PREGAME: I’m still not feeling good, so the only tidbits for today are those I picked up in the car on the way home. Pudge will be playing first to give Shelton a scheduled day off, and Placido Polanco is back in the lineup. Apparently Polanco is still out.
Game time is 7:05.
POSTGAME: At least Fernando Rodney did his part to put the closer controversy to rest. I’m not too upset about the loss in and of itself. I’m just more frustrated that for the second time in three games a struggling team found their legs in a come from behind win against the Tigers.
What is more disconcerting than the blown save, is Carlos Guillen’s defense. While errors are never the best way to measure a players effectiveness, eight at this point in the season is terrible. It was easy to shake off his multi-error games in the Oakland series as a fluke, but the more it happens the less flukey it looks. It’s a shame that a night where he reached base 5 times with a bases loaded double, is overshadowed by sloppy defense. I just hope it doesn’t become one of those things that’s in his head (because it’s already in mine).
rough game tonight. who would have thought that Guillen would cost us the game on a night where he was 2-2 with 3 RBI?
Yeah, no kidding. His D has not been very impressive this year. Are his fielding numbers still above league average?
Also a shame that we lost a game Robertson started, given that the Orioles hadn’t beaten a left-hander since opening day.
I read the blog often, but this is my first response. I thought I’d send in some comments since I live in DC and was at the game last night. (It’s the first Tigers game I’ve seen all year.)
First, it may be time for Guillen to move to third base and Inge to shortstop. As I recall, Inge played SS before being moved to catcher, and he’s more than athletic enough to handle it. I haven’t seen Guillen’s other errors this season, but both of them last night were ranging deep to the third base side. He seemed to be rushing the exchange, but in both cases it seemed as if he had plenty of time for the out with a crisp throw to first. I know he’s had knee problems; is he afraid he doesn’t have the stability to pivot and throw back across his body? Or maybe it’s just in his head now.
Also, Dmitri Young looked awful. He only reached when Cabrera totally lost command, and even then Young manufactured a few strikes for Cabrera. He’s not going to have many more at bats if they are that ugly.
Don’t get me going on Young…
All I’ll say is that I continue to be really disappointed in his at bats, and I’d prefer seeing him out of the everyday lineup.
The comment about Guillen’s fielding being in your head is hilarious Billfer. It’s in mine too. Watching that final Os rally evolve last night had me going crazy and the error was the icing on the cake.
Jason the idea of moving Guillen to third is an interesting one and I’d like to hear other people’s input on this. I don’t think it’s a bad idea although Inge is really just this season beginning to master third–which is itself an important defensive position–and decreasing his value by a move to short while also downgrading third by moving Guillen over may not be the best move.
Given my distaste for DY’s everyday presence, I’d propose moving guillen to DH and letting Infante man short. He’s been looking pretty good at the plate as of late.
Of course none of that is going to happen because I’m sure Guillen would go nuts if asked to give up his fielding duties. I hope he pulls out of it.
Isn’t DY a slow starter historically?
I don’t think that Rodney’s performance closes the book on the closer controversy. After all, didn’t Jones just get done blowing up, too? That said, I love this bullpen and think it’s going to continue being a huge strength this season.
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Yeah, well I hope he pulls out of it too…
But I think we’ve got a better chance of Carlos cutting back on booting plays at short.
MLB.com has Guillen at 9 errors at the moment. Jeff, that is well above league average. In fact, he’s leading the bigs in that odious category. And for reference, in Guillen’s last (nearly) full season (2004) he made 17 errors in 135 games. If he continues at the pace he’s currently on, he’ll rack up 37 errors over 135 games.
This run of terrible fielding has been very costly. I’m working off memory here, but including last nights game I recall 3 games in which his miscues led to winning or tieing runs. And it does all seem to be mental. He seems healthy and his range looks as good as ever. He’s getting to balls easily enough, but he seems to be having problems picking stuff up cleanly and transferring the ball to the throwing hand. It’s very strange.