Rapid Reactions: Kershaw Dominates Tigers

• We don’t get to see a lot of guys like Clayton Kershaw, but I sure won’t miss seeing him face the Tigers. This guy is like a left handed Justin Verlander.
• Well, except that Kershaw can hit a little bit, too. His two-run single gave in the eighth gave the Dodgers more than enough breathing room tonight. Of course, the way he was going, Juan Uribe‘s solo homer in the first was actually more than enough breathing room, wasn’t it? This was a one or two run game all night, but there was no drama at all. Kershaw was in complete control.
• Of course, Kershaw shouldn’t have even come to the plate in the eighth. Ramon Santiago‘s bobble on the Jamey Carroll ground ball meant he had only one play (at the plate) instead of turning two on the routine groundball.
• Does Jim Leyland realize that he doesn’t actually have to make a double switch when he brings in a reliever? The move to take Danny Worth out of the game in the eighth (in favor of Santiago) cost the Tigers two runs. In that situation, you must have your best defensive unit on the field to try to get out of that jam. Worth makes the play that Santiago didn’t, which lead to the Kershaw base hit. Put that one on Leyland.

• Here’s why: What’s the downside of using Benoit without the double switch? That Santiago would have been the pinch-hitter in the ninth instead of playing defense two outs earlier? That IF the Tigers would have tied the game in the ninth, that Benoit would have been done for the night? Again, you have to leave Worth in the game there. He didn’t and it cost them.
• Brad Penny was actually pretty good tonight. He clearly isn’t the potentially dominant power pitcher he once was anymore, but when he keeps throws enough strikes, he keeps his club in the game on most nights. That’s more than you could expect from most back-of-the-rotation guys.
• I am really getting sick of watching Daniel Schlereth pitch. He’s rapidly becoming the new Zach Miner/Armando Galarraga with his constant refusal to throw strikes.
• The Indians and White Sox both lost as well, so at least the Tigers didn’t lose any ground tonight. Get ’em tomorrow, boys.

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