Lima looking for more work
Tiger bullpen has pitched fewest innings in Majors
By Jason Beck / MLB.com |
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"I'll be back," he said. "I'll have my chance. My arm is feeling stronger every day. I hit 90 on the radar gun, which is big. And I'm finally pitching pain-free again."
Thursday's slugfest and 11-7 loss wasn't what Tigers manager Luis Pujols had in mind when he looked for a chance to shake the dust off his relievers. Detroit's bullpen entered the night with the fewest games and innings pitched of any Major League team, a good note because Tiger starters lead the league in complete games and have thrown effectively the past couple weeks. But the way the Tigers stormed back in the late innings against the Indians the last couple nights, even poor starts aren't leading to mop-up time.
When the Indians teed off on starter Seth Greisinger for six runs and three homers in two innings, Pujols made up for lost time. Lima was closing in on a "Where Have You Gone" feature until he made his third appearance in 33 games since being bumped from the rotation last month. In his first appearance since May 15, he retired the side in order with just six third-inning pitches, allowing the Tigers to tie the game with two runs in the top of the fourth.
The comeback provided a twist of irony, since Pujols was poised to use Lima Wednesday in a 5-1 game until the Tigers took the lead with an eight-run seventh. For the first seven innings Wednesday, Lima warmed up five separate times, making the equivalent of a start in terms of warm-up pitches.
When he took the mound for the bottom of the fourth, Lima fell to the same woes that plagued Greisinger earlier and Lima for much of the season -- long counts and big hits. Back-to-back singles on 2-2 counts set up Omar Vizquel's sacrifice fly to deep center scoring Chris Magruder. Ellis Burks battled out of an 0-2 hole to single through the right side, putting runners at the corners.
And after falling behind 2-0 on Jim Thome, Lima had to throw a strike. Thome was waiting and crushed a change-up for an estimated 463-foot shot into right field. By the time Lima finished, he used up 47 pitches, about what Pujols wanted considering Lima's lack of use.
Finishing the inning, however, was a consolation. "It's been a long time since I pitched," Lima said, "so to go two innings was a relief. It just feels good to be out there. It's been a long year."
The Tigers cut their deficit to three before using Julio Santana, who escaped runners at the corners in the fifth. Santana threw two strikes to Burks leading off the sixth before tossing one too many, which Burks deposited into the left-field seats. Burks' second homer in three days off of Santana made it a four-run game and stymied the Tigers' momentum for a second comeback.
Santana's 2 1/3 innings preceded 1 2/3 from Jamie Walker, the staff's left-handed specialist whose specialty hadn't been needed since May 20. Not that he's complaining.
"It goes in spurts," Walker said earlier this week. "Right now we're getting some well-pitched games from our starters. What makes it unique is we've got some good young guys, and they're not content to go six innings and turn it over (to the bullpen). They want to go nine."
The only unused reliever the last two games was rookie Kris Keller, who debuted Friday. His next role could be that of victim to a roster squeeze when set-up man Danny Patterson comes off the disabled list Friday. Patterson arrived in Detroit on Thursday.
The other possible victim is Lima, if the club chooses to eat his salary for this season and go young in the bullpen. With prospective starters Mike Maroth, Tim Kalita and Nate Cornejo waiting at Triple-A Toledo, Lima's chances of starting appear slim no matter how he pitches.
"Whatever they decide," Lima said, "I can turn (my season) around. Tough times never last. Tough people do."
Returning home
Thursday's loss finished off a four-game split for the Tigers in Cleveland. They haven't won a road series against a division foe since the opening weekend of last season, when they swept the White Sox during Chicago's miserable April. However, at 3-4 for the road trip, they just about accomplished Pujols' goal of breaking even on the road.
"I believe right now we're controlling our ballpark," Pujols said Wednesday, citing their 11-2 mark over the past 13 games at Comerica Park. "If you play .500 on the road and you control at home the way we control, it's going to be a pretty good season by the time we finish. We're playing good enough to win games on the road."
The key for the next two weeks is to win at home. The Tigers begin a 13-game homestand Friday against four non-division opponents with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Phillies and Expos. It's such a long stretch, in fact, that they could theoretically top their recent home play with a 12-1 stretch and reach the .500 mark by the time they leave Detroit on June 14.
"When we started out 0-11, I didn't think we'd be able to talk about that," Bobby Higginson said. "We had a heck of a run on the road, so maybe we can go home to get close to .500. It's not out of reach."
Jason Beck covers the Tigers for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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