Clete Thomas leads Tigers to score early & often
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BY JOHN LOWE
COLUMNIST
DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
May 6, 2009
On this night, Rick Porcello deserved to feel like the rookie of the year.
Jim Leyland deserved to feel like the manager of the year.
And Clete Thomas deserved to feel that he's in the majors to stay.
Thomas, up and down between the Tigers and minors last season, played in the big leagues for the first time this year Tuesday night.
He doubled to set up a run in the first, tripled in two runs in a five-run second and singled in front of Miguel Cabrera's 440-foot homer to left in the fourth. The Tigers shook their recent early-game hitting lethargy and beat the Twins, 9-0.
"It's obviously everybody's goal to get here and stay," Thomas said. "It's mine to trust in God. He's got a plan for my life. As of now, I'm going to play and enjoy everything."
In two shots at the cycle, Thomas didn't get the ball in the air for the homer he needed. "It would have been amazing to do it," Thomas said.
Porcello got his second win and first at home. He pitched seven innings.
Leyland said he got the energy he wanted from putting Josh Anderson (leadoff) and Thomas (third) high in the order. Leyland particularly liked how each player ran when one of his hits got past an outfielder.
Porcello got his second win in his fifth start. In his last start, he’d gotten knocked out in the fourth inning by the Yankees.
“I don’t talk about individuals very much,” Leyland said, “but when you’re dealing with this kid, it’s good to see him pick up another win.
“I can’t let this kid get buried. I can’t do it.”
Porcello did much better against left-handed hitters than in most of his previous starts. He and Leyland said that he didn’t change his approach to the lefties; he just executed better.
The Twins had six left-handed hitters in the lineup.
“I thought he threw the sinker for strikes running away from them,” Leyland said. “He struck out (Alexi) Casilla on a 3-2 sinker that just sunk out of view.”
Porcello said: “I was able to keep the ball down better and mix in a few breaking balls to left-handers. That was the big thing -- it’s just executing pitches."
“Most of the runs I’ve given up this year have been on mistakes. As long as I can stay focused out there and execute my pitches, I think we have a pretty good chance of getting a guy out.”
Near-cycle stuff: Some fans booed when Twins pitcher Craig Breslow walked Thomas on a full count in the eighth, ending Thomas’ chance at the cycle. He began that plate appearance with a home-run type swing -- and missed . . . Cabrera needed a triple in the eighth for a cycle. Leyland said that he didn’t seem to mind getting pinch-hit for in that spot, with the game one-sided. Jeff Larish, just back from the minors, hit for Cabrera and struck out. In 3,865 career at-bats, Cabrera has 12 triples . . . Thomas was drafted by the Twins out of high school, but elected to play college baseball at Auburn.
Cabrera and Ted: With his 3-for-4 night, Cabrera raised his average to .406. That’s what Ted Williams hit in 1941 when he became the most recent big leaguer to finish a season with a .400 average. Williams that season had 37 homers and 127 RBIs. Cabrera is on pace for 44 homers and 137 RBIs. But Cabrera (or anyone else ever again) probably will not match this ratio Williams had in ’41: 147 walks, 27 strikeouts. Yep -- Williams walked 120 more times than he struck out that season. |
