Yesterday Max Scherzer built upon a previous underwhelming outing by performing considerably worse. Maybe Dontrelle Willis can build upon a satisfyingly strong outing by doing better. Of course better than 0 runs is tricky.
Last week Willis fanned 6 Twins in 6 innings while allowing only 6 base runners and his 3.75 ERA would certainly qualify as surprising.
The Twins send out Nick Blackburn. The Tigers torched him for 9 runs in 3.1 innings the first time they faced him last year. Then he held them to 3 runs in 16 innings over his next 2 starts. Blackburn’s peripherals are pretty ugly this year with 8 walks, 7 K’s, and 6 homers allowed in 23.2 innings.
Your stat to watch tonight: opposing hitters have led off an inning get on base at a .520 clip off of Blackburn this season.
Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins – May 4, 2010 – MLB.com Preview
Rest in Peace Ernie. I will always remember falling asleep to your voice as a kid.
Let’s come from behind again and win this one for Ernie
RIP Ernie.
Willis looks wild, but not ‘Willis wild’, just regular. He’s around the plate. I think he’ll settle down and find his groove.
It looks like it’s going to be another long night for us and a short night for our starting pitcher.
What horrible news. RIP Ernie. An entire chunk of my was spent listening to him.
It was always a joy tuning in a game called by Ernie on WJR…..no matter where I was or if the Tigers were winning or losing.
When I was a kid I could never figure out how Ernie knew the name and where the person lived, who caught the foul balls in the stands……until my dad clued me in.
How did he do that?? Clue me in.
Gotta be hard for Mario and Rod, Dan and Jim, to call tonights game.
Dan and Jim both teared up when they made the announcement. They were silent of a solid 30 seconds. Pretty tough to listen to.
Was Sizemore in dreamland.
So far, this game feels like I’m having a tooth pulled.
At least the cameramen have stopped holding the cameras like they are being tasered.
Willis has really settled down. Changing speeds, and hitting his spots. Fun to see. Perhaps we can get another inning or two out of him.
I think this is the Willis the trade was expecting. If he lasts, he could become one of the best in the game. Those low outside strikes are unhittable for right hand batters.
Lets not get crazy now! He still hasn’t got 6ip with less than 3 earned runs more than five times over the length of his 30 million contract. Edwin Jackson did that in a month last year.
I would have liked to see him finish this inning, but he sure did settle down nicely. 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, and 6 K’s in 5 1/3.
It’s Zoom-Zoom time now.
Oh, Brennan!!! btw, Guillen is on the mend. That’s good news, isn’t it?
That ball is long gone!
The rookies giveth and the rookies taketh.
Who made the boo-boo…..Avila or the third base coach?
Avila’s gaf…..and it could be a big one.
Is that a surprise that Perry gave up that hit??
Really great job, Perry!
Wow. Tough to be the rookie goat tonight.
I hate the Twins.
what a crappy day. Harwell dies, Wings lose in OT, now this.
Ouch, that one hurt.
The last inning of tonights game might diminish the value of AA’s stock for a while..
Yeah not to jump on him, and certainly one error does not cost any team a victory in the bigger picture of the game, but that pitch went right thru his 5-hole. Fairly easy block if he plopped down properly when he knew it was going to be in the dirt–and he was looking for it low too by the action of his glove before the pitch came. Man, this one stings.