Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 6-30-11

--LHP Phil Coke may be at the end of his trial as a starter. Coke, who excelled in relief last season, has turned in 12 winless starts in a row since his only win, April 14, as a member of Detroit's rotation. His latest outing was a four-inning job in which he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits to fall to 1-8. "They were just hitting anything that was over the white thing (home plate)," said Coke, who may have accomplished something no other pitcher has in that two pitches he threw were hit over CF Austin Jackson's head.

"We're tossing some things around," manager Jim Leyland said about Coke's status as a continuing member of the rotation. "We'll leave it at that right now."

--LHP Daniel Schlereth was optioned to Class AAA Toledo after Wednesday's game. RHP Brayan Villarreal was brought up to replace him. Schlereth gave up two grand slams Tuesday night, raising his ERA for 29 games to 4.91. "This was not planned before the game," manager Jim Leyland said. "We have to have a pitcher here, a fresh arm, for the game (Thursday afternoon). Daniel is a victim of circumstances, although it won't hurt him to go down there and pitch some."

--RHP Brayan Villarreal will be promoted from the minors before Detroit's Thursday afternoon game against the Mets. "This is a move we were forced to make," manager Jim Leyland said. "We need a fresh arm in the bullpen." Villarreal has pitched well for Class AAA Toledo, where he was asked to work multiple innings to work on his off-speed pitches. Villarreal had a 6.46 ERA in 14 games with Detroit from the start of the season until being optioned out. He was 0-5 with a 4.41 ERA in seven games (six starts) for Toledo.

--2B Ryan Raburn might have generated one more run than he let in. Raburn's inability to come up with a slow bouncer far to his left with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning brought in two New York runs and let the Mets rebuild a lead to 10-6. "He thought the ball was going to come up for him, and instead it stayed down," manager Jim Leyland said. On the plus side, Raburn seemed to have a little more life in his bat, driving in two runs and scoring a third. He hit a solo home run in the third, doubled leading off the sixth and scored on a pinch home run by Andy Dirks, and hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

--UT Don Kelly now has the best ERA of anyone who's pitched for the Tigers this year. Kelly was brought in to pitch with two outs and a man on second in the ninth inning, and he got Mets DH Scott Hairston to fly to center, throwing him a 2-2 breaking ball. "It's fun," said Kelly, who was asked when the ninth started to go to the hitting cages and get his arm loose in case he was needed. "I was trying to throw strikes, that's the biggest thing."

Kelly said Leyland told him, "Man, you can do it all," as he was sent to warm up. Kelly said he hadn't thrown off a mound since 2000, when he was playing for Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

--1B Miguel Cabrera collected the 20th multi-home run game of his career. Cabrera hit his 16th home run, a solo shot, in the fourth inning and added a three-run blast in the sixth. It was the second time this season Cabrera has had more than one home run in a game.

--RHP Al Alburquerque saw his streak of 13 consecutive scoreless appearances come to a big end. Alburquerque allowed three runs on three hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings. He was relieved after throwing 42 pitches, only 20 of which were strikes. The Mets were laying off his slider, and Alburquerque couldn't throw enough fastballs for strikes to make them swing at his sliders. He probably won't be able to pitch until Saturday.

"If I had known it was going to end the way it did," manager Jim Leyland said, "I probably wouldn't have used Alburquerque. But those guys were battling their tails off, and I thought if we could keep the deficit to two runs, we were going to win it."

--LHP David Purcey had his problems throwing strikes, and he probably won't be available for use until Saturday. Purcey threw 47 pitches, 26 strikes, in one inning. Finally manager Jim Leyland had to relieve Purcey with a non-pitcher, UT Don Kelly, to get the last out of the top of the ninth. "I couldn't let him throw anymore," Leyland said.

--C Alex Avila was given a breather for two reasons. Aside from the rest, manager Jim Leyland didn't want Avila catching a night game and following it up by catching the next afternoon. So it was convenient for Leyland to keep Avila out of the starting lineup when the Mets had LHP Chris Capuano as their starting pitcher. Avila is expected to return to the lineup Thursday afternoon.

--LHP Brad Thomas has been recalled from his rehabilitation assignment, although the Tigers have not yet restored him to the active roster. Manager Jim Leyland said Thomas reported some soreness in his elbow after his last outing, so the Tigers have brought him back for examination. Thomas, placed on the disabled list May 11 after his left elbow locked up on him, was assigned to Class AAA Toledo on June 14. He pitched in six games, going 0-1 and allowing two earned runs in nine innings, striking out 10 batters.

BY THE NUMBERS
11 -- Years since the last position player pitched in a game for Detroit prior to UT Don Kelly's one-batter appearance Tuesday. Kelly got the last out of the ninth inning of a 16-9 Tigers loss to the Mets. UT Shane Halter threw an inning Oct. 1, 2000, as part of his playing all nine positions in one game.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I asked (Mets hitting coach Dave) Hudgens what he threw, and he said, 'He has a nice swing.'" -- Mets DH Scott Hairston, on the advice he got before he went to the plate in the ninth inning to face "pitcher" Don Kelly, a utility player who was called on for mop-up duty. Kelly retired Hairston on a flyout.

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