Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 9-21-11
--RHP Brad Penny stubbed his toe in an opportunity to enhance his postseason status, getting hit with a six-run fourth inning. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits in four innings. Penny is marginal to be one of Detroit's four starters and may not fit as a reliever for the divisional round. He had Kansas City staved off through three innings, allowing just a leadoff home run, but he gave up a one-out single in the fourth, walked a batter on four pitches and worked himself into more of a jam with a 3-1 single. The scoring ended on a three-run home run by 1B Eric Hosmer.
"He just didn't make good pitches," manager Jim Leyland said. "That's a real good-looking, young, aggressive hitting team. If you don't make good pitches, they whack it good."
--CF Austin Jackson got more positive feedback regarding his recent adjustment by recording his second straight two-hit game. Jackson was working on getting his front foot down quicker. He singled his second time up in Detroit's loss at Kansas City and doubled home a run in the fifth. Both hits went to center field.
--RHP Jacob Turner will make one more start before his season comes to an end. Turner will pitch Thursday in Comerica Park against Baltimore, then be shut down for the season, according to manager Jim Leyland. He started Sept. 1 against Kansas City, the game before Detroit's 12-game winning streak began.
"Being here for the month of September, it makes you more comfortable with everything that goes on with being in the big leagues," Turner said. "It kind of just gives you a better idea. Hopefully next year, I can go into spring training and perform well and make them make the tough decision."
Regarding being in the majors, Turner said, "It's still just baseball, but everything else that goes along with it, everything's just so magnified. Obviously, you're playing in bigger stadiums. You're playing in front of a lot more people. Everything means a lot more. Obviously, being in a playoff race, every game, every out really matters. To be able to see that, and be able to see how these guys are handling it, is going to help me in the future."
--RHP Max Scherzer will start Wednesday in Kansas City but will pitch a maximum of five innings as manager Jim Leyland begins to line up his pitching for the postseason. RHP Doug Fister, who normally would start Thursday, will take over for Scherzer at that point. "It's not unique at all," Leyland said of using two starters. Either Scherzer or Fister will start Monday against Cleveland and then the second game of the playoffs. The other will follow.
--RHP Doug Fister will pitch in relief Wednesday at Kansas City after RHP Max Scherzer works at most the first five innings. "It's not unique at all," Leyland said of using two starters. "We're setting up our rotation for the playoffs." Detroit's day off Monday means Fister will be working on normal rest. Either Scherzer or Fister will pitch Monday and the other Tuesday against Cleveland, and then they'll pitch in the same order once the playoffs begin.
--DH Victor Martinez probably won't catch again during the regular season, manager Jim Leyland said. He hasn't caught since suffering a knee sprain in early August. The knee seems to be much improved, but apparently Leyland doesn't want to take a chance on anything nasty happening that would take his DH -- and 1B Miguel Cabrera's lineup protection -- out of the game.
--RHP Al Alburquerque was scheduled to pitch Tuesday against Kansas City, according to manager Jim Leyland, but was held out after throwing a bullpen session earlier in the day. Alburquerque is rusty and needs to pitch multiple games to show his readiness for the playoffs. If he doesn't pitch in the next day or two, he may not be able to pitch in the first round of the playoffs.
--3B Wilson Betemit hasn't played since Detroit clinched the division title Friday, but he expects to be ready to go in the next day or two. Betemit hurt his left knee sliding into home plate in the clinching game and said he "heard something pop." Manager Jim Leyland said Betemit's knee had some swelling and a deep bruise. "I feel much better right now," Betemit said Tuesday. "I just did a workout, and I feel OK."
--2B Carlos Guillen needs to play again this season to make Detroit's playoff roster, but he may not be able to do so due to a left calf injury. Guillen is "not walking pain-free," according to trainer Kevin Rand. Guillen is not day-to-day at this point, Rand said, as he can't go up on his toes. Manager Jim Leyland said Guillen is not expected to be able to play anytime soon, and he will not be on the 25-man roster unless he plays again during the regular season. That does not mean he could not be added for subsequent rounds, should Detroit advance.
"It's a Catch-22 because, physically, supposedly, he's not ready for the first round or so, but he could be ready for the World Series, if you're fortunate enough to get there," Leyland said. "That could change things because the World Series is different than the divisional series and the championship series, obviously, because the postseason dictates pinch-hitting for pitchers."
BY THE NUMBERS
22 -- First-inning runs allowed by RHP Brad Penny in 30 starts this season. Penny gave up a solo home run by Kansas City LF Alex Gordon as the leadoff hitter in Tuesday's game.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"There's no sense trying to figure out the postseason roster because we don't know. I do not know one iota of what my postseason roster is going to look like." -- Manager Jim Leyland, talking about the difficulty of formulating playoff plans without knowing the venue or opponent.
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