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Farmer to start Tigers' series opener vs. D'backs (Jun 13, 2017)
DETROIT -- Right-hander Buck Farmer will try on Tuesday to extend his scoreless innings streak against a team that has won six of seven interleague games.
The Detroit Tigers and Arizona split two games earlier this year in Phoenix, where the Diamondbacks have played all of their interleague games to date.
Farmer (2-0) is now a permanent fixture in the Detroit rotation; permanent, that is, as long as he pitches well. He has made two starts on a call-up basis this year and has not allowed a run in 13 innings. This will mark his first career start against Arizona.
The right-hander was 0-6 with a 6.84 ERA in sporadic appearances from 2014 until this season, many of those as a reliever. The club decided this winter it would have him start exclusively and it seems to have helped his confidence.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, a few decades ago one of the late Sparky Anderson's spring training inspirations, spent Monday mulling over who to use as his designated hitter.
Lovullo said Sunday in Arizona after a win over Milwaukee that he was leaning toward giving first baseman Paul Goldschmidt a half-day off. He'd be in the lineup as the DH but not playing first base. Tuesday would be a good choice for that since it would mean he would have two full days without playing in the field.
"I think it would be a nice way for Goldy to play a game and get him off his feet a little bit," Lovullo said. "I haven't told him that."
The Diamondbacks will start Zack Greinke after he spent time on paternity leave for the birth of his second child. In 13 starts this season, Greinke has a 3.20 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings. He has walked only 17.
Greinke has faced Detroit plenty of times in his career, although he'll note a considerable change in the cast of characters. The right-hander has faced the Tigers 28 times and is 13-7 with a 2.79 ERA. This will be his 17th game at Comerica Park.
Detroit made a change in its bullpen during the weekend, sending out right-hander Arcenio Leon and bringing up left-hander Chad Bell. The Tigers stabilized half of their bullpen when they deposed Francisco Rodriguez as closer.
Lefty Justin Wilson has firmed up the closer situation with right-hander Alex Wilson doing sturdy work as the setup man. Right-hander Shane Greene has been used by manager Brad Ausmus to put out fires anywhere from the fifth through the eighth innings.
Right-hander Warwick Saupold had a weekend wobble but before that was excellent as a long reliever.
Ausmus runs into problems with the other pitchers. He's using his dependables as much as possible but turns to them so much he's running a big risk of burning them out before September.
"We've got seven guys out there," Ausmus said. "They all have to contribute. You can't wear out the same three guys over and over and over again, or they'll be dead in the last two months of the season. So there are times when other guys are going to have to step up."
Too often, they haven't. This will lead to more changes in the weeks ahead.
Neither manager has disclosed his Wednesday starter. It's Michael Fulmer's turn for Detroit, but he worked with an extra day's rest for his last two starts and Ausmus may go that way again.
There are reports Jordan Zimmermann has an injury that may keep him out of a start, in which case the Tigers could bring someone up from the minors.
Arizona has a .219 road batting average that contributes to one of the road worst offenses in the majors. The team is leaning toward activating right-hander Taijuan Walker from the disabled list so he could start Wednesday.
He has been dealing with blister issues since late last month but had a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings before that. Walker threw a bullpen session Saturday that included him taking the protective tape off his blister and Lovullo said the session "went well."
The Diamondbacks have three days off in a span of nine days, which will influence how the manager sets up his rotation.
Arizona is still without center fielder A.J. Pollock, dealing with leg issues, but he's starting to put some steam in his running workouts. No time has been set for his return.
"The next couple of days he's going to ramp up that activity," Lovullo said. "The fact he was feeling good and running close to 100 percent (Sunday) was very encouraging to me."
