SB Nation - Freddy Dolsi

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:41:40 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

I wasn't able to find a picture of Gregg Zaun blocking a pitch, but here's one of him blocking the plate from a baserunner. You get the idea.

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Some things to read while coming so close.

Thanks to Rubie for filling in yesterday while I was on my way back from a long travel weekend. I'm home now and will also write Mugs tomorrow and Thursday, health permitting: Somewhere on my travels, I managed to pick up a cold. If today's Mug drifts off into incoherence, now you know why.

The holiday week is usually a quiet one for transactions, but Adam McCalvy said the Brewers likely aren't done adding players in a recent Inbox. He also handled questions on a possible Opening Day lineup, Zach Braddock, and the roof at Miller Park.

Further proof that Gregg Zaun is a better catcher than Jason Kendall, at less than half the price: Beyond the Box Score's Catcher Block Percentage rankings have Zaun listed as the best catcher in baseball at preventing wild pitches and passed balls, adding roughly seven runs per 120 games to his value. Jason Kendall was worth roughly two runs, while Mike Rivera projected out to 5.5 runs per 120 games.

Speaking of Rivera, he's signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, with an invitation to spring training.

Meanwhile, LaTroy Hawkins has probably already finished packing and moving, because he's got plenty of experience in the field. The Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune notes that the Brewers will be Hawkins' eighth team.

Speaking of much traveled pitchers, Adam Foster of Project Prospect had an interesting note on John Halama: He faced 210 batters in winter ball and issued just three walks. Halama's Dominican team has been eliminated from postseason contention, along with Alcides Escobar and Hernan Iribarren's Venezuelan team. For more on that, plus notes on several new Brewers and the winter ball debut of Angel Salome, check out today's oversized Winter League Update.

And, while I'm self promoting, you have until 4 pm today to vote for a fifth outfielder and 4 pm tomorrow to vote for a #2 starter on our BCB All Decade Team. Also, follow us on Twitter.

Around baseball:

Blue Jays: Have reportedly reached a deal to acquire Brandon Morrow from the Mariners for pitcher Brandon League and a minor leaguer.
Braves: Signed infielder Joe Thurston to a minor league deal.
Indians: Acquired pitcher Mitch Talbot as the PTBNL in the Kelly Shoppach deal, and signed reliever Saul Rivera to a minor league deal.
Marlins: Signed utilityman Danny Richar to a minor league deal.
Nationals: Signed Jason Marquis to a two year, $15 million deal.
Padres: Acquired catcher Dusty Ryan from the Tigers for a PTBNL or cash.
Phillies: Announced plans to exercise Jimmy Rollins' option for 2011.
Pirates: Signed reliever Javier Lopez to a one year deal.
Rangers: Signed Darren Oliver to a one year deal.
Reds: Re-signed Laynce Nix and restructured and extended Scott Rolen's contract.
Tigers: Signed pitcher Phil Dumatrait and catcher (and former Brewer minor leaguer) Andy Bouchie to minor league deals.
White Sox: Claimed pitcher Freddy Dolsi off waivers from the Tigers.

I've mentioned this topic several times: sorry if you don't think it's interesting, but I find it fascinating. The Blue Jays are apparently bucking the minor league per diem trend and giving their players $25 dollars a day for meal money instead of $20 next season. The change will cost the team less than $50,000, but could go a long way towards helping their prospects get proper nutrition.

With 93 career wins, a Cy Young Award, and six straight seasons with an ERA under 4, Pete Vuckovich has a lot to be proud of from his major league career. Of course, all of that pales in comparison to his induction into the MLB Mustache Hall of Fame.

Happy birthday today to:

2003-2005 Brewer Wes Obermueller, who turns 33.
1992 Brewer Andy Allanson, who turns 48.

And a couple of belated ones I missed over the weekend:

Chris Narveson turned 28 on Sunday.
LaTroy Hawkins turned 36 yesterday.

Drink up.

Detroit's Freddy Dolsi Era is Officially Over

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:10:17 -0000

Last week, reliever Freddy Dolsi was designated for assignment to trim excess from the Detroit Tigers' 40-man roster. And now, Dolsi's career with the Tigers is officially finished, after he was claimed on waivers by the Chicago White Sox.

Dolsi posted a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings with the Tigers this year, pitching in nine games. (Compare that to 2008, when he appeared in 42 games.) His last appearance for Detroit may have sealed his fate, as he gave up three hits and three walks in just 1.1 innings versus the Red Sox.

Any chance Dolsi comes back to haunt the Tigers, now that he'll be with a division rival?

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:20:18 -0000

by Brian Snyder - AP

Yes, Randy Wolf is a Brewer now.

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Some things to read while remembering that "port" is "left."

Welcome to day one of the Randy Wolf era (FanShot). He'll make $29.5 million over the next three seasons, plus an option for 2010. Reaction to the deal has come from everywhere:

Miller Park Drunk credits the Brewers for signing the best available free agent.
Master Reid of Quevedo at the Buffet says it's a gamble the Brewers had to take at this point.
Erik Manning of FanGraphs explains why this deal shouldn't be compared to the Jeff Suppan signing.
Jordan also offered his thoughts on that topic, and reasonable expectations for Wolf.
Adam McCalvy noted that Wolf's deal is the third richest for a pitcher in team history.
Jorge Says No! says the Brewers are "going for it" in 2010.
Babes Love Baseball thinks the Brewers overpaid for him.
Aaron Gleeman says he'd rather have the deal Rich Harden signed with the Rangers.
Wolf's contract inspired Rob Neyer to write a two parter on the economics of player salaries.
Meanwhile, Diamond Leung has a quote from Wolf about the divorce situation with the McCourts that might have led to Wolf's departure from Los Angeles.

But, the Brewers weren't done there: They decided to burn a little extra money by overpaying for bullpen help. The result is a two-year, $7.5 million deal for LaTroy Hawkins (FanShot). The move ensures the Brewers will have at least three pitchers in their bullpen earning more than $3.5 million next season (Hoffman, Riske and now Hawkins), as well as two pitchers with closing experience, both of which are 37 or older. Two more links on Hawkins: one good, one bad.

Aaron Gleeman notes that Hawkins has posted a 3.35 ERA over the last six seasons, in 379 innings.
Brian McTaggart quoted Hawkins as being "very disappointed" about leaving Houston, which is pretty much exactly what you don't want to hear from a guy you just threw a lot of perfectly good money at.

Both signings and a few other topics came up in Doug Melvin's MLB Network interview last night, which Tristarscoop chronicled for us, in case you missed it.

Since then, Doug Melvin's had an interesting 12 hours or so. First, a valet lost the keys to his car. Then, after presumably getting a ride back to the meetings, Melvin raised his offer to Craig Counsell. Melvin seems confident a deal will get done, and if he's saying so, that means he's pretty sure. Counsell has also spoken to the Reds, but it doesn't sound like there's much happening there.

Meanwhile, what once looked like a sure thing still isn't done: Mark Mulder remains unsigned, and now the Royals are also showing interest in his services.(h/t MLB Trade Rumors)

The Brewers also filled one more spot on their 40 man roster, selecting Indians lefty Chuck Lofgren in the Rule 5 Draft (FanShot). In a later post, Baseball America called him one of the best stories taken. It sounds like he's had a rough couple of years, but he's a big, athletic lefty who throws hard (90-93), so he's exactly the kind of pitcher the Brewers should be seeking out to work with Rick Peterson.

Can't get enough Triple G? Batter's Box Interactive has some photos from a Gregg Zaun at bat in Toronto last season. Zaun was also the starting point for today's Thursday Thinker: stop back for that at noon.

You still have a few hours to cast your vote for a second baseman on our BCB All Decade Team. Voting for that position closes at 4 today. Prince Fielder officially became the first Brewer elected to the team yesterday. Voting for a shortstop opened yesterday and closes at 4 tomorrow. Voting at third base, perhaps the most ~~depressing~~ interesting choice on the team, will open at 4 today.

Around baseball:

Astros: Acquired reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins for two minor leaguers and a PTBNL, and signed Brandon Lyon to a three year, $15 million deal.
Mariners: Signed Corey Patterson to a minor league deal. (FanShot) Also re-signed infielder Josh Wilson.
Mets: Re-negotiated their contract with Henry Blanco, due to concerns over the health of his shoulder.
Orioles: Acquired Kevin Millwood from the Rangers for reliever Chris Ray and a PTBNL.
Padres: Released pitcher Eulogio de la Cruz.
Rangers: Agreed to terms on a one year, $7.5 million deal with Rich Harden, with a club option for 2011 and acquired Mike Lowell from the Red Sox for catcher Max Ramirez.
Rays: Acquired Rafael Soriano from the Braves for reliever Jesse Chavez.
Red Sox: Acquired Boof Bonser from the Twins for a PTBNL or cash.
Royals: Released Mike Jacobs and pitcher John Bale
Tigers: Designated pitcher Freddy Dolsi and catcher Dusty Ryan for assignment.

Two former Brewers continue to search for work, and for once I'd rather have Jay Gibbons. Jason Kendall has received a two-year offer from the Royals, while Gibbons is drawing interest from the Dodgers.

While some players are looking for new teams. J.J. Hardy is busy making friends with his. He recently played in Harmon Killebrew's golf tournament, and the Hall of Famer had some nice things to say about him.

Easily the biggest trade at the meetings so far has been the three way deal involving the Tigers, Yankees and D-Backs. A lot of people are burying Arizona for giving up on Max Scherzer, but Patrick Sullivan of The Baseball Analysts and I agree: The Diamondbacks might come out ahead in this deal, trading a pitcher with an unsure future for two that might pitch in their rotation this season. Meanwhile, no one seems to mention that the Yankees traded two starters and a center fielder for one player.

Ever wonder what folks in minor league front offices do during the offseason? I don't know, but the Timber Rattlers' premiere episode of The Offseason would suggest they have some time on their hands.

With Jason Kendall gone, I guess we probably won't be talking about plunkings as much, and that's probably ok. With that said, Jeremy Greenhouse of The Baseball Analysts has a look at the probability of getting hit by a pitch, and what matchups and velocities make a batter most likely to get plunked.

It's been a pretty busy week at the Winter Meetings, and the flow of information has been dizzying at times. Just imagine how fast information would flow out if the internet was working.

Still looking for a gift for someone this holiday season? I might have a suggestion for you. Boys of Summer is a documentary chronicling Robert Cochrane and his father's summer long road trip to visit all 30 major league parks. The film is now available on DVD for the first time, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help support research on Parkinson's Disease.

On this day in 1986, the Brewers sent Tim Crews and Tim Leary to the Dodgers for first baseman Greg Brock. Brock would go on to hit .261/.348/.387 over five seasons as a Brewer.

Happy birthday today to Doug Henry, who turns 46. Henry pitched the first four seasons of his major league career (1991-1994) as a Brewer, racking up 61 saves.

Drink up.

Freddy Dolsi, Dusty Ryan Designated For Assignment

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:40:56 -0000

After acquiring four players in yesterday's blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Tigers needed to clear two more spots on their 40-man roster. And with the deal becoming official this afternoon, the team designated pitcher Freddy Dolsi and catcher Dusty Ryan for assignment to accommodate the bushel of young talent coming to Detroit.

Dolsi pitched in only nine games with the Tigers this season, compiling a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings. (In 2008, he appeared in 42 games.) His last outing with Detroit was rather awful, giving up three hits and three walks in just 1.1 innings against Boston.

Ryan appeared in 12 games, batting.154/.267/.192 with four RBIs. Despite a pretty strong finish to 2008 (.880 OPS in 50 plate appearances), he could never break his way into the lineup. Perhaps defense was the main concern, as Jim Leyland leaned heavily on Gerald Laird throughout the season. But once Alex Avila was called up, and showed some impressive power, there was no room for Ryan.

If both players clear waivers, they could return to the Tigers organization. But the question now becomes whether or not the Tigers will make another move to clear a spot or two before tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft.

(via Jason Beck and Mark Anderson on Twitter)

Playing With the Tigers' 40-Man Roster

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:10 -0000

With major league teams having to finalize their 40-man rosters by Friday, the Detroit Tigers have some decisions to make about which players they want to protect and which to leave exposed for the Rule 5 Draft that takes place at the end of next month's Winter Meetings.

If you look at Detroit's current 40-man roster, you'll notice 42 names are listed. However, six of those names will be free agents as of Friday. That leaves four openings. But at least two of them are already spoken for, as Scott Sizemore and Ryan Strieby will need to be added.

(Jason Beck and Lynn Henning seem to be high on Brennan Boesch, who hit 28 homers for Double-A Erie this year. Me, I think he looks a bit like Number Two's son on The Prisoner. He could take up a third opening.)

So the Tigers will probably have to make some moves to create more room on the roster. Who else should go? And which prospects need to be protected?

At Mack Avenue Tigers, Kurt Mensching listed the players he thinks should go, and the ones that could stay. In his article on the subject, Beck also suggested a couple of other players Detroit could protect. (Just to clarify, players generally don't have to be protected until they've played four minor league seasons, which is why prospects such as Casey Crosby, Cody Satterwhite, or ~~Brett Jacobsen~~ Scott Green aren't being mentioned.)

[EDIT: Take 75 North's Matt Wallace reminds me that Jacobson was traded to Baltimore in the Aubrey Huff deal. My mistake. I keep trying to forget that trade ever took place.]

Almost two weeks ago, demondeaconsbaseball requested that we have a 40-man roster discussion thread, so this is probably the best time to do it. I know some are more familiar with the Tigers' minor league system than others. (I'm probably not as familiar with some prospects as I should be, either.) But I think plenty of you have an opinion on this.

Just to get the thread started, four names immediately stood out as players who could be cut when I looked over the roster. I'd send off Freddy Dolsi, Clay Rapada, Don Kelly, and Dontrelle Willis. (All but Willis have minor league options remaining, however, and could stay in the organization. As Kurt pointed out in his post, Eddie Bajek has listed who still has options at his blog, Detroit Tigers Thoughts.)

So what moves would you make? Is there anybody else you'd cut loose? Who's an important player for the Tigers to protect? Play with the 40-man roster!

Dolsi Goes Down, Bonine Comes Back

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:55:18 -0000

In the rush to get away from it all for a bit after yesterday's game, we forgot to mention that the Tigers did a little roster shuffling between Detroit and Toledo.

As you had to have expected after his outing on Wednesday (three hits and three walks in less than two innings), reliever Freddy Dolsi was sent back down to Triple-A following the Tigers' 2-0 win. Called up to take his place is Eddie Bonine, making his third appearance on the major league roster this season.

Jason Beck reports on his blog that Bonine will work out of the bullpen, in the same sort of long relief role that he had when making the team out of Spring Training. But if Armando Galarraga hasn't recovered from his flu bug for his next turn in the rotation (scheduled for Sunday), Bonine will take his place.

Hit the Wall: Red Sox 8, Tigers 2

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:45:15 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Curtis Granderson running into a wall at Fenway Park has to be some kind of metaphor for the Detroit Tigers' night vs. the Boston Red Sox.

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This one wasn't looking good for the Detroit Tigers all day. Events conspired, shall we say.

Tonight's scheduled starter, Armando Galarraga, came down with a flu bug yesterday. The pitcher who probably would've started in his place, Chris Lambert, was not only used last night when Rick Porcello was ejected. But he was so terrible that he was sent back to the minors immediately after the game.

As a result, there was talk that Galarraga would try to tough it out and make his scheduled start, but about three hours before game time, he was scratched due to a severe sore throat. Enter Zach Miner, who pitched two innings on Monday night.

Considering the presumably spontaneous nature of his spot start, Miner actually didn't pitch that badly. No, he wasn't great. But he was also one out away from giving up three runs in five innings, which is a respectable performance. Oh, that third out can be so important.

David Ortiz singled, putting two runners on for the Red Sox. That ended Miner's night, and brought in Freddy Dolsi, who proceeded to do an excellent Aquilino Lopez imitation. The next five Boston batters reached base, thanks to two singles, two walks, and an error by Brandon Inge. Five Red Sox runs scored (one of them on a passed ball), turning a two-run margin into a seven-run deficit.

The joke of it all is that Dolsi was only charged with one earned run, since two of those baserunners belonged to Miner and one of those runs scored on Inge's error. Dolsi gave up three hits and three walks in 1.1 innings. (Okay, he was squeezed badly for one of those walks.) Seriously, this is the best pitcher the Tigers could call up from Toledo to replace Lambert?

Oh, and did we mention Josh Beckett allowed only three Detroit hits in seven innings? The Tigers didn't get their first hit (a Carlos Guillen homer) until the fifth, either. Yep, it was just that kind of night.

Comment of the Night:

Lowell with another bomb??

Can we let Youkilis back in the game?

by ahtrap

Trade Prowl: Milton Bradley Rumors Shot Down, What Was Offered For Matt Holliday, and Looking at Cody Ross

Ian Casselberry — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:30:09 -0000

Most of you have probably already seen this, but the Milton Bradley rumors that popped up in Chicago yesterday afternoon were almost immediately shot down by Jason Beck. (My friend Ms. Hooz suggested I post an image from Bonnie and Clyde to underline the point.) Whatever Steve Stone and David Kaplan may have heard from their sources near or with the Chicago Cubs didn't jibe with anyone associated with the Tigers.

From Beck's blog:

That was news to the Tigers. A source with knowledge of the team's plans said Bradley's name hasn't come up in organizational discussions all year. For a team that has been searching far and wide for offensive help, that speaks volumes.

Basically, the Tigers' lack of interest comes down to a simple reason: There are better outfielders available on the market. Not to mention cheaper, and far less of a headache.

Yahoo! Sports' Gordon Edes had two Tigers items in his latest column, including what sort of package Dave Dombrowski was trying to put together for Matt Holliday:

The Detroit Tigers were in hard on Matt Holliday before he went to the Cardinals, but Oakland turned down a package that included the Tigers’ top shortstop prospect, Cale Iorg. Right-handed pitcher Freddy Dolsi, currently on the DL, would have gone to the Athletics as a player to be named later.

As was pointed out when this was posted in the comments of yesterday's recap, Edes might have Dolsi and Alfredo Figaro mixed up, as Figaro is currently on the DL.

FOXSports.com added that Oakland was asking for Casey Crosby and Scott Sizemore in a deal for Holliday. I guess you can't blame Billy Beane for trying to get the most he could, but that would've been quite a price to pay for what could've been a two-month rental.

Edes also noted that Detroit has shown interest in Marlins outfielder Cody Ross (who began his career in the Tigers' organization and played in it for five years), looking for him to play right field. (That must be news to Clete Thomas. But perhaps Thomas would move to left field in such a scenario, while Ross could also be a back-up for Curtis Granderson to hit against left-handed pitching.)

For the season, Ross is hitting .267/.325/.466 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs. I'm not sure how good of a defensive right fielder he is, however.

Another name shot down yesterday - this time by Jim Leyland directly - was Troy Glaus. The Tigers were mentioned as one of four teams that might be scouting the Cardinals' (former) third baseman on his minor league rehab assignment this week, but Leyland insists that Glaus's name has never been brought up in trade discussions. Glaus has yet to play this season, while recovering from offseason surgery on his right shoulder.

Roster Shuffles: Guillen, Anderson, Bonine, Fien, and... Bonderman?

Ian Casselberry — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:10:28 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Carlos Guillen returned to the Tigers' lineup yesterday and made an immediate contribution, batting 3-for-7 in Detroit's two wins over the White Sox.

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The Detroit Tigers have made quite a few roster moves over the past 48 hours. Some (if not most) of you reading this might already be aware of these transactions. This post might be more for me to catch up, as I spent a large part of yesterday attempting to get a hole in the side of my house repaired and nursing a migraine. (Wah!)

Okay, let's begin with the biggest moves, and work our way down in no particular order:

Carlos Guillen was recalled from his minor league rehab assignment and activated from the disabled list. (He got right to work, batting a combined 3-for-7 in yesterday's doubleheader.) To make room for him on the roster, Josh Anderson was designated for assignment.

Though Lynn Henning seems surprised that Anderson was booted instead of Magglio Ordonez (Henning will just continue to beat that drum until he's right), there really wasn't any other move to make. Sure, Anderson has speed, but with an on-base percentage of .282, how much was he really using it? And though he might be able to cover more ground than any other left fielder the Tigers had on the roster, he seemed to get poor jumps on balls and would make bonehead plays like letting sinking line drives bounce between his legs.

Besides, are the Tigers really losing Anderson by designating him for assignment? What are the chances an outfielder batting .242/.282/.315 passes through waivers? Unless he just doesn't want to play in the Detroit organization anymore, he's probably on his way to Toledo soon enough and can be called back up if the Tigers feel his presumed speed and defense is worth a roster spot. For now, however, they need a guy who can hit.

After starting Friday night's game, Eddie Bonine was sent back down to Toledo and reliever Casey Fien was called up to take his place. (Even if the Tigers wanted to recall Dolsi, he has to stay in the minors for 10 days unless he'd be replacing an injured player.) This is a long overdue move for the Tigers.

Fien almost made the team last year out of Spring Training, and since then has been one of the organization's most promising bullpen prospects. He didn't start off the season very well, blowing a couple of saves, but seems to have settled into a groove in recent weeks. For the season with the Mud Hens, Fien has a 2-1 record and 3.61 ERA with eight saves. Most importantly, he has 51 strikeouts and 13 walks in 47.1 innings.

Bonine was called up from Triple-A Toledo to start the second half of Friday's doubleheader, and reliever Freddy Dolsi was sent down to clear a spot for him. The Tigers needed an extra starter, with two games in one day, and no off-day until Thursday. So someone had to make a spot start.

Dolsi was totally expendable, as he hadn't pitched in two weeks and had only appeared in five games since being called up to replace Ryan Perry (who returned last week when Joel Zumaya went on the DL). He'd only given up one run in 9.1 innings, but had allowed six hits in his last two appearances (covering 4.2 innings), and appeared to be relegated to mop-up duty.

This isn't a move that's been made yet, but Jeremy Bonderman could be on his way back and might... pitch out of the bullpen? After Bondo was shut down in mid-June, it looked like his season was effectively over. Coming back to pitch in September seemed to be an optimistic forecast.

Apparently, however, he's made some big strides in his recovery. Not so much as to rejoin the starting rotation, but perhaps give the team 35 pitches or so in a relief outing. According to the Tigers, it's when Bondo tried to stretch out into higher pitch counts that his shoulder became sore.

But how effective could he really be? Bondo was having trouble throwing his fastball above the high-80s/low-90s, and was (for now, anyway) more of a finesse pitcher. Maybe he could dial it up higher in a shorter outing? Or maybe the Tigers are just thinking he could be a warm body to use in middle innings during September.

Paulino Beats Figaro: Astros 8, Tigers 1

Ian Casselberry — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:25:32 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Michael Bourn leads the run parade, scoring the first of eight Astros runs against Alfredo Figaro and the Tigers Saturday night.

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So... that happened.

Once again, the Detroit Tigers made a fledgling pitcher with a previously undistinguished track record look like an All-Star. (Detroit's pattern of doing this was detailed nicely in our GameThread.)

I'm not going to call Felipe Paulino "mediocre," because maybe he'll actually turn out to be a good pitcher. The Astros seem to think highly of him, and he definitely throws hard. Chalk it up to unfamiliarity, perhaps. Or maybe Paulino just deserves all the credit. But he was making his first start since coming off the DL. And those were some feeble swings the Tigers lineup took against him.

Paulino racked up nine strikeouts, while allowing only one run and three hits in seven innings of work. The only Tigers batter who had any kind of answer for him was Ramon Santiago, who hit a solo homer in the third inning when Paulino teed a fastball right down the middle. That was really the only bad mistake Paulino made all night.

Between that, and Alfredo Figaro continually hanging his off-speed pitches in the strike zone, along with Gerald Laird leaving in the first inning because of back spasms, and it was just a bad night overall. The Tigers have now lost six of their last seven games on the road. That's not looming well for a team that has seven more games to play on their current road trip.

Whimper:

Today's Captain Obvious statement: Eight runs and 10 hits is not the type of performance the Tigers were hoping for from Figaro in his second major league start. Suddenly, the fifth spot in Detroit's starting rotation looks like a question mark again. Credit the Astros for a patient approach at the plate, taking pitches and making a young pitcher work. But Figaro also wasn't throwing very good stuff, either. As mentioned above, his curveballs and change-ups kept finding the middle of the strike zone, and Houston batters just teed off on that soft stuff.

If there's a bright side to Figaro's outing, it's that he toughed out another four innings after getting shelled in the third. He essentially became his own mop-up man, and saved the Tigers from tapping out their bullpen in what became a blowout. And though many of Figaro's strikes were too hittable, at least he threw strikes. The Astros beat him, but he didn't beat himself. That's something we shouldn't take for granted from any fifth starter these days. And I certainly think he warrants at least one more look.

Comment of the Night:

If you did stick this one out until the end, Freddy Dolsi provided at least one highlight for those watching.

Dolsi just blew his nose on the ground.

by densogirl