SPORTS
Friday, June 7, 1985
Page 11
The Michigan Daily
II PiSPORTS OF THE DAILY:
PhiBing it NUl Jays outlast Tigers, 2-0
BY Phil Nussel
Tigers'early problems ...
' . no emergencies yet
It's only early June and Tiger fans are already saying that their
team is going down the tubes. Of course this is a natural reaction
considering that Detroit is 6 games out of first place and battling
New York for third place.
Now I'm not going to jump on this bandwagon of doom just yet. In
fact, I'm going to stay on the optimistic bandwagon until I see that
the Tiges are burried in fourth or fifth place, ten games out.
The fact is, it really is too early to say that Detroit doesn't have a
chance to repeat their works and miracles of 1984.
But I'm not stupid either. The Tigers have indeed had too many
problems in the first two months of the season and if these areas
don't change, we'll all see the team buried in the pack like the
Bostons and the Milwaukees (I won't even mention Cleveland
because the Indians are and always will be the laughing stock of the
AL East).
As I see it, here are the problems that must be dealth with by
manager Sparky Anderson:
Larry Herndon. The leftfielder has been more than pathetic at
the plate and if not replaced soon, will lose many more games than
he wins. The veteran is hitting a ridiculous .228 with four homers
and 11 RBI's.
Last Tuesday against Seattle, Herndon left the bases loaded in
the ninth and eleventh innings. A Phil Bradley home run in the next
inning won it for the Mariners. Let's hear it for clutch hitting.
*Juan Berenguer. The games are getting much too important now
to be patient with this guy's many streaks of brilliance and inep-
titude. This whole season he has been on one long streak of gopher-
ball pitching. His ERA is more than lofty at 7.07.
With Berenguer pitching so poorly, Anderson has had to go back
to the farm and bring up young Randy O'Neal to be the fourth star-
ter. Milt Wilcox' arm has not come around too well, so he's out of
the picture as far as I'm concerned. He hasn't done anything but
blow five-run leads anyway.
" Willie Hernandez has not been used enough. Even with his
league-leading 11 saves, Hernandez has not seen enough action.
When he's been in, the Tigers win almost every time. When he's
been out, somebody like Aurelio Lopez or Bill Scherer has lost the
game.
gaThe defense has been shoddy. Detroit has already committed
two or more errors in several games, not to mention bad plays that
were still hidden by lenient scorer's decisions. Miscues by Dave
Bergman and Alan Trammell were the downfall of Doug Bair's fir-
st start of the year on Tuesday. The Melrose, Oh. native didn't pitch
too bad, but was betrayed by bad fielding.
" The "we're going tobe okay" mentality. Baseball is of course a
laid-back sort of game and it is easy to get lazy, especially when
you're the defending World Champions. Even if they don't admit it,
the Tigers have looked genuinely lazy this season. This had better
change, or a team that is hungry to win - like Toronto - will walk
away with the AL East title.
Now that I'm done with my criticisms, here are my reasons for
believing that the Tigers will still at least win the division:
" There simply is too much talent. The up-the-middle crew of
Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammel, and Chet Lemon is
the best in baseball and will win the pennant single handedly if they
have to. Kirk Gibson (.280, 9 homers, 30 RBI's) will surely lend a
helping hand too.
" The top three starters remain consistent. Despite a few bad
outings, Jack Morris and Dan Petry are still the best one-two punch
in baseball. Walt Terrell has been more than a pleasant surprise
with a 6-1 record. The three pitchers should combine for over 50
wins this season.
" Darrel Evans. I hereby predict that this first baseman will hit
.260 with 30 home runs and 105 RBI's. I know; I know, he's a streak
hitter. I just have a feeling that his present streak isn't going to end
in '85. With his bat, the Tigers will return to first place.
" The rumors of a strike. With everybody talking abouta possible
strike, nobody is talking about what's wrong with Detroit. With
this, the pressure is off and things can return to normal for Detroit
without thewhole world watching.
There-it is..aThe good and the bad. Trust me, for the Tigers' 1985
season, the good will win out over the bad.
Both teams had good scoring oppor-
From staff and wire reports tunities in the late innings. The Blue
TORONTO - If the first game of Jays had the bases loaded in the tenth
the all-important Tiger-Blue Jay with only one out, but Petry got
series was any indication of the next Damaso Garcia to hit into a rally-
three games, it is going to be one hell breaking double play. Barbaro Gar-
of a weekend. Last night, it took a 12th bey grounded out with two men on in
inning two-run homer from Buck the 11th.
Martinez to breaka scoreless tie. The Tigers could only muster four
hits all night, but left eight men on
The starters - Detroit's Dan Petry base.
and Toronto's Jimmy Key - both pit- The loss leaves Detroit 7%12 games
ched ten scoreless innings, but neither out of first with three games left
could pick up the victory, series.
Martinez, a journeyman for several
KEY, IN fact, had a no-hitter going years, hit a 1-2 pitch for the round-
into the ninth inning but had it spoiled tripper. It was Toronto's 14th win in 16
by third baseman Tom Brookens, who games.
hit a line drive to left. Gary Lavelle EvertNarratilova wi
took over in the 11th and Jim Acker
took over in the 12th. Acker was Frum staff and wire repurts
credited with the win. Chris Evert-Lloyd and Martina
Navratilova both won yesterday in
Willie Hernandez took over in the their French Open singles semifinal Evert
11th for Petry, but didn't come back matches to set up a showdown in the ... in French semis
because of a possible injury on an in- finals tomorrow at Roland Garros
field play. Lopez entered in the next stadium.
inning and gave up the homer for his Lloyd downed Argentina's Gabriela -
fourth loss of the season against no Sabatini 6-4, 6-1 while Navratilova
wins, took care of West Germany's for- 'B N I~
midable Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 6-4, 6- Ann Arbor's fastest!
4. From 10-800 T-shirts screenprint-
The match in the finals tomorrow ed with in 24 hours of order.
will be the 63rd meeting of the two Multi-color printing our specialty.
superstars in their long professional You supply art or use our expert
careers. The series isatied at 31, but design staf f.
Navratilova has had a decided edge dsq rl
Hundreds of surplus T-shirts only
over the last few years, playing $2 each. Located eh the oPigCae
nearly flawless tennis over that span. 08' s Frs P
The winner will have the first leg of
the coveted grand slam of tennis -
which consists of titles in the French C T
Open, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and
the Australian Open. Neither of the
two have been able to garner a grand
slam title yet. /AiNrr A11110A
Petry
... ten scoreless innings
S
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Garcia
... blows Blue Jay rally