Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 7-21-11

--LHP Duane Below earned himself another start with a strong five-inning outing but Detroit is still looking to add a veteran starter for the remainder of the season. "He did okay," manager Jim Leyland said. "He did fine. I thought at one point maybe the heat was getting to him. He dropped a little in velocity but then he picked it right back up again. He gave us a chance." Below couldn't pitch over an inning-starting error by 2B Carlos Guillen in the third, when Oakland scored twice with the second run coming home because the pitcher had trouble getting the ball to first in a timely fashion on a ground ball that nicked off his glove. Both runs were unearned but the run that drove him from the game was not, a leadoff home run by DH Hideki Matsui in the sixth. Below finished with a walk, two strikeouts and five hits allowed on 77 pitches. "It's a good team here and they accepted me," Below said. "I'm going to continue to work. The manager, he makes the call (about staying and starting). If not, I go back to Toledo, continue to work and be the fifth starter. It was good to get it out of the way. It was exciting." His parents and many of the 700 people to make up his home town of Britton, about a hour's drive from Detroit, were in attendance.

--3B Brandon Inge will be designated for assignment Thursday and has agreed to report to the minors rather than take his outright release. "He will go through the waiver process," GM Dave Dombrowski said, "which will take place and be finalized Monday. If we acquire waivers at that point, which we anticipate that we will, we've talked to Brandon and he has agreed that he will join our Toledo club at that time. It's a tough move. Brandon's done a lot for this franchise. He knows he's scuffling at this point. He wants to go down and show that he can help the ball club." Inge, hitting .177, was clearly shaken by a season that resulted in his team turning to the Kansas City Royals and INF Wilson Betemit for a solution. "Everyone goes through rough patches in their career," Inge, 34, said. "I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I opted not to make the decision to push them to make the decision to release me." Inge isn't likely to be claimed off waivers because he's earning $11.5 million for this year and next plus a $6 million option for 2013 that has a $500,000 buyout. Inge had seen his average sink to .177 by going 4-for-54 since returning from a bout of mononucleosis on June 24.

--DH Victor Martinez got a two-run single that restored Detroit to a 4-3 lead over Oakland in the sixth inning. Martinez has hit well behind cleanup batter 1B Miguel Cabrera, but he is fallible. Martinez hit into an inning-ending double play with two on in the seventh after the Athletics had rallied for a 7-5 lead.

--RF Magglio Ordonez collected three singles to center and now had hit in eight straight games. Ordonez drove in the second of two runs Detroit scored in the third to tie the score, 2-2. He isn't trying to pull pitches he shouldn't and is starting to look like the hitter he was last season before his ankle fracture. His power is reduced but he's still dangerous at the plate.

--3B Don Kelly now becomes the primary defensive third baseman for Detroit following the announcement that 3B Brandon Inge is being designated for assignment in the wake of the acquisition of INF Wilson Betemit from Kansas City. Kelly started against Oakland, tripled in the third and scored the Tigers' first run of the inning. The switch-hitting Betemit will get most of the starts but Kelly will sub in for defense either at third or in the outfield. He will also draw occasional starts in both places.

--LHP David Purcey walked three straight batters to open the seventh and wound up taking a loss instead of protecting a victory. "Walks kill," manager Jim Leyland said. "That just can't happen. We let one get away that we should have won." Purcey, acquired from Oakland, entered with a 5-3 lead and left with the bases loaded. All three runners scored with RHP Joaquin Benoit on the mound.

--RHP Joaquin Benoit has had a problem entering innings with runners on base this season and that pattern was on display in the seventh. Benoit was brought in an inning earlier than his usual eighth after LHP David Purcey walked the bases loaded. He gave up three singles and a sacrifice fly. The hits weren't rockets but Benoit didn't make a good pitch in 2-2 counts to two of the hitters. "When I brought Benoit in for that situation, which I normally don't," manager Jim Leyland said, "I was just hoping to get out with a tie. It didn't work out that way."

--3B Wilson Betemit reports to Detroit on Thursday in Minnesota, obtained from Kansas City in exchange for two Class A minor leaguers. Betemit, 29, was hitting .281 with three home runs and 27 RBI but had been displaced by rookie 3B Mike Moustakas with the Royals. Betemit is expected to get most of the playing time and Detroit may elect to eat the remainder of 3B Brandon Inge's contract rather than go with a .177-hitting defensive replacement. The Tigers don't have to make a roster move until Betemit reports. "Great guy and a good hitter," said RHP Brad Penny, a teammate of Betemit's with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Smart hitter, too." "Betemit is a solid guy," GM Dave Dombrowski said, "a switch hitter who fits into our lineup real well."

BY THE NUMBERS
7 -- Players making their major league debut with Detroit this season, the latest being LHP Duane Below, who went five good innings in his first game. Others include OF Andy Dirks and five more pitchers -- RHPs Al Alburquerque, Bryan Villarreal and Lester Oliveros plus LHPs Adam Wilk and Charlie Furbush.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Brandon has done a lot for our organization. We thought he would be good for another .230 season with 70 RBI. But it hasn't happened this year. We've tried everything, but we just don't see it happening at this point." -- GM Dave Dombrowski on designating 3B Brandon Inge for assignment following the acquisition of INF Wilson Betemit from Kansas City. Inge signed a contract last winter totaling $11.5 million over two years with an option for 2013 that can be bought out for $500,000.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.