Seeking bullpen relief, Tigers recall Brayan Villarrel and send Daniel Schlereth to Toledo

Brayan VillarrealDETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have recalled right-handed relief pitcher Brayan Villarreal from Triple-A Toledo in an attempt to bolster an otherwise taxed bullpen.

In the corresponding move, the club optioned left-handed reliever Daniel Schlereth to the Mud Hens, one day after he allowed two grand slams in 1 1/3 innings of the Tigers' 14-3 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday.

Detroit also lost 16-9 on Wednesday, and has used every relief pitcher except closer Jose Valverde and setup man Joaquin Benoit at least once in the past two days.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland stressed the move is being made out of necessity, not choice.

"(The move) was not planned prior to the game," he said. "(Schlereth) is kind of the victim of the circumstances, and we have to have a pitcher here (today) with a fresh arm.

"It won't hurt Schlereth to go down and get some work in, and we'll just take it from there."

Villarreal went 1-1 with a 6.46 ERA in 14 games with Detroit before being sent to Toledo in May. He was effective early in the season, but began to struggle with his control, precipitating his demotion.

He went 0-5 with a 4.41 ERA in seven appearances with Toledo, although those numbers are skewed by an eight-run outing Saturday.?

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Dick Tracewski keeps tabs on Tigers, shares memories of ex-manager Sparky Anderson

These days, Dick Tracewski spends the majority of his retirement at his home near Scranton, Pa., or visiting his two grandchildren in Virginia, but the past week has helped him get reacquainted with his strong ties to Michigan.

Last weekend, the former player and coach joined other Detroit Tigers legends as part of Sparky Anderson’s jersey retirement ceremony at Comerica Park.

On Friday, Tracewski will be at Fifth Third Ballpark for the latest Tiger Fridays promotion hosted by the West Michigan Whitecaps.

It will be his first time in the Grand Rapids area since 1966, when he first was traded to the Tigers and traveled to Sullivan’s Carpet & Furniture to furnish his house.

"I’m looking forward to the trip," Tracewski said during a phone interview this week. "It’s been years since I’ve been in Grand Rapids."

Tracewski, 76, said he was thrilled when the Tigers asked him to be a part of the Anderson ceremony.

"We worked together for 17 years, and even before that I was a friend of Sparky’s when we were in the Dodgers organization together," he said.

"There were a number of games when we were just kids playing baseball where I played shortstop and he played second base. We were old friends."

• Dick Tracewski: Friday
• Richie Hebner: July 22
• Jake Wood: July 29
• Steve Kemp: Aug. 12
• Mickey Tettleton: Aug. 26
Autographs: The autograph session starts at 6 p.m. and the former Tigers will sign and meet with fans until 6:45 p.m., when he will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The session will resume after the first pitch and will last 90 minutes. One autograph item per person.

BIO
Dick Tracewski
• Age: 76
• Hometown: Scranton, Pa.
• Playing career: Los Angeles Dodgers (1962-65), Detroit Tigers (’66-69)
• Positions: Shortstop, second base, third base
• Coaching career: Detroit, ’72-95
• Notable: Won World Series as player with Dodgers in ’65, Tigers in ’68, and as third base coach with Tigers in ’84

Tracewski especially relished the opportunity to catch up with former teammates, players he once coached and Anderson’s three children. He made a point to visit the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull, the site of old Tiger Stadium which was his "home for 30 years."

Tracewski also echoed the sentiments of several critics, who felt that Anderson’s number should have been retired when the legendary former manager still was alive.

"The bottom line is we honored Sparky and he certainly deserved it," he said. "I think we should have honored him a few years prior to what we did. As soon as he went into the hall of fame, I think they should have retired his number, but that wasn’t my call. But it was a very nice affair, and they did it first class."

Tracewski still keeps a close watch on baseball, following games on TV and box scores in the newspaper, especially when it comes to the Tigers.

He thinks this year’s team is doing well and improving, in part because they are incorporating more athletic players.

"You can’t win in any sport if you don’t have an athletic team and they’re getting a little more athletic," he said. "I like those two left-handed hitters they have, (Brennan) Boesch and (Andy) Dirks. They’re going to be pretty good players. They’re the kind of kids that can go from first to third, second to home, run a little bit, play a little defense, all the little things.

"You can’t have one-dimensional players, and I think the Tigers have moved from that direction."

He doesn’t keep quite as close an eye on the Dodgers, who first signed him as an 18-year-old infielder in 1953.

"I think they’ve kind of lost their identity as far as I’m concerned," he said. "Obviously, financially they lost their way, but I’m disappointed when I see them play and they don’t have any of their own players. They have a few here and there, but when I was with the Dodgers every player came out of the farm system. Now they have journeyman players here and there. They have to get back to what they used to be."

Tracewski said he has plenty of fond recollections from his time in Detroit, from the 1968 World Series team, to the Mark Fidrych years, to even losing 19 in a row with manager Ralph Houk.

"There are many memories," Tracewski said. "Just the idea of first playing with Al Kaline and Dick McAuliffe and Denny McLain in the ’60s, and then of course watching Jack Morris and Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker and being part of their development was a big thrill for me."

As much as Tracewski is enjoying a retirement filled with golf and working in the garden, he acknowledges that he misses being around the game, the players and even -- strangely enough, he acknowledges -- the travel.

"I do miss it," he said. "I would never ever consider going back to it at my age, but the point is I do miss it -- and I particularly enjoy going back to Detroit."

E-mail Michael Zuidema: mzuidema@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/michaelzuidema

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Detroit Tigers Links: Who's had a better June than Justin Verlander?

AP PhotoTigers pitcher Justin Verlander has been outstanding in June, going 5-0 with an 0.86 ERA. He can improve on those numbers Thursday against the Mets.

• Justin Verlander has one more start to make in June. And it's been a great month for him. But who's had a better June: Verlander or Cliff Lee? Both are 5-0, both have ERAs under 1.00. Lee has thrown three straight shutouts, but Verlander has more strikeouts (48 vs. 29) and fewer walks (four vs. eight). Thursday's performance versus the Mets could end up being the decider. [ESPN New York]

• Rick Porcello and Phil Coke have been bombed for 14 combined runs the last two nights, which makes starting pitching look more like an area the Tigers will need to address at the trade deadline. Could Baltimore's Jeremy Guthrie be a potential target? His record is an ugly 3-9 but his 3.93 ERA is lower than any Tigers starter besides Verlander. [Detroit Baseball Page]

• So why was Porcello so ineffective on Tuesday night? Kid Rick said he felt like he had good stuff. Jim Leyland said Porcello left some pitches up in the strike zone, but the Mets were basically hitting everything. Could both be right? Porcello was throwing hard but missed his location several times. Yet even when he kept the ball down, Mets batters were still hitting it. Just a bad night? [Bless You Boys]

• Such is life with a minor league team. Brayan Villareal was scheduled to start Thursday for Triple-A Toledo, but was called up to Detroit after Wednesday's loss to the Mets. No word as of this writing on who the Mud Hens will start instead. [Coop Scoop]

• Has pitching as a starter taken a mental toll on Phil Coke? That what Michael Rosenberg thinks after watching Coke come out of Wednesday night's game and notice a heckler in the stands while he was in the dugout. Coke's lack of success is obviously getting to him, but is his mentality better suited for pitching in relief anyway? [Detroit Free Press]

• All-Star rosters will be announced on Sunday. The Tigers seem likely to get one or two spots on the AL roster with Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. Will Alex Avila get another? One more Tiger who deserves a spot is Jhonny Peralta. ESPN.com's David Schoenfield lists him among five deserving players who will likely be snubbed. [Sweet Spot]

• Avila says he'd thank all the fans who have been supporting his All-Star cause, if only he knew how. C'mon, Alex, it's not that hard. Ask Casper Wells (@UpstateBaller) to show you how to set up a Twitter account. He was one of the first Tigers to do it. [MLB.com]

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Detroit Tigers hope Justin Verlander is answer to overworked bullpen

Justin Verlander

DETROIT – With a day game after a night game and the New York Mets sending a right-handed pitcher to the mound, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland is using a predominantly left-handed-hitting lineup for today's 1:05 p.m. game.

The Tigers have an overworked bullpen – every reliever except set-up man Joaquin Benoit and closer Jose Valverde has pitched at some point in the last two days – but with staff ace Justin Verlander pitching as well as anyone in baseball, there is some hope for rest in the pen today.

Verlander (10-3, 2.38) takes the mound, opposed by the Mets' Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.78), with an opportunity to become the first pitcher to 11 wins in the major leagues this season (the Yankees' CC Sabathia, one of four other pitchers with 10 wins, also pitches today).  Verlander will have this  lineup supporting him:

1. Austin Jackson, CF

2. Don Kelly, 3B

3. Brennan Boesch, LF

4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B

5. Victor Martinez, DH

6. Andy Dirks, RF

7. Jhonny Peralta, SS

8. Alex Avila, C

9. Ramon Santiago, 2B

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Detroit Tigers' bullpen saved by Justin Verlander in 5-2 win over Mets

AP PhotoDetroit's Justin Verlander picked up his 11th win Thursday.DETROIT -- Justin Verlander paused and pondered.

The question: After a rare subpar day when the Detroit Tigers’ ace struggled with control and command, what pitch ultimately worked best?

"Nothing," baseball’s leader in pitching victories finally surmised.

Verlander’s no-hit bit was gone after one batter. His shutout bid was gone after a leadoff home run in the second. And the New York Mets, who had 38 hits and 30 runs during the previous two days, mounted multiple scoring threats and amassed bountiful two-strike foul balls, all of which kept Verlander on edge and drove up his pitch count.

That’s what made Verlander’s seven-inning outing in a 5-2 victory so impressive Thursday, in a much different way than the rest of his dominant June.

He threw 120 pitches, five fewer than the maximum pitch count in place for him. He managed to allow only one run before handing the final two innings to Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde, the only relievers in the overworked bullpen who didn’t work one of the previous two games.

It wasn’t his typical every-fifth-day masterpiece, yet held a beauty of its own for the 11-game winner who has victories in seven consecutive starts.

"I didn’t pitch well. I battled well. And that’s something I pride myself on," Verlander said. "I’ve been on a pretty good run here, had pretty doggone good stuff for a period of time here, and you’ve got to know that’s not going to last the entire season. But when you don’t have your best stuff, and you don’t have your best control, it’s just a matter of going out there and really grinding through it."

Jim Leyland said for Verlander to hold down the Mets after their two-day offensive barrage, the likes of which the Tigers manager said he never had seen before, "just shows you how good he is."

"That’s even higher praise today, for me, for Justin Verlander," Leyland said. "I would even have higher praise for him today than some other days, because you go out there where you’re not maybe quite as sharp as you’ve been, and hold a team that got that many hits and scored that many runs in the last two nights. It’s pretty unbelievable, really."

Leyland, asked to name his most dominant starting pitchers in a managerial career dating to 1986, had a short list.

"Doug Drabek, Kevin Brown, Justin Verlander -- and those guys were pretty good," Leyland said, the first two being his former staff aces with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins.

Verlander left runners in scoring position in the first, fourth and fifth innings. He allowed a solo home run to Mets cleanup hitter Daniel Murphy in the second. In the seventh, left fielder Brennan Boesch threw out Josh Thole trying to score on a fly ball.

"I’m a little bit disappointed in myself for not being able to go out there and find my rhythm like I would like to, but, at the same time, pretty pleased with the way that I was able to go out there and give us a chance," Verlander said.

The victory pushed Verlander to 11-3 and he kept pace for the major-league lead with CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees, who also recorded his 11th win.

Catcher Alex Avila said Verlander was "all over the place with his fastball and his curveball wasn’t as sharp."

"He definitely struggled with his command on all his pitches today," Avila said. "He clearly didn’t have his best stuff. It’s funny, because he still pitched a really good ballgame and you’re still, like, ‘He really didn’t have his best stuff.’ But 99 percent of pitchers will take that."

After the third inning, when the Tigers gave Verlander a three-run cushion, the pitcher became more focused on reducing his pitch count and getting Mets hitters to put the ball in play. That worked for him in a 1-2-3 sixth inning, which secured his opportunity to pitch the seventh.

"Obviously, you don’t want to throw it right down the meat of the plate and have them tee off on you," he said. "But, for me, it’s trying to throw 91, 92, 93, hit my spots, and have them hit balls weakly into play."

Verlander was 6-0 with a 0.92 ERA in June, making him the first major-leaguer with a 6-0 record and sub-1.00 ERA since Kenny Rogers, for Texas, in May 2005, and the first Tiger with five-plus starts and a sub-1.00 ERA since Doyle Alexander in September 1987.

The first game of the season’s second half pushed the Tigers (44-38) a half-game ahead of idle Cleveland for the American League Central lead.

Andy Dirks hit a home run for the third consecutive day, giving him six, and he also had a hit in the three-run third inning which gave Verlander some cushion.

"I’ve been working in the cage with Mac, trying to find some stuff that works for me, and get me back locked in," Dirks said, referring to hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. "I kind of lost it there for a little bit. But that’s part of the game. You just keep battling."

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Tigers' Jim Leyland: 'It would be an absolute shame' if Alex Avila doesn't make All-Star team

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Add Detroit Tigers manager Leyland to the legions who insist Alex Avila, who is hitting .303 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs, and has been an effective receiver and stolen-base deterrent -- like Thursday, when he gunned down the Mets’ Jose Reyes, who is 30-for-36 on steal attempts -- deserves to play in the All-Star Game.

Avila is second in the voting to New York's Russell Martin, which ends tonight.

"I’ve never been one to get involved in that because sometimes it’s a popularity contest, people stuffing ballots and stuff," Leyland said. "So I’ve never really gotten into that. But I think it’s a no-brainer and I hope they do get behind him to vote. It would be an absolute shame, to me, in my opinion, if Alex Avila wasn’t on the All-Star team. He deserves it.

"So I hope they stuff the ballots or do whatever they want. I realize I’m contradicting myself but it would be a shame if he was not on the team."
Short hops
-- The Mets placed outfielder Willie Harris on the bereavement list before the game, and recalled outfielder Francisco Martinez from Triple-A Buffalo, after Harris’ wife went into premature labor following five months of pregnancy and lost the baby on Wednesday night.

-- Leyland said Avila probably will catch Friday, despite the Giants using left-handed starter Madison Bumgarner, because of the workload Victor Martinez handled behind the plate Wednesday, when five Tigers, including Don Kelly, made 208 total pitches.

-- Justin Verlander’s turnstile power was evident again, with 31,861 in attendance, the third-largest home crowd for a Monday through Thursday game this season, exceeded only by another of Verlander’s starts (33,641, May 13 vs. Kansas City) and the finale of a three-game series with intra-division challenger Cleveland (37,437, May 16).?

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Can Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski really find a taker for Brad Thomas?

AP PhotoWith a bullpen stocked full of lefties, the Detroit Tigers are looking to trade Brad Thomas when he's activated from the disabled list.

The Detroit Tigers have too much of one thing on their roster right now: Left-handed relievers. And one more is set to rejoin the active roster soon, as Brad Thomas is close to the end of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo.

So Dave Dombrowski is doing what any smart general manager would do, seeing if he can use that surplus to help out another area of the team that might be lacking. According to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi, Dombrowski is checking around the league for any possible interest in Thomas.

At first glance, this doesn't look like an easy task. Before going on the disabled list with inflammation in his left elbow, Thomas walked six batters and allowed 17 hits in 11 innings of work and compiled a 9.00 ERA. Between those numbers and an aching elbow, Dombrowski hasn't exactly put prime beef on the trading block.

However, teams are often looking for left-handed specialists for their bullpens. And Thomas was good in that role last season, allowing opposing lefty batters a .252/.328/.304 average in 132 plate appearances. Dombrowski will presumably try to sell that, rather than the .400/.480/.550 average Thomas has allowed in 25 PAs against lefties this year.

According to Morosi, it's not yet known if any teams have expressed serious interest in Thomas. Possible suitors will likely wait until Thomas has proven he can once again get major league hitters out. The 2.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in nine innings that Thomas has compiled during his rehab assignment looks impressive, but that came against Triple-A competition.

Which teams might need a lefty reliever? The Boston Red Sox could be one. The Houston Astros might be another. But from looking over the major league rosters, it looks like most clubs have that need covered. What Dombrowski will have to hope for is a team looking for a second lefty. Maybe one of the playoff contenders will find themselves at that point eventually.

The funny thing is that one of those teams will probably be the Tigers.

Several left-handed relievers far better than Thomas also figure to be on the market. And if Daniel Schlereth can't stop walking batters (or giving up grand slams), David Purcey isn't suited to a lefty specialist role, or Jim Leyland decides that Charlie Furbush is too inexperienced to handle that kind of responsibility, the Tigers will likely be among those teams looking to add one of those other left-handers.

But maybe we shouldn't discount Dombrowski's ability to convince another GM to take an unwanted player off his hands. Over the past two years, he's been able to unload Armando Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson onto other teams. (Should we include Scott Sizemore on that list, too?)

Two of those deals were made with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Perhaps Dombrowski can hit the D-Backs up one more time. Would they be interested in taking Schlereth back, too?

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Detroit Tigers recall pitcher Brad Thomas

AP File PhotoBrad ThomasDETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers recalled left-handed reliever Brad Thomas today from his injury-rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Toledo, but he remains on the disabled list as he deals with stiffness in his left elbow.

He will be checked out by the Tigers' medical staff, and is not expected to be activated.

Thomas struck out the side in a one-inning outing Monday for Toledo, but experienced soreness in his elbow Tuesday, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Thomas went on the disabled list May 11 with inflammation in his left elbow. He had a 2.00 ERA in nine innings spanning six outings in his rehab stint with the Mud Hens, which began June 14.

Thomas struggled with the Tigers before his injury, going 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. He has walked six, struck out seven and opponents are batting .386 against him.

Perhaps most alarming for a pitcher often used as a situational lefty: He has allowed 10-of-12 inherited runners to score.

The move comes a day after Fox Sports reported the Tigers are shopping Thomas, although no likely suitors have emerged.

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All-Star Game voting set to close; will Tigers' Alex Avila pass Yankees' Russell Martin?

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Voting for the All-Star Game ends Thursday, and Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila is closing in on the New York Yankees’ Russell Martin for the American League starter. As of Tuesday, Avila trailed by about 400,000 votes, the closest he has been all season.

Avila led all American League catchers with a .303 average and .373 on-base percentage entering play Wednesday. His 10 home runs were fourth.

Martin is batting .229, but benefits in the fan voting from playing in the New York market.

The winner will be announced Sunday.

The impetus for Avila’s push has come from an online campaign launched by teammate Justin Verlander and supported by Brad Penny. In particular, they have used the hashtag "#votevila" on Twitter to garner support for Avila — a name that now can be seen on signs and shirts throughout Comerica Park.

Has Avila been tracking his online support?

"I would if I knew how," Avila said.

The 24-year-old isn’t exactly skilled when it comes to technology.

"I don’t do Twitter and Facebook, and I’ve never been big into computers and things like that," Avila said. "In college, my friends would make fun of me because I had a computer and didn’t know how to turn it on.

"I’m better with texting, but my thumbs are too big."

How does he get his news, if he doesn’t use the Internet?

"Newspapers," Avila said.

He’s 24, right?

Boos for Raburn
Perhaps no Tigers player has drawn more fire this year than Ryan Raburn, the Tigers’ outfielder-turned-second baseman who is hitting .163 with 41 strikeouts in his past 41 games.

Raburn has been booed in recent weeks, but Leyland said he does not plan to sit him anytime soon.

"I thought he’d be out of (his slump) by now," Leyland said. "He’s shown signs of it, but then doesn’t do it.

"I put him in the lineup ... that’s about as much confidence as you can get from a manger, is you play him."

Poking fun
Leyland said when he got home from Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, his college-bound daughter made him watch his tirade with her.

"She was laughing pretty good," he said, "and so was I. It doesn’t cost much to make a fool of yourself."

Leyland also was asked about the standing ovation he received as he left the field after being ejected for arguing an out/safe call.

"Maybe they just thought I was going to continue to keep on going," he said.

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Don Kelly becomes Tigers' first position player to pitch since Shane Halter in 2000

AP PhotoDetroit utility man Don Kelly delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the ninth inning Wednesday.DETROIT -- It's odd to see a ninth-inning standing ovation when the home team is trailing 16-9.

Of course, it's also odd to see utility man Don Kelly on the mound at all, firing 86-mph fastballs at the New York Mets.

But after New York scored 30 runs the past two days against the Tigers, and Detroit depleted its bullpen trying to stem the damage, Tigers manager Jim Leyland called on Kelly when lefty reliever David Purcey ran out of gas with two outs in the ninth.

Kelly delivered, retiring Mets designated hitter Scott Hairston on a lazy fly ball to center field to end the top of the night.

On a 2-2 curveball, no less.

"Or whatever resembled one," Kelly said.

The crowd gave him a standing ovation, cheering him with an enthusiasm normally reserved for a save by closer Jose Valverde.

"My mentality was to just try to get the ball over the plate," said Kelly, who had not pitched since a fall league in college.

Kelly said he was told to start loosening up at the start the ninth inning, in case the Tigers needed another pitcher.

What was going through his mind when he took that mound for the first time?

"There was adrenaline going the whole time," he said. "I just didn't want to overthrow."

Did he sneak a peak at the stadium's radar gun in left field?

"On the first pitch, no" he said with a smirk. "But it was 86 up there later on."

Kelly is the first position player to pitch for the Tigers since Shane Halter appeared in an Oct. 1, 2000 game against the Minnesota Twins.

After the game, the Tigers optioned reliever Daniel Schlereth to Toledo and called up Brayan Villarreal to offer reinforcements.

But, on an otherwise dour night for Detroit, Kelly at least offered the Tigers a bit of levity.

And, yes, Kelly said he is available for Thursday's game.?

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Tigers' Miguel Cabrera has history of feasting on Mets' Chris Capuano

AP File PhotoChris Capuano

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers don't have a lot of history against Chris Capuano, who will start today for the New York Mets in the second game of a three-game set at Comerica Park.

But one guy does, and he'll be happy to see him again.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is hitting .368 lifetime against the Mets' left-hander, including two home runs and four RBIs in 19 at-bats.

No other Tigers hitter has faced Capuano more than four times.

The Tigers will counter with their own lefty, Phil Coke, who is winless in his past 11 starts. His only victory of the season came April 14 in Oakland against the A's.

Oddly, despite Coke's 1-7 record, his 4.32 ERA is second-best on the Tigers' staff. Only Justin Verlander, who will start Thursday's series finale against the Mets, has a better ERA (2.38).

Here is the Tigers' lineup against Capuano:

1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Casper Wells RF
3. Magglio Ordonez DH
4. Miguel Cabrera 1B
5. Victor Martinez C
6. Jhonny Peralta SS
7. Brennan Boesch LF
8. Brandon Inge 3B
9. Ryan Raburn 2B

Phil Coke LHP (1-7, 4.32 ERA)

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Time running out for Phil Coke to keep spot in Tigers' rotation

AP PhotoPhil Coke needs to immediately prove he can be an effective starter, or he will be back in the bullpen

Phil Coke has gone from hard luck to no luck. 

In his first nine starts of the year, Coke allowed four or more earned runs only twice.  Through that stretch he had a respectable ERA of just 3.80, but the lack of run support from his teammates left him a dismal 1-5.

Then he hurt his foot in the fourth inning of a win over Tampa Bay and was placed on the Disabled List.

Since coming off the DL, Coke has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his four starts.

I would say Coke's problem prior to his stint on the DL was 60-percent team, 40-percent Phil.  Unfortunately, that number has shifted to 90-10, and it's not in Coke's favor.

The sad thing for Coke is that if the team had done a better job behind him earlier in the season and gotten him a few more wins, this recent hiccup could have been overlooked.  However, since he is now 1-7 instead of 4-4, the view through the microscope is much more intense.

What all this means for Coke is that his leash is about as long as an unlit Jim Leyland cigarette.  And we all know those don't stay unlit for long.  Coke cannot have another poor performance - not one - or he will be demoted back to the bullpen.

It's probably unfair for me to call it a "demotion."

Last year Coke was a darn good relief pitcher, and if he ends up back in that role again, it will be as much recognition of his quality coming out of that spot as it is pointing out his shortcomings as a starter.  Well, it might be a little bit more of the latter, but you get my point.

In 2010, Coke threw 64.2 innings in 74 appearances for Detroit, with only one of those a start.  His ERA was 3.76, which would be the fifth best in the bullpen this year behind only Al Albuquerque, David Purcey, Jose Valverde and Charlie Furbush.

Of course, one of those pitchers would have to replace Coke in the starting rotation, and the obvious choice to get his shot is Furbush.

AP PhotoCharlie Furbush will move into the starting lineup if Phil Coke falters again

He's been spot-on out of the bullpen since getting called up May 21.  In 21.2 innings in 12 appearances, Furbush has allowed only 18 hits and six earned runs.  It's not all sunshine and roses, with Furbush giving up nine walks and six home runs, but he has certainly shown enough to get his shot if Coke loses his starting spot.

That becomes even more obvious when you take into account Furbush's work as a starter in the minors this year before coming to Detroit.

In 46.1 innings, Furbush had a fantastic 2.91 ERA with 55 strikeouts and opponents batting just .179 against him.  Furbush threw two complete games and, possibly most important, he only got rocked once. 

So this is the deal for Phil Coke:  turn it around now, and don't falter once.  The second you show a crack, Charlie Furbush is waiting.

Good luck, Phil.

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Detroit Tigers' Rick Porcello: It's time to mix it up, throw more secondary pitches

AP PhotoDetroit's Rick Porcello gave up 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday.DETROIT -- What is ailing Detroit Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello?

Even he doesn’t quite know -- but he’s come up with two hypotheses.

First, Porcello -- who gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday -- said he thinks he hasn’t thrown his secondary pitches enough.

He’s confident throwing his changeup and slider, and said they still are getting out hitters as his fastball betrays him.

"I feel good about the slider, change, those haven’t been hit hard," the third-year pitcher said. "Maybe it’s time to start using them more."

More to the point, Porcello said he thinks he has become too predictable.

"When hitters are comfortable up there and feel confident, I think maybe we need to mix it up a little bit and put some doubt in their minds," Porcello said.

Second, Porcello said his fastball -- which typically has good downward bite and induces ground-ball outs -- needs to be located better.

"I looked at the game a lot (on film), and it doesn’t look like the fastball is sinking any less," Porcello said. "I think it’s just a matter of locating, and that’s the bottom line."

That, of course, is the good news. Porcello’s stuff is strong, even if he has given up at least five runs in fewer than five innings in each of his past three starts -- a span that has inflated his ERA to 5.06 and dropped his record to 6-6.

He was 6-3 with a 3.58 ERA on June 7.

One possible explanation for why Porcello was hit so hard Tuesday -- when he yielded five consecutive hits, including a homer and triple, before being lifted in the fourth -- is that he is tipping his pitches.

But, after watching extensive film by himself and with coaches, no one could find any indication he was doing so.

"I’ve watched the game a lot, and the coaches watched it a bunch, and we didn’t see anything that (hitters would) be able to pick up," Porcello said.

That is promising news for a pitcher who, despite being in his third year, still is only 22 years old.

In talking about his struggles, the ever-steely, ever-composed right-hander who has been mature beyond his years since he first put on a Tigers uniform finally showed some signs of vulnerability.

"One second you’re going good, and a couple outings later, you’re in a hole, and that’s tough to deal with," Porcello said dourly before Wednesday’s game against the Mets.

"But that’s the way it is. I’ll battle through."?

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Detroit Tigers move Phil Coke to the bullpen, promote Charlie Furbush to starting rotation

AP PhotoCharlie Furbush will take Phil Coke's place in the Detroit Tigers' rotation.DETROIT -- The Phil Coke experiment in the Detroit Tigers’ pitching rotation has ended.

Coke will return to a bullpen role after a half-season as a starter, with Charlie Furbush moving into the starting rotation.

Whether Furbush is the long-term answer remains to be seen. Tigers manager Jim Leyland is hopeful — he has said recently that the 25-year-old rookie has starter’s stuff -- but noncommittal.

What is certain is Coke (1-8, 4.91) wasn’t pitching well, and had regressed since a May 23 ankle sprain put him on the disabled list.

"I don’t know what’s going to happen with Furbush," Leyland said. "But I’m smart enough to know, right now, it wasn’t working with Phil."

Furbush will start Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.

"I’ve been a starter my whole career," Furbush said, "so I’m just going to do the same thing I’ve always done as a starter and get back in that routine."

Coke, who Wednesday night said he would understand if he went to the bullpen, saying he was at the team’s "beck and call," was agitated by the questioning, moreso than the decision, when asked about the move Thursday, one day after he pitched four innings, allowing 10 hits and eight runs (seven earned) in a 16-9 loss to the New York Mets.

It marked the third consecutive game Coke did not last beyond the fifth inning.

"I wouldn’t want to be the next guy I face," Coke said.

The Tigers will be fully staffed in the bullpen today and Saturday, but not for Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, because Furbush won’t be allowed to pitch in relief after today, and Coke won’t be available until Saturday, Leyland said.

Coke took some tough-luck losses early in the season, including twice when he made quality starts. He also pitched seven shutout innings in a no-decision at Boston.

In his next start after that game, Coke sprained his ankle while attempting to field a bunt against Tampa Bay, was forced to leave the game, then went on the disabled list.

He struggled in four of five starts since returning from the injury.

"Before that ankle thing, he was pitching pretty well," Leyland said. "But I don’t know that that’s the answer. I don’t know if that’s the reason."

Coke said it wasn’t.

"I’m not 100-percent happy because I am giving everything I’ve got and I’m coming up short and it looks really bad — my ERA, my record, whatever, walks to strikeouts," Coke said. "Who cares what the numbers say, before or after? It doesn’t matter. I’m giving everything I’ve got and I’m coming up short. Period."

Coke probably will return to much the same role he occupied last season, as a predominantly sixth- and seventh-inning reliever, Leyland said.

Coke pitched well in that role last year, when he was 7-5 with two saves and a 3.76 ERA in 74 appearances. But his success was much spottier as a starter, and Leyland said he probably wouldn’t work in that role again this season.

Leyland said Coke seemed "a little jittery" early in the season, then found a groove, but lately has been "a little more frustrated."

"That’s the thing that sticks out to me," Leyland said.

The Tigers put Coke in the rotation in spring training, even though he had started only once in 158 major-league appearances.

"Our thought process all along was let’s give this a shot, because we don’t really have some other guys ready yet, so let’s give this a shot," Leyland said. "Going in, that’s what we were thinking. Let’s get to the halfway point and let’s see what it is. Here’s the halfway point and it wasn’t working. So we’re making the adjustments."

Leyland said Coke’s response to the change "can go two ways."

"It can be just like going home for him, everything’s fine," Leyland said. "Or it could be, you know, ‘I’m disappointed, I let people down.’ Who knows? I don’t know the answer to that. But it’s the right thing to do right now."
Overworked bullpen forces moves
The adjustment to the starting rotation seemed to complete a whirlwind of activity with Tigers pitchers -- at least until they determine whether Furbush, or someone else, can start well enough to keep them out of the trade market during July -- but the move late Wednesday to send Daniel Schlereth to Triple-A Toledo, and recall Brayan Villarreal, was unanticipated until after the blowout was complete.

The Tigers simply found themselves overworked in the bullpen, where all their relievers except setup man Joaquin Benoit and closer Jose Valverde pitched either Tuesday or Wednesday, when the Mets scored 30 total runs.

"There were no plans to make any pitching changes," before Wednesday’s game, Leyland said. "Absolutely none. We just got stuck in a bind and that’s the way it is."

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