AT JOKER MARCHART STADIUM, LAKELAND, FLA.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Tigers’ lefties struggled mightily. Starter Phil Coke gave up seven runs, three earned, in 3 2/3 innings. Adam Wilk replaced Coke and gave up a grand slam to Albert Pujols in the fourth inning. Daniel Schlereth was even worse. After striking out the first batter he faced, he walked four straight batters, including Pujols with the bases loaded. Will Rhymes and Clete Thomas, two guys battling to make the club, did well. Rhymes started at second and had three hits and a run scored; Thomas started in right and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
FIND THE BOX SCORE HERE
SAY WHAT? Lance Berkman twice lost control of his bat, and it went flying toward the Tigers’ dugout. Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who was seated next to the dugout, ducked in his seat as Berkman’s bat sailed past him in the first inning.
The second time, Berkman’s bat struck Tigers infield coach Rafael Belliard in the arm as it entered the dugout. Belliard said he wasn’t bruised and joked afterward that he was “a rock.”
When Berkman went up out for his third at-bat, he handed Leyland a catcher’s mask.
OVERHEARD: “That was an ugly day for us,” Leyland said. “We made a lot of mistakes — base paths, pitching. Just an ugly spring training game. Chalk it up and move on.”… “All day long our left-hand pitching didn’t do any kind of job against their left-hand hitters,” Leyland said. “It’s gotta be better than that.”…
Leyland, on whether the pitchers were getting squeezed: “I don’t believe that. What I saw, we had guys missing — way missing. When guys miss as far as we were missing, and get one close, they’re not going to get it. That’s just the way it works.”…
“I can’t remember ever walking four guys in an inning. I just can’t remember doing that,” Schlereth said. “Just one of those days, I guess. That’s why you play the game and show up in two days and pitch a lot better than that.”
THREE STARS: 1. Albert Pujols. 2. Colby Rasmus. 3. Clete Thomas.
NOTE: The Tigers today reassigned pitcher Brendan Wise to their minor league camp. The Tigers now have 39 players in major league camp. They must pare to 25 by Opening Day later this month.
Contact GEORGE SIPPLE: 313-223-4796 or gsipple@freepress.com.
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