Good News, Bad News

First the good news about today's game. Luke Hudson looked great today. I feel much better about him being in the pen, even though I would have preferred either Joel Peralta or Steve Andrade to have his spot. He seems to have embraced a bullpen role, and is throwing much better in relief than he ever did as a starter for Cincinnati. Some guys are just better suited to the shorter role, and maybe Hudson is one of them.

Now the bad news. Everything else.

To be specific:

• The hitters were swinging at everything. With the exception of David DeJesus, no one tried to work the count on Jeremy Bonderman. Through six innings, he had thrown just 75 pitches, and the entire lineup failed to draw a walk against either Bonderman or the Tigers' bullpen.
• DeJesus was stranded at third base despite leading off the game with a triple and having three veterans coming up behind him. If the three most professional hitters in your lineup can't drive in a run from third base with no one out, you have trouble on your hands my friend.
• For the second straight game, Mike Sweeney was booed by the home fans. (And deservedly so, I might add.)
• Royal hitters managed to get just four balls out of the infield against Bonderman. Yeah, I know he's a good pitcher. But four? That's it?
• Joe Mays was as awful as he showed himself to be his last few years in Minnesota, surrendering three runs and a wild pitch before the Tigers' sixth hitter had reached the plate in the first inning.
• It took Steve Stemle until his fifth hitter before his ERA dropped below infinity. The decision to keep him over Peralta or Andrade look to be every bit as terrible as I thought it would be.
• After another dose of The Jimmy Gobble Experience (another inning, another homer allowed), the team's most reliable long reliever, Mike Wood, not only came in and got creamed, by allowing homers to two of the first three batters he faced, but he then completely lost his cool and plunked Craig Monroe on his next pitch, earning an early shower,
• Angel Berroa was up to his old tricks. After botching a ground ball for an error in the top of the sixth inning, he led off the bottom half of the inning with a double before promptly getting caught off second base when the next batter hit a ground ball to third base.

Folks, I know it's been only two games, but this looks like it could be another ugly year.