The Detroit Tigers took batting practice twice at Comerica Park last night. First, hours before the game, and then a second time, after Yankee starter Kei Igawa (3 IP, 6 runs, 11 hits) took the mound. “Who knew that Igawa was Japanese for Esteban Loiaza?” asks the New York Daily News‘ Mark Feisand (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory), who has a hard time swallowing the latter’s lame excuses.
I never thought I would meet a pitcher more delusional than Loaiza, who would routinely tell us after his starts how well he thought he pitched. I remember one game when he gave up six runs in five innings, all of the runs coming on four homers. He said to us, œI pitched very well, I just made four bad pitches. I guess he didn™t take into account that those four pitches traveled almost 2,000 feet.
Igawa was nearly as insane Friday night in discussing his abominable outing, telling us that all he has to do to improve is to strike out more batters.
œThe result is part of baseball. It can happen in any game at any time, Igawa said through his translator. œThe next thing I would like to work on is getting more strikeouts.
œI felt the changeup worked well in terms of control, said the clueless pitcher. œIn terms of the slider, I missed three pitches, one high. Besides that, I think they were pretty good.
They were pretty good. If you were a Tigers fan, that is.
Darren Rasner has fared far better this afternoon, allowing a pair of runs on 4 hits over 6 innings, as the Yankees lead, 5-2 in the last of the 8th.
Carlos Beltran singled, tripled and drove in 5 runs during the Mets’ 12-6 drubbing of the Reds in the first half of a Saturday doubleheader at Shea. On Monday’s “Mike & The Mad Dog”, the subject is gonna be why RBI’s are a poor indicator of a player’s value.