
FOR STARTERS: Tigers starting pitchers have compiled a 5-4 record and 3.34 ERA (62.0IP/23ER) over the club’s last 10 games, while limiting opponents to a .210 batting aveage (47x224). Club starting pitchers have posted five quality starts during the stretch.
BOESCH’S BOOST: Brennan Boesch is hitting .365 (27x74) with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 18 RBI over his last 20 games dating back to April 28. He is tied for third among all American League players with 13 extra-base hits during that stretch, while he is sixth with a .365 batting average, tied for sixth with 18 RBI and is seventh with a .649 slugging percentage.
LOOKING AT THE ROOKIE LEADERS: Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch have both enjoyed success during their rookie campaigns. Jackson is tops among all American League rookies with 31 runs scored and 58 hits, while he is third with a .333 batting average. Boesch is leading all league rookies with a .349 batting average and 19 RBI, while he is second with 30 hits and three home runs.
BULLISH BEHAVIOR: Through the club’s first 42 games this season, Tigers relievers have compiled an 11-4 record and 2.45 ERA (139.2IP/38ER). Tigers relievers lead the American League a 2.45 ERA, while the club is tied for the lead with 11 victories and is second with 139.2 innings pitched.
GUILLEN TO BEGIN INJURY REHAB ASSIGNMENT TODAY: Carlos Guillen is scheduled to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Toledo today as the Mud Hens play at Syracuse. Guillen has been sidelined since April 23 with a left hamstring strain.
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Direct TV Extra Innings Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers)• Sunday, May 23: Tigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.93 ERA))
at Dodgers (RHP
Hiroki Kuroda (5-1, 2.87 ERA)),
4:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / 1270 & 97.1)
• Monday, May 24: Off Day
• Tuesday, May 25Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (5-2, 3.43 ERA))
at Mariners (RHP
Doug Fister (3-2, 1.96 ERA)),
10:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / 1270 & 97.1)
• Wednesday, May 26Tigers (RHP
Jeremy Bonderman (2-2, 4.43 ERA))
at Mariners (LHP
Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.08 ERA)),
3:40 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / 1270 & 97.1)