Tigers 8, Indians 4 (box)
Unreal. You have a guy who was one of the best relief pitchers in all of baseball last season getting smacked around only a year later like he’s dating the late Ike Turner. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Masa Kobayashi took the loss in yesterday’s game. If you weren’t watching, you’re being mislead.
Aaron Laffey turned out yet another quality start, with only two earned runs in six and two-thirds innings. One mistake to Carlos Guillen in the fourth. That’s it. Sure, Kobayashi technically gave up two earned runs in only one-third of an inning, but this game was officially over after Betancourt came in. Five of the six runs in the eighth inning crossed with Rafy on the hill. His ERA now stands at 7.27 – a level that warrants a few days off, in my mind.
Over his last two appearances, Betancourt has thrown an inning and two-thirds. In said appearances, he has struck out two, walked three, allowed five hits, two home runs and (wait for it…..) seven earned runs. Seven. He has single-handedly put both games out of reach from a winnable perspective, yet somehow has escaped getting tagged with the “L” in both instances. Yes, he was not the pitcher of record, I get that. But any player that can suck the air out of entire 40-man roster with an inning on the mound deserves a loss – even if it is semantics.
I’d love to see some pitch f/x data that compares last season to this season. In fact, if I get the time today, I’ll do such. All I know is that this guy – with little movement on his pitches as it is – simply cannot locate. And when he does, he’s getting crushed.
I wish I had an answer as to what the team should do. Bauer got lit up the other night. Kobayashi gives up two earned in less than an inning yesterday. Betancourt has just been all-around awful. Rafael Perez? He’s been the best we’ve had, but more or less by default.
It will be an interesting rest-of series. Say we’re up three in the sixth or seventh today or Tuesday? Do you go with Rafy again?
Not if I was in charge.
