Article published August 31, 2009
Wild ride ends in loss for Willis, Mud Hens
The Mud Hens' Dontrelle Willis set a Fifth Third Field record Sunday night with eight walks. Only 44 of his 99 pitches were strikes.
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THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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By JOHN WAGNER
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Dontrelle Willis started for the Mud Hens last night, but his four innings of work provided as many questions as it did answers.
Willis struggled with his control early, then fought through injuries once he did get his control in Toledo's 6-3 loss to Indianapolis at Fifth Third Field Sunday night.
Willis is continuing his rehab from an anxiety disorder that has had him on Detroit's disabled list for a majority of this season. He also is trying to bounce back from a hip injury that cut short his last start at Columbus Aug. 19.
"It's been tough for me mentally as well as physically," Willis said. "I've got to get healthy. I know if I can go out there and compete with half a hip, I know I can do it healthy. But that's no excuse. You have to go out there and compete.
"I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me. I'm just going out there and doing what I can."
Willis walked the first two batters and was behind Jeff Salazar 3-1 when Salazar lifted a popup to shallow right that fell for a single to load the bases.The southpaw then walked
Brian Myrow to force one run home before throwing four straight balls to Tagg Bozied to force home a second.
"I didn't think he was going to get through the first," manager Larry Parrish said. "But he got through enough innings to keep our bullpen from getting blown up, and that helped."
After a conference on the mound that included Parrish and trainer Matt Rankin, Willis started throwing strikes. After throwing just six of his first 25 pitches for a strike, Willis got ahead of Neil Walker 0-2 before coaxing Walker to hit into a 5-2-3 double play.
He then got ahead of Hector Gimenez 0-2, only to see Gimenez hit a two-run single on a grounder up the middle.
"I just changed my mechanics up," Willis said of the sudden control that allowed him to throw strikes with 26 of his next 39 pitches. "You try to do what you can to adjust and compete."
After the single to Gimenez, Willis retired nine of the next 11 Indians he faced before his control deserted him in the fifth. Willis threw eight of his first nine pitches out of the strike zone to walk Tabata and Lopez. He got to 3-2 on Salazar before walking him to load the bases and was replaced by Zach Simons.
Willis finished with eight walks, setting a Fifth Third Field record. He threw 99 pitches, but only 44 were strikes.
"I reaggravated my hip [injury], but I just wanted to stay out there as long as I could. I just wanted to battle and show resilience," Willis said. "My hip's biting, but it's an injury where one pitch can reaggravate it."
So what's the next step?
"Ice. Lots and lots of ice," said Willis with a chuckle. "I'm not a doctor, and I'm not trying to be a doctor. If I can do something within reason to get healthy, I'm going to try and do it."
Simons did his best to hold the fort for Willis, allowing just one run on a passed ball as Jeff Frazier threw Lopez out at the plate to end the inning.
The Indians added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, and that was too much for the Hens to overcome.
Toledo scored single runs in the second, eighth, and ninth. But the Hens were just 2-for-8 when batting with runners in scoring position and hit into three double plays to blunt several rallies.
"We couldn't stay out of the double play," Parrish said. "We were a little too aggressive [on the bases] when we fell behind."
NOTES: Don Kelly started at shortstop last night, marking his first start at that position this year. Kelly now has started at least once at every spot on the infield and outfield this season. … Brent Dlugach started at third base for the second straight game yesterday. Those are the first two starts at third base for Dlugach in his career. … LHP Ryan Ketchner was promoted to Toledo from Single-A Lakeland and will start for the Hens Wednesday in Indianapolis. Ketchner will be the first deaf player to play for the Mud Hens since Curtis Pride in 1996.
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